It’s Christmas. Police officers direct traffic at malls to accommodate the overflow crowds of last-minute shoppers. Children are crazy interested in what will be under the tree with their name on it. Husbands are starting to consider maybe I should go shopping for my wife!
Yet, to appreciate Christmas, we must first know what it was intended to do. C. S. Lewis that “the first qualification for judging any piece of workmanship from a corkscrew to a cathedral is to know what it is – what it was intended to do and hot it is intended to be used.” To place the correct evaluation on the worth of Christmas, you need to know what Christmas was designed for. Christmas is designed for grace. Christmas is designed for your transformation. Christmas is to save sinners, even big sinners.
Today’s Big Idea: God Designed Christmas to Save Sinners.
“I thank him who has given me strength, Christ Jesus our Lord, because he judged me faithful, appointing me to his service, 13 though formerly I was a blasphemer, persecutor, and insolent opponent. But I received mercy because I had acted ignorantly in unbelief, 14 and the grace of our Lord overflowed for me with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus. 15 The saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the foremost. 16 But I received mercy for this reason, that in me, as the foremost, Jesus Christ might display his perfect patience as an example to those who were to believe in him for eternal life. 17 To the King of ages, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen” (1 Timothy 1:12-17).
This is a powerful passage. Intertwined in the reason for Jesus’ birth at Christmas is Paul’s story of his conversion. To think of Christmas without thinking of Paul is customary in our day. Our minds drift toward Jerusalem and the wise men. We think of the magi coming from the East plus we contemplate Mary and Joseph. But, to think of Bethlehem without thinking of his conversion on the Damascus Road is short-sighted. For Christmas dramatically affected one of the greatest men of history: the Apostle Paul.
A description of the first thirty years of the early church is largely a description of the course of Paul’s life. He is considered the greatest missionary (outside of Jesus Himself) in Christian history. He wrote more letters in the New Testament than anyone else.
1. Christmas is Designed for Contrasts
“I thank him who has given me strength, Christ Jesus our Lord, because he judged me faithful, appointing me to his service, 13 though formerly I was a blasphemer, persecutor, and insolent opponent. But I received mercy because I had acted ignorantly in unbelief 14 and the grace of our Lord overflowed for me with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus” (1 Timothy 1:12-14).
Before his encounter with Christianity Paul was a murdering, wicked scoundrel named Saul. And it was the Damascus Road experience that poignantly evoked the full meaning of the events at Bethlehem on that first Christmas. Here in verse twelve, Paul begins by saying “I thank him who has given me strength.” Paul is thankful for his experience with Jesus Christ on the Damascus Road many years before. Had it not been for encountering Christ on the road to Damascus, Paul would not have been “appoint[ed] … to his service” (verse 12).
Paul’s point in talking about himself is not just to talk about himself. Paul introduces himself as a formerly/now picture. He uses the word “I” eight times in 1 Timothy 1:12-17, showing the personal nature the Gospel has on Paul. Much like the diet commercials we see splashing across the TV in our day, Paul intends for you to see a “before/after” picture of who he was/is. Paul is thankful for “the strength” he has received. This gift of strength has completely transformed him. And Paul is exhibit one in the evidence room of the Gospel’s power.
Had you named one person who, more than any other, had worked to exterminate Christianity in the first three years of its existence, Paul’s name would have been on the top of the list. The Bible actually gives us a brief snippet of Saul’s activities prior to his conversion: “Then they cast him out of the city and stoned him. And the witnesses laid down their garments at the feet of a young man named Saul” (Acts 7:58).
And Saul holds the outer garments of the men who are pelting Stephen with rocks: “And Saul approved of his execution” (Acts 8:1). He liked this murder. He approved of this murder. This murder breeds confidence in Saul so that this event inspires him to attempt to eradicate all Christians in the early church: “But Saul, still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest and asked him for letters to the synagogues at Damascus, so that if he found any belonging to the Way, men or women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem” (Acts 9:1-2).
He feels confident that he has effectively stalled Christianity in Jerusalem. So he goes to the governing body and says, “Give me the right to go to Damascus and do the same thing there that I have done in Jerusalem.” The council grants him permission, and he heads down the road to Damascus. This is the kind of man Saul/Paul is. And it is his former life that he is thinking of when he writes today’s passage.
Paul lists three liabilities at the beginning of verse thirteen: “though formerly I was a blasphemer, persecutor, and insolent opponent…” (1 Timothy 1:13). And he describes his liabilities from bad to worse.
1. He was a blasphemer.
He insulted Christ: “And falling to the ground he heard a voice saying to him, ‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me’” (Acts 9:4)? He was guilty of the verbal equivalent of spitting in Jesus’ face.
2. He had persecuted Christians.
He not only spoke these words of offense but he put them into action by persecuting the church. “I myself was convinced that I ought to do many things in opposing the name of Jesus of Nazareth. And I did so in Jerusalem. I not only locked up many of the saints in prison after receiving authority from the chief priests, but when they were put to death I cast my vote against them. And I punished them often in all the synagogues and tried to make them blaspheme, and in raging fury against them I persecuted them even to foreign cities” (Acts 26:9-11).
3. He was an insolent opponent.
It was evil done with pride. He had placed his evil on a billboard for all to see. Paul lists his former negatives in order to show the wonder of God’s choice of him.
In contrast to his three liabilities, are three gifts he had given. Each of them is on display in verse fourteen: “and the grace of our Lord overflowed for me with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus” (1 Timothy 1:14). You are given “grace,” “faith,” and “love.” He completes the before and after picture with three words that show the impact Christ has made in his life. Instead of insolence, blasphemy, and persecution, Paul now has grace, faith, and love.
Not only is Christmas is Designed for Contrasts but …
2. Christmas is Designed for Giant Sinners
“and the grace of our Lord overflowed for me with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus. 15 The saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the foremost. 16 But I received mercy for this reason, that in me, as the foremost, Jesus Christ might display his perfect patience as an example to those who were to believe in him for eternal life” (1 Timothy 1:14-16).
2.1. Giant Sinners Need Gigantic Grace.
Throughout the passage, Paul recalls with amazement God’s excessive grace: “and the grace of our Lord overflowed for me with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus” (1 Timothy 1:14). Notice carefully the word choice Paul uses to describe how God’s grace arrived to find him. He says God’s grace “overflowed” in verse fourteen. God had NOT supplied just enough grace to cover our sins. God has supplied ample amounts of grace like maple syrup running over pancakes.
Why does this word “overflowed” matter? To appreciate and value the meaning of Christmas, you must overcome two critical shortcomings. Your view of God is too low, and your view of mankind is too high. You fail to understand who God is, and you fail to understand who you are.
Watch how Paul sees himself.
2.1.1 He Thinks of Himself In the Right Way
“The saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the foremost”(1 Timothy 1:16). Paul sees the magnitude of his sin. Paul could have been the object of God’s wrath. Instead, he is the object of God’s mercy.
Just a few miles east of Flagstaff, AR, there is a meteor crater. The crater is 4,100 feet across… and 550 feet deep. If they played a football game in the bottom, the sides could hold two million fans, give or take a luxury box or two. Anyone with any intelligence would be able to easily surmise that an incredible object made such a hole. And indeed they would be correct. As scientists estimate that a meteor traveled 26,000 miles per hour a longtime ago to make such a hole. Now turn your attention once again to verse sixteen. Only this time, keep you attention on the first part of the verse: “The saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the foremost” (1 Timothy 1:16). If you can determine the vast size of meteor that descended from the heavens from its crater… then you can determine the vast size of your sin from the death of the Son of God descended from the heaven. God Designed Christmas to Save Sinners. Big, giant sinners.
A few moments ago, I spoke of two misunderstandings: You fail to understand who God is, and you fail to understand who you are. Your view of God is too low, and your view of you is too high. Sin injures God greatly. And God is rightly angry with you because of your sins. Our problem is not that we are almost impeccable moral creatures with one tiny, blemish marring a perfect record. Rather, we are woefully inadequate in terms of our obedience to God.
“Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners.”
We are saved by God and from God. Giant sinners need gigantic grace. For Christ’s gigantic grace absorbed the wrath of God on our behalf. And gigantic grace is the message of the cross. Jesus Christ came to Bethlehem to save sinners on the cross. No human being has the resources, the power, the money, or the merit to save himself. The necessary power for rescue is not in us. It must come from God. The good news of Christianity is that God has power reserves aplenty. And He places His power reserves on display when He transforms lives. His grace overflows!
The same word “overflowed” is used to describe grace in Romans 5:20: “...where sin increased, grace abounded all the more…” (Romans 5:20). It’s the idea of fire hydrant spewing forth water on a hot, sunny August day.
Again, Giant Sinners Need Gigantic Grace.
2.2 God Made Paul an Example
But I received mercy for this reason, that in me, as the foremost, Jesus Christ might display his perfect patience as an example to those who were to believe in him for eternal life” (1 Timothy 1:14-16).
Paul’s conversion on the Damascus road has provided a beacon of hope to otherwise hopeless cases. Paul’s conversion calls for a bullhorn in order to speak across the centuries: “Don’t despair! Christ had mercy even on me.” The reason God saved Saul was so that no one in this room could say, “Not me. He can’t save me. You don’t know where I’ve been. You don’t know what I’ve done. You don’t know the things that I’ve thought, the actions that are a part of my life.”
“But I received mercy because I had acted ignorantly in unbelief…” (1 Timothy 1:13b).
He is not saying that his ignorance established a claim on God’s mercy. If ignorance demanded God to forgive, then mercy would no longer be mercy. Paul is saying his opposition to Christ was not defiant and willful. Stott comments had Paul’s sin been willful then “it would have been the sin against the Holy Spirit and would have disqualified him from receiving mercy.” “The more willful your sin, the less likely is your repentance.” “God doest not choose a person who is worthy, but by the act of choosing him He makes him worthy” Augustine.
Not only is Christmas is Designed for Contrasts and Christmas is Designed for Giant Sinners but …
3. Christmas is Designed for Worship
“To the King of ages, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen” (1 Timothy 1:17).
What began in quiet thanksgiving has not risen to the heights of tremendous emotion. Paul is moved by the reminder of God’s profound grace toward him. He breaks out in what is known as a Doxology. A doxology is a verbal explosion of words meant to give honor to God. In 1 Timothy 1:17, he describes God with four words: eternal, immortal, invisible, and the only God. To place the correct evaluation on the worth of Christmas, you need to know what Christmas was designed for. To determine if God’s love for us, you need at least two measurements. The first is the degree of unworthiness that we had when He saved us. The second is the degree of His Son’s worth that was sacrificed for unworthy individuals such as myself.
