First Sunday after Christmas
Preaching
Lectionary Preaching Workbook
Series III
The Sundays after Christmas (there may be one or two some years) allow the church time to reflect on "this thing that has come to pass," the birth of Jesus. The few infancy narratives that are recorded in the Gospels put the birth of Christ into kerygmatic perspective. According to Luke, the "Naming" (Circumcision) of Jesus - occurred on the eighth day after Jesus' birth. When this event falls on a Sunday, it is celebrated as a key feast/festival of the church.
In the Roman Catholic Ordo, this Sunday is known as "Holy Family Sunday." The Epiphany, concentrating on the Wise Men's visit to Bethlehem to worship the Lord, really brings the Christmas season to its conclusion. However the continuation of that story, which chronicles the Holy Family's flight to and return from Egypt (Matthew 2:13-15, 19-23), is the Roman Catholic Gospel for Holy Family Day (Cycle A). It is also used in the Lutheran and Common lectionaries on the First Sunday after Christmas. At his birth, Jesus was marked for death; that was the only way his God-given mission could be completed.
The Prayer of the Day (LBW)
The LBW has a new collect that was composed for use in all three cycles of the church year. It represents a departure from a revision of the traditional collect of the other liturgical churches, speaking of the restoration of "the dignity of human nature," and asking God to "let us share the divine life of Jesus Christ who came to share our humanity, and who now lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever." It is more appropriate for this Sunday than the traditional Lutheran collect for the First Sunday after Christmas. The collects of other liturgical churches differ considerably in content and theme.
The Psalm of the Day
Psalm 128:1-5 (R) - This psalm, another of the Songs of Ascent connected to the annual
Passover pilgrimage, applies the general "family theme" to the Feast of the Holy Family.
Those families who "fear the Lord, and who follow in his ways" will, according to the
Psalmist, enjoy the blessing of God. At the risk of theological oversimplification, one is
tempted to illuminate this theme in the pulpit for the edification of contemporary Christians.
The Roman Catholic Church employs it to magnify the Holy Family theme.
Psalm 147 or 147:13-21 (E) - The Psalmist, grateful for all that God has done and is doing in the world, sings this magnificent song of praise to him who is in charge of all things. He praises the God who restored Jerusalem, gathered the exiles, comforted the broken-hearted. This God is "mighty in power" and possesses wisdom that knows no limits. This psalm accommodates the Gospel for the Day, John 1:1-18 (The Book of Common Prayer), calling upon the people celebrating the birth of Christ to worship the God, who through the Word made all things and "became flesh" in Jesus Christ.
Psalm 111 (L) - "You who worship the Lord, obey him and do what he commands in the world" seems to be the theme in this psalm. This could be a carry over from the emphasis made on the First Sunday after Christmas in the traditional collect. That prayer said: "direct our actions according to thy good pleasure, that ... we may be made to abound in good works." The main reason for using this psalm of praise and thanksgiving surfaces in verse 9: "He sent redemption to his people; he commanded his covenant forever; holy and awesome is his name."
The Psalm Prayer (LBW)
Merciful and gentle Lord, the crowning glory of all the saints, give us, your children, the gift of obedience, which is the beginning of wisdom, so that we may be filled with your mercy and that what you command we may do by the might of Jesus Christ our Lord.
The readings
Sirach 3:2-6, 12-14 (R)
Jesus Ben Sirach would delight at the Feast of the Holy Family; he had his own way of celebrating the family - in piety and obedience. His charge to "children" upholds the Fourth Commandment (or fifth, depending on how one's church counts them) and the place of parents in family life: "Children, listen to me your father, and do what I tell you, and so be safe; for the Lord honors the father in his children, and upholds the rights of a mother over her sons." He does go a bit too far from a New Testament perspective when he declares, "Whoever respects his father is atoning for his sins." However, he is "right on" in saying, "he who honors his mother is like someone amassing a fortune." Since Joseph disappears from the "Jesus Story" before Jesus begins his public ministry, and since Jesus seems to turn his back on his mother at least at one point in his ministry, Jesus Ben Sirach might be put off a bit by the Gospel. But he would certainly applaud what Jesus said (according to John) when he was hanging on the cross: "Woman, behold your son," and to John, "Behold your mother." At the moment of atonement - his baptism - Jesus goes beyond Ben Sirach's instructions and establishes forever a new family, the Family of God that is known as the Church of Jesus Christ.
Isaiah 45:22-25 (L)
This selection from Isaiah emphasizes the First Commandment, "I am the Lord thy God.... Thou shalt have no other gods before me," instead of the Fourth/Fifth Command-ment. The reading could have begun at verse 21b - "There is no other god besides me, a God of integrity and a savior; there is none apart from me." On this Sunday, which is often in the middle of the Christmas season, the Lord God says, "Turn to me and be saved, all the ends of the earth, for I am God and there is no other." (verse 22) Set in the context of Christmas , and calling for "every knee to bow" and "every tongue ... swear" (that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father) all people will know that it was God who did this wonderful work through Jesus Christ.
Isaiah 61:10--62:3 (E, C)
This pericope takes up almost where the first reading for the First Sunday of Advent concludes, verse 11. Once more, the Advent/Christmas note of joy is sounded - "I will rejoice greatly in the Lord, my soul shall exult in my God" and "the Lord will cause righteousness and praise to spring forth before all the nations." (verses 10, lib) It reminds me of TV mini-series which review what happened in the previous episodes before going on with their stories. What follows, particularly in 62:2-3, picks up on the worship theme of Christmas: "The nations will then see your integrity, all the kings your glory, and you will be called by a new name, one which the mouth of Yahweh will confer. You are to be a crown of splendour in the hand of Yahweh, a princely diadem in the hand of your God."' (Jerusalem Bible) God has indeed done a new thing in Jesus.
(Note: See also the First Sunday after Christmas, Cycle A, for additional comments on this reading.)
Galatians 3:23-25; 4:4-7 (E); 4:4-7 (C)
Comments on these pericopes are to be found in the readings for the First Sunday after Christmas, Cycle A. The Episcopal Book of Common Prayer uses the same readings for all three cycles/years of the church year.
Colossians 3:12-17 (L); 3:12-21 (R)
This reading could have been assigned to Epiphany, which was - and is, for some churches - a secondary day for baptisms (if scholars are correct about the "put on," or baptismal, exhortation at the beginning of the pericope). Should this reading have been connected to baptism, it might have referred to the candidates putting on white robes after emerging from the water. However, for most Christians today, it shapes a response to the mystery of Christ's birth - what a Christian should be, as well as what a Christian should do: "and above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts ... and be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly." Christians live in perfect obedience and harmony with the Lord and his Word, because they have "put on Christ" at baptism. Verses 18-21 give specific instructions to members of a family on being a Christian. Although they were in the original version of the LBW lectionary, they have now been eliminated from it.
Luke 2:22-40 (R, C); 2:25-40 (L)
This same Gospel is read on the day dedicated to the Presentation of our Lord. It is ready this Sunday to call attention to the circumcision of the Lord on the eighth day after his birth, and to show that, as a human being, he had to submit to the discipline in the covenant God had made with the Hebrews. He is the Son of God, but he is also a human being and, as a Jew, had to be circumcised. The Holy Family, it should be pointed out, fulfilled its religious obligation to the Lord. But it is the encounter with Simeon and Anna that highlights the reason (beyond the chronological sequence of this episode) for appointing this reading for the Second Sunday after Christmas. Simeon's amazing greeting, known as the Nunc Dimittis, and Anna's assertion prophesying Jesus' mission, compel the preacher to tell this part of the story.
John 1:1-18 (E)
See commentary on the First Sunday after Christmas Cycle/Year A.
A Sermon on the Gospel, Luke 2:22-40 (R, C); 22:25-40) (L) - "The Song of a Dying Man."
When an old man committed suicide, his neighbor asked an important question: "Was it an act of cowardice or courage?" Had that man's name been Simeon, one might have been able to give a positive answer to that question. Simeon, once he had seen and recognized the baby Jesus, was ready to die. There's a kind of "Mine eyes have seen the glory of the coming of the Lord" thrust to this old man's song. He was ready to die, but he would never think of killing himself. Were he misguided in any way and eager to enter into eternal life - and had he believed that he had to get to heaven and the throne of God as soon as he could and that this was the way to get there - he surely would have had the courage to do what that other old man did for a totally different reason.
1. The birth of Jesus opens the way for the destruction of death. It was the beginning of the process of forgiveness, reconciliation, and the hope of eternal life that God initiated in "the little town of Bethlehem."
2. The cross of Christ accomplished God's purpose and set people free from the fear of death. It was for this purpose that he was born. He completed his Father's plan to save all people.
3. Forgiven and free from the clutches of Satan, sin, and separation from God forever - Christians have genuine hope for the present and the future. They live in trust and hope by faith.
4. Completely free, Christians live as the people of God - the redeemed - in this world.
John 1:1-18 (E)
See the sermon suggestions for the First Sunday after Christmas in Cycle/Year A.
A Sermon on the First Lesson, Sirach 3:2-6, 12-14 (R) - "On Behalf of the Family."
In this age when about half of the marriages that are entered into are dissolved by divorce, when some sociologists are saying that we have seen the end of the family and the home as a place where a family is formed and children are reared with solid values and goals - it seems an empty gesture to devote one Sunday of the year to the remembrance of the Holy Family. Ben Sirach doesn't speak for the Holy Family, but he does have something to say - on this Sunday - to contemporary families.
1. Sirach was right about family relationships and how they apply to the Holy Family. "... The Lord honours the father in his children." That certainly was the case with the Holy Family; who would ever have heard of Joseph, if Jesus had not been born? And who would ever have seen him as a person of compassion and genuine piety, if he had not listened to and obeyed God? Joseph and Mary, too, found their honor in their Son.
2. Parents, if they consider themselves to be children of God, have to do their utmost to teach their children the ways of God and rear them in the faith. According to a pastoral counselor who specializes in family and marriage counseling, the most difficult part of adjusting to a divorce is to help the parents see that each of them has a responsibility in rearing any children caught in this broken home situation.
One of the most tragic situations I have known, found once-loving parents divorced and the husband running off with his ex-wife's best friend. He moved in with "the other woman" - less than two blocks from where his ex-wife lived. His former wife was shattered by the experience, but there was one bright spot in the situation. They both shared responsibility for the rearing of their young son. He lived with his mother one week, and he stayed with his father the next week. He shared both of their lives, and both of them had a constant part in his growth and learning, instead of a few hours on weekends. Despite the break-up of their marriage, their joint parenthood is a model for any home where there are children.
3. In the home and in the church, children must be taught the true meaning of the Fourth/Fifth Commandment - not only from Ben Sirach's point of view, but also from that of the Gospel. Jesus honored his heavenly father and could do nothing other than honor his earthly parents. Luke tells us that after Jesus was found in the Temple, he went back home with his parents and "was subject to them." The Gospel teaches us about real love, genuine concern for others, and self-sacrifice. Despite the terrible pain he endured on the cross, he was still concerned with his mother's welfare. That would have made an other man named Jesus - old Ben Sirach - smile.
4. Jesus respects and honors the institution of marriage, giving his blessing to those families open to his love and gracious instruction. A Christian home does not save anyone, but it does reflect the fact that its occupants are Children of God, have been "saved" by Jesus, and are attempting to honor their heavenly father by establishing and maintaining a home and family that are pleasing to God. The church furnishes us with a model - and the experience - of what a family, a Holy Family, ought to be.
Isaiah 45:22-25 (L) - "Prelude to the Gospel."
1. God's call was a prelude to the Gospel - "Turn to me and be saved, all the ends of the earth."
2. It finds ultimate expression in the birth - the incarnation - of Jesus Christ. He came to save people from sin and death.
3. Paul applied this call to the cross of Christ. (Philippians 2) He took the words right out of the mouth of Isaiah - "Every knee shall bow, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father."
4. Christmas is the time to hear the call of Christ, to repent and turn to the Lord, and to give him the love, honor, and glory that he deserves in response to the Good News, the Gospel.
Isaiah 61:10--62:3 (E, C)
See the study and sermon suggestions on this text for the First Sunday after Christmas, Series/Cycle A.
A Sermon on the Second Lesson, Galatians 3:23-25; 4:4-7 (E); 4:4-7 (C)
See the sermon suggestions for these readings in the Lectionary Preaching Workbook, Cycle A.
Colossians 3:12-17 (L); 3:12-21 (R) - "A Christmas Response to the Gospel."
1. Our first contact with Christ came when most of us were infants - at our baptism. At Christmas, we remember the One who came to us as a Savior - at his birth.
2. Our baptism is renewed - and the peace of God ours - when we turn to him in true faith with God's Christmas gift list: compassion, kindness, meekness, patience, forgiveness, and above all love.
3. A faithful response is possible when we let the Word of God dwell in (us) richly.... and whatever we do, in word and deed, (we) do ... in the name of the Lord Jesus.
4. That's a large orderfor sinful creatures, especially at Christmas, but God will help us become what we should be and do what is pleasing to our Lord.
In the Roman Catholic Ordo, this Sunday is known as "Holy Family Sunday." The Epiphany, concentrating on the Wise Men's visit to Bethlehem to worship the Lord, really brings the Christmas season to its conclusion. However the continuation of that story, which chronicles the Holy Family's flight to and return from Egypt (Matthew 2:13-15, 19-23), is the Roman Catholic Gospel for Holy Family Day (Cycle A). It is also used in the Lutheran and Common lectionaries on the First Sunday after Christmas. At his birth, Jesus was marked for death; that was the only way his God-given mission could be completed.
The Prayer of the Day (LBW)
The LBW has a new collect that was composed for use in all three cycles of the church year. It represents a departure from a revision of the traditional collect of the other liturgical churches, speaking of the restoration of "the dignity of human nature," and asking God to "let us share the divine life of Jesus Christ who came to share our humanity, and who now lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever." It is more appropriate for this Sunday than the traditional Lutheran collect for the First Sunday after Christmas. The collects of other liturgical churches differ considerably in content and theme.
The Psalm of the Day
Psalm 128:1-5 (R) - This psalm, another of the Songs of Ascent connected to the annual
Passover pilgrimage, applies the general "family theme" to the Feast of the Holy Family.
Those families who "fear the Lord, and who follow in his ways" will, according to the
Psalmist, enjoy the blessing of God. At the risk of theological oversimplification, one is
tempted to illuminate this theme in the pulpit for the edification of contemporary Christians.
The Roman Catholic Church employs it to magnify the Holy Family theme.
Psalm 147 or 147:13-21 (E) - The Psalmist, grateful for all that God has done and is doing in the world, sings this magnificent song of praise to him who is in charge of all things. He praises the God who restored Jerusalem, gathered the exiles, comforted the broken-hearted. This God is "mighty in power" and possesses wisdom that knows no limits. This psalm accommodates the Gospel for the Day, John 1:1-18 (The Book of Common Prayer), calling upon the people celebrating the birth of Christ to worship the God, who through the Word made all things and "became flesh" in Jesus Christ.
Psalm 111 (L) - "You who worship the Lord, obey him and do what he commands in the world" seems to be the theme in this psalm. This could be a carry over from the emphasis made on the First Sunday after Christmas in the traditional collect. That prayer said: "direct our actions according to thy good pleasure, that ... we may be made to abound in good works." The main reason for using this psalm of praise and thanksgiving surfaces in verse 9: "He sent redemption to his people; he commanded his covenant forever; holy and awesome is his name."
The Psalm Prayer (LBW)
Merciful and gentle Lord, the crowning glory of all the saints, give us, your children, the gift of obedience, which is the beginning of wisdom, so that we may be filled with your mercy and that what you command we may do by the might of Jesus Christ our Lord.
The readings
Sirach 3:2-6, 12-14 (R)
Jesus Ben Sirach would delight at the Feast of the Holy Family; he had his own way of celebrating the family - in piety and obedience. His charge to "children" upholds the Fourth Commandment (or fifth, depending on how one's church counts them) and the place of parents in family life: "Children, listen to me your father, and do what I tell you, and so be safe; for the Lord honors the father in his children, and upholds the rights of a mother over her sons." He does go a bit too far from a New Testament perspective when he declares, "Whoever respects his father is atoning for his sins." However, he is "right on" in saying, "he who honors his mother is like someone amassing a fortune." Since Joseph disappears from the "Jesus Story" before Jesus begins his public ministry, and since Jesus seems to turn his back on his mother at least at one point in his ministry, Jesus Ben Sirach might be put off a bit by the Gospel. But he would certainly applaud what Jesus said (according to John) when he was hanging on the cross: "Woman, behold your son," and to John, "Behold your mother." At the moment of atonement - his baptism - Jesus goes beyond Ben Sirach's instructions and establishes forever a new family, the Family of God that is known as the Church of Jesus Christ.
Isaiah 45:22-25 (L)
This selection from Isaiah emphasizes the First Commandment, "I am the Lord thy God.... Thou shalt have no other gods before me," instead of the Fourth/Fifth Command-ment. The reading could have begun at verse 21b - "There is no other god besides me, a God of integrity and a savior; there is none apart from me." On this Sunday, which is often in the middle of the Christmas season, the Lord God says, "Turn to me and be saved, all the ends of the earth, for I am God and there is no other." (verse 22) Set in the context of Christmas , and calling for "every knee to bow" and "every tongue ... swear" (that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father) all people will know that it was God who did this wonderful work through Jesus Christ.
Isaiah 61:10--62:3 (E, C)
This pericope takes up almost where the first reading for the First Sunday of Advent concludes, verse 11. Once more, the Advent/Christmas note of joy is sounded - "I will rejoice greatly in the Lord, my soul shall exult in my God" and "the Lord will cause righteousness and praise to spring forth before all the nations." (verses 10, lib) It reminds me of TV mini-series which review what happened in the previous episodes before going on with their stories. What follows, particularly in 62:2-3, picks up on the worship theme of Christmas: "The nations will then see your integrity, all the kings your glory, and you will be called by a new name, one which the mouth of Yahweh will confer. You are to be a crown of splendour in the hand of Yahweh, a princely diadem in the hand of your God."' (Jerusalem Bible) God has indeed done a new thing in Jesus.
(Note: See also the First Sunday after Christmas, Cycle A, for additional comments on this reading.)
Galatians 3:23-25; 4:4-7 (E); 4:4-7 (C)
Comments on these pericopes are to be found in the readings for the First Sunday after Christmas, Cycle A. The Episcopal Book of Common Prayer uses the same readings for all three cycles/years of the church year.
Colossians 3:12-17 (L); 3:12-21 (R)
This reading could have been assigned to Epiphany, which was - and is, for some churches - a secondary day for baptisms (if scholars are correct about the "put on," or baptismal, exhortation at the beginning of the pericope). Should this reading have been connected to baptism, it might have referred to the candidates putting on white robes after emerging from the water. However, for most Christians today, it shapes a response to the mystery of Christ's birth - what a Christian should be, as well as what a Christian should do: "and above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts ... and be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly." Christians live in perfect obedience and harmony with the Lord and his Word, because they have "put on Christ" at baptism. Verses 18-21 give specific instructions to members of a family on being a Christian. Although they were in the original version of the LBW lectionary, they have now been eliminated from it.
Luke 2:22-40 (R, C); 2:25-40 (L)
This same Gospel is read on the day dedicated to the Presentation of our Lord. It is ready this Sunday to call attention to the circumcision of the Lord on the eighth day after his birth, and to show that, as a human being, he had to submit to the discipline in the covenant God had made with the Hebrews. He is the Son of God, but he is also a human being and, as a Jew, had to be circumcised. The Holy Family, it should be pointed out, fulfilled its religious obligation to the Lord. But it is the encounter with Simeon and Anna that highlights the reason (beyond the chronological sequence of this episode) for appointing this reading for the Second Sunday after Christmas. Simeon's amazing greeting, known as the Nunc Dimittis, and Anna's assertion prophesying Jesus' mission, compel the preacher to tell this part of the story.
John 1:1-18 (E)
See commentary on the First Sunday after Christmas Cycle/Year A.
A Sermon on the Gospel, Luke 2:22-40 (R, C); 22:25-40) (L) - "The Song of a Dying Man."
When an old man committed suicide, his neighbor asked an important question: "Was it an act of cowardice or courage?" Had that man's name been Simeon, one might have been able to give a positive answer to that question. Simeon, once he had seen and recognized the baby Jesus, was ready to die. There's a kind of "Mine eyes have seen the glory of the coming of the Lord" thrust to this old man's song. He was ready to die, but he would never think of killing himself. Were he misguided in any way and eager to enter into eternal life - and had he believed that he had to get to heaven and the throne of God as soon as he could and that this was the way to get there - he surely would have had the courage to do what that other old man did for a totally different reason.
1. The birth of Jesus opens the way for the destruction of death. It was the beginning of the process of forgiveness, reconciliation, and the hope of eternal life that God initiated in "the little town of Bethlehem."
2. The cross of Christ accomplished God's purpose and set people free from the fear of death. It was for this purpose that he was born. He completed his Father's plan to save all people.
3. Forgiven and free from the clutches of Satan, sin, and separation from God forever - Christians have genuine hope for the present and the future. They live in trust and hope by faith.
4. Completely free, Christians live as the people of God - the redeemed - in this world.
John 1:1-18 (E)
See the sermon suggestions for the First Sunday after Christmas in Cycle/Year A.
A Sermon on the First Lesson, Sirach 3:2-6, 12-14 (R) - "On Behalf of the Family."
In this age when about half of the marriages that are entered into are dissolved by divorce, when some sociologists are saying that we have seen the end of the family and the home as a place where a family is formed and children are reared with solid values and goals - it seems an empty gesture to devote one Sunday of the year to the remembrance of the Holy Family. Ben Sirach doesn't speak for the Holy Family, but he does have something to say - on this Sunday - to contemporary families.
1. Sirach was right about family relationships and how they apply to the Holy Family. "... The Lord honours the father in his children." That certainly was the case with the Holy Family; who would ever have heard of Joseph, if Jesus had not been born? And who would ever have seen him as a person of compassion and genuine piety, if he had not listened to and obeyed God? Joseph and Mary, too, found their honor in their Son.
2. Parents, if they consider themselves to be children of God, have to do their utmost to teach their children the ways of God and rear them in the faith. According to a pastoral counselor who specializes in family and marriage counseling, the most difficult part of adjusting to a divorce is to help the parents see that each of them has a responsibility in rearing any children caught in this broken home situation.
One of the most tragic situations I have known, found once-loving parents divorced and the husband running off with his ex-wife's best friend. He moved in with "the other woman" - less than two blocks from where his ex-wife lived. His former wife was shattered by the experience, but there was one bright spot in the situation. They both shared responsibility for the rearing of their young son. He lived with his mother one week, and he stayed with his father the next week. He shared both of their lives, and both of them had a constant part in his growth and learning, instead of a few hours on weekends. Despite the break-up of their marriage, their joint parenthood is a model for any home where there are children.
3. In the home and in the church, children must be taught the true meaning of the Fourth/Fifth Commandment - not only from Ben Sirach's point of view, but also from that of the Gospel. Jesus honored his heavenly father and could do nothing other than honor his earthly parents. Luke tells us that after Jesus was found in the Temple, he went back home with his parents and "was subject to them." The Gospel teaches us about real love, genuine concern for others, and self-sacrifice. Despite the terrible pain he endured on the cross, he was still concerned with his mother's welfare. That would have made an other man named Jesus - old Ben Sirach - smile.
4. Jesus respects and honors the institution of marriage, giving his blessing to those families open to his love and gracious instruction. A Christian home does not save anyone, but it does reflect the fact that its occupants are Children of God, have been "saved" by Jesus, and are attempting to honor their heavenly father by establishing and maintaining a home and family that are pleasing to God. The church furnishes us with a model - and the experience - of what a family, a Holy Family, ought to be.
Isaiah 45:22-25 (L) - "Prelude to the Gospel."
1. God's call was a prelude to the Gospel - "Turn to me and be saved, all the ends of the earth."
2. It finds ultimate expression in the birth - the incarnation - of Jesus Christ. He came to save people from sin and death.
3. Paul applied this call to the cross of Christ. (Philippians 2) He took the words right out of the mouth of Isaiah - "Every knee shall bow, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father."
4. Christmas is the time to hear the call of Christ, to repent and turn to the Lord, and to give him the love, honor, and glory that he deserves in response to the Good News, the Gospel.
Isaiah 61:10--62:3 (E, C)
See the study and sermon suggestions on this text for the First Sunday after Christmas, Series/Cycle A.
A Sermon on the Second Lesson, Galatians 3:23-25; 4:4-7 (E); 4:4-7 (C)
See the sermon suggestions for these readings in the Lectionary Preaching Workbook, Cycle A.
Colossians 3:12-17 (L); 3:12-21 (R) - "A Christmas Response to the Gospel."
1. Our first contact with Christ came when most of us were infants - at our baptism. At Christmas, we remember the One who came to us as a Savior - at his birth.
2. Our baptism is renewed - and the peace of God ours - when we turn to him in true faith with God's Christmas gift list: compassion, kindness, meekness, patience, forgiveness, and above all love.
3. A faithful response is possible when we let the Word of God dwell in (us) richly.... and whatever we do, in word and deed, (we) do ... in the name of the Lord Jesus.
4. That's a large orderfor sinful creatures, especially at Christmas, but God will help us become what we should be and do what is pleasing to our Lord.
