In the name of Christ Jesus, dear fellow redeemed people of God,

Every year at Christmas-time, we hear Bing Crosby's most famous song, "I'm Dreaming of a White Christmas." This song, written by Irving Berlin, was introduced during World War II in 1942 in the movie, "Holiday Inn." It's about someone who wants snow for Christmas. "I'm dreaming of a white Christmas, Just like the ones I used to know."

Do you remember having snow for Christmas? I do. I'm tempted to ask you if you want snow for Christmas, but I am sure that the answer would be mixed. Some people want snow for Christmas, and others don't. The ones who like snow usually like that snow covers all the dirt, and makes everything look nice. In the words of the song, snow makes "the treetops glisten." Snow makes everything seem clean and bright.

Way back in the Old Testament, the Holy Spirit used snow as a comparison for being clean of sin. As we study these words, we learn that there is another kind of "white Christmas." It's not about snow, it's about God's forgiveness. That's what I mean when I ask:

1. "Though your sins are like scarlet"

By 700 B.C., the people of Judah and Jerusalem had become a very wicked nation. The Lord called the prophet Isaiah to preach to these people in the hope that they would repent of their sins. The Lord wanted his prophet to proclaim sharp messages of the law because the people had turned their backs on the LORD. He compared them to Sodom and Gomorrah, they were so wicked.

What had these people done that was so bad? Well, when they did show up for worship, they only went through the motions. So, God said, {13} Stop bringing meaningless offerings! Apparently, there were many hypocrites, who were doing outward acts of worship without faith in their hearts. God looks at the heart, not just the offering, and God was angry enough to say, "Don't bring any more offerings! They are meaningless!"

God told them he would not listen to their prayers anymore (v.15). God only hears the prayers of believers, and they no longer qualified. God called the people to repent. That means he wanted them to have a change of heart and a change of action. God is interested in the heart and the action.

Advent is a season of repentance. Let us repent of our own sins - sins of the past and of the present. We were conceived and born in sin. We committed many sins in the past. But sin is still a present reality for us. In fact, we sin each and every day. This is true of believers too. Paul had been a believer and an apostle for a long time when he wrote, by inspiration, "I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out" (Ro 7:18). And the apostle John had been a believer and an apostle even longer when he wrote, "If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us" (1 Jn 1:8). Our old sinful nature leads us to sin every single day. And we need to repent. Luther correctly said that a Christian's life is one of constant repentance.

Let us repent of not loving God above all things. Let us repent of not loving our neighbors as much as we love ourselves. Let us repent of not paying close enough attention to God's Word. Let us repent of not thinking about all the words we sing and pray. Let us repent of any time that we were merely going through the motions. Let us repent of any time we might have brought an offering that was not so generous for our income, or not so cheerfully given.

Now, when we say "repent," we mean more than just saying we're sorry. Repent means that we undergo a change of heart and action. It means that we stop doing what's wrong. Let's not just say we are sorry, let's stop sinning!

Our sins are not minor. Our sins are like scarlet. It's like blood stained all over a white piece of cloth. It isn't white anymore. And that's what we look like to God, all by ourselves. God has every right to say, "Your sins are like scarlet!... They are red as crimson!" Our sins are blood red in God's sight. We are stained with sin. Our minds are stained. Our hearts are stained. We are sinful and unclean. But, even though our sins are like scarlet,...

2. "They shall be as white as snow."

Just as snow covers all the dirt, so God's forgiveness takes care of our sin. Yet, it doesn't merely cover it. God washes it away. The Bible says that the blood of Jesus, God's Son, washes us clean of every sin (1 Jn 1:7). Jesus was born and lived a perfect life for you. Then, he died for you and me and all people. He paid our penalty fully and completely. His resurrection assures us that God the Father was fully satisfied with the payment. Trust in Jesus, and you are white as snow. Believe in him and you will enjoy eternal life in heaven.

Picture a courtroom. God is the judge. Satan is the prosecuting attorney. Jesus is our advocate. Satan brings up one sin after another, but the answer every time is "Jesus paid for every sin." If Satan brings up the charge that you were daydreaming in church tonight, our advocate says, "Yes, that is true. But, I paid for that sin." The Judge hits the gavel, and says, "Not guilty!" If Satan brings another charge against us, our defender answers, "Yes, that is true. He has sinned. But I paid for that sin too." "Not guilty!" And on and on it could go. Every time, Satan's wicked accusation falls to the ground when our Savior says, "Yes, he sinned. But I paid for that sin." And then, we hear the Judge say, "Not guilty!" And that is how our slate became clean in God's sight. We didn't earn it. We didn't clean it. But Jesus did. It says here, "Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow!"

That gives genuine meaning to our worship and our offerings. Believers want to thank and praise, serve and obey their Savior from sin. "Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red as crimson, they shall be like wool."

Thanks to Jesus, our sins are removed so that we are sparkling white and perfectly clean in God's sight! God declares us "white as snow." God's forgiveness is real. So, you don't have to dream about a "White Christmas." That kind of "White Christmas" is more than just a dream! It's a reality. May that move us to praise him from the heart with our words, with our songs, with our offerings, and with our lives.

Bing Crosby's song is almost everywhere, it seems. But I hope that every time you hear it now, you will be reminded of this Bible verse, and you will remember that Jesus washed your sins away. I hope that gives a different meaning to these words: "May your days be merry and bright, and may all your Christmases be white." May they be merry in Jesus and white in his forgiveness. Amen.