Christ The Saviour Is Born

CHRISTMAS DAY SERVICE

PREACHER: REVD SETH KISSI

READINGS: IS 9:2-7; TITUS 2:11-14; LK 2:1-14

We thank God that we can celebrate this Christmas with some joy and happiness and blissful expectations. Not everyone. Some are in mourning at this moment; and our hearts, thoughts and prayers must go to such people so that our God can hold and sustain them. Christmas has always been associated with love, joy and excitement; and rightly so because there is something about the season that makes us expectant and wanting to experience it over and over again. The event that occurred on that day- the birth of a saviour of the world - is an event that is supposed to bring us joy. When angels announced the good news to the shepherds they sang a song made up of just two lines: Glory be to God on high And on earth peace and goodwill to men When there is peace and the favour of God is upon us, God is glorified. Let us examine how this favour and peace translate into the experience of those who first heard it and of us who are celebrating the good news of Christmas. Two kinds of people were given the Christmas message; 1. Mary and 2. The shepherds Mary is isolated for the favour of God – a blissful and happy experience. She is highly favoured – the most favoured - among all women; the angel Gabriel told her. Her experience was that she was pregnant without a husband which in no doubt may have created a difficulty for her trying to explain her pregnancy to family members. To make matters ‘worst’ she delivered in a manger. But the child she delivered was not an ordinary child; he was different from all other children. The favour and grace of God were on him and he had wonderful abilities that the people in the temple could not come to terms with. They described him as mad. Luk 2:40 And the child grew, and waxed strong in spirit, filled with wisdom: and the grace of God was upon him. Mary was always aware that the favour of God was on her and so the Bible tells us Mary kept all these in her heart. At the cross of Jesus she might have asked herself so many questions. But the favour and grace of God enabled her to go through the pain of seeing her own son crucified – death in a most shameful and degrading way. Mary must be revered for what she went through and did for us. Sometimes the favour of God comes opening the door to all sorts of challenges and experiences including pain and shame; and Mary’s was no exception but the same grace that was to make her the mother of our saviour was sufficient to sustain her and to enable her go through the pain. In spite of the trials, temptation and pain it is worth it – to have the favour of God upon us. We must not give up. The grace of God is always available to give us strength to go through our trials. How does this favour of God translate into our experience as we celebrate Christmas in the 21st century? For many including the shepherds and Mary, the news of the birth of Christ was vague; even the disciples were not so sure; but to us the birth of Christ is great light. We no longer live in darkness. We have been redeemed by the saviour. We have hope of salvation. As we celebrate the birth of the saviour, we must be able to say that our hearts are filled with joy and peace because our encounter with the Saviour turned us from the path of death and the wrath of God to the path of redemption and hope of a salvation. Christ came so that our story of hopelessness and fear and anxiety about his second coming will disappear and give way to peace, joy, hope and blessed expectation of eternal life.

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ADVENT REFLECTIONS – Day 2

Revd Prof J. Kwabena Asamoah-Gyadu


Date 23nd Dec 2010

Readings: Lk2:21-35

The important thing about Jesus is that he was born. Whether or not December 25 is his actual date of birth is not important. There is enough evidence in both the Old and New Testaments that he existed.

At Christmas we give presents and gifts to our friends and loved ones. Sometimes those gifts are not meaningful or useful to them. The wise men gave gifts to Jesus. They gave gold to signify that he was a King, Myrrh to represent the peace he brought on earth and frankincense to represent his priesthood.

God’s gift of Jesus that we celebrate at Christmas is very precious and what He expects to receive from us is our heart.

In those days every first born son must be consecrated to the Lord and this was done on the eighth day. Samuel, John the Baptist and Jesus were consecrated as such. There lived at the time of Jesus’ birth a righteous and devout man of God called Simeon. God had promised him that he would not see death until he has seen the Lord’s Christ. The Spirit therefore led him to the temple at the time the baby Jesus was being presented on the eighth day.

The man Simeon took the baby Jesus up in his arms and blessed God and said,
Lu 2:29 "Lord, now let thou thy servant depart in peace, according to thy word;
Lu 2:30 for mine eyes have seen thy salvation
Lu 2:31 which thou hast prepared in the presence of all peoples,
Lu 2:32 a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and for glory to thy people Israel."
Lu2:33 And his father and his mother marvelled at what was said about him;
Lu 2:34 and Simeon blessed them and said to Mary his mother, "Behold, this child is set for the fall and rising of many in Israel, and for a sign that is spoken against.
Lu 2:35 (and a sword will pierce through your own soul also), that thoughts out of many hearts may be revealed."
How would some fall and others rise because of Jesus?

The Christian life is full of choices and the choices we make would determine whether we fall or rise. Our attitude towards Jesus would determine whether we fall or rise.

1. From childhood, the rich young man had done everything the law said he should do, but when Jesus asked him to go and dispose of his wealth and give to the poor, he went away sad. He was not prepared to pay the price of discipleship

2. The Pharisees failed to admit that Jesus was the son of God even when there was every indication that he was. A forty-year old man who was born blind was healed by Jesus and the Pharisees decide to quiz him about his healing to make sure he was indeed born blind and Jesus had indeed healed him

3. Judas was a member of the twelve but fell because of greed and disloyalty

However there were others who rose

1. The twelve left family and business to follow Jesus

2. The Samaritan woman at the well after her encounter with Jesus went back to her village and declared she had found the Messiah

3. Bartemeus, the blind man, shouted for Jesus to call him and heal him. He followed him praising God

4. Zaccheus realised where he was standing was not good enough to catch Jesus’ attention and so he climbed a tree and that day he received his salvation

5. Nicodemus came to Jesus at night to seek explanations on how he could be saved. He was a secret follower of Christ.

6. Paul thought he was doing the right thing by persecuting the believers, but when he encountered Jesus on the road to Damascus, he repented and preached the gospel to the extent that he said:
1Co 9:16 For though I preach the gospel, I have nothing to glory of: for necessity is laid upon me; yea, woe is unto me, if I preach not the gospel!


In conclusion,

1. it is up to us make choices that honour God

2. we must display more inward form of Christianity where we worship from our hearts, in spirit and in truth

ADVENT REFLECTIONS - DAY 1

By: Revd Prof J. Kwabena Asamoah-Gyadu


Date 22nd Dec 2010

Readings: 1Sam Chaps 1-4, Mt 1:18-25

Let’s begin the Christmas story from a very unlikely place in 1Samuel chapters 1-4; Is2 12-17.
Eli and his two sons, Hophni and Phinehas were priests in Israel.

Eli’s sons were wicked and had no regard for the Lord. They took the best parts of the offering even before it was presented to the Lord. In fact they treated the Lord’s offering with contempt. They also slept with the women and abused them.

Eli was very old at this time. One day he called his sons and asked them a question:

1Sa 2:25 If a man sins against a man, God will mediate for him; but if a man sins against the LORD, who can intercede for him?" But they would not listen to the voice of their father; for it was the will of the LORD to slay them.

So one day Israel went to war with the Philistines and the Ark of the Lord was captured. Eli’s two sons were killed. As soon as Eli was told this, he fell over his chair, broke his neck and died.

The wife of Phinehas was pregnant and about to deliver and when she heard that her father-in-law and her husband were dead she went into labour and not even the knowledge that she had given birth to a son was good enough news to make her live. She lost her life in child-birth. But before she died she named her child Ichabod meaning ‘The glory has departed from Israel’ because the Ark had been captured.

In those days the Ark symbolised the presence of God among His people and its capture meant the people of Israel were left without a covering.

In the New Testament, in the birth of Jesus, that Glory has been restored.

1. The name Jesus means he will save his people from sin

Mt 1:21 she will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.

2. Immanuel means God with us; His presence - His Glory- which was taken away has been restored to those who confess him as their Lord and saviour

Isa 7:14 Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel

Joh 1:12 But to all who received him, who believed in his name, he gave power to become children of God;


Lu 2:9 And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with fear.


Lu 2:14 "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among men with whom he is pleased!"

As we celebrate Christmas let’s remember the change of name from Ichabod to Immanuel, meaning God’s favour and presence have been restored and we now have His covering over us.