Поучение на день Рождества Христова. Св. Тихона, епископа Воронежского и Задонского

On this great day, having nothing more to greet than world-wide joy, I congratulate you with this. What kind of joy is this? – The Son of God came to save sinners. But did Christ the Lord come to save everyone? I answer: having all sinned and fallen short of the glory of God (Rom. 3:23), we have all sinned and perished; The Lord came to save everyone. Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners (l Timothy 1:15). Everyone is sinners: he came to save everyone. Christ died for all (2 Cor. 5:15). Therefore, the Gospel was commanded to preach to all creation, so that all who hear may believe and be saved (Mark 16:15). And their message (the Apostles) went out into the whole earth, and their words went out to the ends of the world (Psalm 18:5). For God does not look at human faces: everyone is equal to Him, He wants to save everyone equally, He does not want anyone to perish: He wants to be saved by all people, and to come into the understanding of truth (1 Timothy 2:4). Therefore, He sent His Son into the world for everyone, so that everyone through His grace would receive salvation. Consequently, for the sake of me and you and every person, Christ the Lord came into the world, was born, suffered and died. Glory to the Father who sent! Glory to the Son who came to save sinners! This is our consolation and joy. From here we will draw consolation that for my sake and for you, Christ the Lord came, suffered and died. May this living source cool the souls of our sinners! Hereby, cool down during the heat, be comforted, do not become exhausted, stand and take courage. Rejoice, sinners! Our God and Lord came into the world for us to save us. The great mystery of godliness: God appeared in the flesh (1 Tim. 3:16). The King of Heaven appeared on earth, and the unapproachable Cherubim lived with men. Oh, the goodness and unspeakable love of the Lord who appeared! Oh, bliss for those for whose sake God and their Lord came and appeared to them! Blessed are the eyes that saw God in the flesh, and the ears that heard His Divine words: what many prophets wanted to see, but did not see, and hear, and did not hear! Blessed are we too, although with these sinful eyes we do not see Him, and with these ears we do not hear His sweet voice, but we believe in His coming. Moreover, those who have not seen bliss have believed (John 20:29). Blessed are we, because for our sake our God came to us: God, becoming like men, came to men and came for the sake of men. He came to save sinners, and therefore us: for we too are from sinners. He came to seek the lost, and therefore us: for we too are from the lost. Blessed be God, who came to save sinners and to seek the lost. This treasure of salvation was revealed to us by the visionaries who saw Him and heard Him, and talked with Him, and lived and treated Him, and touched Him, and ate and drank with Him, and were in adversity with Him; heard him preaching His holy Gospel and the kingdom of heaven; they saw one walking on the earth, and from hail to hail and from city to city, one who is transient, one who is weary, who works miracles, who cleanses lepers, who enlightens the blind, who raises the dead, and who does other supernatural works; For our salvation we saw him suffering, dying, dying, and being buried, and rising from the dead, and ascending into heaven. These witnesses preached according to us: We will tell you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, witnesses of the former majesty of him. For from God the Father we receive honor and glory, to such a voice as came to Him from the splendid glory: This is My beloved Son... And this voice we heard descending from heaven, being with Him on the holy mount... (1 John 1:1-3; 2 Peter 1:16, 17 and 18; Matt. 17:5; Mark 9:7). Those self-seers and reliable witnesses did not hesitate to confirm this truth not only by word and miracles and various signs, but also by their blood, and various sufferings, and by their death. The word is true and worthy of all acceptance, which not one, not two, not three, but many self-witnesses preached in agreement, and not only preached, but also confirmed with signs and wonders and did not spare their blood and souls. Think about this, brother Christian, learn from this, stand firm in this, take courage, be strong, and stop the mouths of the blasphemers and the godless, of whom there are already quite a few, and pray. Yes, God, who appeared in the flesh for our sake, without seeing, let us love with all our hearts, and now, not looking at Him, but believing, let us rejoice with joy unspeakable and glorified: accepting the end of our faith, the salvation of souls (1 Peter 1: 8-9). Amen 87. Created. St. Tikhon of Zadonsky. Ed. 5th. Moscow. 1899, vol. V, pp. 1–2, 6. You might be interested in: