Christmas Guaranteed

Christmas Guaranteed

Psalm 89:1-4

December 7, 2025

I’ll admit, I am seeing signs of age in my life. Last week I was with Nate and I caught myself doing an old man move, I started telling Nate stories from when I was a kid and I could hear how old I sounded. I started talking about regrets from when I was a kid.

One of the stories I told was about when I was young and I got really frustrated at my dad. He had promised that we were going to go snowmobiling but never told me when. It had just snowed and that fresh powder was calling to me. I could not understand why in the world my dad did not have the same excitement as me? It no doubt had to do with coming home after working from 5 am to 7 pm plumbing an entire house by himself and then wanting to chase his stupid kid around in the snow with a snowmobile.

What could possibly be holding him back? (sarcasm). As a kid, we are extremely selfish and self-absorbed. The sad thing is that we rarely grow out of that. We see the world through our own eyes all the while missing the timing and variables from the ONE who sees it all. My question is, are we looking at Christmas through eyes that are missing the point?

As we look at Christmas throughout the history of man, we can see clearly that God does not leave us in the dark. He promises that something will happen and it is far more valuable than we could ever imagine!

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How in the world do you get Christmas from that pastor. I am glad you asked! Our title of our message is Christmas Guaranteed. To God, there is no such thing as a “beginning” to Christmas. To God, Christmas was always and will always be. To God, Christmas does not start in a manger in Bethlehem. To God, this plan of salvation has always been. To God, it is guaranteed.

Last week we looked at Christmas beginnings. For those who missed it, the reason why we started in Genesis at the fall of man was to build the foundation for WHY we need Christmas so bad. We went back to when Adam and Eve (our first parents) chose sin over obedience. From the fall of man came the need for Christmas unto man. The first mention of this plan was Genesis 3 and it is embedded in the curse. God pulled back the curtain and shared the promise of Christmas.

Today we move forward in time when God again pulls the curtain back to remind man that Christmas is coming. But, this time, God gives us more of the details. Christmas will come by means of King David. Our passage today reminds us that Christmas forever beginning (Genesis), forever guaranteed (today), forever costly (next week) and forever executed into the future (in two weeks).

Let’s dive into the guarantee today. First we need to set the context for our passage. Psalm 89 was written by the Psalmist Ethan. Ethan was born from a hazy linage. What I mean by that is this. One of the 12 sons of Jacob, Judah who had a relationship with someone he should not have. The result was kids and one of those descendants was Ethan (1 Chronicles 2:6).

Ethan was a smart guy, but not that smart. I laughed when I read this. How would you like to be remembered throughout all human history as not as smart as someone else? 1 Kings 4:3 says that “31 For he was wiser than all other men, wiser than Ethan the Ezrahite,[1]”The “he” who was wiser was Solomon. I guess if you want to lose to someone, lose to that guy.

The Psalm that we have before us is meant to be read as a poem or even sung by the Jewish people. A “maskil” means contemplative poem. If you read the entire Psalms, it’s really important to know what is happening at the time to get the context of the Psalm. In Psalm 89, Ethan was watching the start of the decay of his nation due to sin.

MacArthur wrote: “Ethan’s theology was contrary to what his eyes saw. He knew of the promises of God, but the eyes were seeing David’s throne falter under the penalty of sin within his nation and more importantly, the lineage of the good king David.”

Ethan was witnessing the destruction due to sin. Yet, his theology or knowledge of God was saying that a redeemer was to come. Even as his nation was in disarray and faltering, there is no possible way anyone could blame God. Instead, Ethan does what we all do, we question where God is in our destruction.

As God’s kids, we often question the motive, timing and means of God. But we should never question God’s character. Ethan reminds us of what is guaranteed to come even as he is watching the slippery slope that will eventually cast his nation into exile. He sees the writing on the wall.

Those who are true believers often have a world that is in shambles and at times will question motive, timing and means but will always allow God to be God. Why? Because it is a Christmas Guaranteed.

1. God’s faithful love.

Vs 1 and 2 are written in the Hebrew writing style of parallelism. Meaning the author uses repetitive themes back and forth to get his point across. In verse 1 we see God’s steadfast love followed by God’s faithfulness for all generations. Then again in verse 2 we see again, God steadfast love followed by His faithfulness.

When words are repeated, let’s see why. First, God’s love that goes on forever. The entire point of this sermon series is to show us that Christmas is not a spot in time. Just like God’s love that is forever, so is Christmas! Just like God is timeless, so is His love. The reason is that His Love is unique to God alone.

That word LOVE in Hebrew is Hesed: God’s unique and faithful love towards His children. God is a Covenant God who shows Hesed to His children.

 (ḥesed). n. masc. steadfast love, kindness, faithfulness, loyalty. The core idea of this term relates to loyalty within a relationship and shows God’s faithfulness to His people. It is a love in action!

God’s Hesed is a love in action and is owned by God. Can people show Hesed back to God? Well, we who are covenant offspring (those who recognize His Lordship and who have submitted to His saving Grace are capable of Hesed back to God but it is shrouded by the sin in our lives. It falters because we often can’t see through the sin of our hearts. We, like Ethan, are watching our surroundings more than keeping our eyes on the source of such unique love.

Ethan is singing of this type of covenantal love because it comes with an action. Ethan will not stop singing about this even when his city and nation were coming apart. Even when his eyes told of a different story, he is still singing over the promises of God’s lovingkindness.

The other word we need to look at Is God’s faithfulness. Who in your life is the most faithful to you? A spouse should be at the top of the list along with mom and dad. A child…well let’s leave that one alone (did you clean your room? Yea dad…). Maybe they’ll get there.

God’s faithfulness, like His love is unique to Him. By definition, faithfulness means firmness, steadfastness and fidelity. More than the sacred bonds of marriage, more than the sacred bod of human parenting, God’s faithfulness is more guaranteed because of His character.

God’s immutable character and nature will never change His mind no matter what our eyes see. God is immutable, meaning time has no effect on His character and HE never changes His mind. Why? Because His covenants and promises are linked to His character.

Here is our application to this fact. Our sin does not change His covenants or plans. Our sin affects us because of our choices. As we fall into our sin and our failure, our eyes and situation will show us that the sin of our lives has us in the pit of despair. That does not mean God is subject to our pits though! Our situations do not dictate on God.

This even includes other people’s sins and how they affect us! The sin of man has ripple effects. Sin hurts the person committing it along with those “innocent” people around them.

Our fallen nature and positions has us in a desperate position for sure. But that does not change any part of God. Instead, God comes to us in our pits because He is so faithful. Even in our failures, God comes to His children.

This is why David says, “My sin is ever before me” (Psalm 51:3). When we recognize our sin, we also recognize who is faithful enough to show us our issue (sin) and has not abandoned us to get us out of the sin. Again, our sin does not alter His promises of salvation.

SLOW DOWN AND RE READ THIS: This is why we celebrate Christmas! Merry Christmas! Even in our pits of despair, God is about sending His salvation!

Like a loving father who is not afraid of the filth of their children, this Loving and Faithful Father comes to us in our failures and gets us. When we rightly understand our state of despair, then we really see His LOVE, and Faithfulness.

There are stories of people all throughout history when hard stubborn hearts come to the point that they finally see His faithful love. Look up the story of Jeffary Dahmer (serial killer), Chuck Colson (guilty of treason), David Berkowitz (serial killer) etc.  While in the pit of despair, they cry out for mercy. These prayers of the truly broken will move the “frozen chosen” who rarely consider their wretchedness. Luke 7:36 records such a broken heart.

As Jesus sat, a woman of great sin came and anoints Jesus’s feet with her tears because she recognized her great sin and His greet loving faithfulness to save sinners like her. She knew what was now guaranteed, her salvation.

2. God’s salvation guaranteed.

By God’s loving kindness and faithfulness comes the promise of God’s salvation to the children of men who have seen a great light in their darkness.

Vs 2: “For I said, Steadfast love will be built up forever; in the heavens you will establish your faithfulness.”

This is a decree that starts in heaven and the heavens proclaim the faithfulness of what is to come through the seed of David’s throne (again, Merry Christmas to us!). This is when you really start to understand the statement correctly that “GOD IS LOVE” (1 John 4:8). This here is the real love of God that is getting ready to be truly revealed in the promise of the Heavenly Father to sinners. You can hear the heavenly excitement as this promise is instore for all creation!

I am curious, if I asked all of you, do you know why we sing the Doxology at the end of the sermon, what kind of responses would we get? Do you really know why?

Doxologies are all through scripture. They are a key component of many of our books we have before us. Paul, Luke, Jude and many in the Old Testament use doxologies for several reasons. It could be as simple as closing a book like a signature block or they can be a major theme. The reason we sing it is as a last moment to unite our voices with heaven to worship God. We want you all to leave here with those wonderful words and hymn imprinted in your minds.

Here is how the words of our Doxology SHOULD go: (SHOW SLIDE)

Praise God, from whom all blessings flow; Praise him, all creatures here below. Praise him above, ye heavenly host. Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. Amen.

The punctuation is key. The words are not accidental. Look closely at that third line. “Praise HIM above, ye heavenly host.” Our current doxology is more improvised and reads “Praise Him above the Heavenly host”.

Now look back at our text. “in the heavens you will establish your faithfulness.” We are spiritual beings. We worship in unison with those beings in heaven. When we sing this doxology, we are coming along those in heaven who are singing eternally, “Holy, Holy, Holy is the LORD God almighty. The original word joins our voices WITH the heavenly hosts. Praise Him above, ye heavenly host!

Why are we all supposed to sing in unison? Because of what He has guaranteed. He has made a guarantee or covenant with His Chosen One.

Vs 3 “I have cut a covenant with My Chosen One; I have sworn to David my Servant:” (NASB, more accurate to the Hebrew)

“I have cut a covenant”- In Hebrew culture, a covenant/contract was sealed between two parties by the cutting of animals and the two parties passed between them saying that if they broke the covenant, the same fate would befall them.

When God “cut” this covenant, no man would be able to agree to this contract because every one of them would have failed. It was GOD Himself who made the agreement by Himself. Who was going to take care of the sin problem? It had to be the only One who could: “My Chosen.” Again, Merry Christmas!

Church, Christmas is much bigger than we think. Christmas it the contract being executed! Like a contract, covenant, or promise, it was guaranteed by blood (Christ’s blood) cut into place by the God of the universe to be fulfilled by the offspring of the great king David.

When Ethan is writing this, He is taking all of us to the promise that when God says He has a means to clear our sin debt, He promises that it WILL for SURE be cleared, for those who are under the “Chosen One’s precious blood.”

3. Trust His Promised Christmas.

One of the funniest videos or clips I have seen was this poor guy working on an excavator. It was the large ones with the huge arm and bucket. He had it about tore down to the sub frame. He had parts, engine components, hydraulics and electronics scattered all over the shop. You could hear the poor guy whimpering in the corner. He could not understand why there was no power. No spark, no ignition. His friend walks up and titans the cables on the battery and it came alive. That poor guy loses his mind.

You see, when we are in our problems, we lose sight of what our true need is. God is there connecting the battery. In His promise that is timeless, He is saying that your real issue is not what you see with your eyes. The real problem is in your heart. You need what He is promising!

We saw this guarantee at the beginning last week from the fall in Genesis 3. Then many centuries later, we have another puzzle peace put into place. God is promising that what is to come will answer the need that we all have.

To Trust the promise of Christmas means to trust the subject of Christmas and what it is all about. But pastor, you don’t know what I am seeing right now! You don’t know the depth of the pit that I am in! You are right! I don’t but He does. There are things that are clouding your vision of the real issue. Here are some tangible and real things that keep you from seeing the fix to your issues:

a. Our fear of unknown. We fear that God will not do what He has promised. Fear is of the devil, love is from the Father. Fear distracts us from seeing our need for Christmas.

b. What our eyes see: It may seem like our lives are a dumpster fire. It looks dark but at times your eyes are not showing you what is the real issue! Like the mechanic that gets carried away in the problem, he can’t see the simple fix. Sometimes our eyes are our worst enemies for seeing the promise of Christmas.

c. Our sin that clouds our perspective. When we are in sin, nothing looks right! Nothing seems fixable! Nothing makes sense! Sin is the worst distractor for our need for Christmas.

d. Our lack of patience. Like my introduction, I had no patience for my dad to not take me snowmobiling. Never mind that the poor guy was more worried about putting food on the table so I could be provided for. Look at your spiritual patience. Are you more concerned with your time frame over His? Lack of Godly patience clouds our vision of Christmas.

e. Our fear that our sin is too much for God to handle=pride. “Sin is no match for God’s grace. If you ever think that your sin is too much for Christ, then you don’t know Christ! Pride is the killer of your sight of your need for Christmas.

But there are things that get us to trust in His promises:

a. Trusting His Character.

b. Trusting His Nature (never changing)

c. Trusting His Love.

d. Trusting what we know about Him = HIS Word

e. Trusting in what Christmas really is.

Ladies and gentlemen, Christmas is trusting in His promise to remove our sin. It has no beginning as we saw last Sunday. It was always the plan from before the sun shone. He always had in mind to come to pay for our real issue, sin. Then throughout human history, He reveals to us our need for His salvation.

God’s Love and Faithfulness is fulfilled in His promise of Christmas. God is about to appease the just wrath of the Father through His promised salvation. Through the perfect birth of His Son in a manger, His perfect life He lives, His perfect death that He died, and His perfect resurrection, we now see our need for Him. This is the true meaning of Christmas! It is an eternal plan from an eternal God guaranteed by His eternal character!

[1]The Holy Bible: English Standard Version. 2016. Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles.