Sidney UMC - Christmas Eve - 12/24/23 - Sermon - “Eternal Truth Is Among Us!” (“The Eternal Truth” Series: Part 5 of 5)

                Sunday 12/24/23 – Christmas Eve - Sidney UMC

Sermon Title:         “Eternal Truth Is Among Us!”                                              (“The Eternal Truth” Series: Part 5 of 5)    

Old Testament Scripture: Isaiah 9:2-7                                     

New Testament Scripture: Titus 2:11-14

Gospel Lesson: Luke 2:1-20

          Welcome again, on this our Christmas Eve celebration and worship. This night of hope, of joy, of love, of peace, and this night of wonder. Tonight, Christmas Eve is a night that many of us have cherished for years. Maybe we have gone to Christmas Eve worship every year all of our lives. Maybe we have not been to many Christmas Eve worship services, or maybe we are coming here tonight after not going for a while, or even a long while.

          Whatever bring us to this church tonight, into this beautiful edifice, this Sidney United Methodist Church, we gather to hear about the birth of the one who changed the world forever. Arguably the most transformative figure that has ever crossed the horizon of this world, who is Jesus Christ. In fact, just last week when I was at the check out at Price Chopper here in Sidney, one or more of the magazines on the magazine racks at the checkout had a cover picture of Jesus on them.

          For centuries, countless people have loved and have followed Jesus Christ. This building exists because of Jesus Christ. Our congregation gathers for worship every Sunday, because of Jesus Christ. Blood, sweat, and tears built these buildings so that we might come here, pray, worship, fellowship, grow closer to God and to each other, and to learn to be more like Jesus. In world that has so many hurts and so much suffering, the answer is the gospel of Jesus Christ.

          Being a student of history and a student of the Christian faith, I am well aware of the failings that some Christians have had throughout our history. There have been times that people who professed to be Christians did and said terrible things. Yet, Jesus, our Lord and Savior is the truth that persists throughout time and space. I have never met anyone who has a problem with Jesus, but as I have said many times before, I have met many people that have had a problem with the church.

          After two-thousand years, people still seek after Jesus, to learn about him, and be like him. I remember seeing a lawn sign 5-10 years back, referencing the three wise men or magi that brought Jesus’ gold, frankincense, and myrrh. The sign said, “Wise Men still seek him”. There was a time in the history, and in general, where many people believed that Jesus came to earth as God in the flesh, and died for us. They were all in, and this believe strengthened them, and sustained them. We can sometimes lose this reality though, if we focus on the times that Christians failed to be like Jesus. Yet Jesus, always seems to pull us back.

Jesus is the answer, and the church needs to be a mission, not just an institution. All of this exists, so that we all might be more like Jesus. Every dedication placard, every name on stained glass window, ever remembrance, are the whispers of followers of Christ that went before us. All, as a gentle reminder to love our neighbor as ourselves, to serve others, to help, to care, and to love. Friends on this Christmas Eve, and in general, as we await the birth of the Prince of Peace, the King of Kings, the Lord of Lords, the most transformative figure to ever walk this earth. So transformative that one-third of the world’s population are followers of Jesus, or Christians.

          Instead of just telling the story of Jesus birth though, I am here to proclaim that I believe, along with hundreds of millions of other people, and countless people over the centuries, that Jesus Christ is the greatest “Eternal Truth” that we have. In a world and in a culture, where truth can seem so flexible and so flimsy sometimes, historically as Christians, we believe that Jesus Christ is eternally and forever, Lord and Savior. The love that God unleashed on the world nearly two-thousand years ago has and continues to change us all. All we have to do is decide if we will take the story and the hope of Jesus’ birth and live into it. We believe that in the end mercy, hope, faith, joy, and love will win, and evil, wickedness, and cruelty will be defeated. Tonight is the first ring of the bell of victory that the world can and does have hope for something better, greater, and eternal.

          Since our last Christmas Eve service, we have had a lot of deaths, drug overdoses, wars, and other loses. Coupled with this, as I have said, I am convinced that some people in our culture no longer believe in absolute or eternal truths. Instead, some might say that life has no meaning, and that we just go along to get along. I guess there is some truth to some of that, but for those of us who follow Christ, we have the “Eternal Truth” that he is with us. Whatever this world throws at me, whatever happens to me, to Sidney, to the Sidney area, I have the unshakable hope of Jesus Christ. For in the end, Christ will have the victory. This hope is offered to world, and it is free for the taking. For my dear friends, on this night, “Eternal Truth Is Among Us!” In a world that seems like sometimes we cannot make sense of so many things, where maybe we lose a little faith in humanity sometimes, we have the unchanging and unshakeable truth of Jesus Christ. Jesus is sovereign and his reign is eternal, and tonight “Eternal Truth Is Among Us!”

          This Eternal Truth is also truth that has been prophesized for centuries before Jesus was ever born. Most scholars would say that Jesus was probably not born on December 25^th, but December 25^th became the date that many Christians celebrate Jesus’ birth. Eastern Orthodox Christians celebrate Christ’s birth a little later than we do, by a week or two. I suppose the date is not what is important, it is that it happened. For people who need hope, and feel like there is precious little, tonight “Eternal Truth Is Among Us!” The prophecies of the coming Messiah, of Jesus that go back centuries before Christ’s birth, and can be seen in scripture that from Isaiah 9:2-7. This scripture, written hundreds of years before Christ, says once again:

² The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who lived in a land of deep darkness—on them light has shined. ³ You have multiplied exultation; you have increased its joy; they rejoice before you as with joy at the harvest, as people exult when dividing plunder. ⁴ For the yoke of their burden and the bar across their shoulders, the rod of their oppressor, you have broken as on the day of Midian. ⁵ For all the boots of the tramping warriors and all the garments rolled in blood shall be burned as fuel for the fire. ⁶ For a child has been born for us, a son given to us; authority rests upon his shoulders, and he is named Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. ⁷ Great will be his authority, and there shall be endless peace for the throne of David and his kingdom. He will establish and uphold it with justice and with righteousness from this time onward and forevermore. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will do this                       (Isa. 9:2-7, NRSV).

          Prophecy of the coming hope that we celebrate this night, as we declare tonight that “Eternal Truth Is Among Us!” This hope, this “Eternal Truth” however, is not just a stand-alone truth. It is not as if Jesus came to earth, did what he did, simply as some sort business transaction alone. Jesus did not just come to teach us, to love us, to heal us, and to die for us, but he came so that we would literally be like him. I have asked that churches that I have served many times, what if the whole world lived and loved like Jesus for twenty-four hours? What would this world look like? I hope that it would look like Jesus.

          In our reading from Titus 2:11-14 for tonight, we hear about the excitement and the hope of Jesus. Looking at this scripture, it says, once again:

¹¹ For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all, ¹² training us to renounce impiety and worldly passions and in the present age to live lives that are self-controlled, upright, and godly, ¹³ while we wait for the blessed hope and the manifestation of the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ. ¹⁴ He it is who gave himself for us that he might redeem us from all iniquity and purify for himself a people of his own who are zealous for good deeds (Tit. 2:11-14, NRSV).

          Friends, on this night, how many of us want to see a better Sidney, a better Sidney area, and a better world. I know that I do, and because I believe in the sovereignty of Jesus Christ, I believe that “Eternal Truth Is Among Us!” Jesus comes to us on this night, but the question, will we come to him?

          In our gospel of Matthew lesson for tonight we hear one of the two narratives of the birth of Jesus. It is a narrative that includes all manner of people. If you were going to be born as God on earth, would you be born outside in a stable, or perhaps a cave or sorts? Would you want to give birth to baby, exposed the elements, to the smells of animals, and have everyone from the poorest to richest come to see you and your family.

          It is so easy to look at the story of Christmas, and just see it as part some people’s culture or tradition. Some of us like seeing the nativity scenes, and some us like the story of the birth of Jesus. I would submit to us all though, that the prophecies of Christ coming, the way he was born, the way he lived and loved, is all part of the blue print of what has and will continue to change humanity. Tonight is not just a bank transaction, it is the beginning something new, for tonight “Eternal Truth Is Among Us!”

          A friend of Melissa and I, Louise Lesh gave me a cute story that is so touching I want to read it to you all this evening. Louise goes to the Unadilla Presbyterian Church, and the story that Louise gave me is from a Presbyterian pastor in New Jersey. The story is called, “Moving in with Jesus: a grilled cheese parable”. Here is the story:

“Order please,” my 4-year-old asked, marker and notepad in hand. “I’ll take a grilled cheese,” I responded. She went to the play kitchen and returned a few minutes later with a plate of plastic food and wooden blocks. “Yummy,” I said, pretending to eat. “This is the best grilled cheese yet.” “Mommmmmmy,” she rolled her eyes, “that wasn’t grilled cheese.” “Oh … what was it?” At this, she launched into an epic story — a parable, if you will. “Well, you can’t eat grilled cheese because we don’t have any grilled cheese. The diner got really busy today. Everyone wanted grilled cheese! So, we made a lot of grilled cheese. Stacks and stacks of grilled cheese up to the sky! Then a giant, giant monster came. He ate up all the grilled cheese. Then the diner caught on fire and the monster ran away.”

Then this little storyteller said matter-of-factly, “And that’s why we had to move in with Jesus.” “Wait, what?” I said, stunned at this sudden plot twist. “You had to move in with Jesus?” “Yes. My brother and I slept in his nice, comfy bed.” “You took Jesus’ bed?” I said, a little appalled. “Where did Jesus sleep?” “In the attic,” she said. “He gave us his bed.” Then she cleared my dishes and went back to the play kitchen.

Scholars may disagree, but I believe this child of God has a pretty good grasp on incarnational theology. Isn’t “we moved in with Jesus” just a different way to say: “The Word became flesh and dwelt among us” (John 1:14)? So, if you have ears to hear, listen: when your grilled cheese is eaten by monsters, when your diner burns down, when your life gets turned upside down, Jesus is there. When we face hardship, injustice, division, grief, loss, and uncertainty, Jesus is there. As we move closer to Christmas and the celebration of the birth of Jesus, I am finding much comfort in the mystery of the incarnation — that God chose to come down to this messy, chaotic, broken, and wounded world to live with us.

Modern English Bibles translate the beauty of John 1:14 differently:

• “The Word became flesh and made his home among us” (CEB)
• “And the Word became flesh and lived among us” (NRSV)
• “The Word became a human being” (NIRV)
• “And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us” (KJV)
• “The Word became flesh and blood, and moved into the neighborhood” (MSG)
• “That’s why we had to move in with Jesus” (New Revised Preschooler Version)

 

No matter what translation you choose, the truth remains: Jesus has moved into this world, into our neighborhood, into our homes. What will Jesus find in your home? If your home looks anything like mine, then it’s possible Jesus might find piles of laundry, unwashed dishes, and an array of items that don’t belong where they currently are. And yet … that’s exactly how Jesus finds us — some piles of grief, unwashed dreams, and an array of feelings that don’t belong where they currently are. The incarnation of Jesus Christ means that our everyday spaces are holy. This was always true for Jesus, who met people in homes during his earthly ministry. We have only a handful of biblical stories about Jesus inside a place of worship, but we have story after story of Jesus inside homes. Jesus visited Mary and Martha’s home (Luke 10:38-42). Jesus stayed at Zacchaeus’ home (Luke 19:5). Jesus healed at Peter’s home (Matthew 8:14-15). Jesus preached and healed in his own home in Capernaum (Mark 2:1-12). In Jesus’ own home, so many people crowded in that Jesus might’ve even given up his bed to them (he certainly gave up his roof). This Christmas, may Jesus move in right where you are. May God be “with you” in the beautiful mess. May God surprise us once again with the birth of something new, the wonder of a miracle, and the shimmer of an epiphany (https://pres-outlook.org/2023/12/moving-in-with-jesus-a-grilled-cheese-parable/#:~:text=1%3A14)%3F-,Isn't%20%E2%80%9Cwe%20moved%20in%20with%20Jesus%E2%80%9D%20just%20a,upside%20down%2C%20Jesus%20is%20there).

          Friends, tonight “Eternal Truth Is Among Us,” and while I have told the story of Jesus’ birth on Christmas Eve many times, I think the four-year old little girl making her mother pretend grilled cheese understands this night more than so many others. On this night, invite Jesus into your heart, into your, home, you’re your successes, into your failures, and rest easy know that “Eternal Truth Is Among Us!” Dear friends, may you have a blessed and wonderful Christ, and may the love of Jesus Christ be with us all. Merry Christmas! Amen.