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As a young man, Benjamin Franklin composed a master list of 12 resolutions, later tacking on a killer 13th (“Imitate Jesus and Socrates”). He had particular difficulty, he notes in his Autobiography, with Resolution No. 2 (“Silence – Avoid trifling conversation”), No. 3 (“Order – Let all your things have their places”) and No. 5 (“Frugality – waste nothing”). Ben kept track of his performance in a small book in which he entered a black mark each day for each resolution broken. He had intended to reuse the little book, eventually erasing old black marks as his performance improved. It didn’t. So many black marks appeared on top of black marks that the little book developed holes. He had to resort to keeping his records on a piece of ivory, from which the accumulated black marks could be tactfully mopped off with a wet sponge.

Wouldn’t it be nice to be able to have a wet sponge wipe away the black marks of the past year, leaving a clean slate for the future? Many see the start of a new calendar year as a time for a fresh start, putting the past behind us. Wouldn’t it be nice if it were true?

The truth is that the calendar changing from one year to the next does nothing to right past wrongs. They are still there. The black marks that cover you and bore into your memory tell you that you cannot get rid of them. If only you could just use a wet sponge to clear away all your sins, the depravity that is inside each of you. If only you could simply wash away the hate and hurt and anger and bitterness and greed and envy and lust and doubt that is in your heart. Then you would truly have a clean slate, a chance to start anew, a rebirth. But it’s not that simple. We echo the words of David: For I know my transgressions, and my sin is always before me. (Psalm 51:3) You can’t clean your own slate. Just as young Mr. Franklin discovered with his little book, that is a losing proposition, one you will never be able to win.

In the Old Testament, the Old Covenant, God had made the simple proposition: I will be your God, you will be my people. He did the hard part. He rescued them from danger and slavery and armies and so on. All they had to do was love Him and follow Him. Yet they couldn’t do it. The black marks kept adding up. God had a plan for fixing this situation, one He had first announced to Adam and Eve and repeated through His prophets.

Jeremiah 31:31-34 “The time is coming,” declares the LORD, “when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah. It will not be like the covenant I made with their forefathers when I took them by the hand to lead them out of Egypt, because they broke my covenant, though I was a husband to them, ” declares the LORD. “This is the covenant I will make with the house of Israel after that time,” declares the LORD. “I will put my law in their minds and write it on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people. No longer will a man teach his neighbor, or a man his brother, saying, `Know the LORD,’ because they will all know me, from the least of them to the greatest,” declares the LORD. “For I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more.”

There is a way to have a clean slate. But it doesn’t come from your own efforts to erase the marks or wipe things clean. It is God’s doing. It comes from Him taking all your black marks and placing them on the one who had a clean slate on His own, Jesus Christ. God allowed the black marks for all people to be placed on Him, a weight too awful for us to ever imagine. Those black marks were so numerous that He developed holes, holes in His hands and His feet, being nailed to the cross to make payment for them all. He did that for you. And then He rose again to proclaim that He has won the victory, offering a clean slate to all who believe in Him.

Notice that nowhere in Scripture does it say that sin does not matter, or that God will ignore sin or not look at it. That is not the solution. Sin does matter. God dealt with it. He sent His Son for that very purpose. Forgiveness is not overlooking or ignoring. It is facing the problem head on and providing the solution. Your sins was put on Christ and the penalty was paid. Through faith in Him, that payment becomes yours. You are then given a clean slate.

So go ahead and make those resolutions, today and every day. Make them with the confidence that you can do all things through Christ who gives you strength. You have a clean slate. God has declared I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more. What a way to start not just a New Year, but every day.

Luke 2:10 But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people.

We do rejoice in the Good News! That is what this season of Christmas is about. Good News of great joy. The angels told the shepherds about the birth of the Savior. The shepherds then told everyone they could. And people have been sharing that Good News ever since. Of course, we know there is more to it than just a birth. We know Jesus lived His life without sin so that He could offer His perfection to us and for us. He was the sacrifice that would pay for the sins of everyone. Those who believe this get the benefit of what He did. That is Good News!

The Greek word translated as “bring you good news” is the verb form of the noun that also means “Good News,” but is also rendered into English as “Gospel.” The Gospel is the Good News about Jesus as our Savior. The Gospel is all about Jesus. The Gospel is not about you, but it is for you.

People often get confused about the message because it is so simple and seems too easy. They want to contribute something to help earn their forgiveness or try to do their part. But all we need to do is receive the gift that God gives us through that baby born in Bethlehem.

The Gospel, the Good News, is not to make you feel good about the sinner that you are. You should never be content to remain in your sin.

The Gospel is to let you know of the forgiveness Jesus earned for you. This Good News calls you to live a new life that shows your gratitude that God will not hold you accountable for your sin if you trust in Jesus.

That is Good News of great joy.

At a conference a few years back, the presenter shared 2 characteristics of the ministry of Jesus, of Paul and of ministers still today. Those two characteristics were:

1. Suffering
2. Joy

In the case of Jesus, He pointed us to Hebrews 12:2

Hebrews 12:2 Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

Jesus suffered to pay the price our sins deserved, but it brought joy to Him and to us!

Paul was destined to suffer for Christ:

Acts 9:16 I will show him [Paul] how much he must suffer for my name.”

Paul met plenty of hardships during his ministry, but he had joy in knowing that people were being led to faith by the power of the Holy Spirit.

Colossians 1:24 Now I rejoice in what was suffered for you, and I fill up in my flesh what is still lacking in regard to Christ’s afflictions, for the sake of his body, which is the church.

While the presenter at the conference did not make the connection, when he mentioned suffering and joy, my mind immediately recalled that very familiar Christmas Carol with these words in the refrain: “O tidings of Comfort and Joy…”  I just recently came across some words I scribbled down to the melody of “God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen.”

We celebrate our Savior King was born on Christmas Day,
But serving Him is often met with trials along the way
And often we are left feeling despair and great dismay,
O tidings of suffering and Joy, suff’ring and joy,
O tidings of suffering and joy.

While we know the joy of our Savior’s birth, and what He did by coming down here to earth, our lives are not exempt from suffering. Can you rejoice and suffer at the same time? You can if you keep your eyes fixed on your Savior.

Joy is not the absence of sorrow. Joy is not being happy all the time. Joy in Christ belongs to those who put their faith and confidence in Him. Joy in Christ is the certainty that you are loved by God, forgiven by Him for Jesus’ sake, and that you have eternal life. Joy in Christ enables you to face suffering and hardship and trials with the conviction that your life is in God’s loving hands.

Tidings of suffering and joy.

While visiting Köln last month, I was having some sinus issues and went to an Apotheke. The lady at the counter was extremely helpful. I thanked her and as I turned to leave, there was a lady standing right behind me with her back to me. Not knowing she was there, my arm brushed against her back, so I said, “Excuse me.” She didn’t react, so I shrugged it off and started to leave the store. I was about two steps away when I heard her speak with a French accent and a very derisive tone: “It is too late to apologize.”

I have to admit, I was dumbfounded. I didn’t know how to respond to that. When is it too late to apologize? Should I have apologized before I accidentally bumped into her? Maybe she meant that apologizing didn’t make it okay that I had invaded her personal space. I later discovered someone put out a song fifteen years ago with the refrain, “It’s too late to apologize, it’s too late.” Maybe she was referencing that. Whatever, she was obviously not in a good mood. I guess she was having a bad day, and I have prayed for her several times since then.

The quote “It is never too late to do the right thing” has been attributed to Nelson Mandela. I don’t think he meant that doing the right thing undid the wrong you did previously, but it was a better way to live going forward.

And I pondered the theological implications of her words. Once sin entered the world, an apology would not make things right with God. He warned that sin would bring death and separation from Him. Saying, “I’m sorry” would not change that. So how do we remedy the situation?

We don’t. God did. That is what the birth we are still celebrating during this season is all about. Jesus was born for the purpose of paying for the sin of the world and allowing us to be forgiven. We don’t earn it and we don’t deserve it. But God gives it to us freely when we trust His promise.

Now we should try to live the way He wants us to live, “do the right thing,” not to earn His favor but to thank Him for the forgiveness, life and salvation He has given to us.

Is it too late to apologize? I don’t think so. Even though our apology does not undo what we did, it lets God know that we know we did the wrong thing and want to do better in the future. We usually call this repentance and confession.

1 John 1:8–9 If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.

God does forgive us, not because we apologize, but because we believe in the one who paid for our sin with His perfect life and His death in our place.

Another Christmas has come. How was it for you? Are you glad it is here? Are you ready for it to be over? Or is it? The Christmas season actually begins today and runs through January 6, Epiphany. For manu, the parties and gift exchanges and busyness continue up through the New Year and beyond. I know that is true in my household. All three of my daughters and their families are arriving at our house in the coming days and we will celebrate together this weekend.

So what has been the focal point of this season for you? Did you remember whose birth we are supposed to be celebrating? The following story was sent to me many years ago, and I used it many times, because it helps put Christmas in the proper perspective.

A woman was out Christmas shopping with her two children. After many hours of looking at row after row of toys and everything else imaginable, and hours of hearing both her children asking for everything they saw on those many shelves, she finally made it to the elevator with her two kids.

She was feeling what so many of us feel during the holiday season time of the year. Overwhelming pressure to go to every party, every housewarming, taste all the holiday food and treats, getting that perfect gift for every single person on our shopping list, making sure we don’t forget anyone on our card list, and the pressure of making sure we respond to everyone who sent us a card.

Finally the elevator doors opened and there was already a crowd in the car. She pushed her way into the car and dragged her two kids in with her and all the bags of stuff. When the doors closed she couldn’t take it anymore and stated, “Whoever started this whole Christmas thing should be found, strung up and shot.”

From the back of the car everyone heard a quiet calm voice respond, “Don’t worry we already crucified him.” For the rest of the trip down the elevator it was so quiet you could have heard a pin drop.

 The message is so straightforward and powerful. Those who are looking for joy in gifts and shopping and parties and people will never find it. True Joy is found in the birth of Jesus Christ. That was and always will be the most significant event in the history of this world.

The reason this is true is because without Jesus, we would have no hope. We would be doomed to destruction and eternal separation from God because of our sin. But God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not counting men’s sins against them (2 Cor. 5:19) That was all part of God’s plan. He was crucified to pay for the sins of everyone. That’s why He came. His resurrection sealed the deal, proclaiming His victory over death and the grave for everyone. Faith in Him assures you of forgiveness and eternity with Him.

Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift.

I have always looked forward to Christmas Eve. When I was growing up in a parsonage, we always ate a special meal of oyster stew (a tradition from my dad’s side of the family) and sandwiches and cookies before heading off to the Candlelight service at church. We would hear the songs and scriptures and sermon reminding us of God’s greatest gift to us all, The Word become flesh, God with us, the Savior, who is Christ the Lord.

As soon as the service was over, my siblings and I would run to the car and be ready to go. Why? Because we knew that we would be opening our presents as soon as dad got home from church. Well, not immediately. Another long tradition in our family is that once dad got home from church, we would gather around the tree. There was a plate of Christmas goodies for us to choose from, get something to drink, and one of us would read Luke 2:1-20. After that, dad would offer a prayer, again reminding us of the greatest gift we would ever receive, our Savior. Only then we would open our gifts, which were to remind us of God’s gift to us all. Then it was off to bed so we could get up and go to church again the next morning.

Cheryl and I continued those traditions in our home as we raised our family. While we let the kids eat potato soup, she and I still had oyster stew, as we will again today. And we always had someone read Luke 2 to keep our focus on Jesus as the reason we were all together to celebrate.

I still marvel at the love of God that was manifest in swaddling clothes in Bethlehem. That love was always there. It did not stop when Adam and Eve sinned, but was displayed in the promise to send one who would crush the head of Satan and restore us to God’s good graces. That love took human form in the fallopian tube of Mary, was carried in her womb until the time had fully come and He was born. Jesus then lived a life without sin so that He could pay for my sin with His life. I know He did it for everyone, but I prefer to make it personal, because I know He did it for me. That is what I celebrate at Christmas and throughout the year.

I have been looking forward to Christmas Eve this year. It will be the first time in five years that I will be with my church family for Christmas Eve, the first time since I retired that I will attend Candlelight Service at the congregation that I served as pastor for half my life here on earth. We will rejoice together again in that angel announcement:

Luke 2:10–12  “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.”

“I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people.” Luke 2:10

Tomorrow is Christmas Eve. No doubt many of you reading this will attend a worship service, most likely a candlelight service. When I was still serving a congregation, I always wondered about all those unfamiliar faces that showed up on Christmas Eve for worship. Some were there because someone made them come. Some attended because “it is what you do on Christmas Eve.” Some were there because they truly wanted the opportunity to worship. What I tried to do for all of those folks, regardless of why they came, was to let them hear the message the angels shared that first Christmas: Good News of great joy for all people. We have JOY in Christ. The New Testament calls on us to “rejoice” over 70 times.

This was no ordinary birth announcement that first Christmas. This was a sin-crushing, death-defeating universal news alert: “Unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord” (Luke 2:11). This was the news of great joy! The joy was so contagious that the shepherds, the first to hear the news, couldn’t stop talking about it.

I heard about a couple who learned they had won millions in a lottery. Hoping to keep it a secret until they made the necessary plans, they told no one about their new fortune for a few days. Those close to them, though, couldn’t help but notice that something about them had changed. Something was different. They were obviously very happy about something, even overjoyed. They just couldn’t stop smiling. Finally, a neighbor asked, “What in the world is going on with two of you?” Then the news spilled out. Their lives would never be the same, they said.

The joy God gives is part of your identity as a follower of Jesus. It is what you have in spite of everything that is wrong with the world. God had Jesus pay the price for your sins. That is why you have Joy: You have a relationship with God that goes way beyond striking it rich in a lottery. This is joy in the Lord. This joy responds to all God is and all God has accomplished. This joy is eternal. This joy shines through the carols of this season, the notes we write on Christmas greetings, the works of charity we offer, and the tears which fall as this great good news of a Savior touches our hearts.

At a living nativity scene one Christmas, the costumed shepherds were trained to look like those who had been transformed by the angel’s good news. As people came by to view the scene, the shepherds were beaming from cheek to cheek. They worked the crowd, saying, repeatedly, “Come and see! Christ the Savior is born!” They were the liveliest, most welcoming, smilingest bunch of Christmas shepherds you could ever hope to see.

As you complete your preparation to celebrate Christ’s birth this year, what if all of you took a lesson from those shepherds? If you know the joy of Jesus being your Savior, don’t forget to tell you face about it.

I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, which is Christ the Lord.

Joy to the World. The Lord is come.

You may have heard the name Henrik Ibsen. He was a prolific Norwegian playwright. One of his many plays is Emperor and Galilean. Written in 1873, the play depicts the life of Julian, who ruled the Roman Empire from 361-363 AD. A previous emperor had made Christianity the official religion, but Julian was trying to reverse that and reestablish the old worship of the Greek and Roman gods. Ibsen’s 8-hour play (which is most likely why none of us have ever seen it) tracks emperor Julian’s degeneration from a young Christian to a pagan Caesar.  In the play, Ibsen has Julian say, “Have you looked at these Christians closely?…They brood their lives away; unspurred by ambition; the sun shines for them but they do not see it; the earth offers them its fullness, but they desire it not; all their desire is to renounce and suffer, that they may come to die” (Quoted I, English in William Barclay, In the Hands of God. New York: Harper & Row, 1966, p. 66).

This description of sour and joyless Christians by Mr. Ibsen is similar to what we hear today. Critics of the Christian church frequently point to our lack of joy. Millennials charge Christians with being quick to judge, always ready to tell people what they are doing wrong. One woman described her pastor as being “so solemn he looks like he just stepped out a Nyquil commercial.” It is unfortunate that to some, even as we prepare to celebrate Christmas, we Christians may look more like Ebenezer Scrooge than an angel with “good news of great joy.” One pastor’s eight year-old son once asked him on the way to church on Christmas Eve, “Dad, are you going to let us enjoy Christmas this year or are you going to try to explain it all again?” Wow!

It is true that all of us have a right to be miserable. We have a problem with sin. We see it all around us. We see people making bad choices and bad decisions. We see people doing things that destroy families and relationships. We see children starving and Christians suffering persecution. Evil thrives in our world. Families disintegrate. The world is falling apart. Sin has become normal and accepted by our society. We see our own sins, ever before us, like a dirty mirror that has us looking worse every day! If Christians don’t lament all this darkness, who will? If we won’t carry the world’s heavy burden of sin, who will?

What we are about to celebrate reminds us that someone else already carried that burden. When you feel burdened by sin, remember the message of the Christmas angel. Exceeding your desire to carry the burden of sin yourselves is the great news that Jesus came to do it for you. He has taken sin seriously. He has carried the full consequences of your sin, dying in your place. When you look and act as if you bear the sins of the world, you cheapen His sacrifice and tarnish His victory.

As we are in the last days of preparing our hearts to celebrate the birth of our Savior, remember the Joy that he came to bring, a joy that should be in all of our hearts, a certainty that we are the redeemed, forgiven and dearly loved children of our heavenly Father.