2016.12.25 礼拝

誰でも気軽に集える、明るく、カジュアルな雰囲気の教会です。

2016.12.25 礼拝

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2016.12.25 “What makes Christmas joyful”

Matthew 1:23 “Behold, the virgin shall be with child, and shall bear a son, and they shall call his name Immanuel,” which translated means, “God with us.”

“Merry Christmas!” A birth of a child is a happy occasion and we usually say “congratulations”. Then why do we greet saying “Merry”? There is of course a reason why we are happy and cheerful.

Even in Japan, many people are celebrating Christmas and many may vaguely understand the meaning of Christmas, that Christians celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ.

However, not many understand the real joy we find in celebrating Christmas. The image of God has changed since the birth of Jesus, and the real image of God was revealed. It is more important to know God – what God is than to know what God can do for us.

Bible clarifies why we can have faith in God. One of the examples can be seen in Luke 15:11-24 where Jesus explains what God is and his love.

➀ Love of God is revealed hundred percent through Jesus Christ.

– God forgives us, sinful as we are.

John 3:16 For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.

God’s love is promised to all people of the world and not just for Jews.

Romans 5:8 But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

We don’t celebrate just the birth of Jesus but for what he has done/undergone for us. We take it for granted that God is love but without Jesus we would not have known it was meant for us as well because he made it clear how and how much God loves us.

➁ Through Jesus Christ, it is made clear where we can return to.

– we can experience the real peace and joy when we get to be with our Father in heaven.

Luke 15:18 I will set out and go back to my father and say to him; Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you.

The son realized what happiness it was being with his father. Jesus tells us there is a place to return to, i.e. to God our father filled with love.

➂ God’s forgiveness is further evident because of Jesus Christ.

– God forgives those who knows God and returns to God.

Luke 15:20 So he got up and went to his father, “But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him.”

God imposes no condition for us to return to him but accept whoever returns to God. Even while he knows we are filled with sin, he is ready to forgive our sins and accept us.

➃ All above has been proven by the cross of Jesus Christ.

Philippians 2:6-9 6 Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; 7 rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness.

8 And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death – even on a cross! 9 Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name,

Jesus was not just given birth to this world, but to be a sacrifice for our sins and testify the love of God.


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