Christmas: an Event in History
A Christmas Sermon from Titus 2:11-14
Originally preached Dec. 14, 1958
Scripture
11For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men, 12Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world; 13Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our …
Sermon Description
Christmas can come and pass without Christians truly questioning what the season means. This is a tragedy because Christians can easily adopt the world’s view of Christmas if there is not proper effort and diligence. The world will celebrate the season with a vague principle called the “Christmas spirit” – general benevolence and encouragement to each other to be a little nicer than before. Or the world will tout a gospel of peace where nations, political leaders, and governments are addressed about their bombs and armaments. But how does the apostle Paul react to the coming of Christ? What does the celebration of Christmas mean to him? In this sermon on Titus 2:11–14 titled “Christmas: An Event in History,” Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones argues that Paul reacted with the deepest feelings, emotions, and praise at the appearing of the Son of God. This praise and shouts of joy were because of an actual event in history that took place. God’s grace appeared, not in a teaching or principle primarily, but in a real person whom Paul declares is the great God and Savior, Jesus Christ. Listen as Dr. Lloyd-Jones challenges the listener to ascribe to the “facts” of Christmas without losing the joy that the event should bring.
Sermon Breakdown
- Christianity is based on historical events and happenings, not just ideas or philosophies. The grace of God has appeared through real events in history.
- The central historical event is the coming of Jesus Christ, the Son of God, into the world. The message of Christmas is that God's dealings with humanity center on the person of Jesus.
- Jesus Christ is the "great God and our Savior." He is the second person of the Trinity, co-equal and co-eternal with the Father. Though invisible in glory, He "appeared" by becoming incarnate as the babe of Bethlehem.
- The incarnation of Christ was the only way for God's grace and salvation to be made known to sinful humanity. Because of our sin, God could not simply forgive us by decree. Christ had to become man, live a perfect life, die an atoning death, and rise again to reconcile us to God.
- The incarnation and atonement of Christ should be the most important truth in our lives. If it does not move us or change us, we do not truly understand or believe it. We must look to Christ alone for salvation.
Other Sermons
Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones
Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones (1899-1981) was a Welsh evangelical minister who preached and taught in the Reformed tradition. His principal ministry was at Westminster Chapel, in central London, from 1939-1968, where he delivered multi-year expositions on books of the bible such as Romans, Ephesians and the Gospel of John. In addition to the MLJ Trust’s collection of 1,600 of these sermons in audio format, most of these great sermon series are available in book form (including a 14 volume collection of the Romans sermons), as are other series such as "Spiritual Depression", "Studies in the Sermon on the Mount" and "Great Biblical Doctrines". He is considered by many evangelical leaders today to be an authority on biblical truth and the sufficiency of Scripture.