The Purpose of Christmas

A Time for Reconciliation

2 Corinthians 5:18-20

Opening Words: It has been written, “If our greatest need had been information, God would have sent us an educator; If our greatest need had been technology, God would have sent us a scientist; If our greatest need had been money, God would have sent us an economist; If our greatest need had been pleasure, God would have sent us an entertainer; But our greatest need was forgiveness, so God sent us a Savior.” Those words still hold true.

This is the forth Sunday of Advent and the forth sermon in a five part sermon series I have called The Purpose of Christmas. There is more to Christmas then the secular side of cards and gifts. There is a spiritual side. Each one of these messages is designed to help you appreciate the spiritual side of the Christmas. Three weeks ago we began by talking about Christmas being a time of preparation. Two weeks ago we talked about Christmas being a time of celebration. Last week we talk about Christmas being a time of salvation. Today we talk about Christmas being a time of reconciliation. Let me call today’s message A Time for Reconciliation. Our scripture lesson comes from the second letter to the Corinthians, verses eighteen through twenty.

2 Corinthians 5:18-20 18All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: 19that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting men's sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation. 20We are therefore Christ's ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ's behalf: Be reconciled to God.

Not everyone was happy when poet Elizabeth Barrett married Robert Browning in 1846. Her father did not approve so they married was secret. After the wedding the Brownings sailed for Italy, where they lived for the rest of their lives. But even though her parents had disowned her, Elizabeth never gave up on the relationship. Almost weekly she wrote them letters. They never replied. After 10 years, she received a large box in the mail. Inside, Elizabeth found all of her letters; not one had been opened! Today those letters are among the most beautiful in classical English literature. Had her parents only read a few of them, their relationship with Elizabeth might have been restored. How many people do you know who can relate to the Elizabeth Barrett Browning story?

For many people the Elizabeth Barrett Browning story is the story of Christmas. Is anyone in your life an expert at holding a grudge? They just can’t forget or move on? The event may have happened years ago, the details may have gotten fuzzy. At some point the details stopped mattering. Only “the principle” mattered. Pride has set in and forged a wedge between the two parties. One party is always going to teach the other party a lesson. The truth is no one every wins those situations, no one ever learns a lesson. The only thing that really happens is opportunities are lost and loneliness wins. Both parties demonstrate their smallness. It takes a big person to initiate reconciliation.

This is part of the Good News of Christmas. Our great big God has made the first move to revolve the conflict between Him and the world, between Him and you. Listen to what the choir of angels said in Luke 2:14, “Glory to God in the Highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests.” In other words, Jesus came to end the conflict between us and God. We hear it more clearly in today’s scripture lesson. Second Corinthians 5:19 says, “God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting men's sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation.” That is part of the Good News of Christmas. Jesus came into the world to end the conflict with the world. The God of the universe wants to have a relationship with you! That divine truth changes everything and should effect every relationship you hold in your life.

So today on the forth Sunday of Advent I want to talk about Jesus’ ministry of reconciliation. His presence has brought three different kinds of peace into the world. They do not stand alone, they are inter related. They are life altering. If we could apply these three kinds of peace to our world, we would change our world in a positive way. So if you peace lovers are ready to begin looking at peace say, “Amen!”

Peace with God

Did you know that of the more then 3500 years of recorded history there has only been 286 years of peace. You do the math. That means complete peace has ruled only eight per cent of the time in our world. I hate to admit it but most of our efforts to establish world peace have failed. Mankind has draw up more then 8000 peace treaties, most of them have been broken. Our world is at war today in various locations. We are at war today on many levels. There is a battle within your own heart.

The first kind of peace is peace with God. When you have peace with God, you have spiritual peace. If you don’t have spiritual peace then you will never experience the other two. Romans 5:1 says, “Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.” If you look at the attitudes you hold you will find the great battle with God. The battle is over the control of your life. Are you in control of your life or have you surrendered to God? Jesus came into the world to settle this conflict between you and God. He came into the world to act as a bridge between you and God.

I am asking you this question because it is so important. I don’t want to assume anything about the condition of your soul. Have you unwrapped the greatest gift you will ever receive, do you know Jesus as your Lord and Savior? If your answer is anything but “yes” don’t wait. You have been at war with God long enough. The gift of Jesus offers us spiritual peace. And all of God’s peaceful people said, “Amen!” The first step at finding peace in this world is finding peace with God. The second step at finding peace in this world is experiencing the peace of God.

Peace of God

In 1555, Nicholas Ridley was burned at the stake because of his witness for Christ. On the night before Ridley's execution, his brother offered to remain with him in the prison chamber to be of assistance and comfort. Nicholas declined the offer and replied that he meant to go to bed and sleep as quietly as ever he did in his life. If you knew you were going to die tomorrow, how would you sleep tonight?

The founder of the great Methodist movement was John Wesley. His brother Charles was a minister too. Charles was the great hymn writer for the movement. He also wrote more then 1600 hymns. Did you know he wrote the first hymn ever in every Methodist hymnal ever published, O For Thousand Tongues to Sing. He knew something about words. He wrote these words:

I rest beneath the Almighty's shade,

My grieves expire, my troubles cease;

Thou, Lord, on whom my soul is stayed,

Wilt keep me still in perfect peace.

On the day that I accepted Christ as my Lord and Savior I experienced one emotion. It wasn’t joy, it was relief. The battle was over. I was at peace with God. He was now in charge of my life. Charles Wesley knew of what he wrote, keep me still in perfect peace.

The second kind of peace is the peace of God. When you experience the peace of God, you will experience emotional peace. Consider these two verses with me from the forth chapter of Philippians, verses six and seven, “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” And all of God’s peaceful people said, “Amen!” The first kind of peace is peace with God. The second kind of peace is the peace of God. The third kind of peace is peace with others.

 Peace with Others

One New Year's Eve at London's Garrick Club, British dramatist Frederick Lonsdale was asked by Symour Hicks to reconcile with a fellow member. The two had quarreled in the past and never restored their friendship. "You must," Hicks said to Lonsdale. "It is very unkind to be unfriendly at such a time. Go over now and wish him a happy New Year." So Lonsdale crossed the room and spoke to his enemy. "I wish you a happy New Year," he said, "but only one."

In just a few days it will be Christmas. The wonderful thing about Christmas is that it is a time of family and friends. However, the hard thing about Christmas is that it is a time of family and friends. Are you looking forward to seeing everyone in your life? Is there someone in your life you have been avoiding because of some past conflict? Let this be the Christmas of reconciliation. Let this be the Christmas when you fix a broken relationship. Let this be the Christmas that you put a smile on the face of God. Jesus offered the world reconciliation. Couldn’t you offer reconciliation to your little corner of the world?

The third kind of peace is peace with others. That is relational peace. You can find the Sermon on the Mount in the fifth chapter of Matthew. Verse nine says, “Blessed are the peacemakers for they shall inherit the Kingdom of God.” The word blessed means happy, happy are the peacemakers. And all of God’s peaceful people said, “Amen!” Let me end with this story.

When the Civil War ended there was a great amount of hatred in the country. Some feared it would never end. However, time has a way of healing old wounds. In time, former president of the Confederacy Jefferson Davis died. Some time later former general of the Union forces and former president of the United States Ulysses Grant died. However, their widows, Varina Davis and Julia Grant, lived on and settled near each other. As fate would have it they became closest of friends. They did something their husbands failed to do. They modeled peace for a new generation.

Wouldn’t it be nice if you modeled peace for your world? Wouldn’t it be nice to settle the battle that is waging in your heart? Would it be nice to live at peace with God? Would it be nice to live at peace others? And all of God’s people said, “Amen!”