February 1, 2026
The Promised Helper — You Are Not Alone
Acts 1:1-11
1. When life does not go as we hope
There are times in life when we pray and pray,
yet things do not move forward as we want.
We ask,
The Bible tells us that the followers of Jesus had the same questions.
2. Jesus’ followers were told to wait
After Jesus rose from the dead, His followers asked Him,
“Is this the time when everything will be made right?”
Jesus did not give them a schedule.
Instead, He said:
“Wait. God will send you the help He promised.”
Sometimes, before we act, we must first receive help.
3. God sends a Helper
Jesus promised that God would send a Helper.
The Bible calls this Helper the Holy Spirit.
The Holy Spirit is not something strange or frightening.
He is God’s way of being with us now.
The Holy Spirit:
4. Jesus did not abandon His followers
Jesus returned to heaven, but He did not leave His followers alone.
God sent the Holy Spirit to be with them.
Because of this help, ordinary people became brave,
hopeful, and loving.
They began to share the message of Jesus with the world.
That is how the church began.
5. God’s plan is bigger than we imagine
The followers expected a quick solution to their problems.
But God had a greater plan:
to bring hope, forgiveness, and new life to people everywhere.
God’s timing is different from ours,
but His plan is always good.
6. This message is for you
The same God is still at work today.
If you feel tired,
confused,
or alone,
God wants you to know this:
You do not have to face life by yourself.
Jesus promises forgiveness, new life, and peace.
God’s Spirit is ready to help, guide, and walk with you.
January 25, 2025
I Will Boast in Nothing Except the Cross
Galatians 6:11–18
Rev. Masaaki Higashi
In this message from Galatians 6:11–18, we reflected on Paul’s final words to the believers in Galatia and on what it truly means to live by faith in the cross alone.
Paul warns the church against false teachers who tried to add the works of the Law to the gospel. Their teaching was motivated by a desire for human approval and by a wish to avoid persecution. By doing so, they emptied the cross of its meaning. In contrast, Paul clearly declares that there is only one thing in which believers may boast: the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ.
To “boast” in the cross also means to trust in the cross. Paul’s life, values, and actions were built on this foundation alone. He invites us to examine our own lives and ask what we truly rely on—our background, abilities, achievements, or the cross of Christ.
Paul teaches that what truly matters is not circumcision or any external sign, but being a new creation in Christ. Through baptism, we are united with Christ, share in His resurrection life, and are already allowed to taste the new world God is creating, even while we still live in a world filled with sorrow and suffering. The peace and hope we experience now come from salvation through the cross.
Paul also speaks of “this rule”, the clear standard of faith: salvation by the cross alone, not by the cross plus the Law. Those who walk by this rule are called “the Israel of God”—all who are united to Christ by faith, regardless of nationality, status, or background. As a diverse church family, we are one in Christ and called to love, accept, and worship together.
In his final words, Paul says that he bears the mark of Jesus, declaring that he belongs completely to Christ. In the same way, we too have been sealed by the Holy Spirit and belong to God.
The letter ends with a tender blessing. Though Paul spoke firmly to correct wavering faith, he addresses the believers as “brothers and sisters”, reminding them—and us—that we are God’s family. Through Paul’s words, God calls us to remain in the gospel.
We are encouraged to respond by confessing:
“We boast in nothing except the cross of Christ,”
and to walk forward as those who have been newly created and live together with Christ.
Jan 18, 2026
Come and You Will See
A Gospel Summary Based on John 1:38–39
1. Faith Does Not Begin with Understanding
Many people think that faith starts with understanding. They feel they must first know who Jesus is, what the Bible teaches, and whether they can be sure. But the Bible tells us that faith begins in a different way.
The first followers of Jesus did not fully understand who He
was.
They were simply curious. They followed Him and asked a simple question.
Jesus did not explain everything to them.
2. Jesus’ Simple Invitation: “Come”
Instead of giving them answers, Jesus said just one thing:
“Come.”
He did not say, “Understand first.” He did not say, “Believe perfectly.”
He said, “Come.”
Faith begins with an invitation, not with a test. Jesus invites people to take a step toward Him, just as they are.
3. Following Before Knowing
The two disciples followed Jesus without knowing where He would lead them. They did not know what would happen next.
Yet, as they followed Him, something changed.
Jesus said: “Come, and you will see.”
Understanding came after they responded. Relationship came before explanation.
This is the surprising way of the gospel.
4. Staying with Jesus Changes Life
The Bible says that the disciples not only came to Jesus, but that they stayed with Him.
Spending time with Jesus changed them. They began to understand
who He truly was.
They were transformed from seekers into disciples.
Faith grows not through a single moment, but through staying close to Jesus day by day.
5. Jesus’ Invitation Is for the Weary
Jesus later spoke these words: “Come to me, all you who are
weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.”
(Matthew 11:28) This rest does not mean escaping life or having no problems. It means receiving new life, strength, and hope. Jesus invites those who feel tired, discouraged, or lost. He invites
people who feel they are not good enough.
6. “Come” Means Now
Many people delay their response to Jesus.
They say:
But Jesus’ invitation is always now.
“Come” is spoken in the present tense. Faith is not about being ready.It is about responding.
7. A Gentle Invitation for You
Jesus is still speaking today.
Not with pressure. Not with force.
But with a gentle invitation:
“Come.”
If you are searching, tired, or uncertain, you do not need to understand everything first.
Just take one step toward Jesus.
And as He promised:
“You will see.”
You do not need perfect faith to come to Jesus.
You only need to respond to His invitation—today.
Jan 11, 2026
Sharing the Word — This
Is Love
A Message of Hope from Galatians 6:6–10
Many people live their
lives carrying invisible burdens.
Responsibility, regret, fatigue, anxiety about the future — these weigh heavily on our hearts.
No one else can live our life for us. In the end, each person must walk their own path.
But what if we were not meant to carry everything alone?
Jesus once said: “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.”
This message from the Bible
speaks directly to our everyday lives.
It tells us that God knows our weariness — and that He invites us to come to Him.
What We Sow Shapes What We Become
The Bible teaches a simple but profound truth:
“A person reaps what they sow.”
In life, we are always
sowing something — through our choices, our words, our attitudes.
Self-centered living often leads to broken relationships and inner emptiness.
Living only for immediate satisfaction may seem attractive, but it often leaves lasting damage.
We see this principle
everywhere in life.
What we plant determines what eventually grows.
Two Ways of Living
The Bible describes two directions a life can take.
One is a life centered only
on oneself — chasing desire, pride, or control.
This path often leads to isolation, conflict, and ultimately loss.
The other is a life guided
by God’s Spirit — a life marked by love, kindness, patience, and peace.
This kind of life does not come from human effort alone.
It begins when a person trusts God and allows Him to shape their heart.
God’s Love Shown on the Cross
At the center of the Christian faith is this message:
God loves human beings so deeply that He sent Jesus Christ to give His life on the cross.
The cross tells us two important truths:
Christian faith is not
about earning God’s approval by good behavior.
It is about receiving forgiveness and new life as a gift — through trusting Jesus.
Love That Does Not Give Up
The Bible encourages us: “Let us not grow weary in doing good.”
Real love often costs
something.
It may require patience, forgiveness, generosity, or time.
Yet love — even small acts of kindness — has lasting meaning.
Christians believe that
such love reflects God’s own love toward us.
It is not about being perfect, but about continuing to walk forward, even when we fail.
Today Is an Opportunity
The Bible says:
“As long as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people.”
We cannot change
yesterday.
Tomorrow is not guaranteed.
But today — this moment — is an opportunity.
An opportunity to
reconsider the direction of our lives.
An opportunity to receive God’s love.
An opportunity to begin walking a new path.
An Invitation
Christian faith does not
begin with having all the answers.
It begins with a simple trust — and a willingness to take one step toward God.
If you feel tired,
burdened, or uncertain about life,
the message of Jesus is an invitation, not a demand:
“Come to me.”
This is the love Christians
seek to share.
Not forcing belief — but offering hope
“Bear One Another’s Burdens
Galatians 6:1–5
Rev. Masaaki Higashi
1. The Meaning of the Lord’s Day: Beginning the Year Before the Unchanging Christ
Today is the first Lord’s Day worship service of the year 2026. The Lord’s Day is the day on which we remember that the Lord Jesus Christ died on the cross as a substitute for our sins and was raised on the third day. We gather for worship not simply because Sunday happens to be a day off. Rather, Sunday became a day of rest because Christianity prevailed and came to be recognized within the Roman Empire. There are fifty-one Lord’s Days in a year. I pray that throughout this year, without illness, without unavoidable circumstances or interruptions, we may be allowed to offer worship faithfully. I pray that we may be granted a year in which we can keep worship in peace.
We often hear news about the possibility of a Nankai Trough earthquake. Even if such events were to occur, I pray that we would still be permitted to offer worship. Yet, how uncertain our future is.
At the New Year’s Day service, we heard the Word of God: “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever” (Hebrews 13:8). Human beings change. When our position or circumstances change, we sometimes change so drastically that we no longer resemble who we once were—our attitudes and even our words shift. Yet the Lord Jesus does not change: not yesterday, not today, not forever.
When the Lord Jesus was nailed to the cross, all His disciples betrayed Him. And yet, when He rose again, He did not rebuke them with anger. Instead, He spoke words of love: “Peace be with you.”
With this unchanging Lord Jesus, we desire to walk again this year. With that longing, we take our first steps into 2026.
2. From the Cross to Legalism: How the Church Begins to Devour Itself
The believers in Galatia had begun to drift away from salvation by the cross alone and fall into legalism. As they did so, they began to insist on their own correctness—“I am right,” “No, I am right”—and Paul describes them as “biting and devouring one another.”
Paul warns them that if they continue in this way, they will destroy one another.
He therefore exhorts them in Galatians 5:16: “So I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh.”
To “bite and devour” one another is the work of the flesh. The “flesh” refers to a way of life that is self-centered, self-assertive, and unwilling to yield—insisting that one’s own opinions must prevail.
In contrast, Paul speaks of the richness of the fruit of the Spirit: “The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control” (Galatians 5:22).
Paul sees clearly what has happened to the Galatian church. Having departed from faith in the cross alone, they have become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another, quarreling, and hurting those around them.
3. Losing the Joy of Salvation: When Faith Becomes Comparison and Judgment
When the Galatians lived by faith centered on the cross, they rejoiced, saying,
“The Lord Jesus went to the cross for sinful me.”
But once they shifted their focus from the cross to the works of the law, everything changed. They began to emphasize their own righteousness. They started comparing themselves with others. Gradually, comparison turned into judgment.
As a result, they drifted away from the joy of salvation and returned to a way of life driven by the desires and works of the flesh. It is precisely at this point that Paul speaks with pastoral urgency.
4. Restoring, Not Condemning: The Meaning of “Gentleness”
Paul says: Galatians 6:1 “Brothers and sisters, if someone is caught in a sin, you who live by the Spirit should restore that person gently. But watch yourselves, or you also may be tempted.”
Paul reminds them: You are people of the Spirit.
Therefore, when someone falls into sin, they are not to be crushed, but restored—with gentleness.
Correcting someone is extremely difficult. When we hear the phrase “correct someone,” we often imagine scolding, blaming, or punishing. Parents or teachers may believe they must act strongly for the sake of the child. Yet such correction, driven by anger, often produces poor results.
Paul is not speaking of emotional correction. The word translated “restore” means to mend, to repair, to return something to its proper condition. Like carefully sewing torn clothing, restoration requires patience and care. If anger is introduced, the tear only becomes worse.
Paul therefore says, “Restore them gently.” Yet gentleness is not something we naturally possess. Those who appear gentle will often say, “I am not gentle; I am simply trying to restrain my emotions.” That is why Paul calls gentleness a fruit of the Spirit. It is not that we ourselves correct the other person. Instead, the Spirit who is at work within me uses us and restores that person with a gentle heart. In such moments, we do not speak words that tear people apart, like ripping clothing to shreds. Rather, we speak gentle and tender words—words that mend what has been torn, like carefully stitching a garment back together..
5. A Living Example of Gentle Restoration
“That happened, didn’t it. But let’s think about it carefully.”
“If you continue down this path, what kind of outcome do you think it will bring?”
“From where I stand, I truly believe it would be better to stop.”
When my son was in high school, he once drank alcohol at an after-party following a school sports festival. The next morning, he arrived late at school. The principal was standing at the school gate and said, “Mitsuru, being late is not acceptable,” and called him over. As my son approached, the principal noticed the smell of alcohol and took him straight to the principal’s office.
I received a phone call from the principal explaining the situation, and I was asked to come in.
When I saw my son, I did not raise my voice or show anger. Many parents, in such moments, would scold their child harshly, threaten them with strong words, or even strike them. Instead, I bowed deeply before the principal and vice-principal and apologized.
Then I spoke to my son and said, “Because I am a pastor, please do not do anything that would hinder my ministry. I ask you—please never do this again.”
From that day on, he never caused me trouble again. My children respect and trust me. This is not due to my own strength. I was able to speak calmly and carefully, without being driven by emotion.
Before entering the principal’s office, I prayed and asked for the Lord’s guidance. I give thanks, believing that the Spirit worked within me at that moment and enabled me to speak with a gentle heart. There, in that place, the fruit of the Spirit was clearly present.
6. Watching Ourselves: The Danger of Temptation Within the Church
Paul warns us, “Watch yourselves, or you also may be tempted.”
This word has become extremely important to me. Even pastors are not exempt. We all carry within us a sense of justice and righteousness shaped by our own values. At times, we may secretly harbor
hostility, rivalry, or envy. And we, too, can fall into temptation. Temptation comes to everyone. There are Christians who have committed sin, damaged the church of Christ, and wasted their own
lives.
There are churches where hatred and accusation swirl. People gather in the sanctuary—the building is filled—yet one cannot sense the presence of the church of Christ. Sadly, churches with such low spirituality truly exist.
We have been saved by the cross of the Lord Jesus. We long to remain grounded in this faith. The moment we step away from faith in the cross, the church of Christ becomes nothing more than a crowd that judges one another.
May we also watch ourselves carefully, so that we do not fall into temptation.
7. Bearing One Another’s Burdens: The Law of Christ
Galatians 6:2 “Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.”
The word “burdens” here refers to the “transgression” mentioned in the previous verse.
I believe that the church, as the body of Christ, is a community where burdens and suffering can be shared.
When there is someone in the church who is suffering because of a burden or because they have fallen into sin, it does not mean saying, “This is your own fault,” and leaving them alone or choosing not to get involved.
Certainly, bearing one another’s burdens is very difficult in practice. What should we
actually do?
There may be someone who is suffering. There may be someone who is grieving or deeply troubled. Yet those around them do not fully understand everything about their situation. No matter how much
we try to understand, there are things we simply cannot know.
People say, “No one understands how I feel,” and in truth, they are right—we do not fully understand. If we could carefully speak about ourselves and carefully listen to one another, perhaps some understanding might be possible. But I do not think we are yet mature enough for that.
What we are able to do is to pray blessings for that person while holding them in our
hearts.
A heart that cares is a kind heart.
We tend to think that we can maintain relationships as long as they do not inconvenience us. But when problems arise and we realize that they may trouble us, people begin to drift away. Isolation follows. When someone truly wants help, there is no one there to help them. That is the reality.
In such moments, to “care” for someone—that is, to show kindness—is very difficult. We cannot do it by our own strength or intentions. Scripture tells us that kindness is a fruit of the Spirit. We desire that even acts of kindness may be done as the Spirit who dwells within us works through us.
Once, when I heard a rumor about a certain pastor, I prayed and asked God, “Is this rumor
true, or is it false?”
In prayer, I was led to visit that pastor. I said to him, “There are rumors being spoken about you. Could you tell me what this is about? I have come because I want to know the truth.”
He told me, “There is absolutely nothing like that.” Believing his words, I later visited the person who had spoken to me about the rumor, hoping that it would not spread further. I did this not so much for that pastor’s reputation, but for the honor of the Lord Jesus Christ and for the blessing of the church. I visited those who had spoken the rumor and encouraged them to return to the church, so that the church of Christ might be built up. By nature, I am someone who tends to think, “It is better to leave people alone,” and who chooses not to get involved in complicated matters. Yet when I heard that rumor, I felt that I had to do something for the sake of the proclamation of the gospel. I thought, “The gospel must never be hindered by rumors.” And so I sought the truth and took action. When we become aware of someone who is in difficulty, I hope that we will pray, seek God’s guidance, and speak to that person with God’s wisdom. The fruit of the Spirit is kindness and gentleness. And without prayer, this is not possible.
8. The Cross as the Foundation of Mutual Care
Paul says in Galatians 5:14 that the whole law is fulfilled in one word: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”
In other words, “the whole law” means living a life shaped by love—living in such a way that we love our neighbor with the same love with which we love ourselves.
And yet, in Galatians 6:2, Paul uses a different expression. He says, “In this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.”
What, then, is “the law of Christ”?
By using this phrase, Paul deliberately emphasizes Christ. He does so in order to turn our eyes toward Christ. He wants us to look to the fact that Christ Himself has borne our burdens.
If we are able to bear one another’s burdens, it is because we know that Christ has borne our burdens first. On the cross, Christ bore our weakness and our shortcomings, our suffering and our sorrow, and our sin—and He continues to bear them even now. The Lord Jesus Christ bore our sins and died on the cross. In response to that love of the cross, we take the situations and struggles of our neighbors into our hearts and bear one another’s burdens. I believe that as we respond to the love of the cross, our concern for our neighbors is deepened.
Therefore, when Paul says, “Bear one another’s burdens,” he is not giving us a moral lesson. He is calling us to respond to the love of the Lord Jesus, who has rescued us from destruction. This response, I believe, is what it means to fulfill the law of Christ. Christians are sometimes thought to be kind. But such kindness appears only when the fruit of the Spirit has grown in a person’s life. The fruit of the Spirit is the fruit of the Lord Jesus Christ Himself. Without the cross of Christ, there is no love in Christianity.
9. Humility Before the Cross: Guarding Against Self-Deception
Galatians 6:3 “If anyone thinks they are something when they are nothing, they deceive themselves.”
An earlier translation renders this verse as, “If anyone who is not admirable thinks that they
are somehow admirable, they deceive themselves.” There are many admirable people here at Tsu Baptist Church.
Those who work diligently and build highways, international students who are earnestly learning important things,
doctors who care deeply for their patients, homemakers who serve their families with devotion,
those who faithfully serve the church, and parents who work hard raising their children. I truly respect all of you.
And yet, I do not believe that any one of us thinks of ourselves as admirable.
All of us follow the Lord Jesus with humility and gentleness. This is because we are walking by faith in the cross alone.
When the believers in Galatia diluted the salvation of the Lord Jesus’ cross with works of the law, they became arrogant. They began to think, “I have faith,” “I am great,” “I am admirable.” At that point, Paul asks them, in effect, “Are you able to save yourselves? Of course not.” And so he says, “If anyone thinks they are something when they are nothing, they deceive themselves.” Those who look up to the cross do not feel a sense of superiority. Before God, we pray with humility, saying, “I am weak. I am small. Have mercy on me.” I believe that we are not walking in arrogance, nor are we deceiving ourselves, because we continue to lift our eyes to the cross.
10. Examining Ourselves, Not Comparing Ourselves
Galatians 6:4 “Each one should examine their own actions. Then they can take pride in themselves alone, without comparing themselves
to someone else.” Paul says, “Each one should examine their own actions—test them carefully.”
He saw attitudes in the faith of the believers in Galatia that were deeply troubling.
What he saw were the works of the flesh: hostility, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions, and envy. They believed that they were saved, that they had received the Holy Spirit, and on that basis they were boasting about themselves. Their faith had become arrogant. Therefore Paul says, “Even if you are able to boast to yourself, you cannot boast before others.” Paul himself speaks about boasting in the following ways: 2 Corinthians 10:17 — “Let the one who boasts boast in the Lord.” 2 Corinthians 11:30 — “If I must boast, I will boast of the things that show my weakness.”
Galatians 6:14 — “May I never boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ.”
In other words, Paul is saying, “I have nothing to boast about. If there is anything I can boast of, it is the Lord Jesus, and even my own weakness.” How, then, do we see Paul? Paul declares clearly that he has nothing to boast about except the cross. What, then, do we boast about in our life of faith? We want to boast in the Lord Jesus— the One who died on the cross for us and was raised again for our sake.
11. Shared Burdens and Personal Responsibility
Galatians 6:5 “For each one will have to carry their own load.” In verse 2, we heard the words, “Carry each other’s burdens.” Here in verse 5, Paul says, “Each one will carry their own load.”
The word translated as “load” here is different from the word used in verse 2. In verse 5, this “load” carries the sense of a calling or a responsibility. It refers to a task or duty that each person will bear in the future.
Some preachers explain this by saying, “On the final day of judgment, each of you will stand alone before God, and you will be held accountable for your own responsibility. You will bear your own duty.”
The believers in Galatia were drifting away from faith in the cross alone. To those believers, Paul says clearly: you will bear your own load. There are many different kinds of burdens in life.
We have been saved by the cross of the Lord Jesus, by the love of the Lord Jesus. And I believe that we now carry responsibilities and burdens as we respond to that love.
Those who were perishing have been given eternal life. I believe that we therefore have a responsibility to respond to the Lord God who has given us life. That responsibility cannot be placed on someone else in our stead. Our responsibility toward the cross of the Lord Jesus is a responsibility to respond with the joy of salvation.
Let us think for a moment about what it means to “bear responsibility.”
We each bear responsibility for our own lives. Many people say, “I have become this way because of my parents,” or “I am like this because society is at fault.” Even if that were said, we cannot
make our parents bear the responsibility for our lives. Each of us must bear responsibility for the path we walk. Is that not so?
Paul tells us that there are burdens that can be shared with our brothers and sisters in faith, and there are burdens that each of us must bear ourselves. We cannot live someone else’s life in their place. Parents cannot live their children’s lives for them. As difficult as it may sound, children must bear responsibility for their own lives. Money may help a little. Possessions may provide some assistance. But ultimately, each person must carry their own life.
Blessed, then, are those who know the Lord Jesus, who bears burdens together with us.
Matthew 11:28 says: “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.”
There are burdens we must bear ourselves. And yet, there is One who bears those burdens together with us. The difference between a life that knows this Person and a life that does not is immeasurable.
As we walk by faith together with the Lord Jesus, He bears the burdens that we must carry. I myself am walking through life bearing my own burdens together with the Lord Jesus. I carry responsibility for my own life, yet I rejoice in knowing that the Lord Jesus bears those burdens with me. I believe the same is true for all of you.
12. Closing Prayer
We praise the holy name of the Lord. Please lead us into this new year in peace, and grant to each one of us what You, the Lord our God, desire to accomplish, guiding us according to Your will. In life, there are burdens that we are able to carry together, and there are burdens that each of us must bear personally. May we never seek to place upon others the burdens that we ourselves are called to carry. May the fruit of the Spirit grow within us, granting us peace, gentleness, and hearts of kindness, and leading us to walk with perseverance. We entrust our journey in the year 2026 entirely into Your hands.
We pray all this in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.
December 28, 2025
Evangelical summary
The Fruit of the Spirit — A Different Kind of Freedom
The Bible tells us that human beings long for freedom, yet we often find ourselves trapped—by guilt, fear, anger, broken relationships, and the constant pressure to prove our worth. No matter how hard we try to live well, we cannot free ourselves from what binds us inside.
God knows this. That is why He sent Jesus Christ.
Jesus did not come to give us more rules or to demand better behavior. He came to serve, to love, and ultimately to give His life on the cross. Through His death, Jesus took upon Himself our sin, our failure, and our brokenness. The cross declares this truth: you are loved before you change, and you are valued not because of what you do, but because God created you and desires you.
When we trust in Jesus Christ, we are forgiven and set free—not by our effort, but by grace. This is what the Bible calls salvation. It is a gift.
From this new life comes what the Bible calls “the fruit of the Spirit.”
As God’s Spirit begins to work within us, He slowly changes us from the inside. Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control begin to grow—not because we force them, but because God is at work in us.
This does not happen all at once. Just as fruit grows over time, so does faith. But the direction of life changes. We move from self-centered living to a life shaped by love.
Faith is not about becoming perfect.
It is about turning to Jesus, trusting Him, and receiving new life.
If you sense a longing for peace, meaning, or true freedom, the Bible invites you to begin here:
Look to Jesus Christ. He offers forgiveness, new life, and a freedom that grows within you—the freedom that comes as the fruit of the Spirit.
If you sense a desire in your heart for forgiveness, peace, or a new beginning, that desire is not an accident. God is reaching out to you right now. You do not need to have everything figured out, and you do not need to change yourself first. Simply turn to Jesus Christ, trust in what He has done for you on the cross, and receive His gift of grace. If you are ready, you can begin this new life today—right where you are—by opening your heart to Him and saying, “Jesus, I trust You.” The freedom He offers is real, and the life He gives will begin to grow within you as the fruit of the Spirit.
December 28, 2025
Full script
Walk by the Spirit
Galatians 5:16–26
Rev. Masaaki Higashi
From Christmas to the Cross: Remembering God’s Saving Purpose
L Last week, we offered
the Christmas worship of the year 2025.
We were allowed to spend days filled with gratitude before God.
I would like to ask each of you: what kind of Christmas was this year for you?
In the course of our human history, God sent His Son, Jesus, in order to save humanity.
Christmas is the day on which we celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.
Long before His birth, the prophet Isaiah foretold this coming.
In the book of Isaiah, about 750 years before the birth of the Lord Jesus, he prophesied that the Son would come as the Savior. “Nevertheless, there will be no more gloom for those who were in
distress …”(Isaiah 9:1, NIV)
“The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of
deep darkness a light has dawned.”
(Isaiah 9:2, NIV)
“For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his
shoulders. And he will be called
Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.” (Isaiah 9:6,
NIV)
Although it took 750 years for this prophecy to be fulfilled, when the time had fully come,
the Son of God came into the world. The people of Israel continued to pray, longing for the coming of the Savior.
That prayer was not a momentary prayer, but a prayer passed down from parent to child, from generation to generation.
In this way, prayer teaches us perseverance—to wait patiently before God without losing hope.
And then, about 2,025 years ago from now, the Lord Jesus came.
The time was fulfilled. The time of God’s salvation had come.
That Son, Jesus Christ, clearly spoke to His disciples about the purpose for which He came into this world.
“For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” (Mark 10:45, NIV)
The Lord Jesus Himself explained the purpose of His coming.
He said that He came to serve us sinners and to give His own life as a ransom.
The apostle Paul expresses this truth in the following way: “And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death— even death on a cross!”(Philippians 2:8, NIV)
The reason the Lord Jesus came to us was to offer His own life on the cross
as the ransom for our salvation. This is the meaning of the birth of the Lord Jesus.
This is the meaning of Christmas.
We want to keep this meaning firmly engraved in our hearts.
It is by the ransom paid by the Lord Jesus Himself that we have been saved.
In this world, there are many religions and many gods made by human hands.
Yet there is no god like Jesus Christ, the Son of God— no god who died on a cross and became the ransom in order to save humanity. Throughout history, we cannot find another god who accomplished
the work of salvation by willingly giving up his own life.
The lives of us sinners can be saved only by the life of Jesus, the Son of God. The fact that
God had to place His own life upon the cross in order to save us reveals how deeply sinful we truly are.
And at the same time, it reveals something just as important: that we are, to that extent, precious and of great value in the eyes of God.
Standing Firm in the Freedom of the Cross
From today, we would like to return once again to the Letter to the Galatians and receive
God’s Word.
Let us read together Galatians 5:16–26.
The apostle Paul preached in the region of Galatia that salvation comes by the cross
alone.
The believers in Galatia accepted this message and walked by faith in the cross of Christ alone.
However, false teachers came among them and taught, “You cannot be saved by the cross alone. Unless you perform the works of the Law, you cannot be saved.” They urged the believers to receive circumcision.
Listening to these teachings, the Galatian believers began to think that salvation required adding the works of the Law to the salvation given by the cross. As a result, their faith began to waver.
When Paul learned that their faith was being shaken, he wrote a letter to the believers in Galatia and said clearly, “You were saved by faith in the cross alone.” That letter is what we know today as the Letter to the Galatians.
Paul then encourages the Galatian believers with these words: “It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.”(Galatians 5:1, NIV)
To return to the works of the Law is to live once again under a yoke of slavery.
It is to be bound by the Law that says, “You must do this,” and “You must not do that.”
The Lord Jesus set us free from the Law in order to give us true freedom.
He released us from the chains of sin. Because the Galatian believers had received freedom through the cross of Jesus Christ, Paul spoke to them with a heart full of love, urging them not to
return to the Law.
He told them not to use the freedom given by Christ as an opportunity for the flesh,
but to use that freedom to love one another. “You, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh; rather, serve one another humbly in
love.”(Galatians 5:13, NIV)
Paul uses the word “the flesh.” By “the flesh,” he does not mean the physical body.
Rather, he is speaking of the old self—the self that lived in self-centeredness and placed oneself at the center of everything.
This is what Paul means when he speaks of “living according to the flesh.” Paul urges the believers not to return to that old self and not to allow themselves to fall back into sin.
He tells them: do not use the freedom you have received in Christ
to judge one another.
Instead, he desires that they live a way of life in which they serve one another in love.
When Living by the Law Becomes Living by the Flesh
Paul knows very well what it was like to live zealously according to the Law.
To live by the Law, Paul says, is to live according to the flesh. He cannot forget what he was
like
when he lived in that way. When Paul strictly observed the Law, he remembers that he lived in self-centered desire.
He placed himself above others and judged those around him. He persecuted the church and caused great suffering to Christians. He treated people not as persons, but as objects. He used violent
words and became involved in conflicts that led to bloodshed. Paul remembers clearly that to live according to the flesh—whether as an individual or even as a nation—is to walk in deep and utter
darkness.
Legalism Produces Conflict and Destruction
Among the Galatian believers, who were leaning toward legalism, conflict and division began to arise.
Paul warned them that such a way of life leads to destruction.
“If you bite and devour each other, watch out or you will be destroyed by each other.” (Galatians 5:15, NIV)
“For the entire law is fulfilled in keeping this one command:‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’”(Galatians 5:14, NIV)
The Law Is Fulfilled Only Through Love
Paul makes this clear: to return to the Law is to return to living according to the flesh. And
when that happens,
people begin to bite and devour one another, and the result is nothing but destruction.
Paul says, you have been given freedom to live together with Christ.
He desires that the Law be fulfilled through that freedom.
In the end, it comes down to one word: “Love your neighbor as yourself.”
We Know the Pain This Way of Living Brings
We already know what happens when we do not listen to one another, but instead insist
one-sidedly
on our own righteousness.
“If you bite and devour each other,” Paul says, “you will be destroyed by each other.”
Many of us have experienced this more than once.
We may still remember conflicts that left wounds so deep they felt as though blood had been shed.
When We Insist on Being Right, Love Is Lost
When we say, “My understanding of the Law is right,
and yours is wrong,” and strongly accuse the other person, we are no longer able to love one another.
If we keep pointing out, “This is where you are wrong,” “That way of thinking is mistaken,” relationships cannot become a blessing. This is true in marriage. It is true in the relationship between parents and children.
When we insist only on our own opinions, sooner or later, the consequences of that attitude become visible.
We are taught that what truly sustains human relationships is learning to listen to one another and to live with patience and forbearance.
Walking by the Spirit: Living Beyond the Flesh
Paul speaks about the way believers live by using two words: “the Spirit” and “the
flesh.”
Paul says: “So I say, walk by the Spirit,
and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh.”
(Galatians 5:16, NIV)
“For the flesh desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the flesh. They are in conflict with each other, so that you are not to do whatever you want.” (Galatians 5:17, NIV)
“But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law.” (Galatians 5:18, NIV)
Paul makes it clear that living by the Spirit and living by the flesh cannot exist
together.
These two ways of living stand in direct opposition to one another.
The Love That Comes from the Spirit
Paul tells us that the fruit of the Spirit is love.
This love is not something we can produce by our own strength.
The love the Bible speaks of is an extraordinarily high and demanding love. It is a love that does not demand anything in return. This love is called agapē.
This love is not found within us. We cannot continue to serve one another simply through our
own effort or determination.
Why is that? Because such a life requires agapē love.
The Love of the Flesh
Those of us who live according to the flesh possess only a love that demands something in
return.
This kind of love is called eros.
We may desire to serve one another, yet we find it extremely difficult to do so.
The reason is simple: the love within us is a love that seeks something in return— the love of eros.
This love of eros is not described in Scripture.
In the Greek language, different words are used for love:
In the Bible, we find agapē and philia, but not eros.
The Agapē Love Revealed in Christ
Agapē is love that keeps giving, giving again and again, and giving to the very end.
This is the love with which the Lord Jesus loves us. Jesus saved us on the cross, yet He did not demand anything in return.
Has anyone ever heard Jesus say, “I saved you, so shouldn’t you at least thank me?” No—there is no such voice.
We do not possess this agapē love within ourselves.
What flows endlessly from within me is eros love. Just as water in a well never seems to run dry, this self-seeking love continues to spring up.
What Paul Means by “Serve One Another in Love”
When Paul says, “Serve one another in love (agapē),” he is not saying,
“You have the power to love your neighbor by your own strength, so go and do it.”
Those of us who possess only eros love cannot practice the agapē love that Scripture calls for.
To return to the Law is to return to the flesh.And that means moving away from the agapē love revealed in the cross of Jesus Christ.Paul tells us that only when we are living by the agapē love of the cross are we able to serve one another through agapē love.
“Walk by the Spirit”
In order to live by faith in the agapē love of Christ, Paul says, “Walk by the Spirit.”
He says again in verse 16: “Walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh.”
The “desires of the flesh” refer to a self-centered way of living.
Paul teaches that only when we walk by the working of the Spirit are we freed from being ruled by those desires, and only then do we stop living with ourselves at the center.
Our Ongoing Struggle and God’s Invitation
I walk by faith, and yet the work of the flesh is always present within me.
The thoughts of the flesh do not disappear. If only we could erase them like wiping something away with an eraser— but we cannot. A self-centered way of life and a life of serving one another in
love cannot coexist. We already know this.
That is why Paul calls us again and again to “walk by the Spirit,” directing our hearts toward the Spirit.
Baptism and the New Life under the Spirit
I do not believe Paul is saying that we must choose each day whether to live under the Spirit or under the flesh.
We have already believed in the cross and received baptism. This means that God has called us into freedom in Christ.
Through baptism, we died together with Christ.
The self that lived according to the flesh died. And as we were raised out of the water, we were born anew and brought under the rule of the Spirit. The old self, ruled by the flesh, died.
Through baptism, we who were newly born welcomed into the dominion of the Spirit. Paul says that we have been enabled to live as this new self.
“Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.” (Galatians 5:24, NIV)
Through baptism,our old self died, and our passions and desires were crucified with Christ.
Paul tells us, “Now you are sharing in the rule of the Spirit, and you have received
grace.
The grace of the Spirit is being poured out upon you.”
The Works of the Flesh: Not a Checklist, but a Warning
From verse 19 onward, Paul presents a list of fifteen works of the flesh. “The acts of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like.”(Galatians 5:19–21, NIV)
How are we meant to read this list? Is it given so that we might check ourselves— “I do not do this,” “I might be doing that”? For example, “I am not guilty of sexual immorality, but perhaps I do have hatred or conflict in my heart.”
I do not believe Paul intended this list to be used as a self-inspection checklist. Nor was it given so that we might examine the behavior of our neighbors and decide who is doing these things and who is not, in order to criticize, judge, or condemn them. To use the list in that way would not be to live in the freedom of Christ.
The more we check the works of the flesh, the more we bind ourselves— and the more we bind others as well. And where people are bound in this way, the desire to serve one another does not grow.
When Love Is Lost, the Flesh Bears Its Fruit
Among the fifteen works of the flesh, eight of them— hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage,
selfish ambition, dissensions, factions, and envy— seem to arise precisely when love has been lost. And even these fifteen are not the whole picture.
The works of the flesh are not limited to this list. They are, in a sense, endless. The eros love of the flesh knows no end.
It ends only when we are glorified and return to heaven. The works of the flesh are frightening. I believe that every crime committed in this world ultimately arises from the works of the flesh
and the desires of the flesh. I have known this personally. One of my parents harbored such hatred that they wanted to kill the person who had deceived them. I have seen a pastor attack the
church with loud anger and rage. I have seen church members form factions and leave the congregation.
Because of the works of the flesh, many people have thrown away their lives. That is why Paul speaks to the Galatian believers with a heart full of love, saying: you have received the freedom of Christ, so do not return to the works of the flesh.
The Fruit of the Spirit: One Fruit, Many Flavors
From verse 22, Paul turns to speak about the fruit of the Spirit.
These are words many of us have memorized: “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.” (Galatians 5:22–23, NIV)
Here, nine fruits of grace are named. The fruit of the Spirit is the fruit that grows through
the work of the Holy Spirit
within the walk of faith. Paul intentionally contrasts the works of the flesh with the fruit of the Spirit.
Notice something important: Scripture speaks of the desires of the flesh in the plural, but of the fruit of the Spirit in the singular. The fruit of the Spirit is one fruit. And within this one fruit are all the flavors of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. It is a rich and wonderful fruit.
One Fruit, Fully Formed
I have once seen a picture of a single cluster of grapes bearing the fruit of the Spirit. Let me use another image: an apple.
There is one apple. When you bite into it, it is sweet, and slightly sour. Many flavors are blended together. It is soft and juicy, with a taste difficult to describe— and deeply satisfying.
In the same way, when we receive the fruit of the Spirit, we do not receive only love, or only joy, or only peace.
Paul is telling us that the fruit cannot be divided: “Here is love,” “Here is joy,” “Here is peace.”
The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control—all together, as one fruit.
The Fruit Is God’s Gift, Not Our Achievement
Let me repeat this clearly: we cannot produce this fruit ourselves. Love, joy, peace, and all
the fruit of the Spirit
are gifts of God’s abundant grace, given to us through the cross of Jesus Christ.
God has given us faith through the cross of His Son. As we walk in that faith, the fruit of
the Spirit grows
and enriches our lives.
To live trusting that God will bear this fruit within us—this is the freedom we have received from Christ.
Therefore, we are not called to try harder to make the fruit of the Spirit grow. Even if we strive with great religious enthusiasm, the fruit will not grow larger because of our effort.
Growth Belongs to God
This is a season when fruit is abundant. Do farmers try to make fruit grow faster by force?
No. When the time comes, the fruit grows. Apples grow. Vegetables grow. No one is seen making them grow—
yet they grow. This growth is a miracle of God. Farmers prune branches, add fertilizer, and protect against insects. They do many things, but they cannot make the fruit grow. Growth remains in
God’s hands.
Faith Grows in the Same Way
Our faith is the same. We cannot make it grow by ourselves. And we certainly cannot make the fruit of the Spirit grow.
Why? Because it is the fruit of the Spirit, not my fruit.
We are flesh. We were found by the Lord Jesus and given faith. At that time, the fruit was so small that it was almost invisible. That small fruit entered into church life. As we worship, study Scripture, pray, and listen to testimonies within the fellowship of believers, an environment for faith is prepared.
These times are precious. They are like pruning and nourishment for faith. As we walk with God
in this way,
the fruit of the Spirit is grown by God Himself.
The fruit does not grow suddenly. It grows slowly.
God Patiently Bears Fruit in Us
God takes time with each believer to bring forth the fruit of the Spirit.
That fruit contains the flavor of love,the flavor of joy,
and the flavor of peace. It is rich with patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.
This fruit grows in our hearts as the fruit of faith in Christ. And when that happens,
love appears in a person who had no love.Joy and peace appear where they once did not exist.
This is God’s miracle. It is the moment when people who do not possess agapē love
are nevertheless able to love without demanding anything in return.
Here, we are receiving agapē love from the Lord Jesus Himself.
Living the Freedom of Christ
I have no love of my own. I am not kind. I am not patient. I have often struggled because I lack self-control.
And yet, to people like us, the freedom that comes through Christ has been given.
It is freedom from sin. How do we experience this freedom?
We experience it
by serving one another in love. The life that truly lives in the freedom Christ gave on the cross is made visible when we serve one another in love. Freedom by the Spirit—this freedom is never
lost. We desire to live, giving thanks and rejoicing,
as people sustained by agapē love and living in the freedom found in Christ.
Lifting Our Eyes Upward and Moving Forward Together
Even though we have received freedom in Christ, we often focus on what we lack. We say, “I cannot do this,” “I do not have time,” “I do not have money.” If we focus only on our limitations, we will find endless reasons to feel constrained.
As we grow older, there are things we can no longer do. Illness may limit our freedom.
At school, at work, in our families, we encounter many kinds of restriction. If we focus only on our lack of freedom,
our hearts become increasingly closed. But especially at such times, we are given the freedom to lift our eyes to heaven,
to look to God, and to turn our attention toward our neighbors. It is when we look to God that we truly experience freedom. “Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the
Spirit.” (Galatians 5:25, NIV)
Walking Together as the Church of Christ
“Let us keep in step with the Spirit,” Paul says. We do not walk forward separately. We are gathered into the line of God’s people, and together we move forward, serving one another in love. This is the church of Christ.
We do not return to the rule of the flesh. We remain under the rule of the Spirit and continue forward.
May the fruit of the Spirit grow richly within us, and may the freedom we have in Christ shine brightly.
The cross of the Lord Jesus was given to us so that we might be freed from the rule of the flesh and live by the fruit of the Spirit. As we give thanks for being led by the Spirit in 2025, let us look once more at the fruit of the Spirit
that is already growing among us.
Prayer
Heavenly Father, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, we praise and exalt Your holy name.
We thank You for giving us true freedom and for sending the Lord Jesus so that we may live by the fruit of the Spirit.
We remember with gratitude that You have walked with us throughout the year 2025, protecting us and guiding us by Your grace. As we enter the coming year, 2026, we desire to continue walking in service to You. Fill us with agapē love, so that we may live in the freedom of Christ and love our neighbors as You have loved us.
We pray for all who are in the midst of struggle, for those who are fighting illness, for those who are fearful because of anxiety or uncertainty, and for all international students.May Your love and blessing rest upon each one of them, and may You grant them Your abundant guidance. We offer this prayer in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.
The One Who Came to Serve
Mark 10:45
Rev. Masaaki Higashi
Christmas Greetings and the Joy of the Incarnation
Happy birthday to our Lord Jesus Christ.
And to all of you who were born in December, happy birthday to you as well.
I pray God’s blessing upon each of you.
When did the celebration of Christmas begin?
It is said that under the Roman Emperor Constantine, at the Council of Nicaea held in 325 in what is now Turkey, December 25 was designated as the day to celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ. Before that time, each church celebrated His birth on different dates. At the Council of Nicaea, the churches agreed to celebrate together, and December 25 was chosen. This does not mean that December 25 is the actual birthday of Jesus; rather, it is the day set apart to celebrate His birth.
We often speak of a “Christmas Eve” service, but the word evening does not mean a mere pre-celebration. In the time of Jesus, a day began in the evening. Therefore, the Christmas Eve service is itself a Christmas worship service.
The Gospels of Matthew and Luke record in detail the birth of our Lord Jesus, and even today we can learn about His coming into the world. In Matthew 1:21 and following, we read:
Matthew 1:21
“She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.”
Matthew 1:22
“All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet.”
Matthew 1:23
“The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel”—which means, “God with us.”
As we listen to the words of the angel of the Lord, we can hold the birth of Jesus in our hearts.
First, the virgin Mary would give birth to a son.
Second, the child would be named Jesus.
Third, He would save His people from their sins.
Fourth, He would be called Immanuel, meaning “God is with us.”
Even from this information alone, we can understand what kind of person the Lord Jesus is.
The Meaning of Christmas Spoken by Jesus Himself
The Scripture we read today is a word in which the Lord Jesus Himself directly speaks about the meaning of Christmas.
Mark 10:45
“For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”
Here, in this single verse, the Lord Jesus clearly explains the meaning of His own birth.
Every action has a purpose.
In the same way, the birth of Jesus also had a purpose, and He states that purpose very clearly.
He says, “The Son of Man came to serve.”
The purpose for which Jesus came to us was to serve.
When Jesus speaks of “the Son of Man,” He is referring to Himself.
Jesus declares that the reason He came into this world was to serve.
The Lord Jesus is the only begotten Son of God, truly God Himself.
Yet this true God became truly human and came into this world.
Since God Himself came to us, it would be natural for human beings to worship Him, honor Him, and serve Him.
However, Jesus does not demand that we worship, honor, and serve Him.
Instead, He says, “I did not come to be served, but to serve.”
The reason Jesus was born into this world was that He humbled Himself, became a servant, and served us human beings.
This is the fundamental meaning of the Christmas event.
At Christmas, we remember that Jesus, the Son of God, humbled Himself and came to serve us.
In fact, because He served us, we were saved.
Therefore, we celebrate Christmas with hearts full of gratitude and joy.
We have been served by the Lord Jesus.
And that service was beyond imagination: He served us by dying on the cross for our salvation.
Because we were served in this way and saved, we now worship the Lord Jesus from our hearts, offer Him our praise, and follow Him as His disciples.
The Humility of Christ Revealed in the Manger
We can see how deeply the Lord Jesus humbled Himself in the image of a child lying in a manger.
Sleeping in a manger is not a romantic story.
It was not a place suitable for the birth of a baby—it was unclean, unsafe, and utterly unfit for a newborn child.
The letter to the Philippians tells us:
Philippians 2:6
“Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage;”
Philippians 2:7
“rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness.”
Philippians 2:8
“And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death—
even death on a cross.”
I believe that the meaning of Christmas is made very clear in these short verses.
The Lord Jesus, who is God, became human in the same form as we are, in order to serve us.
This is a truly astonishing event—an event so great that it is as if heaven and earth were turned upside down.
That God would take on human form is already beyond imagination.
But that God would take on human form in order to serve human beings—this is something utterly extraordinary, something far beyond what we can normally conceive.
God came in human form.
It is no exaggeration to say that the coming of Jesus Christ turned the world upside down.
Through the birth of the Lord Jesus, history itself was divided into two parts: before Christ and after Christ.
Today, we are celebrating Christmas in the year A.D. 2025, bearing witness to the fact that the birth of Jesus Christ changed history forever.
A Faith That Comes from Above, Not from Below
In this world, God is generally thought of as a being who dwells far above humanity and this world, in a place beyond our reach. People worship such a god and desire to draw as close as possible to that god.
In order to do so, they may build temples on high places to honor their god, or they may try to elevate themselves in order to approach the divine.
Some people believe that such efforts themselves constitute faith.
This kind of faith is a faith that moves from below to above. It is the belief that by raising oneself and striving upward toward a god who dwells on high, one can draw nearer to that god.
Such faith often includes admirable deeds, strict observance of laws, the study of morality and ethics to elevate one’s spirit, and various forms of spiritual discipline practiced in order to approach God.
I once saw on television people training themselves by standing under freezing waterfalls on cold days, seeking to purify themselves. By enduring the waterfall, they attempt to cleanse and strengthen themselves.
Through such severe discipline, they seek to become pure, to draw closer to God, and to obtain divine power.
This too is a faith that moves upward from below.
Such faith may include a sincere desire to refine oneself, to live as a morally upright and respectable person.
There are many people who gather to study how to live purely in order to draw closer to God.
They are serious and earnest people, striving for admirable ways of living.
I cannot live in such a way myself, and I respect those who make such efforts.
I do not deny their way of life. If one wishes to pursue it, they may do so.
However, the God spoken of in the Bible does not say,“If you wish to be saved, come up to this point. Once you reach here, I will save you.”
The biblical God is not one who saves only those who elevate themselves through effort, good deeds, and moral purity in order to approach Him.
The God revealed in Scripture is the One who humbles Himself and comes to serve us as a servant.
The faith taught by the Bible is almost unimaginable: it is faith in the God who came down to us, and faith that receives salvation by being served by God Himself.
God took on human form, humbled Himself, and grants us salvation by grace.
To live together with this God, having received His gracious salvation, is the faith that the Bible teaches.
The God of the Bible is a humble God—a God who serves us.
Here lies the distinctive character of biblical faith.
The gods of this world say, “Come up to this point.”
Human beings must strive to climb upward to reach them.
But the faith proclaimed by Scripture says, “I, who am God, will come to where you are.”
We celebrate Christmas and gather for worship because the only begotten Son of God, Jesus Christ, humbled Himself and came into this world in order to serve us.
That the Son of God came to the manger in Bethlehem is a truly astonishing event.
Once, when I was speaking to a young man about Jesus, he said something very arrogant: “Are you saying that the only begotten Son of God came to save us? Who asked Him to come and save me? I didn’t ask for it—but if He wants to serve me, I suppose I’ll let Him.”
I replied to him, “It is precisely to save you from that arrogance that Jesus came.”
That young man could speak so arrogantly because he did not know the love and grace of God.
More than that, he did not know that he himself was a sinner.
Once a person realizes that they are a sinner, they can no longer stand arrogantly before God.
The Son of God took on human form and came into this world in order to save us, who are sinners.
Through the cross of Jesus Christ, our sins are forgiven, and we are enabled to live as new people.
That is what it means to be saved.
We are born again—this is called regeneration.
We are Christians who have been born again through faith in the cross of Jesus Christ.
We have been born again. We have that assurance.
Jesus did not come to rule over us.
He came to free us from slavery to sin, so that we might live in true freedom.
Mark 10:45
“For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”
The Disciples’ Ambition and Jesus’ Teaching on True Greatness
Why did the Lord Jesus speak these words?
He spoke them because of what happened beginning in verse 35.
He could not remain silent.
Mark 10:35
“Then James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came to him.
‘Teacher,’ they said, ‘we want you to do for us whatever we ask.’”
Mark 10:36
“What do you want me to do for you?” he asked.
Mark 10:37
“They replied, ‘Let one of us sit at your right and the other at your left in your glory.’”
They were saying, “Jesus, when You receive Your glory, let one of us sit at Your right and the other at Your left.”
James and John, the sons of Zebedee, were among the earliest disciples of Jesus, together with Simon Peter and his brother Andrew.
What James and John were really asking was this:“Jesus, when You complete God’s salvation and become King, please appoint us as Your right-hand and left-hand ministers. Give us positions of the highest honor.”
Just before this, Jesus had said the following:
Mark 10:33–34
“We are going up to Jerusalem,” he said,
“and the Son of Man will be delivered over to the chief priests and the teachers of the law. They will condemn him to death and will hand him over to the Gentiles, who will mock him and spit on him, flog him and kill him. Three days later he will rise.”
While Jesus was speaking about His own cross, the disciples were speaking about their future promotions.
It is a case of a parent’s heart being unknown to the children.
The disciples were not truly listening to Jesus’ words.
James and John wanted to become greater than the other disciples. When the other disciples learned of this, they became angry.
Mark 10:41
“When the ten heard about this, they became indignant with James and John.”
It was as if they were saying,“Don’t try to get ahead of us. Don’t say such selfish things.”
But the reason they were angry was that every one of them harbored the same desire in their hearts—to be the greatest, to occupy the highest position. Human hearts contain desires of many kinds.
Some people want to surpass others.
Some want to possess better things than those around them.
Some want to build a bigger house than their neighbors.
There are even people who, driven by competition and pride, build large houses—only to be shocked later by the property taxes.
I believe that the state of our hearts—our pride, our vanity, and our trivial competitiveness—is clearly revealed in the words of the disciples. Hearing the words of His disciples, Jesus said:
Mark 10:42
“You know that those who are regarded as rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them.”
Mark 10:43
“Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant.”
Jesus, who came to serve all people, must have been deeply grieved by the thoughts of His disciples.
And so He said to them:“The rulers and great ones of this world behave arrogantly and wield power over others.
I do not want you to become such rulers or such powerful figures who act with arrogance.
Among you, it must not be so.
Whoever wants to become great among you must become a servant to all.”
“I Came to Serve” — The Heart of Jesus and the Meaning of the Cross
After these words, verse 45 was spoken.
What the Lord Jesus said was this:“I did not come to be served, but to serve.”
In other words, Jesus was saying, “I have come to serve everyone.”
I believe that when Jesus perceived the thoughts of His disciples, His heart was deeply saddened.
It is as if He were saying to them:“I want you to walk with the same heart that I have.
Do not become like the rulers of this world, who exercise power and dominate others. I want you to become those who serve everyone. I want you to live as servants to all.”
Here we must speak carefully and clearly.
When Jesus calls us to become servants and to live for the sake of others, He is not denying the value of holding high positions in society. Seeking positions of responsibility or obtaining higher qualifications is not in itself contrary to faith.
You are studying, developing your abilities, and sharpening your skills. I hope that by doing so, you will engage in more meaningful work and contribute to the good of others.
In order to serve people well and do good work, it can also be beneficial to hold positions of responsibility.
Christians are encouraged to grow and to contribute to society.
What Jesus is teaching is not that we must never advance in this world. Rather, He is warning us not to measure our worth by comparing ourselves with others—not to live with feelings of superiority or inferiority based on who is greater or lesser.
The heart of Jesus’ teaching is this:“Become a servant. Become humble.”
Jesus came into this world and served us in order to free us from sin.
He came to save us from the sin of grounding our lives in trivial comparisons—
asking whether we are better than others or not.
This is Christmas.
Mark 10:45 (NIV)
“For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”
When we say that Jesus “served us,” we mean that He served us by giving His life as a ransom for us.
The Son of God, Jesus Christ, was born into this world at Christmas in order to offer His own life for us sinners
and to die on the cross.
The death of Jesus on the cross became a ransom for many.
To free us, who were held captive by sin, Jesus paid the price with His own life.
Those who are trapped by sin—those who are prisoners of sin—are none other than ourselves.
James and John, who asked to sit at Jesus’ right and left; the other disciples, who became indignant when they heard this;
and we ourselves, who rejoice or despair as we compare ourselves with others—all of us are bound by sin and live in a state of inner captivity.
And I repeat this again and again: it was in order to free us from that captivity that Jesus offered His own life to God and died on the cross.
Through the death of Jesus on the cross, our sins are forgiven, we are set free from sin, and we are given new life within the grace of God.
The cross of Jesus Christ—this is the grace of God that has been given to us.
Why Did God Become Human? — A Child’s Question and the Mystery of the Incarnation
Once, a student in our church school asked a question:“Why did God have to become human?”
It seemed very strange to the child that God would become a human being.
So I answered like this.
God created the heavens. He created the sun and the stars. God created everything in this world. And God also created human beings. God is a very great and mighty being. Human beings, on the other hand, are very small.
Do you know ants?
Suppose an ant injured its leg, and we wanted to help it by wrapping a bandage around that leg. What do you think would happen if we tried to bandage the ant’s leg with these large human hands? If we touched the ant with our big hands, we might end up injuring another leg instead.
So I asked the child, “What should we do if we want to help the ant?”
The child thought for a moment, and then one of them said, “If I became an ant, I could help the ant.”
That’s right. If we became the same size as the ant, we could help it.
In the same way, our God is so great that He became the same size as us—He became human—in order to help us.
When I said this, the child replied,“So Jesus is God, but He became a human being.”
Yes, that is right. Jesus was born in a stable in Bethlehem, and a manger became His bed.
The day Jesus was born in order to save us—that day is Christmas.
It is the birthday of Jesus. Whenever I remember that conversation, I am reminded of this verse:
Mark 10:45 (NIV)
“For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”
This is Christmas.
It is the day on which we remember, and engrave upon our hearts, that the Lord Jesus Christ came to us.
Prayer
We thank You for this Christmas worship service.
The Son of God, our Lord Jesus Christ, came into this world in order to set us free from the bonds of our sin and guilt.
We thank You.
No matter how hard we try or how much effort we make, we could never reach You by our own strength.
Yet You came down to where we are and set us free.
You teach us, “Become those who serve.”
By the love of the Lord Jesus, help us to serve our wives and our husbands, to serve our neighbors, and to serve one another.
Grant us the help of the Holy Spirit so that we may walk in this way.
We praise You with hearts full of gratitude and joy
for the birth of our Lord Jesus Christ.
We pray all this in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Amen.
Faith Summary
Christmas proclaims that the Son of God did not remain far above us, but humbled Himself and came to where we are.
Jesus was born not to be served, but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for many.
Having been served and set free by His love, we are now called to live as humble servants, walking each day in gratitude, freedom, and love.
7-Day Daily Reflection: “The One Who Came to Serve”
Day 1 — Served by Christ
Mark 10:45 “For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”
Jesus came not to be served, but to serve me. Today I receive again the grace that does not depend on my effort, but on His sacrifice.
Prayer: Lord Jesus, thank You for serving me through Your life and Your cross.
Help me to begin this day in gratitude, resting in Your grace. Amen.
Day 2 — God Who Came Down
John 1:14 (NIV) “The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us.”
God did not remain distant. He came down and lived among us, meeting me where I am.
Prayer: God who came near, thank You for entering my world.
Help me to trust that You are with me in every place today. Amen.
Day 3 — Freedom from Comparison
Galatians 1:10 “Am I now trying to win the approval of human beings, or of God?”
Jesus frees me from measuring myself by others. My worth is already secure in Him.
Prayer: Lord, free my heart from comparison and pride.
Teach me to live before You alone, secure in Your love. Amen.
Day 4 — The Way of Humility
Philippians 2:8 (NIV) “He humbled himself by becoming obedient to death—even death on a cross!”
The manger and the crosThe One Who Came to Serve
Mark 10:45
Rev. Masaaki Higashi
Christmas Greetings and the Joy of the Incarnation
Happy birthday to our Lord Jesus Christ.
And to all of you who were born in December, happy birthday to you as well.
I pray God’s blessing upon each of you.
When did the celebration of Christmas begin?
It is said that under the Roman Emperor Constantine, at the Council of Nicaea held in 325 in what is now Turkey, December 25 was designated as the day to celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ. Before that time, each church celebrated His birth on different dates. At the Council of Nicaea, the churches agreed to celebrate together, and December 25 was chosen. This does not mean that December 25 is the actual birthday of Jesus; rather, it is the day set apart to celebrate His birth.
We often speak of a “Christmas Eve” service, but the word evening does not mean a mere pre-celebration. In the time of Jesus, a day began in the evening. Therefore, the Christmas Eve service is itself a Christmas worship service.
The Gospels of Matthew and Luke record in detail the birth of our Lord Jesus, and even today we can learn about His coming into the world. In Matthew 1:21 and following, we read:
Matthew 1:21
“She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.”
Matthew 1:22
“All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet.”
Matthew 1:23
“The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel”—which means, “God with us.”
As we listen to the words of the angel of the Lord, we can hold the birth of Jesus in our hearts.
First, the virgin Mary would give birth to a son.
Second, the child would be named Jesus.
Third, He would save His people from their sins.
Fourth, He would be called Immanuel, meaning “God is with us.”
Even from this information alone, we can understand what kind of person the Lord Jesus is.
The Meaning of Christmas Spoken by Jesus Himself
The Scripture we read today is a word in which the Lord Jesus Himself directly speaks about the meaning of Christmas.
Mark 10:45
“For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”
Here, in this single verse, the Lord Jesus clearly explains the meaning of His own birth.
Every action has a purpose.
In the same way, the birth of Jesus also had a purpose, and He states that purpose very clearly.
He says, “The Son of Man came to serve.”
The purpose for which Jesus came to us was to serve.
When Jesus speaks of “the Son of Man,” He is referring to Himself.
Jesus declares that the reason He came into this world was to serve.
The Lord Jesus is the only begotten Son of God, truly God Himself.
Yet this true God became truly human and came into this world.
Since God Himself came to us, it would be natural for human beings to worship Him, honor Him, and serve Him.
However, Jesus does not demand that we worship, honor, and serve Him.
Instead, He says, “I did not come to be served, but to serve.”
The reason Jesus was born into this world was that He humbled Himself, became a servant, and served us human beings.
This is the fundamental meaning of the Christmas event.
At Christmas, we remember that Jesus, the Son of God, humbled Himself and came to serve us.
In fact, because He served us, we were saved.
Therefore, we celebrate Christmas with hearts full of gratitude and joy.
We have been served by the Lord Jesus.
And that service was beyond imagination: He served us by dying on the cross for our salvation.
Because we were served in this way and saved, we now worship the Lord Jesus from our hearts, offer Him our praise, and follow Him as His disciples.
The Humility of Christ Revealed in the Manger
We can see how deeply the Lord Jesus humbled Himself in the image of a child lying in a manger.
Sleeping in a manger is not a romantic story.
It was not a place suitable for the birth of a baby—it was unclean, unsafe, and utterly unfit for a newborn child.
The letter to the Philippians tells us:
Philippians 2:6
“Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage;”
Philippians 2:7
“rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness.”
Philippians 2:8
“And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death—
even death on a cross.”
I believe that the meaning of Christmas is made very clear in these short verses.
The Lord Jesus, who is God, became human in the same form as we are, in order to serve us.
This is a truly astonishing event—an event so great that it is as if heaven and earth were turned upside down.
That God would take on human form is already beyond imagination.
But that God would take on human form in order to serve human beings—this is something utterly extraordinary, something far beyond what we can normally conceive.
God came in human form.
It is no exaggeration to say that the coming of Jesus Christ turned the world upside down.
Through the birth of the Lord Jesus, history itself was divided into two parts: before Christ and after Christ.
Today, we are celebrating Christmas in the year A.D. 2025, bearing witness to the fact that the birth of Jesus Christ changed history forever.
A Faith That Comes from Above, Not from Below
In this world, God is generally thought of as a being who dwells far above humanity and this world, in a place beyond our reach. People worship such a god and desire to draw as close as possible to that god.
In order to do so, they may build temples on high places to honor their god, or they may try to elevate themselves in order to approach the divine.
Some people believe that such efforts themselves constitute faith.
This kind of faith is a faith that moves from below to above. It is the belief that by raising oneself and striving upward toward a god who dwells on high, one can draw nearer to that god.
Such faith often includes admirable deeds, strict observance of laws, the study of morality and ethics to elevate one’s spirit, and various forms of spiritual discipline practiced in order to approach God.
I once saw on television people training themselves by standing under freezing waterfalls on cold days, seeking to purify themselves. By enduring the waterfall, they attempt to cleanse and strengthen themselves.
Through such severe discipline, they seek to become pure, to draw closer to God, and to obtain divine power.
This too is a faith that moves upward from below.
Such faith may include a sincere desire to refine oneself, to live as a morally upright and respectable person.
There are many people who gather to study how to live purely in order to draw closer to God.
They are serious and earnest people, striving for admirable ways of living.
I cannot live in such a way myself, and I respect those who make such efforts.
I do not deny their way of life. If one wishes to pursue it, they may do so.
However, the God spoken of in the Bible does not say,“If you wish to be saved, come up to this point. Once you reach here, I will save you.”
The biblical God is not one who saves only those who elevate themselves through effort, good deeds, and moral purity in order to approach Him.
The God revealed in Scripture is the One who humbles Himself and comes to serve us as a servant.
The faith taught by the Bible is almost unimaginable: it is faith in the God who came down to us, and faith that receives salvation by being served by God Himself.
God took on human form, humbled Himself, and grants us salvation by grace.
To live together with this God, having received His gracious salvation, is the faith that the Bible teaches.
The God of the Bible is a humble God—a God who serves us.
Here lies the distinctive character of biblical faith.
The gods of this world say, “Come up to this point.”
Human beings must strive to climb upward to reach them.
But the faith proclaimed by Scripture says, “I, who am God, will come to where you are.”
We celebrate Christmas and gather for worship because the only begotten Son of God, Jesus Christ, humbled Himself and came into this world in order to serve us.
That the Son of God came to the manger in Bethlehem is a truly astonishing event.
Once, when I was speaking to a young man about Jesus, he said something very arrogant: “Are you saying that the only begotten Son of God came to save us? Who asked Him to come and save me? I didn’t ask for it—but if He wants to serve me, I suppose I’ll let Him.”
I replied to him, “It is precisely to save you from that arrogance that Jesus came.”
That young man could speak so arrogantly because he did not know the love and grace of God.
More than that, he did not know that he himself was a sinner.
Once a person realizes that they are a sinner, they can no longer stand arrogantly before God.
The Son of God took on human form and came into this world in order to save us, who are sinners.
Through the cross of Jesus Christ, our sins are forgiven, and we are enabled to live as new people.
That is what it means to be saved.
We are born again—this is called regeneration.
We are Christians who have been born again through faith in the cross of Jesus Christ.
We have been born again. We have that assurance.
Jesus did not come to rule over us.
He came to free us from slavery to sin, so that we might live in true freedom.
Mark 10:45
“For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”
The Disciples’ Ambition and Jesus’ Teaching on True Greatness
Why did the Lord Jesus speak these words?
He spoke them because of what happened beginning in verse 35.
He could not remain silent.
Mark 10:35
“Then James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came to him.
‘Teacher,’ they said, ‘we want you to do for us whatever we ask.’”
Mark 10:36
“What do you want me to do for you?” he asked.
Mark 10:37
“They replied, ‘Let one of us sit at your right and the other at your left in your glory.’”
They were saying, “Jesus, when You receive Your glory, let one of us sit at Your right and the other at Your left.”
James and John, the sons of Zebedee, were among the earliest disciples of Jesus, together with Simon Peter and his brother Andrew.
What James and John were really asking was this:“Jesus, when You complete God’s salvation and become King, please appoint us as Your right-hand and left-hand ministers. Give us positions of the highest honor.”
Just before this, Jesus had said the following:
Mark 10:33–34
“We are going up to Jerusalem,” he said,
“and the Son of Man will be delivered over to the chief priests and the teachers of the law. They will condemn him to death and will hand him over to the Gentiles, who will mock him and spit on him, flog him and kill him. Three days later he will rise.”
While Jesus was speaking about His own cross, the disciples were speaking about their future promotions.
It is a case of a parent’s heart being unknown to the children.
The disciples were not truly listening to Jesus’ words.
James and John wanted to become greater than the other disciples. When the other disciples learned of this, they became angry.
Mark 10:41
“When the ten heard about this, they became indignant with James and John.”
It was as if they were saying,“Don’t try to get ahead of us. Don’t say such selfish things.”
But the reason they were angry was that every one of them harbored the same desire in their hearts—to be the greatest, to occupy the highest position. Human hearts contain desires of many kinds.
Some people want to surpass others.
Some want to possess better things than those around them.
Some want to build a bigger house than their neighbors.
There are even people who, driven by competition and pride, build large houses—only to be shocked later by the property taxes.
I believe that the state of our hearts—our pride, our vanity, and our trivial competitiveness—is clearly revealed in the words of the disciples. Hearing the words of His disciples, Jesus said:
Mark 10:42
“You know that those who are regarded as rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them.”
Mark 10:43
“Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant.”
Jesus, who came to serve all people, must have been deeply grieved by the thoughts of His disciples.
And so He said to them:“The rulers and great ones of this world behave arrogantly and wield power over others.
I do not want you to become such rulers or such powerful figures who act with arrogance.
Among you, it must not be so.
Whoever wants to become great among you must become a servant to all.”
“I Came to Serve” — The Heart of Jesus and the Meaning of the Cross
After these words, verse 45 was spoken.
What the Lord Jesus said was this:“I did not come to be served, but to serve.”
In other words, Jesus was saying, “I have come to serve everyone.”
I believe that when Jesus perceived the thoughts of His disciples, His heart was deeply saddened.
It is as if He were saying to them:“I want you to walk with the same heart that I have.
Do not become like the rulers of this world, who exercise power and dominate others. I want you to become those who serve everyone. I want you to live as servants to all.”
Here we must speak carefully and clearly.
When Jesus calls us to become servants and to live for the sake of others, He is not denying the value of holding high positions in society. Seeking positions of responsibility or obtaining higher qualifications is not in itself contrary to faith.
You are studying, developing your abilities, and sharpening your skills. I hope that by doing so, you will engage in more meaningful work and contribute to the good of others.
In order to serve people well and do good work, it can also be beneficial to hold positions of responsibility.
Christians are encouraged to grow and to contribute to society.
What Jesus is teaching is not that we must never advance in this world. Rather, He is warning us not to measure our worth by comparing ourselves with others—not to live with feelings of superiority or inferiority based on who is greater or lesser.
The heart of Jesus’ teaching is this:“Become a servant. Become humble.”
Jesus came into this world and served us in order to free us from sin.
He came to save us from the sin of grounding our lives in trivial comparisons—
asking whether we are better than others or not.
This is Christmas.
Mark 10:45 (NIV)
“For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”
When we say that Jesus “served us,” we mean that He served us by giving His life as a ransom for us.
The Son of God, Jesus Christ, was born into this world at Christmas in order to offer His own life for us sinners
and to die on the cross.
The death of Jesus on the cross became a ransom for many.
To free us, who were held captive by sin, Jesus paid the price with His own life.
Those who are trapped by sin—those who are prisoners of sin—are none other than ourselves.
James and John, who asked to sit at Jesus’ right and left; the other disciples, who became indignant when they heard this;
and we ourselves, who rejoice or despair as we compare ourselves with others—all of us are bound by sin and live in a state of inner captivity.
And I repeat this again and again: it was in order to free us from that captivity that Jesus offered His own life to God and died on the cross.
Through the death of Jesus on the cross, our sins are forgiven, we are set free from sin, and we are given new life within the grace of God.
The cross of Jesus Christ—this is the grace of God that has been given to us.
Why Did God Become Human? — A Child’s Question and the Mystery of the Incarnation
Once, a student in our church school asked a question:“Why did God have to become human?”
It seemed very strange to the child that God would become a human being.
So I answered like this.
God created the heavens. He created the sun and the stars. God created everything in this world. And God also created human beings. God is a very great and mighty being. Human beings, on the other hand, are very small.
Do you know ants?
Suppose an ant injured its leg, and we wanted to help it by wrapping a bandage around that leg. What do you think would happen if we tried to bandage the ant’s leg with these large human hands? If we touched the ant with our big hands, we might end up injuring another leg instead.
So I asked the child, “What should we do if we want to help the ant?”
The child thought for a moment, and then one of them said, “If I became an ant, I could help the ant.”
That’s right. If we became the same size as the ant, we could help it.
In the same way, our God is so great that He became the same size as us—He became human—in order to help us.
When I said this, the child replied,“So Jesus is God, but He became a human being.”
Yes, that is right. Jesus was born in a stable in Bethlehem, and a manger became His bed.
The day Jesus was born in order to save us—that day is Christmas.
It is the birthday of Jesus. Whenever I remember that conversation, I am reminded of this verse:
Mark 10:45 (NIV)
“For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”
This is Christmas.
It is the day on which we remember, and engrave upon our hearts, that the Lord Jesus Christ came to us.
Prayer
We thank You for this Christmas worship service.
The Son of God, our Lord Jesus Christ, came into this world in order to set us free from the bonds of our sin and guilt.
We thank You.
No matter how hard we try or how much effort we make, we could never reach You by our own strength.
Yet You came down to where we are and set us free.
You teach us, “Become those who serve.”
By the love of the Lord Jesus, help us to serve our wives and our husbands, to serve our neighbors, and to serve one another.
Grant us the help of the Holy Spirit so that we may walk in this way.
We praise You with hearts full of gratitude and joy
for the birth of our Lord Jesus Christ.
We pray all this in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Amen.
Faith Summary
Christmas proclaims that the Son of God did not remain far above us, but humbled Himself and came to where we are.
Jesus was born not to be served, but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for many.
Having been served and set free by His love, we are now called to live as humble servants, walking each day in gratitude, freedom, and love.
7-Day Daily Reflection: “The One Who Came to Serve”
Day 1 — Served by Christ
Mark 10:45 “For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”
Jesus came not to be served, but to serve me. Today I receive again the grace that does not depend on my effort, but on His sacrifice.
Prayer: Lord Jesus, thank You for serving me through Your life and Your cross.
Help me to begin this day in gratitude, resting in Your grace. Amen.
Day 2 — God Who Came Down
John 1:14 (NIV) “The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us.”
God did not remain distant. He came down and lived among us, meeting me where I am.
Prayer: God who came near, thank You for entering my world.
Help me to trust that You are with me in every place today. Amen.
Day 3 — Freedom from Comparison
Galatians 1:10 “Am I now trying to win the approval of human beings, or of God?”
Jesus frees me from measuring myself by others. My worth is already secure in Him.
Prayer: Lord, free my heart from comparison and pride.
Teach me to live before You alone, secure in Your love. Amen.
Day 4 — The Way of Humility
Philippians 2:8 (NIV) “He humbled himself by becoming obedient to death—even death on a cross!”
The manger and the cross show me the path of true humility.
Greatness in God’s kingdom looks different from the world’s.
Prayer: Humble Savior, shape my heart after Yours.
Give me a gentle spirit that chooses humility over self-importance. Amen.
Day 5 — Called to Serve
John 13:14 “Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another’s feet.”
Having been served by Christ, I am called to serve others. Even small acts of love can reflect His grace.
Prayer: Lord Jesus, open my eyes to those I can serve today.
Let my actions quietly reflect Your love. Amen.
Day 6 — Living as One Set Free
Romans 6:22 (NIV) “But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves of God, the benefit you reap leads to holiness, and the result is eternal life.”
Jesus paid the ransom for my freedom. I no longer live as a captive, but as one set free by grace.
Prayer: Redeeming Lord, thank You for my freedom in You.
Help me to live today not in fear, but in joyful obedience. Amen.
Day 7 — Walking with Christ Daily
Colossians 2:6 (NIV) “So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live your lives in him.”
Christmas is not only a day to remember, but a life to live. Each step today is taken with Christ who walks beside me.
Prayer: Lord Jesus, help me to walk with You today and always.
May my life bear witness to Your love and service.
Amen.s show me the path of true humility.
Greatness in God’s kingdom looks different from the world’s.
Prayer: Humble Savior, shape my heart after Yours.
Give me a gentle spirit that chooses humility over self-importance. Amen.
Day 5 — Called to Serve
John 13:14 “Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another’s feet.”
Having been served by Christ, I am called to serve others. Even small acts of love can reflect His grace.
Prayer: Lord Jesus, open my eyes to those I can serve today.
Let my actions quietly reflect Your love. Amen.
Day 6 — Living as One Set Free
Romans 6:22 (NIV) “But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves of God, the benefit you reap leads to holiness, and the result is eternal life.”
Jesus paid the ransom for my freedom. I no longer live as a captive, but as one set free by grace.
Prayer: Redeeming Lord, thank You for my freedom in You.
Help me to live today not in fear, but in joyful obedience. Amen.
Day 7 — Walking with Christ Daily
Colossians 2:6 (NIV) “So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live your lives in him.”
Christmas is not only a day to remember, but a life to live. Each step today is taken with Christ who walks beside me.
Prayer: Lord Jesus, help me to walk with You today and always.
May my life bear witness to Your love and service. Amen.
The One Who Came to Serve
Mark 10:45
Rev. Masaaki Higashi
Christmas Greetings and the Joy of the Incarnation
Happy birthday to our Lord Jesus Christ.
And to all of you who were born in December, happy birthday to you as well.
I pray God’s blessing upon each of you.
When did the celebration of Christmas begin?
It is said that under the Roman Emperor Constantine, at the Council of Nicaea held in 325 in what is now Turkey, December 25 was designated as the day to celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ. Before that time, each church celebrated His birth on different dates. At the Council of Nicaea, the churches agreed to celebrate together, and December 25 was chosen. This does not mean that December 25 is the actual birthday of Jesus; rather, it is the day set apart to celebrate His birth.
We often speak of a “Christmas Eve” service, but the word evening does not mean a mere pre-celebration. In the time of Jesus, a day began in the evening. Therefore, the Christmas Eve service is itself a Christmas worship service.
The Gospels of Matthew and Luke record in detail the birth of our Lord Jesus, and even today we can learn about His coming into the world. In Matthew 1:21 and following, we read:
Matthew 1:21
“She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.”
Matthew 1:22
“All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet.”
Matthew 1:23
“The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel”—which means, “God with us.”
As we listen to the words of the angel of the Lord, we can hold the birth of Jesus in our hearts.
First, the virgin Mary would give birth to a son.
Second, the child would be named Jesus.
Third, He would save His people from their sins.
Fourth, He would be called Immanuel, meaning “God is with us.”
Even from this information alone, we can understand what kind of person the Lord Jesus is.
The Meaning of Christmas Spoken by Jesus Himself
The Scripture we read today is a word in which the Lord Jesus Himself directly speaks about the meaning of Christmas.
Mark 10:45
“For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”
Here, in this single verse, the Lord Jesus clearly explains the meaning of His own birth.
Every action has a purpose.
In the same way, the birth of Jesus also had a purpose, and He states that purpose very clearly.
He says, “The Son of Man came to serve.”
The purpose for which Jesus came to us was to serve.
When Jesus speaks of “the Son of Man,” He is referring to Himself.
Jesus declares that the reason He came into this world was to serve.
The Lord Jesus is the only begotten Son of God, truly God Himself.
Yet this true God became truly human and came into this world.
Since God Himself came to us, it would be natural for human beings to worship Him, honor Him, and serve Him.
However, Jesus does not demand that we worship, honor, and serve Him.
Instead, He says, “I did not come to be served, but to serve.”
The reason Jesus was born into this world was that He humbled Himself, became a servant, and served us human beings.
This is the fundamental meaning of the Christmas event.
At Christmas, we remember that Jesus, the Son of God, humbled Himself and came to serve us.
In fact, because He served us, we were saved.
Therefore, we celebrate Christmas with hearts full of gratitude and joy.
We have been served by the Lord Jesus.
And that service was beyond imagination: He served us by dying on the cross for our salvation.
Because we were served in this way and saved, we now worship the Lord Jesus from our hearts, offer Him our praise, and follow Him as His disciples.
The Humility of Christ Revealed in the Manger
We can see how deeply the Lord Jesus humbled Himself in the image of a child lying in a manger.
Sleeping in a manger is not a romantic story.
It was not a place suitable for the birth of a baby—it was unclean, unsafe, and utterly unfit for a newborn child.
The letter to the Philippians tells us:
Philippians 2:6
“Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage;”
Philippians 2:7
“rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness.”
Philippians 2:8
“And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death—
even death on a cross.”
I believe that the meaning of Christmas is made very clear in these short verses.
The Lord Jesus, who is God, became human in the same form as we are, in order to serve us.
This is a truly astonishing event—an event so great that it is as if heaven and earth were turned upside down.
That God would take on human form is already beyond imagination.
But that God would take on human form in order to serve human beings—this is something utterly extraordinary, something far beyond what we can normally conceive.
God came in human form.
It is no exaggeration to say that the coming of Jesus Christ turned the world upside down.
Through the birth of the Lord Jesus, history itself was divided into two parts: before Christ and after Christ.
Today, we are celebrating Christmas in the year A.D. 2025, bearing witness to the fact that the birth of Jesus Christ changed history forever.
A Faith That Comes from Above, Not from Below
In this world, God is generally thought of as a being who dwells far above humanity and this world, in a place beyond our reach. People worship such a god and desire to draw as close as possible to that god.
In order to do so, they may build temples on high places to honor their god, or they may try to elevate themselves in order to approach the divine.
Some people believe that such efforts themselves constitute faith.
This kind of faith is a faith that moves from below to above. It is the belief that by raising oneself and striving upward toward a god who dwells on high, one can draw nearer to that god.
Such faith often includes admirable deeds, strict observance of laws, the study of morality and ethics to elevate one’s spirit, and various forms of spiritual discipline practiced in order to approach God.
I once saw on television people training themselves by standing under freezing waterfalls on cold days, seeking to purify themselves. By enduring the waterfall, they attempt to cleanse and strengthen themselves.
Through such severe discipline, they seek to become pure, to draw closer to God, and to obtain divine power.
This too is a faith that moves upward from below.
Such faith may include a sincere desire to refine oneself, to live as a morally upright and respectable person.
There are many people who gather to study how to live purely in order to draw closer to God.
They are serious and earnest people, striving for admirable ways of living.
I cannot live in such a way myself, and I respect those who make such efforts.
I do not deny their way of life. If one wishes to pursue it, they may do so.
However, the God spoken of in the Bible does not say,“If you wish to be saved, come up to this point. Once you reach here, I will save you.”
The biblical God is not one who saves only those who elevate themselves through effort, good deeds, and moral purity in order to approach Him.
The God revealed in Scripture is the One who humbles Himself and comes to serve us as a servant.
The faith taught by the Bible is almost unimaginable: it is faith in the God who came down to us, and faith that receives salvation by being served by God Himself.
God took on human form, humbled Himself, and grants us salvation by grace.
To live together with this God, having received His gracious salvation, is the faith that the Bible teaches.
The God of the Bible is a humble God—a God who serves us.
Here lies the distinctive character of biblical faith.
The gods of this world say, “Come up to this point.”
Human beings must strive to climb upward to reach them.
But the faith proclaimed by Scripture says, “I, who am God, will come to where you are.”
We celebrate Christmas and gather for worship because the only begotten Son of God, Jesus Christ, humbled Himself and came into this world in order to serve us.
That the Son of God came to the manger in Bethlehem is a truly astonishing event.
Once, when I was speaking to a young man about Jesus, he said something very arrogant: “Are you saying that the only begotten Son of God came to save us? Who asked Him to come and save me? I didn’t ask for it—but if He wants to serve me, I suppose I’ll let Him.”
I replied to him, “It is precisely to save you from that arrogance that Jesus came.”
That young man could speak so arrogantly because he did not know the love and grace of God.
More than that, he did not know that he himself was a sinner.
Once a person realizes that they are a sinner, they can no longer stand arrogantly before God.
The Son of God took on human form and came into this world in order to save us, who are sinners.
Through the cross of Jesus Christ, our sins are forgiven, and we are enabled to live as new people.
That is what it means to be saved.
We are born again—this is called regeneration.
We are Christians who have been born again through faith in the cross of Jesus Christ.
We have been born again. We have that assurance.
Jesus did not come to rule over us.
He came to free us from slavery to sin, so that we might live in true freedom.
Mark 10:45
“For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”
The Disciples’ Ambition and Jesus’ Teaching on True Greatness
Why did the Lord Jesus speak these words?
He spoke them because of what happened beginning in verse 35.
He could not remain silent.
Mark 10:35
“Then James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came to him.
‘Teacher,’ they said, ‘we want you to do for us whatever we ask.’”
Mark 10:36
“What do you want me to do for you?” he asked.
Mark 10:37
“They replied, ‘Let one of us sit at your right and the other at your left in your glory.’”
They were saying, “Jesus, when You receive Your glory, let one of us sit at Your right and the other at Your left.”
James and John, the sons of Zebedee, were among the earliest disciples of Jesus, together with Simon Peter and his brother Andrew.
What James and John were really asking was this:“Jesus, when You complete God’s salvation and become King, please appoint us as Your right-hand and left-hand ministers. Give us positions of the highest honor.”
Just before this, Jesus had said the following:
Mark 10:33–34
“We are going up to Jerusalem,” he said,
“and the Son of Man will be delivered over to the chief priests and the teachers of the law. They will condemn him to death and will hand him over to the Gentiles, who will mock him and spit on him, flog him and kill him. Three days later he will rise.”
While Jesus was speaking about His own cross, the disciples were speaking about their future promotions.
It is a case of a parent’s heart being unknown to the children.
The disciples were not truly listening to Jesus’ words.
James and John wanted to become greater than the other disciples. When the other disciples learned of this, they became angry.
Mark 10:41
“When the ten heard about this, they became indignant with James and John.”
It was as if they were saying,“Don’t try to get ahead of us. Don’t say such selfish things.”
But the reason they were angry was that every one of them harbored the same desire in their hearts—to be the greatest, to occupy the highest position. Human hearts contain desires of many kinds.
Some people want to surpass others.
Some want to possess better things than those around them.
Some want to build a bigger house than their neighbors.
There are even people who, driven by competition and pride, build large houses—only to be shocked later by the property taxes.
I believe that the state of our hearts—our pride, our vanity, and our trivial competitiveness—is clearly revealed in the words of the disciples. Hearing the words of His disciples, Jesus said:
Mark 10:42
“You know that those who are regarded as rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them.”
Mark 10:43
“Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant.”
Jesus, who came to serve all people, must have been deeply grieved by the thoughts of His disciples.
And so He said to them:“The rulers and great ones of this world behave arrogantly and wield power over others.
I do not want you to become such rulers or such powerful figures who act with arrogance.
Among you, it must not be so.
Whoever wants to become great among you must become a servant to all.”
“I Came to Serve” — The Heart of Jesus and the Meaning of the Cross
After these words, verse 45 was spoken.
What the Lord Jesus said was this:“I did not come to be served, but to serve.”
In other words, Jesus was saying, “I have come to serve everyone.”
I believe that when Jesus perceived the thoughts of His disciples, His heart was deeply saddened.
It is as if He were saying to them:“I want you to walk with the same heart that I have.
Do not become like the rulers of this world, who exercise power and dominate others. I want you to become those who serve everyone. I want you to live as servants to all.”
Here we must speak carefully and clearly.
When Jesus calls us to become servants and to live for the sake of others, He is not denying the value of holding high positions in society. Seeking positions of responsibility or obtaining higher qualifications is not in itself contrary to faith.
You are studying, developing your abilities, and sharpening your skills. I hope that by doing so, you will engage in more meaningful work and contribute to the good of others.
In order to serve people well and do good work, it can also be beneficial to hold positions of responsibility.
Christians are encouraged to grow and to contribute to society.
What Jesus is teaching is not that we must never advance in this world. Rather, He is warning us not to measure our worth by comparing ourselves with others—not to live with feelings of superiority or inferiority based on who is greater or lesser.
The heart of Jesus’ teaching is this:“Become a servant. Become humble.”
Jesus came into this world and served us in order to free us from sin.
He came to save us from the sin of grounding our lives in trivial comparisons—
asking whether we are better than others or not.
This is Christmas.
Mark 10:45 (NIV)
“For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”
When we say that Jesus “served us,” we mean that He served us by giving His life as a ransom for us.
The Son of God, Jesus Christ, was born into this world at Christmas in order to offer His own life for us sinners
and to die on the cross.
The death of Jesus on the cross became a ransom for many.
To free us, who were held captive by sin, Jesus paid the price with His own life.
Those who are trapped by sin—those who are prisoners of sin—are none other than ourselves.
James and John, who asked to sit at Jesus’ right and left; the other disciples, who became indignant when they heard this;
and we ourselves, who rejoice or despair as we compare ourselves with others—all of us are bound by sin and live in a state of inner captivity.
And I repeat this again and again: it was in order to free us from that captivity that Jesus offered His own life to God and died on the cross.
Through the death of Jesus on the cross, our sins are forgiven, we are set free from sin, and we are given new life within the grace of God.
The cross of Jesus Christ—this is the grace of God that has been given to us.
Why Did God Become Human? — A Child’s Question and the Mystery of the Incarnation
Once, a student in our church school asked a question:“Why did God have to become human?”
It seemed very strange to the child that God would become a human being.
So I answered like this.
God created the heavens. He created the sun and the stars. God created everything in this world. And God also created human beings. God is a very great and mighty being. Human beings, on the other hand, are very small.
Do you know ants?
Suppose an ant injured its leg, and we wanted to help it by wrapping a bandage around that leg. What do you think would happen if we tried to bandage the ant’s leg with these large human hands? If we touched the ant with our big hands, we might end up injuring another leg instead.
So I asked the child, “What should we do if we want to help the ant?”
The child thought for a moment, and then one of them said, “If I became an ant, I could help the ant.”
That’s right. If we became the same size as the ant, we could help it.
In the same way, our God is so great that He became the same size as us—He became human—in order to help us.
When I said this, the child replied,“So Jesus is God, but He became a human being.”
Yes, that is right. Jesus was born in a stable in Bethlehem, and a manger became His bed.
The day Jesus was born in order to save us—that day is Christmas.
It is the birthday of Jesus. Whenever I remember that conversation, I am reminded of this verse:
Mark 10:45 (NIV)
“For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”
This is Christmas.
It is the day on which we remember, and engrave upon our hearts, that the Lord Jesus Christ came to us.
Prayer
We thank You for this Christmas worship service.
The Son of God, our Lord Jesus Christ, came into this world in order to set us free from the bonds of our sin and guilt.
We thank You.
No matter how hard we try or how much effort we make, we could never reach You by our own strength.
Yet You came down to where we are and set us free.
You teach us, “Become those who serve.”
By the love of the Lord Jesus, help us to serve our wives and our husbands, to serve our neighbors, and to serve one another.
Grant us the help of the Holy Spirit so that we may walk in this way.
We praise You with hearts full of gratitude and joy
for the birth of our Lord Jesus Christ.
We pray all this in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Amen.
Faith Summary
Christmas proclaims that the Son of God did not remain far above us, but humbled Himself and came to where we are.
Jesus was born not to be served, but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for many.
Having been served and set free by His love, we are now called to live as humble servants, walking each day in gratitude, freedom, and love.
7-Day Daily Reflection: “The One Who Came to Serve”
Day 1 — Served by Christ
Mark 10:45 “For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”
Jesus came not to be served, but to serve me. Today I receive again the grace that does not depend on my effort, but on His sacrifice.
Prayer: Lord Jesus, thank You for serving me through Your life and Your cross.
Help me to begin this day in gratitude, resting in Your grace. Amen.
Day 2 — God Who Came Down
John 1:14 (NIV) “The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us.”
God did not remain distant. He came down and lived among us, meeting me where I am.
Prayer: God who came near, thank You for entering my world.
Help me to trust that You are with me in every place today. Amen.
Day 3 — Freedom from Comparison
Galatians 1:10 “Am I now trying to win the approval of human beings, or of God?”
Jesus frees me from measuring myself by others. My worth is already secure in Him.
Prayer: Lord, free my heart from comparison and pride.
Teach me to live before You alone, secure in Your love. Amen.
Day 4 — The Way of Humility
Philippians 2:8 (NIV) “He humbled himself by becoming obedient to death—even death on a cross!”
The manger and the cross show me the path of true humility.
Greatness in God’s kingdom looks different from the world’s.
Prayer: Humble Savior, shape my heart after Yours.
Give me a gentle spirit that chooses humility over self-importance. Amen.
Day 5 — Called to Serve
John 13:14 “Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another’s feet.”
Having been served by Christ, I am called to serve others. Even small acts of love can reflect His grace.
Prayer: Lord Jesus, open my eyes to those I can serve today.
Let my actions quietly reflect Your love. Amen.
Day 6 — Living as One Set Free
Romans 6:22 (NIV) “But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves of God, the benefit you reap leads to holiness, and the result is eternal life.”
Jesus paid the ransom for my freedom. I no longer live as a captive, but as one set free by grace.
Prayer: Redeeming Lord, thank You for my freedom in You.
Help me to live today not in fear, but in joyful obedience. Amen.
Day 7 — Walking with Christ Daily
Colossians 2:6 (NIV) “So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live your lives in him.”
Christmas is not only a day to remember, but a life to live. Each step today is taken with Christ who walks beside me.
Prayer: Lord Jesus, help me to walk with You today and always.
May my life bear witness to Your love and service. Amen.