Sermons

This passage sheds light on the encounters of various people surrounding the birth of Jesus Christ. It tells of Mary, who learned of the Messiah's coming through the angel's announcement; of the shepherds, who were keeping watch over their sheep through the night, heard the angel's news, and came to find him; and of the wise men, who followed a star from the east to come and worship Jesus. It also records the confession of Simeon, who, led by the Holy Spirit, met the baby Jesus in the temple.

The sermon points out the attitude these people had in common. Through a baby lying in a humble manger, they believed God's plan of salvation and offered worship and praise. In Simeon's case in particular, it explains that a life that went beyond a Law-centered faith, walked with the Holy Spirit, and put God first is what led him in the end to meet the Messiah. This shows how much more important it is to walk with the Holy Spirit, enjoying freedom in the truth, than to keep blind religious rituals.

The sermon emphasizes that when believers live righteous and devout lives like Simeon, they will meet Christ. It also points out that this faith must lead on to a holy hope that waits for his second coming. The sermon invites the reader to look back on whether their faith walks with the Holy Spirit and is centered on God, or is bound by the Law.

Today's passage covers Palm Sunday, when Jesus rides a donkey into Jerusalem, and the Passion Week that followed. The passage shows Jesus not avoiding the suffering of the cross but choosing it himself and carrying it out according to plan. People welcomed him as king and cried out Hosanna, but Jesus walked that road in silence, knowing that it would end in the whip and the cross.

The sermon stresses that this choice of Jesus was not simply suffering but the heart of God's love and plan to save sinners like us. The disciples, by contrast, did not properly understand Jesus' will; dreaming of advancement and comfort, they responded foolishly. Like Judas Iscariot's betrayal or Peter's impulsive actions, it leads us to ask whether we too often act on our own judgment, thinking it right even when it differs from God's plan.

We confess that we have a mature faith that believes in Jesus' death, resurrection and second coming. Yet we need to examine whether in reality we are living with worldly success and comfort as our priority. Following the way of the cross that Jesus chose for himself, we ask with what heart we are now living through this age of suffering, and whether we are living prepared lives as we wait for the glory of the resurrection.

This passage deals with Mary, who, after the angel's visit and the news that she will conceive the Messiah, visits Elizabeth and offers praise and worship. Although Mary knows her own weakness and the impossibility of her situation, she accepts it in obedience, desiring God's word to be fulfilled. Amazed and grateful that she, lowly as she is, has been entrusted with God's great work, she offers God heartfelt worship.

The sermon emphasises that Mary's attitude was not a mere religious act but a resolve to take part in God's deep providence and plan once she had understood it. It says that God's will, which cannot be known by worldly wisdom, is revealed to believers through the Holy Spirit, and that believing and obeying it is true wisdom. It also points out that, just as Mary praised God amid hardship and misunderstanding, believers too should take part in God's will without being shaken by whether their circumstances are good or bad.

The sermon asks believers not to become proud by asserting their own righteousness, but to live only for the holiness of Jesus Christ. Just as Mary praised the Lord even in the hardship of conceiving a child as a virgin, it asks whether we will live a life of worshipping God, fulfilling our duty as believers to the end, through the hardships and joys of this year.

Reflecting again on the meaning of Christmas, this passage sheds light on the essence of faith through the two criminals crucified beside Jesus. Although Jesus came in humble form, people expected him to be a worldly liberator or a mighty king, and were disappointed or mocked him. In particular, the two robbers, arrested while fighting against Roman oppression, were men who had devoted themselves to their nation, and even to the last moment they asserted their own merits or demanded salvation, regarding Jesus as a worldly power.

Through the complex feelings they went through and the historical background of the time, the sermon points out that salvation cannot be gained by human effort and will alone. One robber admitted that he was rightly on the cross for what he had done, yet confessed the sinless Jesus to be righteous and pleaded with him to remember him when he came into his kingdom. This shows that the decisive standard for salvation is not the world's standards or human good works but faith in, and confession of, Jesus Christ alone.

We are led to reflect on our priorities as we work hard for our country and our families. We come to realise that the true purpose of life is to live for Christ rather than for worldly success or honour. We must not forget that after this life we will be divided between the kingdom of heaven and hell, and must seek never to let go of our faith in Jesus Christ. Remembering that God willingly bore the cross to save us, what should we learn through this sermon to make sure that Christ comes first in our lives?

This passage contains the conversation between an owner and a vine dresser about a fig tree that bears no fruit. The owner orders that the tree, which only takes up ground without bearing fruit, be cut down, but the vine dresser pleads that if it is given just one more year, he will dig around it and fertilize it so that it bears fruit. This scene shows that even though God's judgment is near, Jesus is acting as a mediator who asks for patience and another chance for believers.

The sermon applies this spiritual reality to believers' lives, emphasizing that the present is the last chance God has given. It warns that a fig tree with plenty of leaves but no actual fruit may end up as firewood and be thrown away, and points out that believers have a responsibility to bear the fruit of repentance, devotion, and love. It also explains that rather than dwelling on past failures or regrets, the wise attitude is to live the present faithfully and bear the fruit of salvation.

Believers must reflect on how they are using the grace and gifts they have received to give glory to God. The sermon asks believers to examine the state of their faith, to guard against becoming people of faith with nothing but leaves, and to consider what decision they must make to fill the year given to them with meaning.