“God’s “Yes” and Our “Amen” – Celebrating Christmas and Confirmation”

SERMON Title: God’s “Yes” and Our “Amen” – Celebrating Christmas and Confirmation
SCRIPTURE: 2 Corinthians 1:20 ESV

Introduction

One of the traditions we have at New Hope is that we celebrate baptism or confirmation on Christmas Sunday and Easter Sunday. This is not simply a tradition we inherited, nor is it something we do for convenience. We do this intentionally because these days help us understand the order of the gospel—how salvation works and how faith responds.

Christmas and Easter are the two defining moments when we remember that God fulfilled His promise to redeem His people.

At Christmas, Jesus Christ is born—not merely as a significant religious figure, but as the Messiah God promised over many generations for the salvation of His people. At Easter, Jesus Christ rises from the dead, confirming that He truly is the Son of God and that His death fully accomplished God’s plan: the forgiveness of sins, the defeat of death, and the restoration of humanity’s relationship with God.

Together, Christmas and Easter remind us of a crucial truth: salvation begins with God, not with us.

God made the promise to save His people. God sent the Savior in His perfect timing. God accomplished redemption through Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection. Only after God acts do we respond in faith. Our trust, our baptism, and our confirmation are our way of saying “Yes” to what God has already done for us in Christ.

This order matters because it protects us from thinking that baptism or confirmation is about proving our faith, earning God’s favor, or demonstrating spiritual maturity. They are not the starting point of salvation; they are responses to God’s grace.

That is why baptism and confirmation belong on Christmas and Easter. They are visible, public ways of saying:

“Because God has kept His promise in Jesus Christ, I trust Him.”

“Because salvation has been accomplished, I respond in faith.”

“Because grace has been given, I now live in allegiance to Christ.”

So today is a special day—not because a ceremony itself has saving power, but because it clearly points us to how the gospel works. Christmas proclaims that all of God’s promises find their “Yes” in Jesus Christ, and confirmation is the moment when that “Yes” is personally received and publicly affirmed with our own “Amen” spoken in faith.

With that in mind, let us hear our Scripture for this morning from 2 Corinthians 1:20:

“For all the promises of God find their Yes in him. That is why it is through him that we utter our Amen to God for his glory.”

1. Christmas as God’s Fulfillment of His Promises

Christmas is my favorite holiday, and for many people it is the most celebrated time of the year. We enjoy decorations, carols, lights, and time with loved ones. But at its heart, Christmas is far more than celebration—it is about God keeping His promises and bringing salvation through Jesus Christ.

From the beginning, God created humanity in His image to enjoy fellowship with Him. Yet humanity turned away, sin entered the world, and the relationship between God and His people was broken. God’s promises were His declaration that He would act to restore what was broken, remain faithful to His people, and bring redemption.

In making these promises, God revealed both humanity’s need for salvation and His own faithful character. Even when His people failed, God did not abandon them. His promises show that salvation does not depend on human effort, but on His sovereign grace.

Scripture reveals that God is covenantal. When He speaks, His word comes to pass. When He makes a promise, He keeps it. And for centuries, God spoke through the prophets, pointing forward to the coming Messiah:

Genesis 3:15 promised that the seed of the woman would crush the serpent.

Isaiah 7:14 promised Immanuel—“God with us.”

Micah 5:2 foretold that the Messiah would be born in Bethlehem.

All of these promises point to Jesus. His birth is God’s definitive “Yes” to everything He had spoken. The angels declare this in Luke 2:11: “Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; He is Christ the Lord.”

In Jesus, God’s promises are fully fulfilled. Christmas reminds us that God acts first, and we respond. God says “Yes” in Christ, and we respond with our “Amen” through faith.

2. Infant Baptism and Confirmation: Responding to God’s Promises

To understand confirmation, we must first understand the promise made through infant baptism. When a baby is baptized, the child is not making a personal decision. Instead, parents and the church step forward in faith, declaring:

“This child belongs to God.”

“We will raise this child in the truth of the gospel.”

“We will teach, model, and support this child in faith.”

Infant baptism is a promise for the future. It points forward to the day when the child will understand and personally respond to God’s promises.

This practice is rooted in God’s covenant. From the covenant with Abraham, God included children in His promises. Genesis 17:7–11 shows that God’s covenant was intergenerational, extending not only to Abraham but to his offspring.

In the Old Testament, circumcision was the sign of that covenant. In the New Testament, baptism continues this covenantal pattern, pointing to Christ. Paul explains this connection in Colossians 2:11–12, describing baptism as a “circumcision made without hands.” Peter reinforces this in Acts 2:38–39, declaring that the promise is “for you and your children.”

Infant baptism lays a foundation of faith, surrounding the child with God’s promises and the support of the church. Yet baptism does not automatically save. Personal faith and response are still required.

That is where confirmation comes in. Confirmation is the moment when a person publicly affirms the faith that was pledged on their behalf. It is not about earning salvation, but about personally owning God’s promises—saying “Amen” to the “Yes” God has already spoken in Christ.

Conclusion

As we celebrate Christmas, we are reminded that God is faithful. He acts first. He fulfilled His promise by sending Jesus, the Savior of the world.

Baptism and confirmation are our response—a public and personal “Amen” to God’s “Yes” in Christ. But that “Amen” does not end with a ceremony. It becomes the posture of our lives. Each day, in ordinary decisions and unseen moments, we reaffirm our trust in Christ and our submission to His lordship.

So in this Christmas season, and in our daily lives, let us continue to say “Amen” with our whole lives. Let us encourage one another, especially the next generation, and rejoice in the gospel—serving a God who acts first in grace, and responding with gratitude, obedience, and worship.