A Christmas (Advent) Sermon (1 Tim 1:15)

I just want to speak to you for a few minutes tonight about Christmas. What is Christmas all about? I wonder what you would say. What is Christmas really all about? I’m going to speak to you tonight as a Christian. I’m the pastor of this church here, Cross of Christ Fellowship. If you don’t have a church home, you’re welcome to join us on Sunday mornings.

Sometimes a popular saying is really helpful. “The early bird gets the…” “Practice makes…” “Actions speak louder than…” Wow, you guys are really clever. What about this one: “When you go to Portillo’s, be sure to order a chocolate cake shake.” Well, some of you know that. Maybe it’s not popular enough yet. It should be.

Tonight we’re going to consider a popular saying from the first century when Jesus walked here on earth. And here it is: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners. Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners. This was known as a faithful saying, a trustworthy saying, that Christians used in the first century to help them understand: Who is Jesus? What is Christianity all about? And I think that this statement actually really helps us when we think about Christmas.

So let’s spend just a few minutes thinking about this saying in relation to Christmas. First: Who is this saying about? Any kids know? Jesus! Look at that—Christ Jesus. This saying is about Jesus.

Maybe you don’t know very much about Jesus. We are so glad all of you are here tonight. It’s so neat to see some people I’ve never met—friends or others. Thank you so much for being here. We are so glad to have you. Maybe you don’t know much about Christianity. Jesus is the Son of God—or He’s also God the Son. In all of reality, there is only one God who eternally exists in three persons: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.

Before there was a sun, or moon, or even a universe, there was God the Father loving His Son in the fullness of the Holy Spirit. And Jesus is God the Son. In the Bible, we learn all about Him. We see the miracles He did—raising the dead, healing the sick. We see Him teaching about God’s kingdom.

When we look at His life, we see His life is unlike anyone else’s life. Jesus says, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness.” There’s a kind of light and life in Him. Jesus said, “I came that they might have life, abundant.” Christ is unlike anyone. He is God—God the Son.

And when you think about Christmas, for the Christian, Christmas is… well, we love these cookies. Does anybody like eggnog as well? A few, yeah. I like eggnog. We like candy canes. But you know what’s even sweeter than the sweetest candy cane? It’s knowing Jesus. He is more wonderful than the best gifts—more wonderful than everything. For us, we’d say Christmas is really all about Jesus, the Christ, the Messiah.

Now, our faithful saying says Christ Jesus came into the world. You know, that first Christmas, this is what happened: Christ Jesus came into this world. Now—question again for the kids—how did Jesus get here? Did He take a boat? No. Did He take a plane? No. Did He drive His Tesla here? No! That’s right. You know how He came here? God the Son became a human. Can you imagine that? The one who made the sun and moon and stars—God, the eternal God—became a human just like us.

He was born, He was a baby, and He grew up to be a man. He ate, He drank, He slept, He learned, He grew, and He lived among us. He walked on this earth. That first Christmas, Christ Jesus came into the world. That’s what we celebrate on Christmas—all these songs celebrate the coming of God the Son onto earth.

But our faithful saying actually helps us know why He came. Why did Jesus come? The saying tells us: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners. When Jesus came into this world, He came on a rescue mission. He came to save people.

When I was a kid, I watched a show I really enjoyed called Rescue 911. Anyone old enough to remember that? Yes, a few of you. In this show, people were in danger—their house was on fire, or there was a flood, or they were hanging from something perilous like a ski lift. And they called 911, and the firemen or policemen came and rescued them because they were in danger. They needed to be saved.

The message of Christianity—and of Christmas—is this: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners.

Now, the Bible has some bad news for us. But the bad news is actually good, because it tells us our real condition. It tells us that all of us need saving, because we have all sinned against God. We have turned away from our Maker. We do not love God, and we do not love our neighbor. Something is wrong inside our hearts. The Bible calls it sin.

Maybe you’re not so sure about that—but I think we can see it even in this Christmas season, can’t we? What happens when your good friend gets a present you really want? Maybe you rejoice with them, but if we’re honest, aren’t we tempted with a little bit of jealousy? Maybe there’s a gift you’re hoping for, and you don’t get it. Don’t we sometimes respond with bitterness or resentment?

Something is wrong with the human heart—with every one of our hearts. And the good news is that Jesus came to save sinners. He came to save us from our sins.

And how did He do it? Jesus came and lived on this earth; He never sinned. But He went to the cross. He died on that cross, and when He died, He took all our sins upon Himself. He paid for our sins. And He died—and He rose again, conquering sin and death. Jesus gives spiritual life to all His people: forgiveness of sins, new life, and reconciliation with God. Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners. It’s a faithful saying.

When we hear that saying, it calls for a response. What will you and I do with it? Jesus invites us to come to Him in faith. Jesus said, “Come to me, all who are weary and heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” Sin weighs us down and estranges us from God. But if we place our faith in Jesus Christ, Christ takes all our sins, makes us right with God again, and gives us peace. He gives us eternal life.

This evening, we invite you to receive the great gift of salvation. How do you become a Christian? It’s by grace, through faith—received as a gift. Listen to this passage in Ephesians: “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.” If we want to get in on this saving that Jesus came to do, it’s by grace. We cannot earn our way to heaven; we can’t contribute even the smallest part. It’s all God’s grace. And that’s good news because all of us are sinners.

It comes through faith—placing our trust in Jesus and receiving salvation as a gift.

Maybe tonight you would like to place your faith in Jesus. If that’s the case, I’d love to talk with you about what it means to become a Christian, what it means to get in on this saving. I’ll tell you this: when I was 18, I became a Christian, and it’s the best thing that ever happened to me. I love telling other people about it. Our souls were made to know God. Knowing Jesus is sweeter than everything else in this Christmas season—and in your whole life. And we would love for you to know Him and begin a relationship with God by placing your faith in Jesus.

If you’re interested, we can talk more—maybe over some cookies later on.

Let’s pray together. And while I pray, I’m going to invite the music team to come back up.

God, we thank you for the faithful saying recorded for us in the Bible: “Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners.” We thank you for how this saying informs us and helps us understand what Christmas is really about. We thank you, Jesus, that you are God, and you came into the world. You love us, and you went to the cross to die for us.

Lord, I pray for my friends tonight. If this message is new to anyone here, I pray that you would draw them to yourself—give them faith. And for those who have already believed, I pray you’d strengthen our faith. I pray that this Christmas season we’d experience fresh joy in Jesus—that you would persuade our hearts again that knowing Christ is better than every earthly gift and pleasure.

We pray all this in Jesus’ name. Amen.