HOOK
[Introduce yourself, get a Bible, turn to Titus, Pastor Joel is sick]
In 2005, a small, neglected painting was put up for auction in New Orleans. It was a modest piece—darkened with age, overpainted to the point of obscurity, and regarded as little more than an above-average attempt to copy of one of the masters. The bidding started low, and the final sale price? Just over $1,000. A good deal for an art collector, but not much of a surprise given its humble state.
Yet there was something curious about this painting. The buyers believed there might be more to it than met the eye. They decided to take a risk and fund its restoration. It was painstaking work as they drilled down layer by tedious layer.
But… as they worked… something possibly quite extraordinary began to emerge. Details long hidden under grime, dirt, and hasty repairs bloomed as they were unearthed. A hand raised in blessing, delicate and lifelike. An orb of crystal, impossibly precise. The face—calm yet penetrating, carrying an otherworldly presence. Could it be… it is possible this was no mere copy?
We’ll answer that question later, but for now we’ll pop it in our pocket and take a look at Paul’s Letter to Titus. Titus is a young leader tasked with guiding a fledgling church in Crete, to remind him of the centrality of God’s grace in teaching, living, and salvation. In Chapter 2 and verse 11 Paul writes…
BOOK
(Titus 2:11, NKJV) 11 For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men
LOOK
Prayer
[Pray for God to change us through the study of His Word]
Preamble
Let’s dive into this verse by breaking it out into three sections: the grace of God // that brings salvation // has appeared to all men.
The Grace of God
What is grace? The Greek word for grace conveys the idea of goodwill, kindness, mercy, and favor.
We live in a transactional world: you scratch my back, I scratch yours. This is nothing new. The Roman world of Paul’s day operated the same way. Favors came with strings attached, and gifts implied obligation. Even now, I suspect many of us think of God like Don Corleone’s in The Godfather. We imagine His gift of grace accompanied by the line, “Someday, and that day may never come, I’ll call upon you to do a service for me.” Grace, favour, kindness, goodwill… in the human sense, often feel like a prison—a debt, whether social or financial, that binds us to our benefactors.
But the grace Paul describes is entirely different. It is not earned, reciprocated, or laced with expectation. It is an unmerited, undeserved gift from God, given freely and abundantly—not because of anything we’ve done, but solely because of God’s goodness and love.
Before Jesus, God’s grace was present but veiled—seen in promises, prophecies, and acts of mercy throughout the Old Testament. For example, Noah “found favor in the eyes of the Lord” (Genesis 6:8), not because of his merit, but because of God’s gracious choice. Similarly, God chose Israel not for their righteousness, but because of His steadfast love and faithfulness (Deuteronomy 7:7–8). These glimpses of grace were real and meaningful, but only shadows of what was to come.
The prophets pointed to this greater grace. Isaiah 9:6 foretold a child who would embody God’s grace, bringing peace and salvation. Micah 5:2 spoke of a ruler who would shepherd with God’s power and mercy. These promises built hope for a grace yet to be fully revealed.
And that revelation came with the birth of Jesus. John 1:14 proclaims, “And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen His glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.” In Jesus, grace is no longer veiled but fully revealed. The covenant with Noah, the covenant with Israel, the deliverance from Egypt, the mercy toward figures like David and Elijah, the words of the prophets all pointed forward.
But now — with the Advent of Grace — we can point back to the One who did not merely usher in God’s grace; He was and still is its perfect embodiment.
That Brings Salvation
When Paul speaks of the grace of God “that brings salvation,” he is getting to the heart of why the Advent of Grace matters. Grace is not just a happy idea or a concept for theology nerds to argue about on the internet—it is active. It accomplishes something. God’s grace has a purpose — salvation. But what exactly does salvation mean?
At its core, salvation means deliverance. In the Bible, it often refers to being rescued from danger, whether physical, like Israel’s deliverance from Egypt, or spiritual, like humanity’s deliverance from sin. In our case, salvation addresses the deepest, most dire problem we face: our impending separation from God forever because of sin.
Sin is not merely a mistake or a bad habit; it is rebellion against God. Romans 3:23 reminds us, “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” Sin creates a chasm between humanity and a holy God, a rift we cannot bridge on our own. The grace of God steps into that gap. It is God’s answer to our greatest need, a need we are powerless to meet ourselves.
This salvation is both rescue and restoration. It is rescue from the penalty of sin—the eternal separation from God we talked about a moment ago—and restoration into right relationship with Him. What makes this salvation extraordinary is that it is not contingent on anything we do to deserve it. Ephesians 2:8–9 makes it clear:
“For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast.”
Salvation is not about good works or “just being a good person.” It is entirely a gift from God. A gift of grace.
Imagine your ship capsizes at sea and you survive on life preserver with a single bottle of water for several days. Rescue approaches! You are exhausted, hungry, dehydrated, and badly sunburnt. The Captain of the rescuing ship asks if you would like to be saved. It’s all you can do to nod yes, incapable of aiding in your own rescue. That’s faith. Faith is nothing we can take credit for, it is simply relying on Christ to save us by recognizing that we cannot save ourselves.
BUT — and this is important — this salvation is also transformative. It doesn’t ONLY rescue us from judgment; it changes who we are. In Christ, we are no longer slaves to sin but are set free to live for God. Paul writes in 2 Corinthians 5:17, “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.” Salvation is not just about where we will spend eternity; it’s about the kind of life we live right now.
The Advent of Grace brings a salvation that is comprehensive. It addresses our past by forgiving our sins, our present by transforming our lives, and our future by securing our eternal hope. This is the salvation that appeared when Christ came, and it is available to all who will receive it.
As we reflect on this, let’s ask ourselves: Have we truly embraced this salvation, not as something abstract or distant, but as a reality that shapes our lives every day? And if we have, are we living in the fullness of that salvation, allowing grace to change us, to heal us, and to lead us?
This is the grace that brings salvation—the grace that rescues, restores, and transforms. It is the gift of God, freely given yet infinitely costly, purchased through the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ out Lord.
Has Appeared to All Men
And here we come — at last — to Christmas. When Paul writes that “the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men”, he’s referring to a historical moment in time—the coming of Jesus. Through His work on our behalf, God’s grace is no longer some hope far-off on the horizon; it is here and it is now! The invisible is made visible, the promise is made real. It has appeared — to all men.
That word “appeared” is the Greek word “epiphaino” which means “to shine forth”. The Light of the world has stepped down into darkness in order that our eyes might be opened! Jesus is here! The Lord has come! And who? Who has He come for? ALL MEN. That is all mankind. Every person. This incredible gift of grace is not limited to a particular group or moment or place; it is an offer extended to all humanity—regardless of background, status, or merit. Paul states this explicitly in Galatians 3:28 where he writes, “There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus.”
And we see this play out in the Nativity story. We see different facets of grace in the stories of Mary, Jospeh, the shepherds, and the Wise Men.
In Mary’s case, God’s grace was given in the form of an invitation to bear the Son of God. When the angel Gabriel appeared to her, he greeted her as “highly favored” (Luke 1:28)! But this was entirely God’s grace — not anything she had accomplished or earned — that made her the chosen vessel for the Messiah. Mary’s response was one of humble obedience: “Behold, the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word” (Luke 1:38). Grace is an invitation! It invites the ordinary into the extraordinary!
Joseph initially planned to quietly break off his engagement to Mary when he found out she was pregnant. But after an angel appeared to him in a dream and explained the divine nature of the situation, he accepted the role God had given him to care for and protect Mary and Jesus. His willingness to step into this moment of divine destiny shows how God’s grace not only invites us into something more than ourselves, but also gives us purpose.
How about the shepherds? They were dirty, smelly, lowly, outcasts who often existed on the fringes of society. Yet, it is to these humble men that the angels first proclaim the good news: “Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people” (Luke 2:10). God’s grace is not reserved for the powerful or the righteous but is offered to the poor, the marginalized, and the outsider right along with the rich, powerful, and well-connected. Grace is indiscriminate. It calls out to everyone, regardless of their status or standing in society. God’s favor does not depend on you—or me—it is available to all who will receive it!
And the Wise Men? The journey of the Wise Men beautifully illustrates how grace is both patient and personal. These scholars, far removed from the Jewish faith, were guided by a star on a long and difficult journey to find the Messiah. Despite their distance—geographical, cultural, and spiritual—God’s grace patiently reached out to them, drawing them near to Jesus. Grace meets us where we are, no matter how far we may feel from God, and patiently calls us to Himself… just as it called the Wise Men to come bow before the Savior.
The Paradox of Grace
Even as Christians the temptation can be high to think of grace as something we must be worthy of, but Scripture makes it clear time and again that grace is precisely for those who are unworthy. It’s for the broken-hearted, the poor in spirit, the sinner who knows they need redemption.
This is where the story of Christmas becomes intensely personal. The Advent of Grace is not just a past event we celebrate each year. It is a present invitation to all who are broken, all who are hurting, and all who feel distant from God. Grace is not a prize for those who have it all together but a gift for those who are humble enough to admit that they are shattered.
This is the paradox of grace: it is given to those who don’t deserve it, who cannot earn it, and who are often the least likely to receive it. It’s not just for the good people or the people who can clean themselves up. It’s for the sinner, the one who has failed, the one who has fallen short. Grace meets us where we are, but it doesn’t leave us there.
TOOK
This leads us back to the painting from the beginning that we put in our pockets. After years of restoration, experts confirmed what the buyers had dared to hope: this was no ordinary artwork. It was (fittingly for our story today) the Salvator Mundi—“Savior of the World”—a long-lost masterpiece by none other than Leonardo da Vinci. The unveiling sent shockwaves through the art world. What had once been overlooked as a mere copy — a damaged one, at that — was now revealed as one of the most valuable paintings in existence.
In 2017, the Salvator Mundi sold at auction for over $450 million, the highest price ever paid for a work of art. Imagine that—a masterpiece worth nearly half a billion dollars had been hiding in plain sight, unrecognized for its true worth.
Isn’t this the story of Christmas? God’s grace appeared, not in a palace but in a stable, not with fanfare but in the cries of a newborn. To the world, it seemed ordinary, even insignificant. Still today Jesus is a known figure around the world, but He seems ordinary and insignificant. But to those who have eyes to see, the Advent of Grace reveals the greatest treasure imaginable: salvation.
What Does It Mean for Grace to Appear to Us Today?
This is what makes grace so amazing—it flips our understanding of the world upside down. In every other part of life, we work hard for what we want. We earn respect, we earn trust, we earn rewards. But grace doesn’t work that way. It’s unearned, undeserved, and unmerited.
And the grace that appeared in the humble manger still reaches out to us in our brokenness, in our struggles, in our failures. It invites us to experience a new way of living: not as orphans but as sons and daughters, adopted into God’s family through Jesus Christ.
But it’s also important to ask: Are we truly living as recipients of this grace? Do we embrace it not just as a past event but as a present reality? Do we allow it to be a transforming force in our lives? Or has it become a faded masterpiece tucked away in the attic of our lives?
Grace is not some memento of days gone by that has little bearing on us now. It is alive. It is meant to change us. It’s meant to move us from fear to faith, from despair to hope, from selfishness to generosity. The Advent of Grace is not just about what God has done for us, but about what He is doing in us and through us today.
Overflowing Grace
This brings us to a crucial part of the story. Grace is not just meant to be received; it is meant to be shared. Think the attributes of grace we saw in the Nativity characters: Grace is an invitation. It is a purpose. It is indiscriminate. It is patient. And it is personal.
Consider the shepherds once again. They were the first to receive the good news of Jesus’ birth. But they didn’t keep it to themselves. In Luke 2:17–18, we read that they “made widely known the saying which was told them concerning this Child.” They couldn’t contain the joy of the grace they had received. They shared it with others, spreading the word about the Savior who had come.
It’s like a kid who gets the perfect gift for Christmas and they are so excited that they don’t know what to do so they run and jump and shake and yell and that joy gets all over you.
Grace is contagious in the same way. When we experience God’s grace, it should fill us with joy and love that we can’t help but spill out into the world around us. Grace compels us to love the unlovable, to forgive the unforgivable, to serve the underserved, and to reach out to those who are far from God. This is the mission of Christmas: to carry the grace we’ve received into a world that is hungry for hope, for healing, for wholeness.
A Final Call to Action
So, as we consider the Advent of Grace, we are left with a profound question: Will we allow this grace to change us, to shape us, to send us? Christmas is not just about remembering the past; it’s about responding in the present. The grace that appeared in the manger is the same grace that appeared at the cross and the empty tomb. The baby who was born to redeem the world grew up to die for the world’s sins, and He rose again to offer eternal life to all who believe.
This grace is offered to you today. If you’ve never fully received this grace, today is the day to open your heart to it. Today is the day to accept Christ as your personal Lord as Saviour.
[Ask people to raise their hands]
“Dear Heavenly Father, I come to You today, realizing my need for Your grace. I confess that I am a sinner, that I have fallen short of Your glory, and I cannot save myself. But I believe that You sent Your Son, Jesus Christ, into this world to be my Savior. I believe that He lived a perfect life, that He died on the cross for my sins, and that He rose again, offering me eternal life.
Today, I turn from my sin and place my trust in Jesus as my Lord and Savior. I ask You to forgive me, to cleanse me, and to make me new. Fill me with Your Spirit, and help me to live for You from this day forward. Thank You for Your grace, Your mercy, and the gift of salvation.
In Jesus’ name, Amen.”
If you have received it, then let it change the way you live, the way you love, and the way you serve. And let it propel you into action, sharing this life-changing grace with the world around you. The Advent of Grace invites us to receive and to share. It is a grace that has the power to redeem lives, heal wounds, and bring hope to the darkest of places. Will you allow it to overflow in you and through you this Christmas season? Will you carry the message of God’s grace to a world that is in desperate need of it?
[Explain the church invites to Christmas Eve service]
As we respond to this invitation of grace, we can do no better than to lift our voices in worship, adoring the One who came to save us. Let’s stand and declare together with joy and reverence: O come, let us adore Him—Christ, the Lord!