Paul's letter to the Romans is interesting. In fact, it's probably his most detailed and intriguing letter. Yet, when Paul wrote this letter to the Romans, he was writing to a church that he did not know personally and in which he had never been! When you think about the fact that all of Paul's other letters were written to churches he had visited and people he knew, this is quite amazing. It's most especially amazing that he would write to this church situated in the greatest city in the greatest empire of the world. Rome was the home of Caesar, the most powerful man in the world, whose official titles included "son of god," whose birthday was "good news," and who claimed the allegiance and the loyalty of the greatest empire the world had ever seen!
It seems strange that Paul, without any direct knowledge of the Christian church in Rome, would chose to send a letter there. But Paul knew exactly what he was doing, and we can only assume that as he wrote the opening words of this letter, the words we heard moments ago, that Paul chose his words carefully. He had an important message to share. Into the midst of this most renowned city, sitting pretty under the rule of Caesar, Paul is speaking a life-changing word: "Jesus is the true king, the world's rightful Lord, and it is vital that the Christians in Rome itself know this and live by it!"
This is the "gospel" as Paul sees it. In Paul's terminology, the "gospel" was not primarily a message about sinful human beings and how they attained justification and salvation. For Paul, the gospel was the sovereign message from God concerning Jesus the Messiah, God's unique son. This message wasn't just about "cleaning house," clearing up any moral dysfunction, and living life in a new way. No, the gospel Paul proclaims is news about God and about Jesus; news that this Jesus had become the spearhead of God's coming kingdom. This gospel was news that within this new age, the earthly powers of darkness and sin and death had been defeated and were now summoned to allegiance. The gospel was a command requiring obedience, much more than an invitation seeking response. Paul's gospel was a gospel of the incarnation. He told of a Jesus who was really and truly a man. He was really and truly one with the people he came to save. As one early Christian writer said, "He became what we are to make us what he is." Indeed this is good news.
Our lives change because Jesus Christ lives. That's the message that Paul is sending to the Roman church and to all of his readers! "You are who you are through this gift and call of Christ!" We are who we are through the gift and call of Christ!
On Christmas of 1998, I had just finished my first semester of college. In that first semester, among other things, I took an intro-level Chemistry class and an intro-level music class. I chose these two classes because I was trying to decide whether I wanted to major in Chemistry or in Music Education. Within just a few weeks, it was clear to me that Chemistry was not for me, and music was the way to go. I let my parents know my decision and asked them if they might be willing to get me a new trombone since I was going to spend a good portion of the next four years (and potentially the rest of my life) playing my trombone and using it in my chosen career path. They agreed and that Christmas I received a new trombone. But I also got something else that Christmas; a leather-bound United Methodist Hymnal. The one I use every week. The trombone I got that Christmas was a top-of-the line horn, and my parents were very generous for getting it for me. But the best gift I got that year, in fact, one of the best Christmas gifts ever was this Hymnal. And here's why I so appreciated that gift, and still do. In some way, the hymnal encompasses those things that are most important in my life: music, prayers, the church and especially the United Methodist Church, and the gospel story. In some way, this hymnal tells a story about who I am. I'm sure that you all have a similar possession as well; perhaps it was even a gift somewhere along the way.
We open a lot of gifts at Christmas-time. Children unwrap toys and games. Adults unwrap sweaters and gift cards. We all eat a little too much chocolate and sweets. But underlying the whole Christmas celebration is the gift of Christ. Like my hymnal, the gift of the Christ-child tells a story about who we are, but Jesus Christ is even more than that. This is the gift that fully and without question means the most in our lives. This is the gift that not only makes us who we are, but also shapes us into the people God intends us to be. This gift is the very essence of life; through Jesus Christ hope, peace, joy, and love are truly made possible! God in Christ Jesus has accepted humanity and offered us life that does not end; and not just any life, an abundant life full of grace and love, full of those things that matter most!
So this is the message that Paul brings to us, his words are a reminder to the Roman Christians that if they feel blessed to be living in Rome and benefiting from Caesar's opulence, then they ought to feel all the more blessed because of the great gift of Jesus Christ. The same should be true for us as we open gifts this Christmas and feel blessed by the generosity of friends and family. We need to remember that we ought to feel all the more blessed because through God in Christ Jesus we are chosen and claimed and loved. But it doesn't stop there. Paul's message continues.
As you may remember, after Paul reminds us of the wondrous coming of God in Jesus, the Messiah, the Son of God, he goes on to say, "Through him we received both the generous gift of his life and the urgent task of passing it on to others..." Part of the amazing thing about this Jesus Christ, is that far beyond being our savior, his message, his love, his saving grace can be shared with others! And as those who are beneficiaries of this gift, God expects nothing less of us than that we would pass it along.
I'm sure you are all familiar with the movie, Pay it Forward. Or even if don't know the movie, perhaps you know the premise behind it. The idea is that you help someone out with no expectations of compensation except that they will do the same for someone else. And when you are the recipient of a good deed, when you get some much-needed help, you then "pay it forward" by helping someone else out. This is precisely the message that Paul is sending to the Roman Christians, and to all his readers. "You," he says "are the heirs of this kingdom. You are the recipients of life abundant in Jesus Christ. Now, pay it forward; share this wonderful gospel message, offer Christ to all who do not know him!"
I can only imagine that Paul saw this message as particularly urgent for the Roman Christians. They were situated in the most powerful city in the world. Some of them potentially had "access" to some of the most powerful people in the world, perhaps even Caesar himself. And there is no question that every day, people were coming in and out of Rome, traveling to the farthest reaches of the earth. If Christians, and Roman Christians in particular, were to take this task seriously and share the gospel message with others, imagine the far-reaching impact it would most certainly have! It really is no wonder that Paul would say to these people, the evidence is before you. This man, the very Son of God has come among us. We are who we are through this gift. Now it is time that you share this gospel with others!
My friends, this Christmas, we celebrate something we know to be true. We celebrate the birth of the Messiah, we celebrate God with us. We celebrate the man who "became what we are to make us what he is." But as we count our blessings this Christmas, the greatest one being this wonderful gospel message, I think we have to ask ourselves a question. Paul wrote to the Roman Christians in part with the hope that through their sphere of influence the gospel would spread through the world to people everywhere. Even today, there are many in this world who have never heard the gospel. This Christmas, there are many who will celebrate Santa, but not Christ. So the question for us is this, what is our sphere of influence? Where is it that we need to take the gospel? Who is it that needs to receive the gift of Jesus Christ this Christmas? We may not be Caesar. We may not be living in the most powerful city in the world. We may not be traveling to the ends of the earth. But that doesn't mean there aren't plenty of people we see and interact with every single day who do not know the wonderful gift of Jesus Christ!
So where do we need to start? If Paul were writing this letter to the Church at Soddy Daisy, what would he have in mind for us? Who would be the “others” he is referring to when he tells us we have an urgent tasking of passing this gospel on to others? Who comes to mind? I will tell you that when I began considering this question, one of the first things that came to mind were the Angel Tree families we helped this year. Unlike in years past, when many of the families were from the downtown Chattanooga area, all but one of the families we sponsored this year live in the Soddy Daisy area. Perhaps with Sharon’s help, we could stay in touch with these families; let them know that they matter to us, and continue sharing with them the gift of God’s love. And I’m sure you don’t have to think too hard to come up with the names of some people who this Christmas would greatly appreciate the gift of God’s son that is available to all. Take some time this week to give those people a call and invite them to Christmas Eve worship here at Grace. I believe almost everyone would agree that the candlelight Christmas Eve is the highlight of every Christmas celebration, maybe even the best worship experience of the whole year!
Each year, every one of us anticipates Christmas. We think excitedly about opening gifts. But we have to remember that there is a very special gift waiting for all of us. It is something chosen especially for each of us by someone very special. It’s the most valuable thing that anyone could ever have. For many of us, this gift has already opened new and exciting possibilities that have changed our lives and continue to do so. This Christmas, the most important and wonderful thing we can do is to pass that good news on to others. We have a great gift to share, the question is, will we share it?
