¹ Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets, ² but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed the heir of all things, through whom also he created the world. ³ He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power. After making purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high, ⁴ having become as much superior to angels as the name he has inherited is more excellent than theirs.
⁵ For to which of the angels did God ever say,
“You are my Son,
    today I have begotten you”?
Or again,
“I will be to him a father,
    and he shall be to me a son”?
⁶ And again, when he brings the firstborn into the world, he says,
“Let all God's angels worship him.”

Theme: "He is the Radiance of the Glory of God"

Summary

Pastor Pett's Christmas sermon emphasizes the supremacy and significance of God's ultimate communication to humanity through Jesus Christ. Pastor Pett contrasts the many messages God sent through the Old Testament prophets with the final, complete revelation in His Son.

Jesus is presented as the Creator, Sustainer, and Redeemer of the universe—the exact imprint of God's nature who came to purify humanity from sin. Unlike any Christmas card or gift we might receive from people, Christ Himself is the incomparable gift from God, offering complete purification from sin through His blood, baptism, and Word.

The sermon celebrates that we are privileged to hear directly from the King of Kings and Lord of Lords, who loves us enough to give everything for our salvation.
 
Key Points
​

• God spoke in many times and ways through the Old Testament prophets, delivering one unified message about Jesus
  
  
• In these last days, God has spoken definitively through His Son, representing the ultimate revelation
  
  
• Jesus is the heir of all things and the Creator through whom everything was made
  
  
• Christ is the radiance of God's glory and the exact imprint of His nature
  
  
• Jesus upholds and sustains the entire universe by the word of His power
  
  
• Christ made purification for sins, reaching into the core of human being to cleanse the infection of sin
  
  
• Jesus' gift of purification through His blood, baptism, and Word is the greatest gift ever given
  
  
• Christ has sat down at the right hand of God, superior to all angels
  
  
• We are privileged recipients of God's love letter delivered through His Son

Primary Sermon Text:

Our Epistle Reading for Christmas Day, Hebrews 1:1-6, was the text for the sermon

Explicitly Mentioned Reference:

John 1:1-3 -

• "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God"
• "All things were made through him, and without him was not anything made that was made"

Alluded to or Thematically Present:

Revelation 19:16 - Referenced in the phrase "King of kings, Lord of lords"

John 10:11-15 - Alluded to when discussing Jesus laying down His life

1 John 1:7 - Thematically present in discussion of purification by Christ's blood

Titus 3:5 - Referenced in discussion of baptismal purification

1 Corinthians 11:23-26 - Alluded to in reference to body and blood of Christ

Relevant Verses for Main Themes:

Hebrews 1:4-14 - Continuation of the main text about Christ's superiority

Colossians 1:15-20 - Christ as image of God and creator

Ephesians 1:7 - Redemption through His blood

Romans 5:8 - God's love demonstrated through Christ

Christ is the exact imprint of God. Christ is God. Jesus is God. And he upholds the universe by the word of his mouth.

After making purification for sins, the God of the universe, the King of kings, the Lord of lords, the Creator of everything, the imprint of His nature, comes into the world to make purification for our sins.

Jesus comes into our very core with the power of His blood. Purifying us from the inside out. Purifying us with the power of the cross.

There is no greater Christmas gift. There is no greater gift, period, than this gift. And then magnify that by who's giving it? The very God himself.

A love letter in the form of His Word. A love letter saying, this is what I will do for you. This is how much I love you. This is how much I will give you.

We are privileged to hear we are privileged to receive we are privileged to be a purified by God himself. Today is his birthday. Let's celebrate it.

Theme: "The Grace of God Has Appeared"

Summary

Pastor Pett's Christmas Eve sermon explores the profound meaning of Christ's incarnation through the lens of God's grace appearing in human form. Using the tender illustration of a new baby's presence in the pastor's home after 29 years, the message draws parallels to Jesus entering our world to experience every aspect of human existence—pain, hunger, loneliness, suffering—yet without sin.

The sermon emphasizes that Jesus didn't choose to save us from a distance but came to live among us, feel what we feel, and endure what we endure. This perfect empathy enables Him to offer us grace, redemption, and hope.

The message culminates in the reminder that Christ not only came once but is coming again, and challenges believers to keep Christ at the heart of Christmas despite cultural pressures to remove Him from the celebration.


Key Points
​

• Jesus appeared as one of us to experience the full range of human emotions and suffering
  
  
• Christ felt everything we feel—pain, hunger, thirst, loneliness, dread, anger—but without sin
  
  
• His sinless experience of humanity qualified Him to redeem us from lawlessness and purify us as His own people
  
  
• Unlike us, Jesus handled all human experiences perfectly, never yielding to temptation despite feeling its pull
  
  
• Because Jesus experienced everything we experience, He can walk with us through our trials with perfect empathy and understanding
  
  
• The grace of God appeared in Christ's first coming and will appear again at His second coming
  
  
• Jesus gave Himself completely—experiencing rejection, flogging, crucifixion, and separation from the Father—to redeem us
  
  
• We must resist cultural pressures to remove Christ from Christmas and keep Him at the center of our celebration

Primary Sermon Text:

Our Epistle Reading for Christmas Eve, Titus 2:11-14, was the text for the sermon.

Alluded to or Thematically Present:

Hebrews 4:15 - "For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet he did not sin" (Jesus experiencing all without sin)

Luke 2:1-20 - The nativity story (reference to the stable and manger)

Matthew 26:36-46 - Garden of Gethsemane (mentioned: "He experienced dread in the Garden of Gethsemane")

Matthew 27:26-50 / Mark 15:15-37 / Luke 23:33-46 / John 19:16-30 - The crucifixion (flogging, nailing to cross, thirst on the cross)

Matthew 27:46 / Mark 15:34 - "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?" (reference to Father distancing Himself)

John 1:14 - "The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us" (theme of God appearing among us)

Philippians 2:6-8 - Christ's humility and incarnation (theme of Jesus becoming like us)

Isaiah 53:3-5 - Suffering servant (Jesus experiencing rejection and pain)

1 Peter 2:24 - "He himself bore our sins in his body on the cross" (redemptive suffering)

2 Corinthians 5:21 - "God made him who had no sin to be sin for us" (sinless sacrifice)

Acts 1:11 / Revelation 1:7 - Second coming (theme of Jesus coming again)

The grace of God appeared. I want to take you to that stable. I want to take you to that manger. I want to take you to that place where the grace of God appeared, appeared like one of us.

He chose to come here and be one of us and experience all of that. To feel all of it so that he would be able to not only experience empathy and going through every ounce of being human, but experience it so that he could have a reaction to it. A reaction of grace.

He felt the pain of injury. He felt the emptiness of hunger. He felt the dryness of thirst. He felt the loneliness. He felt everything so that when we feel these things and we face these things and we go through these things, he can honestly say, I've been there, I've felt that, I've experienced that, I understand that.

He was able to experience all of that with one exception from us, that he was able to do it without sin. So he could redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for himself a people for his own possession.

He experienced rejection. He experienced pain as he was flogged. He experienced bloodshed as he was nailed to the cross. He experienced hell as the father distanced himself from him. All to give Himself for us, all to redeem us, all to show us that not only is He the embodiment of grace, but He came to give us grace.

You want to rush to your child's aid when that scream goes up. A parent can do it to only a certain extent, but Jesus did it perfectly. Jesus did it completely. Jesus came to be with us and He gained Himself a people for His own possession.

Christ is the heart of Christmas. Keep him there.