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Christmas · Christmas Midnight · Year A

Titus 2:11-14

Awaiting Our Blessed Hope

December 25, 2025

The Nativity at Night, Geertgen tot Sint Jans
The Nativity at Night, Geertgen tot Sint Jans, about 1490The National Gallery, London
A small night scene where the only light is the glow of the child in the manger, lighting Mary and the little angels around him, while far off on the hill an angel appears to the shepherds by their fire.For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all … while we wait for the blessed hope and the manifestation of the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ.Geertgen tot Sint JansA Haarlem painter who died in his twenties and left only a handful of panels.The National Gallery, LondonThe National Gallery, London.The National Gallery, London
LSB Three-Year Lectionary
GospelLuke 2:1-14 (15-20)Lk 2:1-14 (15-20)
EpistleTitus 2:11-14Ti 2:11-14
Old TestamentIsa. 9:2-7Is 9:2-7
PsalterPs. 96Ps 96

Overview & Insights

“Waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ.” (Titus 2:13)

Within the Pastoral Epistles this paragraph carries the doctrinal weight for a long stretch of practical instruction, and its logic runs from gift to formation: grace has appeared, and grace trains, the verb in verse 12 being the one used of the discipline of a child. Three adverbs describe the result, lives lived sensibly, justly and devoutly in the present age, which is the standard Greek moral triad redirected. The blessed hope of verse 13 is then defined by what follows it rather than left vague, and the phrase glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ has been read since the eighteenth century, on the strength of a single article governing both nouns, as naming Christ with both titles. Verse 14 ends in self-giving and a people zealous for good works, so the ethics of verses 1 to 10 are not an appendix.

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Commentary

Working Preacher: Titus 2:11-14Working Preacher: Ti 2:11-14 Working Preacher

Luther Seminary exegesis on grace as the one long sentence at the heart of the passage.

CEP: Titus 2:11-14CEP: Ti 2:11-14 Center for Excellence in Preaching

Reformed preaching commentary connecting the appearing of grace to Advent and Christmas themes.

Enduring Word: Titus 2Enduring Word: Ti 2 Enduring Word · David Guzik

Verse by verse evangelical notes on sound doctrine and godly living.

Precept Austin: Titus 2:11-16 CommentaryPrecept Austin: Ti 2:11-16 Commentary Precept Austin

Verse level study helps on grace, self-control, and the blessed hope.

BibleHub: Titus 2:11 CommentariesBibleHub: Ti 2:11 Commentaries BibleHub

Aggregated classic commentaries on the appearing of saving grace.

Background & Word Study

BibleHub Interlinear: Titus 2:11BibleHub Interlinear: Ti 2:11 BibleHub

Greek text with parsing for the verb translated appeared.

BibleProject: Titus OverviewBibleProject: Ti Overview BibleProject

Animated overview of the letter's design and call to good works.

The Church Fathers

Catena: Titus 2Catena: Ti 2 Catena

Patristic comment chain on grace training believers toward godliness.

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