The Grace of God has Appeared

Scripture Reading

Isaiah 9:2–7 “The people who walk in darkness Will see a great light; Those who live in the land of the shadow of death, The light will shine on them. You shall multiply the nation, You shall make great their gladness; They will be glad in Your presence As with the gladness of harvest, As men rejoice when they divide the spoil. For You shall shatter the yoke of their burden and the staff on their shoulders, The rod of their taskmaster, as at the battle of Midian. For every boot of the booted warrior in the rumbling of battle, And cloak rolled in blood, will be for burning, fuel for the fire. For a child will be born to us, a son will be given to us; And the government will rest on His shoulders; And His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace. There will be no end to the increase of His government or of peace, On the throne of David and over his kingdom, To establish it and to uphold it with justice and righteousness From then on and forevermore. The zeal of Yahweh of hosts will accomplish this.”

Titus 2:11–14 “For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all men, instructing us that, denying ungodliness and worldly desires, we should live sensibly, righteously, and godly in the present age, looking for the blessed hope and the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, who gave Himself for us that He might redeem us from all lawlessness, and purify for Himself a people for His own possession, zealous for good works.”

The Grace of God has Appeared

This passage serves as the ground for the instruction that Paul just gave to Titus.

Chapter 1 begins with why Paul left Titus in Crete: to set things in order, which included appointing elders. These elders were to be exhorting the congregation to live in accordance with the teachings of the Bible (called "sound doctrine"—what Christians have believed for 2,000 years) & to argue against anyone who opposed the teachings of the Bible (opposed sound doctrine).

Then in chapter 2, Paul explains some of what "sound doctrine" is: how people are supposed to live (older men and women, younger men and women, and slaves). How we conduct ourselves.

And the reason Paul gives is our passage. "Live in this manner and teach other people to live this way because the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all men."

And notice what "salvation" has in view.

He is not saying, "because we have been saved from Hell." Although, that is a part of salvation.

He is not saying, "because we have been saved from poverty." Although, when someone lives in a manner consistent with biblical principle, this does ordinarily lead to temporal blessing.

He is not saying, "because we have been saved from difficulty." Although, when someone has a right relationship with the Lord, many things in life that are usually difficult become much more bearable.

Rather, he is saying, we have been saved from sin unto righteousness. It is sin which requires punishment in hell. It is sin that leads to poverty. And it is sin that leads to a difficult and unfruitful life. It is righteousness which leads to heaven, blessing, and a fruitful life.

So, when the grace of God appeared, bringing salvation, that is going to look like a freeing from sin and a transformation unto righteous living. And this is exactly why Paul moves into the practical list that follows:

Deny ungodliness and worldly desires Live sensibly, righteously and godly

Ungodliness has the idea of immorality. Living in a manner that is contrary to God's revealed will. Whether in nature or in the Law of God (summarized in the 10 commandments). If someone is committing adultery or stealing, they are engaged in ungodliness. Paul says, deny this, renounce it, turn away from. Do not do it. We have been saved from this. It is a contradiction of our true humanity, created in God's image, to live in manner contrary to God's revealed will. When we live contrary to it, we are actually denying how humanity was designed to live.

When a man cheats on his spouse, he is denying the manner in which God created a man and woman to live together as one flesh. And this does not lead to a blessed arrangement. It leads to strife. And as a matter of fact, Solomon says that when a man has a wandering eye, he will end up working for other people rather than for his own household. And that is true even in our society. If a man commits adultery, and his wife divorces him, he ought to pay child support. And God's law requires this. So, you can say that sin leads to poverty, difficulty, and eventually judgment in hell.

Worldly desire has the idea of vanity. Money is a good thing, but the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil. Sugar is a good thing, but the love of sugar can lead to all kinds of evil. Etc. It is an elevation of a worldly thing to an undue position. A wife is a good thing, but she makes a terrible idol (I've heard someone say). A husband is a good thing, but he makes a terrible idol. And you can say this about anything: A job, money, sex, alcohol, etc...Worldly desire makes us forget our true purpose for existence. We become blind to our own desires and their fulfilment, rather than self-sacrificing for the glory of God and the good of our neighbor.

These things, ungodliness and worldly desire, are what Christ's coming saves us from. And not just abstractly.

Paul's point here is, because Christ has come (the grace of God appeared) that means you are enabled to live a life free from sin. We have been redeemed—bought back, ransomed—from all lawlessness, it says. It is not an abstract salvation that removes the consequences of sin. It is a metaphysical reality: we have been put into a right relationship with God (righteousness), this really happens in real life. It means, a man who formerly would commit adultery, now will not. It means that a man who would abuse his household, now will not. There is a real salvation from sin in a temporal sense. We have become a new creation.

Imagine a man who has spent twenty years enslaved to alcohol. His family is broken, his career destroyed, his health failing. Then he encounters Christ. Grace doesn't just say, "You're forgiven for being an alcoholic"—grace says, "You are being remade into a sober man, a faithful father, a self-controlled image-bearer." That transformation is real. It happens in time and space. That's what "new creation" means—God doesn't just cover your sin; He remakes you.

We are now a people who are being purified by Jesus and who are supposed to be zealous for good works. Not restraining our passions out of duty, but passionately seeking to obey God.

We are to live in a manner that is worthy of the new creation. That is what we have been saved unto. That marriage faithfulness will lead to real temporal blessing and it will also end up in heaven. Marriage unfaithfulness will lead to real temporal curses, and will also end up in hell.

But notice what it says in verse 14: "...who gave Himself for us..." How is it that we can be found acceptable in God's sight? Only for the righteousness of Jesus Christ given to us—His perfect obedience credited to us. This means that the man who committed adultery and is now paying the temporal consequences has an opportunity to be right with the Lord. That will not change his temporal consequences, but, his sins can be forgiven and he can proceed in a manner that is consistent with God's Law. Christ's atonement is sufficient for all consequences (He took the full judgment), yet God's moral order remains such that some temporal consequences naturally flow from sin patterns and relational damage. But ultimately, Christ, who is God, took the eternal punishment that our sin deserves on Himself so that the man who committed adultery might be able to repent of his sin, believe on Christ, and to then walk in newness of life. A life that is fit for the new creation.

This is what Christmas means: The grace of God appeared so that we might be saved from our sin, redeemed from lawlessness, raised to walk in newness of life, zealous of good works, only because Jesus came as a baby at Christmas. God came to earth in Human flesh. He lived a perfect life, died on the cross as our representative, and then was raised from the dead, proving that the debt of sin was paid. Christ came to die so that we might be made righteous.

How does this become yours? Not by being born into a Christian family, not by attending church, not by trying harder to be a good person [dispel the notion that someone needs to be a certain way in order to be a Christian]. Christ came to save sinner. The Bible says, "Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved." That means: acknowledge you're a sinner who can't save yourself, trust that Jesus' death on the cross paid the penalty you owe, and commit to follow Him as Lord. If you've never done that, tonight is the night. Believe on Jesus Christ and have your sins forgiven.

The grace of God has appeared, and for you. This table is for those who have taken hold of these things; but the invitation to enter is for everyone.

So, tomorrow, when we celebrate Christmas, remember what that signifies: your sins have been forgiven and you have been raised to walk in newness of life, denying ungodliness and worldly desires, living sensibly, righteously, and godly.

Let's pray.

Communion

Isaiah 9:2–7 "The people who walk in darkness Will see a great light; Those who live in the land of the shadow of death, The light will shine on them. You shall multiply the nation, You shall make great their gladness; They will be glad in Your presence As with the gladness of harvest, As men rejoice when they divide the spoil. For You shall shatter the yoke of their burden and the staff on their shoulders, The rod of their taskmaster, as at the battle of Midian. For every boot of the booted warrior in the rumbling of battle, And cloak rolled in blood, will be for burning, fuel for the fire. For a child will be born to us, a son will be given to us; And the government will rest on His shoulders; And His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace. There will be no end to the increase of His government or of peace, On the throne of David and over his kingdom, To establish it and to uphold it with justice and righteousness From then on and forevermore. The zeal of Yahweh of hosts will accomplish this."

The bondage of the people of God in Egypt (recounted in the book of Exodus) was a picture of our condition as sinful humanity. And when Israel was freed from that bondage by Moses they were brought to Mount Sinai where God taught them how to live and even designed the tabernacle so that He could dwell among them.

This passage in Isaiah was foretelling a time when God would dwell among us, shining a great light into darkness. It would shine on those who live in the shadow of death. He would break the yoke of our burden and the oppressive staff on our shoulders. He would free us from the bondage of sin.

This is like Solomon saying that the ungodly are like those who walk in the dark, not knowing what keeps tripping them. That's the human condition apart from Christ—stumbling in moral darkness, unsure of the way. Isaiah promises that when the child comes, it's "a great light"— it makes everything visible. That's what Christmas means: God turned on the lights.

And this would all be accomplished not just because Jesus was born ("a child will be born"), not just because He took on human flesh, rather than being confined in a tabernacle, but because that child would be born "unto us...". A son would be given "to us."

This should naturally remind us of Christ's words at the last supper. He said, "This is my body which is broken for you..."

Christ came as a baby for you. He came to be food for us. As it says in the hymn we will sing shortly,

King of kings, yet born of Mary, as of old on earth He stood, Lord of lords, in human vesture, in the body and the blood. He will give to all the faithful His own self for heav'nly food.

Just as the people of Israel were delivered from the bondage in Egypt through the birth of Moses and then his coming to deliver them. Even so we have been delivered through the birth of Jesus who came so that He might give His body as heavenly food for us.

In the Old Testament sacrificial system, the burnt sacrifice would be eaten by the priests and the family of the one sacrificing. It pictured their participation in the sacrifice. God viewed them as having participated in the judgment that was poured out by means of the cutting and the burning. When they ate that sacrifice, it was symbolic of their participation. So, when Christ instituted the Lord's Supper, it is likewise symbolic of our participation in Christ's sacrifice on the cross.

It does not mean that we believe He is being sacrificed again here. It is symbolic of the fact that for everyone who has faith in Jesus for the forgiveness of their sins, by eating this bread and drinking this wine we are participating in the sacrifice of Jesus.

And it is that sacrifice of Jesus which saves us out of sin and unto righteousness.

God took on human flesh so that He might die and give Himself as food for His people. That is what this table declares and seals—makes real and certain—to you tonight.

This is how God has determined to save people out of their sin and misery so that they can live lives of righteousness having peace with God: it is by eating bread and drinking wine. Symbols of our sustenance and joy. And this is what Christ's birth represents: our sustenance and our joy.

Let those things characterize us as we enter into the Christmastide beginning tomorrow. It is a time of great joy and feasting as we remember the birth of Jesus. At this table, the child promised in Isaiah 9 comes to us not only as light but as food.

If you are visiting with us tonight and this language of "sacrifice" and "participation" feels foreign, here's what we're saying: Jesus gave His life so that anyone who trusts Him can be forgiven and reconciled to God. The bread and wine are physical reminders—even assurances—of that promise. God is saying, “Taste and see that I am good. I have saved you in Christ. Just as you are eating this bread and drinking this wine, really and truly, I have also likewise saved you.”

If you are baptized and in good standing with the body of Christ, harboring no unrepented sin against God or your neighbor, then we invite you to eat and drink with us in remembrance of Christ.

Baptism is the sign of entrance into the Christian community, which is why we ask if you've been baptized.

Being in good standing means you're not under church discipline—you're walking faithfully with a congregation.

And harboring no unrepented sin means you've examined your heart and, if the Spirit has convicted you of something, you've confessed it to God and sought reconciliation with your neighbor.

If you are not baptized, or if you are harboring unrepented sin in your heart toward God or your neighbor, then we ask you to refrain from the Supper for now. This isn't because we’ve achieved some state of perfect sinlessness: we're all sinners saved by grace, and this sacrament reminds us of our need to trust in Jesus’ ultimate sacrifice. But, in the Christian tradition, the Supper is for those who have entered into covenant with Christ, or the Christian community, the church, through baptism and who are endeavoring to walk in sorrow for sin and hunger for righteousness. And so, if you lack any of these things, we warmly invite you to repent, receive Christ, and seek membership in His church.

The Bread

Give thanks

1 Corinthians 11:23–24 LSB

...the Lord Jesus in the night in which He was being betrayed took bread, and when He had given thanks, He broke it and said, “This is My body, which is for you. Do this in remembrance of Me.”

Read during distribution:

Psalm 96

The Cup

Give thanks

1 Corinthians 11:25 LSB

In the same way He took the cup also after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in My blood; do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me.

Read during distribution:

Luke 2:1-14

1 Corinthians 11:26 LSB

For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the death of the Lord until He comes.

The Lord’s Prayer

Matthew 6:9–13 LSB

“...Our Father who is in heaven, Hallowed be Your name. Your kingdom come. Your will be done, On earth as it is in heaven. ‘Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one. For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.”

Matthew 6:14–15 LSB

“For if you forgive others for their transgressions, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. “But if you do not forgive others, then your Father will not forgive your transgressions.

The Commission

Matthew 28:18–20 LSB

And Jesus came up and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to keep all that I commanded you; and behold, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”

Numbers 6:24–26 LSB

Yahweh bless you, and keep you; Yahweh make His face shine on you, And be gracious to you; Yahweh lift up His face on you, And give you peace.’