Sermon Tone Analysis

1 Peter 1:13-20

Precursors to Christmas – The Lamb Revealed

 

Therefore, preparing your minds for action, and being sober-minded, set your hope fully on the grace that will be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ.

As obedient children, do not be conformed to the passions of your former ignorance, but as he who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, since it is written, “You shall be holy, for I am holy.”

And if you call on him as Father who judges impartially according to each one’s deeds, conduct yourselves with fear throughout the time of your exile, knowing that you were ransomed from the futile ways inherited from your forefathers, not with perishable things such as silver or gold, but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without blemish or spot.

He was foreknown before the foundation of the world but was made manifest in the last times for your sake, who through him are believers in God, who raised him from the dead and gave him glory, so that your faith and hope are in God.[1]

 

Christmas is a joyous time.

Bright lights decorate the houses and even the streets of the town are converted to a brilliant wonderland of colour.

Tinsel outlines the windows of the stores, even those of the smallest community.

Decorations stored throughout the previous eleven months are dug out of the attic, dusted off and placed prominently on display.

All this announces to children everywhere (and to those who are children at heart) that presents will soon be distributed together with expressions of love.

Is that all Christmas is, however?

Behind the garlands and the gaily-decorated trees, is there something more which is overlooked?

The answer to that question is that something more is indeed overlooked.

Before the celebration is an account of sacrifice and conquest—selfless death in order to secure freedom and victory over the last enemy of all mankind.

Christmas was at the heart of God’s plan of salvation, even before the world began.

As the world celebrates Christmas year-by-year, we inhabitants mindlessly acknowledge that though we are a fallen people, God has made provision so that no one need be condemned.

I do not mean that people consciously acknowledge this great truth, but I do mean that without knowing what they are doing, people who celebrate Christmas make precisely these tacit confessions.

Let me explain.

In order to examine this issue fully, I must direct your attention to the text chosen for this day—*1 Peter 1:13-20*.

There, God pointedly compels those who read His Word to confront some startling truths.

Those truths deny what is commonly accepted and affirm which is universally suspected.

Turn in your Bibles to the text and consider the Word of God with me as we examine a precursor to Christmas.

Christmas Points to the Revelation of Christ.

Therefore, preparing your minds for action, and being sober-minded, set your hope fully on the grace that will be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ.

In a very real sense, Christmas is a time to “recharge” the spiritual battery.

Just as the Lord’s Table compels us to examine ourselves in order to refresh our hearts for continued service, so Christmas is an opportunity to energise our spiritual batteries.

The text begins with the word *therefore*.

By now, those in regular attendance at our services should know that “anytime you see a *therefore*, ask what it is there for.”

The reason for Peter’s *therefore* becomes evident through reading the preceding verses.

Listen carefully as I read *1 Peter 1:3-12*.

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ!

According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, who by God’s power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.

In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, as was necessary, you have been grieved by various trials, so that the tested genuineness of your faith—more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire—may be found to result in praise and glory and honour at the revelation of Jesus Christ.

Though you have not seen him, you love him.

Though you do not now see him, you believe in him and rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory, obtaining the outcome of your faith, the salvation of your souls.

Concerning this salvation, the prophets who prophesied about the grace that was to be yours searched and inquired carefully, inquiring what person or time the Spirit of Christ in them was indicating when he predicted the sufferings of Christ and the subsequent glories.

It was revealed to them that they were serving not themselves but you, in the things that have now been announced to you through those who preached the good news to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven, things into which angels long to look.

Born again… an inheritance… salvation… Peter is writing about salvation—our new life in Christ.

Christmas is about the Faith we hold dear as Christians.

The salvation which we have received is not a source of drudgery or some mere dreary philosophy designed to steal joy.

Salvation is a source of wonder and joy.

Peter is reminding all who are Christians of that which we have received from the hand of God.

Since you are saved, you will be engaged in preparing your mind for action and acting deliberately.

As you prepare your mind for action and as you act with determination, look forward to the grace of God to be revealed in Christ the Lord at His coming!

Preparing your minds for action is an approximation to the Greek sentence.

Actually, Peter calls for us to gird up the loins of our minds.

The picture conveys the image of a man preparing for work or for warfare.

The dress in that day required a robe instead of pants, and as a man prepared for work he would pull up the robe and tuck it about his waist so that he could move unhindered.

The thrust of the statement is that Christians are to be prepared to work.

Christianity is not a lazy man’s religion.

We are saved to serve.

There is more in this, however, for the call is to prepare our minds for action.

Christianity is a thinking man’s religion.

Those who disdain thoughtful interaction with truth will find no comfort in the Christian Faith.

In fact, those who are intellectually lazy tend to avoid the Christian Faith.

They consider themselves as superior and claim to be wise, but God disputes their self-assessment.

Paul writes of those who sniff at the Faith as those claiming themselves to be wise who became fools [*Romans 1:22*].

Those who refuse to engage their minds through challenging their particular worldview are precisely those who become futile in their thinking and whose foolish hearts are darkened [see *Romans 1:21*].

Underscore in your mind this startling truth: the Christian Faith is an intellectually demanding religion.

There is scant solace found for the intellectually lazy within the Christian Faith.

Then, even as you exercise your minds, keep yourself from becoming mentally intoxicated.

This is the thrust of the words, being sober-minded.

Keep yourself alert.

Don’t allow yourself to be distracted by the events clamouring for attention.

Be sober.

Watch for what He has promised.

Let me present an illustration which is germane for this particular period of time.

Today, many people decry what they see as an assault against Christmas.

School administrators promote “winter festivals” or “snow carnivals” as mid-winter observances.

Children present programs for their parents in which they sing about reindeer and snowmen and recite poems about the winter months.

The courts busily rule on suits designed to compel towns and municipalities to remove all religious references from the grounds of public facilities.

Without fail, Christians deplore the invasion of the secular world into the realm of the sacred.

Sermons are preached about the hostility of the world.

For all the shock and disgust at the naked efforts of pagans to seize the day, nothing much happens to change the situation.

There is a reason for that assault and for the failure of Christians to do much more than politely grumble.

What is now observed as a Christian holy day was at first a pagan celebration.

The saturnalia was taken over by churches eager to continue with a mid-winter celebration in order to keep newly baptised pagans content.

Candidly speaking, the evolution of Christmas was crass syncretism promoted by the state churches.

Only gradually did the idea of a celebration related to the birth of Christ take hold among evangelicals.

Practically speaking, it has only been during the past two centuries that evangelical Christians participated in observance of Christmas.

For all practical purposes, we Christians “stole” saturnalia, renamed it Christmas and called it a Christian holiday.

If the pagans “steal” it back, they are only taking what is theirs.

My point in presenting this observation is not to initiate an argument about whether it is right or wrong to observe Christmas.

Rather, I am endeavouring to point out the futility of arguing against the pagan seizure of the mid-winter celebration.

In fact, I contend that those Christians who are offended at the assault against the Christmas observance have no valid complaint if they fail to live a life of witness the remainder of the year.

Permitting ourselves to be exercised about the progress of the darkness, we fail to let our lights shine and miss a marvellous opportunity to honour Christ in these dark times.

As the darkness appears to advance unhindered throughout contemporary society, a sense of hopeless despair also seizes the inhabitants of the land.

Instead of grumbling and complaining, let us rejoice as those who know the Lord Christ and who are convinced that He lives!

Let us live lives which reflect the reality of His presence that our joy may attract the despondent of this fallen world.

Let us reveal the hope of His coming, focused on the grace which will be revealed at His return.

This is the command Peter issues.

Think!

Watch out!  Look up!  Christmas is so much more than lights and trees and wreaths and mistletoe.

Christmas is a call to look for the fulfilment of prophecy concerning the reign of Christ on earth.

What has God promised His people?

Salvation!

Peace!

Hope!

Joy!