December 20 Sermon: Made Known

Consider these questions as you listen to this week’s message from Romans 16:25-27:

1. How has the advent of instant communication impacted the way we receive and share news, and what challenges does it present in ensuring the accuracy of information?

2. In the context of Romans and the mystery of salvation, how does the revelation of Jesus Christ help us better understand the Old Testament and its prophecies regarding the Messiah?

3. As Christmas approaches, how can we reflect on the significance of the salvation offered through Jesus Christ and its impact on our lives, and how can we share this good news with others during the holiday season?

Transcript:

News travels fast, doesn’t it? There are all kinds of ways that information can reach us these days and most of it is instant but even with our multifaceted forms of communication the truthfulness of what we are hearing can still be in doubt. In fact, we often receive some news and we are apprehensive to pass it on because we aren’t sure if it is true. You may get some information from multiple sources but you are still hesitant to share the news. You don’t want people coming back to you if you don’t have the facts straight. There is a deep satisfaction though once you find out that what you have heard is correct or when you are given permission to tell someone, or even when you can say “I’ve known about that for a while now”.‌

What we see each year as we prepare for Christmas are readings from the Old and New Testaments that tell us of this amazing thing that was mentioned in the Old Testament but it was veiled. You didn’t know when it was going to be fulfilled. It was a sure promise but you couldn’t make out for sure what it was all going to look like until all was fulfilled in the person and work of Jesus Christ.‌

This passage that we have before us today is a great one for a short meditation on this morning because it is the benediction to the book of Romans and it overflows with praise because of the truth that has been made known in Jesus. The book of Romans is a well crafted argument for how Christ has saved his people and it is not because of anything that they have done. It is by grace alone, through faith alone, on account of the work of Christ alone that they are saved.‌

And so as this book ends Paul trusts that Jesus is able to strengthen his people according to his gospel and the preaching of Jesus Christ. Now Paul isn’t suggesting that his gospel is exclusive to him or that he has made it up by himself apart from the revealed word of God. Instead, he is taking possession of the truth that he is proclaiming. He actually believes this. It isn’t something that he is saying just because. He owns what he’s been telling the church in Rome and is eternally convinced of its truth.‌

And the truth that he trusts in is that God is able to strengthen his people by the gospel and the preaching of Jesus Christ. That good news not only brings us to faith but it strengthens us in it. The gospel is vital and yet it is so easily lost. This salvation that is by grace alone, through faith alone, on account of Christ alone can easily be pushed aside because we want to take credit for our salvation in some way. We want to believe we can do it on our own but the truth that we find in the book of Romans is that we can’t. We are fallen sinful creatures who desperately need the grace of God. We can’t do it on our own and that is why we can’t forget the gospel and its message of salvation.‌

And as we think about what this means for us as we prepare for Christmas we see the Apostle Paul saying that it was a mystery kept secret for long ages but has now been disclosed. Until the revelation of Jesus Christ how this was all going to look was a mystery. You would have gotten the general idea that a savior was on the way but the exact way it would look was unknown. It is like that Christmas present you might have gotten hints about but you aren’t sure exactly what you are going to get. Maybe you know that you are going to get a piece of clothing but you aren’t even sure what it is. Until you open the box and remove all the barriers you don’t know what you are going to get.‌

The same was true of the story of redemption. We can see it pretty clearly because we live on this side of the story and we have received the Holy Spirit to understand the truth. For us to read the Old Testament with Jesus in view we can see where the story is headed but imagine not knowing what we know. What will this one who will crush the serpent look like? When will he come? He is a descendant of David in the Kingly line will he sit on an earthly throne in Jerusalem? You get the idea. People would have had all kinds of expectations and so their view was skewed but now, Paul is telling us, it’s because clear. With Jesus and the saving work of his life, death, resurrection, and ascension we are now able to turn the lens and bring the old testament into focus.‌

And notice what part of that focus is. Jesus is being made known to all nations. This isn’t just a story for the Hebrew people. It is a story for gentiles like us too.‌

And what is it doing? Through the command of God it is bringing about the the obedience of faith. People everywhere through the proclamation of the word of God are coming to faith and putting their trust in the Lord Jesus Christ for their salvation and understanding what it means to following God in faith. That we trust him for salvation from our sins but we also look to his holy word to know how we are to live our lives in response to what he has done. His law shows us what a holy and righteous life looks like.‌

And so as we wrap up this short meditation on this passage we look forward to Christmas. Christmas has so many meanings for us. It is the primary holiday that sparks memories and emotions. You remember moments of opening gifts with your children or the big surprise you had one year for your spouse. There is traditional food and other smells that spark these memories for you. Chances are you see people you may not normally see that often during the course of the year. Everyone is together. It is an important time and this year we have been reminded how important those moments are, haven’t we.‌

And as we come to Christmas we are reminded in this passage not only how precious those moments are but how precious the salvation that we have in the Lord Jesus is. God unfolded history in such a way to make the story that we celebrate this coming Friday known to us that we might be brought into the family of God and receive the greatest gift of his perfect righteousness and the assurance that we have forgiveness and salvation because of what the child in the manger came into the world to do. A gift for you and for me that is immeasurable. This good news has been made known to us and so may we make that news known to others. May we tell it on the mountain that hope, peace, and salvation has come and it is the greatest gift we can ever receive. His salvation has been made known to us, may we make known this good news to the world. Amen.