Category: Christmas Eve

The Angels Proclaim Peace on Earth!

12/26/2019

Painting "The Sheperds and the angel" (1879) by Carl Bloch. Oil on copper Public Domain

Christmas Eve, 2019
Luke 2:1-20

Our midweek Advent series this year was on angels. The first Wednesday we learned how these powerful spirits protect us. The second Wednesday we learned how these angels teach us how to worship. And last Wednesday we learned how the angels proclaim the Gospel. In short, angels are God’s servants, who do as God commands. So, what we have heard tonight, the angel announcing the birth of Jesus Christ, the Savior, to a small group of shepherds, and then the great multitude of the heavenly army of angels joining in to praise God in the highest and declare peace and goodwill on earth, all this is by the command of God. Yet, this event stands in stark contrast to the first command recorded in the Bible which God gave to the angels.
Way back in Genesis chapter 3 after Adam and Eve sinned against God and were evicted from the Garden of Eden, God sent angels, called cherubim, armed with flaming swords to guard the way to the tree of life. These angels were charged with the task of keeping Adam and Eve out of paradise! What a great contrast from what we hear tonight, when the angels open up the heavens and declare God’s good pleasure to poor sinners! The angels, who were given the obligation to close the gates of paradise to mankind are now given the privilege to announce the opening of those gates to all who believe on Jesus Christ! It is as our hymn of the day declares in the sixth verse:
He is the key and He the door/ to blessed paradise;
The angel bars the way no more.
To God our praises rise/ to God our praises rise.
And you can understand then why the angels are so joyful and sing such praises to God! Christ Jesus has come to make all things right! He has done what no one else could do, neither man nor angel. He has opened the gates of heaven to poor sinners!
Yet, most underestimate how great a feat this is, which God has accomplished. They underestimate how far mankind fell; they belittle how much love God has for us and how much he gave in his endeavor to save us.
Adam and Eve fell into sin not simply because they ate a piece of fruit. Listen to what the serpent said, “For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” (Gen. 3:5) So, in that fruit Eve and her husband Adam saw their chance to be as wise as God; to become independent from him; to become themselves gods.
This is the greatest sin against the First Commandment: You shall have no other gods before me. Adam and Eve had other gods, themselves. They did not want to fear God. They did not want to be dependent on him so that they would need to trust in him. In their sin, they had no love for their Creator and heavenly Father.
And that is how we are in our sin. All sin in us is rooted in this desire to usurp God from his throne and set ourselves in his place! We want to be gods. We want to make the rules. We want to decide what is right and wrong. And so, we do! When we hear God’s word, we make our own determination whether it is important or not! We pick and choose which of God’s words we will believe and which we will disbelieve; which we will live by and which we will ignore! We imitate the sins of our first parents and even surpass them in our vice. This is no small sin. This not a little oopsie daisy, no biggie; no problem; no big deal. We are talking about a fall from God’s grace; rebellion against God himself; joining with Satan in a war against God!
For such rebellion, God has every right to condemn us to hell. He is perfectly justified in casting us out of paradise forever! Yet, that’s not what he has done! We take this for granted, but God did not do for the angels as he did for us! The Bible says in the book of Jude, “And the angels who did not stay within their own position of authority, but left their proper dwelling, he has kept in eternal chains under the gloomy darkness until the judgment of the great day.” (vs. 6). Satan and his demons are fallen angels. But God offered them no chance of salvation. God never said to an angel, “You are my son, today, I have begotten you.” He never promised to become an angel or to send the angels a savior. Rather, he forever blocked the fallen angels out of paradise and damned them to hell. As he had every right to do! Yet, for our sad race, which leagued itself to Satan’s side, God offers salvation!
God loves us more than the angels. He made mankind in his own image. Immediately after God caught Adam and Eve in their sin, he promised a Savior, born of the woman, who would crush the head of Satan while enduring suffering for our sake. (Genesis 3:15). The birth of Jesus Christ is the fulfillment of the promise God gave to Adam and Eve, two sinners, who joined themselves to Satan against God. And this birth is a promise to us, which tells us that God does not desire our damnation, but our eternal salvation.
Even the cherubim armed with flaming swords guarding the way to the tree of life, God sent out of love for us. He did not want those two sinners to eat of a tree that gives eternal life, because then, they would be forever trapped in their sins. Rather, God had already prepared a way to eternal life for them. God would send his own Son to become a human being, so that he would die for our sins and clear the way to paradise for us.
This is why the birth of Jesus is such a big deal. This is why God sent every angel at his disposal to announce his birth and teach us how to sing praises to our God. This is why we still celebrate this holy night over two thousand years later.
Every angel in heaven sang:
Glory to God in the highest,
And on earth peace, good will toward men.
This is what brings God glory. That his Son joined our human race in order to save us. And that we accept this Christ-child, so that he forever dwells in our hearts. This brings more glory to God than all the wonderful works of the angels. Our salvation! Our union with God through his Son Jesus Christ. This glorifies God in the highest.
And in this song, the angels declare a wonderful promise to us, “And on earth peace, good will toward men.” Indeed, there is now peace between God and our human race through the mediation of Jesus Christ. On account of Jesus, God is reconciled to us. He is not angry with us. Rather, God accepts us for the sake of Jesus, his death and resurrection. There is peace between God and us.
Yet, this proclamation of the angels does not say, peace in heaven. It says, peace on earth. And this is not simply a wish, a hopeful expression like, “have a good day!” No, this is a prophecy; a divine promise from God. There will be peace on earth!
But has this prophesy failed? Since the birth of Jesus in Bethlehem until now, wars have not ceased upon the earth. If anything, they have increased! Yet, the angels are not speaking about peace between heathen nations. The angels are speaking about those who accept this baby Jesus, born in the manger. Among those, who love this Christ child, who hope in him for their salvation, who are reconciled with God through faith in Jesus’ blood, there will be peace. This is a divine promise. This is a prophesy that cannot fail.
Our hymn of the month this December was "O Come, O Come, Emmanuel.” In the last verse this congregation prayed every week, “O come, Desire of nations, bind/ In one the heart of all mankind; Bid Thou our sad divisions cease, And be Thyself our King of Peace.” These were not vain words we sang. We sang these words in firm faith that they would come true. Christ Jesus ends our sad divisions. He is our King of Peace. All who trust in him become peaceful, as Jesus himself taught, “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.” (Matthew 5:9)
Those who trust in Christ Jesus love one another. Scripture says, “Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ has been born of God, and everyone who loves the Father loves whoever has been born of him.” (1 John 5:1) And Jesus himself declares, “By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.” (John 13:35) Those who love Jesus, who are reconciled with God the Father through faith in Christ and his blood, who rejoice at the birth of God in a manger, love one another. As God has loved us, so do we love one another. We try to do what pleases our fellow Christians and that which causes them harm we try to avoid. We speak well of one another. We think of one another’s interests over our own. As we confess one Lord and are joined in one Baptism, so we desire to be one.
Yet, it doesn’t work out so beautifully, does it? Rather, it is often the case that we are selfish and careless with our words and actions. We offend one another and isolate ourselves. Christians at enmity with other Christians! This happens, because although the spirit is willing, the flesh is weak. We Christians still sin against each other. Yet, our Lord has given us a way to deal with this problem here on earth and so maintain the peace we are given by the Prince of Peace. Jesus says that when your brother sins against you go and show him his fault between you and him alone, and if he listens, you have gained your brother! Jesus teaches us to forgive those who trespass against us, even as God forgives us our trespasses.
Yet, too often we don’t do that. Rather we think, “I did nothing wrong. This person has offended me. That is his problem. I have every right to hate him in my heart.” Yet, that is not how God has dealt with us. When we sinned against him, God did not simply cast us off and hate us forever. Rather, while we were still sinners, when we didn’t ask for it, God sent his Son to be born of the Virgin Mary and to die for our sins. God confronts us with our sins and gives us a Savior, so that he can make peace with us. And so, it is our responsibility as God’s children to make peace with one another. Forgive one another even as God in Christ forgave you.
If you have a problem with a fellow Christian, go and talk to him. It may seem like an intimidating task, but God is not commanding you to make peace yourself. God has already made peace through Jesus Christ. When you go to your fellow Christian, whom you are at odds with, you go armed with the blood of Christ. You go with the power and authority of the Prince of Peace, who has made peace for us.
Through the Christ-child, who was once laid in a manger, God has made you people of Good Will. He has made you peacemakers, through the Prince of Peace himself. You are fully equipped. Martin Luther says that those who refuse to make peace do not listen to the song of the angels, but rather the howling of the wolf, the devil. Don’t listen to the lies of Satan. Listen to the voice of those angels sent by God. Peace on earth. Make peace with one another. God has done much more to make peace with you.
It is a joyful gift that God has given us that we can be reconciled with one another. Nothing is impossible for us, who know Christ Jesus. So, through Jesus let us make peace with one another now, as we wait for God to command his angels to escort us to heaven, where we will sing praises to God in the highest with the angels and with one another forever more.
God’s peace be with you. Merry Christmas. Amen.

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Christmas Eve: For unto You Is Born... A Savior

12/25/2018

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Luke 2:1-20

Is this a true story? Was Jesus really born in Bethlehem to a virgin mother? Is Jesus an historical person like George Washington and Abraham Lincoln? Many ask themselves these questions and answer, “no.” They’ll object that very little is written about Jesus during the time he supposedly walked on this earth apart from the Gospels, and well, you can’t really take the Gospels seriously, can you? After all, they are filled with miracles and wonders and were written by religious fanatics!
Yet, why can’t you take the Gospels of the New Testament seriously? Are they really ahistorical legends? Well, let’s consider them. Four different individuals wrote four different yet complimentary and corroborating accounts about the life of Christ. They give dates, locations, names, list additional witnesses, everything you would desire from an historical report. The Gospel of Luke especially fits this description. Written by a physician named Luke, a companion of Saint Paul and other disciples of Jesus, Luke goes to extraordinary lengths to write a faithful account of what he has seen and heard. The Gospel begins:
Inasmuch as many have undertaken to compile a narrative of the things that have been accomplished among us, just as those who from the beginning were eyewitnesses and ministers of the word have delivered them to us, it seemed good to me also, having followed all things closely for some time past, to write an orderly account for you, most excellent Theophilus, that you may have certainty concerning the things you have been taught. (Luke 1:1-4)
In other words, Luke did his research. He interviewed eyewitnesses, recorded their testimonies, compared his notes with others, and wrote a narrative which agrees with other writings of the same events and which was accepted by those who witnessed these events. Luke is meticulous in his writing, telling us this happened when a decree went out from Caesar Augustus, the first registration when Quirinius was governor of Syria. Who, what, where, when; he answers all relevant questions. Humanly speaking, there is no reason to doubt what St. Luke writes in his Gospel concerning what we just heard tonight except for a bias against the supernatural; a virgin conceiving and giving birth and angels appearing before shepherds. If not for these supernatural events, Luke and the other Gospels would be accepted as the finest historical documents of their age.
Yet, there is much more reason why we, who have stifled our natural bias against the supernatural, should accept what was read tonight besides the fact that Luke followed the highest standards of historical research. Listen to how Luke’s Gospel relates to the prophecies of Isaiah.
Isaiah says in his 9th chapter, “For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and of peace there will be no end, on the throne of David and over his kingdom, to establish it and to uphold it with justice and with righteousness from this time forth and forever more. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will do this.” Compare these words with what the angel said to Mary when he told her she would conceive the Savior, “Behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. And the Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.” (Luke 1:31-33)
Mary asks the angel how this can be since she is a virgin echoing back to the saying of Isaiah in chapter 7, “Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.” Of course, King Ahaz never saw this sign. Rather, 700 years afterward the angel said to the shepherds out in the fields outside of Bethlehem, “And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling clothes and lying in a manger.” (Luke 2:12) It was fitting that the angel announced this sign to shepherds outside the city of David, since David himself was a shepherd in those same fields, and it was to him God promised that he would set his son on his throne forever, referring to the Christ (2 Samuel 7:12-16). It is also fitting that the whole company of angels celebrated the birth of this Prince of Peace by singing, “Glory to God in the highest and on earth peace good will toward men.”
These are just a few examples of how the Gospels fit together with the prophecies of the Old Testament like pieces in a puzzle. Indeed, there would not be enough time between now and the return of Christ for us to discuss sufficiently all the prophecies of the Old Testament fulfilled in the New by Jesus. And this is why we should regard what we have heard tonight so highly. The reason the Gospel of Luke fits so well with the writings of the Old Testament is not simply because Luke was such a brilliant scholar. It is because Isaiah and Luke have the same author, although they were written over seven hundred years apart by two different men. The Holy Spirit himself is the author of every book of the Bible.
Scripture is reliable, because it was caused to be written by God himself. Indeed, the Bible is the word of God. This means that we should regard what we have heard tonight from St. Luke’s Gospel with as much certainty as the Shepherds did the words of the angels on that holy night.
Not only does this teach us that the Scriptures are reliable, but this tells us to whom they are written. That the Holy Spirit caused these words from St. Luke to be written to be passed down generation after generation, means that they were written for us. It is as St. John wrote in his Gospel, “These things are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.” (John 20:31) This means that the words of the angels, “For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.” are not words only for the shepherds, but for you, and me, and indeed all people. Jesus is our Savior.
In St. Matthew’s Gospel the angel told Joseph that the child’s name will be Jesus, which means the LORD saves, because “he will save his people from their sins.” Jesus saves us from our sins. Indeed, Jesus only came to save sinners. For Jesus to be your Savior, you must be a sinner. This doesn’t mean that you must go out and break God’s commandments in order for Christ to be your Savior. You do that enough already without putting any special effort into it. But this does mean that you must become aware of your sins. Jesus saves sinners. If you are not aware of your sins and that you need to be rescued from them, you will not understand what it means that Jesus is your Savior. And you will not be able to welcome him as your Savior. Yet, if you recognize that you are a sinner in need of forgiveness, the news that Jesus saves sinners is truly splendid. Jesus comes to save idolater, adulterers, liars, murderers, thieves, gossips, drunks, people who skip church, he comes to save them all. Jesus comes to save you.
“Unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given.” the Prophet Isaiah writes. Who is us? Who is speaking these words? Having been given these words by the Holy Spirit, we do. Unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given. Jesus was born for us. This means that the following words apply to us as well.
“The government shall be upon his shoulder.” This is not an earthy government, which taxes and makes trade deals, fights wars and desperately clings to power. No, this is a heavenly government, one where Jesus rules with all authority. This government is not limited to national boundaries, rather, you are a citizen of this government when Christ rules your heart through faith in his word.
“His name shall be called Wonderful Counselor.” Jesus is our counselor. This means that he counsels us. We listen to his words and he guides us through this life as a shepherd guides his sheep with a rod and staff. He draws us to repentance, forgives our sins, and guides us in the path of righteousness.
“Mighty God.” Jesus is our God. This means we trust in him with all our heart, soul, and mind. We rely on him for all things. We trust that God will give us all good things for the sake of Jesus, who died for us. The greatest of these things is the forgiveness of sins and eternal life.
“Everlasting Father.” Jesus teaches us that if we have seen him, we have seen the Father. Scripture makes clear that the Father and the Son are two distinct persons in the holy Trinity and Jesus is God the Son. He is not God the Father. The Father was not born of the Virgin Mary nor did he die on the cross for your sins. Yet, Jesus is to us an everlasting Father. He provides for us eternally, as a father provides for his children and rules his household with honor.
“Prince of Peace.” Peace. That is the word proclaimed by the angels at Jesus’ birth. That is the word Jesus declared to his disciples when he rose from the dead. Peace. Not as the world gives. This is peace the world cannot understand, peace between God and man. This is peace that can only be won through the shedding of Jesus’ blood, which removes every stain of sin from our souls. The Prince of Peace does not win peace for us by conquering our enemies with bombs and missiles. Our real enemies cannot be conquered by such warfare. Christ Jesus conquers our enemies, sin, death, and hell by removing your sin from you, by giving you eternal life, and by making you a citizen of heaven.
The message of Christmas is for you. God caused it to be written for your benefit. In fact, all of Scripture applies to you and your life. Jesus was born for you. He is your Savior. And all of his words are written for your learning, so that you may grow in faith and confidence in your salvation. We celebrate tonight not just a story that happened long ago and far away. Tonight, we celebrate the Gospel truth that unto you is born a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. Amen.

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Christmas Eve 2017: The Government Shall Be Upon His Shoulder

1/1/2018

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Isaiah 9:2-7
Titus 2:11-14
Luke 2:1-20

"For unto us a child is born,
To us a son is given;
And the government shall be upon his shoulder,
And his name shall be called
Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
Of the increase of his government and of peace there will be no end,
On the throne of David and over his kingdom, to establish it and to uphold it
With justice and with righteousness
From this time forth and forevermore.
The zeal of the LORD of hosts will do this."

And the government shall be upon his shoulder. Yet, this child is born in a stable far away from his parents' home, because the government forced them to relocate to Bethlehem to be registered, so that the Caesar could tax them. It certainly doesn't look like the government is upon this little boy's shoulder. Jesus isn't born in a palace nor even in a great city. And at no point in his life does he even rule a square mile of land to call his kingdom. And Caesar Augustus likely lived and died without even knowing that this Prince was born in the City of David.

So, what does it mean that the government would be upon Christ's shoulder and that his kingdom would be established forever? It sure doesn't look like a mighty kingdom! Well, it isn't an earthly government, as Jesus, himself, said to Pilate, "My kingdom is not of this world." That little baby in the manger has not come to threaten Caesar's reign or even King Herod, who illegitimately sits on David's throne. Jesus has not come to establish an earthly kingdom, but a heavenly kingdom. He has not come to displace physical rulers, but to displace the ruler of this world, Satan, to destroy his kingdom and establish a spiritual kingdom in its place.

A spiritual government is much different than the physical governments we are used to dealing with. Yet, when we speak of God's kingdom being different from earthly kingdoms, we are not saying that God has nothing to do with earthly rule. Rather, every ruler on earth is God's servant. Caesar and Herod, Trump and Putin, even Kim Jong Un. All governments, both good and evil, are God's servants to do good. God established earthly government to curb evil. That is why God has given government authority to punish criminals and to tax. This means that when governments punish criminals, protect their citizens, and carry out justice fairly they are doing their God given duty. However, governments often go beyond their God given duty and abuse their power. Nevertheless, they are God's servants to do what is good.

Jesus does have authority over all the kingdoms of this world, but he has not come to deal with this side of his authority. First of all, all earthly governments are temporary. Had sin not entered the world, God would not have established earthly governments. And since sin will be eradicated once and for all, no earthly kingdom will last forever. The governments of this world do not deal with eternity. The goal of any government is to secure temporary peace. The government's obligation to you is to protect you and your property from criminals and provide justice when crimes are committed. The government does not, however, promise to keep you alive forever. Nor does the government preach the Gospel to you or have any control over your life after death. The government's obligation to you ends once you die.

Not so with Christ's government! There will be no end to Jesus' government. This doesn't just mean that Jesus' rule will endure as each generation passes away, but Jesus will continue to govern even the dead! And so, Jesus has no dealings with the earthly governments even as he comes to establish his own. All these earthly governments will pass away at the appointed time. Christ's government will continue forever.

And so, Jesus does not go to war with our physical enemies or over throw earthly kings. Rather, Jesus wars against our spiritual enemies: sin, death and the devil. And this leads us to another major difference between Christ's spiritual government and earthly governments. Governments here on earth take. They tax, confiscate property, send your sons (and if possible, even your daughters!) off to war. Jesus, however, gives. He doesn't take anything from us, except our sins. He doesn't tax us or make us his slaves. Rather, he comes and serves us in a way no earthly ruler ever would or could.

St. Paul says in our Epistle lesson that we are "waiting for the appearing of the glory of our God and Savior Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for himself a people for his own possession..." The child born is a human being, just like us. Yet, this Son given to us is also our Mighty God. His coming as a baby in a manger glorifies God. That is why the angels sing, "Glory to God in the highest." An earthly king is glorified when his army wins a major battle or if his congress can pass a tax plan. Our God is glorified when God the son reclines in a manger as a little baby.

This glorifies God more than any victory on a battle field could, because this is how God wins the spiritual battle for us. Sin has condemned all mankind. None has escaped sin's poison dart. We are all guilty and deserve God's wrath. We must be punished. So, our God comes and joins our human race. This baby will not grow up to be a mighty prince, but to be a sacrificial victim. He gives himself to redeem us. He took on our human flesh and blood, so that he could give his flesh over to be scourged and his blood to be shed on our behalf. This is why it is so important for all Christians to celebrate Christmas! For us to escape hell, our God needed to give himself for us! And he did! Sleeping in that manger is the only being, who can pay the ransom price for our sins! He is a human being, just like us! This means he is able to live under the Law, which accuses us of sin. This means he is able to die a human death. Yet, he is forever without sin. So, he does not die for his own trespasses, but for ours. And he is the mighty God. This means his death is not merely the death of a good man, but the death of God. Now you see the scale rise. What amount of heinous sins could be measured against the death of God?!

And this is why the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes remains no threat to the governments of Caesar and Herod, yet he sends Satan and his demonic legions fleeing for the hills. He comes to stop God's Law itself from condemning us! This little baby conquers our spiritual enemies by means of his own blood, the only blood that is both human and divine by the mystery of Christ's two natures united in one Person.

Our Prince of Peace purifies for himself a people for his own possession. We, who have received this child in faith are that people. We are the citizens of Christ's heavenly kingdom even now as we live here on earth! We hear often how we are heirs of eternal life and of the kingdom of heaven, which we are. Yet here, the Holy Spirit makes clear through the Apostle Paul that we are Christ's inheritance. We are his special people, which he has redeemed for himself by giving himself as the redemption price! As Jesus himself says in John 10, "My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand." (vss. 27-28) You are Jesus' inheritance. Jesus will not lose his inheritance. Of the increase of his government and of peace there will be no end.

Now Jesus bringing a spiritual kingdom has thrown many people off. It's easy to find an earthly kingdom. How do you find a spiritual kingdom? The angel told the shepherds, "And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger." That is how they knew how to find the Prince of Peace and how to recognize this Spiritual Government, which has come to rule their hearts. But what sign should we mark? How do we know how to recognize God's Kingdom?

In Luther's Small Catechism you learned, "How does God's kingdom come? God's kingdom comes when our heavenly Father gives us His Holy Spirit, so that by His grace we believe His holy Word and lead godly lives here in time and there in eternity." We recognize where God's kingdom is here on earth by recognizing the work of the Holy Spirit through God's Word. How did the shepherds become citizens of the baby Christ's kingdom? They believed the words spoken by the angels concerning Christ. This is the only way you can become a citizen of heaven, through faith in God's Word.

So what signs has God given us? Well, there is Baptism, water and the word. Not only does Jesus command that all nations be baptized, but he promises that it saves, gives rebirth, and washes away sins. So, just as the angel says, "This will be a sign for you, you will find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes lying in a manger," so our Lord says to us, "This will be a sign for you, you will find me in Baptism." And through remembrance of our Baptism, we know that Christ fights for us. Christ gave us the Sacrament of his body and blood to eat and drink. This will be a sign for you, our Lord says, you will find me wrapped in bread and wine, given to you to eat and to drink. Here we receive the fruit of Christ's cross, the food meant for the citizens of his spiritual kingdom.

And so, Jesus' kingdom comes to us today very similarly to how it came to the shepherds that night. The shepherds heard a sermon of good news, the Gospel, from the angel. And then they heard a hymn sung to God by the choir of angels. Then they followed the signs to see Jesus. And so, in church today, we hear a sermon of good news, the Gospel of salvation through Jesus, we sing hymns to God (even the same hymn as the angels sang), and we follow the signs to our Savior.

Jesus continues to rule his kingdom. Yet,he does this through his Word and Sacraments. Jesus doesn't rule from the outside by means of force. Rather, he rules your very heart by making his dwelling there through faith. The shepherds weren't compelled by force to bow down to Jesus as their king. They ran to him with haste, because they believed the message of the angels. Jesus became their Prince of Peace through faith. And through that same faith he governs our hearts by forgiving our sins and giving his Holy Spirit to us without measure.
Let us pray:

Ah, dearest Jesus, holy Child,
Prepare a bed, soft, undefiled,
A quiet chamber set apart
For you to dwell within my heart.
Amen.

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Christmas Eve Sermon: Fear Not. Unto You is Born a Savior

12/28/2016

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Christmas Eve Sermon
Luke 2:1-20
December 24, 2016

What are you scared of? Everyone's afraid of something, right? From itsy bitsy spiders to painful divorce, everyone has something they are terrified of. I had a moment of panic recently when I saw on the news that a terrorist drove a semi-truck into a Christmas market in Berlin, Germany killing a dozen people and injuring dozens more. My brother lives in Berlin with his wife and baby son. Just the off chance of them shopping at that particular market when the truck came barreling through the crowd of holiday shoppers dug a pit in my stomach. (God be thanked my brother and family are safe. Lord have mercy on those unfortunate ones).
So what are you afraid of? Terrorism? Death? Financial ruin? Failure? Embarrassment? Spiders? I'm sure our shepherds had their own fears. Perhaps different from our 21st century anxieties, but these first century herdsmen had fears nonetheless. From lions and bears eating the sheep to the political uncertainty of living in a Roman occupied province buzzing with zealots thirsty for Jewish independence, they had their fears. But I bet all those earthly fears flew out the window when the angel of the Lord shattered the night's darkness before their eyes and God's glory blinded them. The fear that filled them then transcended dinner tables, bank accounts, even earthly kingdoms. They were afraid. St. Luke tells us plainly. But of what were they afraid?
The fear these shepherds experienced is the fear of a sinner struck by the glory of God's holiness. It's the fear of unworthiness before God. This fear rises in the heart when a person is confronted with his own sins, is condemned by God's Law, and threatened with God's wrath and punishment. Yet here no word of Law is even needed. Simply the reflecting glow of God's holiness from the angel so recently in the Divine presence conveys this message and ushers in complete terror.
Scripture records similar instances of this. Moses covered his face in fear when God revealed himself in the Flaming Bush. Isaiah cried, "Woe is me! For I am lost; for I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; for my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts!," (Isaiah 6:5) when he witnessed the LORD sitting upon his throne adored by flying seraphim. And St. Peter knelt before Christ after Jesus caused the Miracle of the Great Catch of Fish and said, "Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord." (Luke 5:8) The realization of God's present holiness is enough to bring a sinner to his knees in consciousness of his own miserable condition.
Of course this fear is not detached from the common fears of man. All wars, betrayal, and fear are mere symptoms of the deep darkness of sin. Inherited sin has plunged us into the dark. It is sin's fault that wars kill, that marriages fail, that money and food run out, that you fear the common elements of this earth. We fear death and destruction, because sin has made it our reality. And this fear points to the fact that God is displeased with our sin, our hurtful and careless words, our wicked thoughts, and the harm we do to our neighbor.
But the angels come not to frighten, but to bring good news for all people. They come to replace the shepherds fear with joy. "Unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord." God has become a man! This is certainly reason to rejoice. Just look at the angel, how ecstatic he is to announce this news! The holy army of angels cannot help but burst into song praising God for this great news. "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, goodwill to men." Why are the angels so happy? God didn't become an angel? What do they have to gain from this night?
The angels constantly serve God. It is their one and only pleasure to be of service to God at all times. What pleases God pleases them. They've heard the prophecies; of the virgin bearing Immanuel, of a Child being born, who will be called "Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace." They are joyful because what God was pleased to do has come to pass.
They sing, "Glory to God in the highest," because God has glorified his name by being true to his word. Now the earth will worship God in the highest through Jesus Christ, the one true Mediator between God and man. "Peace on earth," Christ brings the greatest peace the earth will know. Although wars and bloodshed will continue through the millennia, God forgives his people. His sword of punishment has been sheathed. And this peace will spread throughout the earth until it is completed in Christ's return and God's new creation will live in eternal peace. "Goodwill to men," previously God's displeasure was upon humanity, because of their sin. Now God sends his good pleasure, his very own Son to take away our reproach. It pleases God to accomplish these things and the angels are overjoyed to sing this success into the ears of God and the shepherds.
And if this message brings such joy to the angels, how much more joy should it bring the shepherds, and you and me? As I said before, Christ was not born an angel. Except for their noble desire for God to be pleased, the angels have nothing to gain from Christ's birth. But you do. This is good news of great joy for all people!
Christ's birth as a human being changes your perspective of God. If you were to understand even remotely how severe your sins are, you would be convinced that God hates you. You'd fear his condemnation. But the fact that God has joined our race must put to an end such a notion. The Hymnist Paul Gerhardt writes,
"If our blessed Lord and Maker
Hated men, Would He then Be of flesh partaker?
If He in our woe delighted,
Would He bear All the care Of our race benighted?" (Evangelical Lutheran Hymnary, 115. Stz. 5)
Of course he wouldn't! That the eternal Word became flesh demonstrates God's good pleasure toward all mankind. God loves you! He takes on your very flesh and blood. Why on earth would God's Son come to earth to join our family if he hated us?
Christ's birth forces you to look at God in different light. When the Son of God was born of the Virgin Mary he didn't temporarily take up residence in a human body as an evil spirit, who possesses a body for a while. No, God became man to remain man forever. He is our brother. He's on our team. He joins our ranks to feel our pain, to face our terrors, to conquer sin and death. You can't look to the child in Bethlehem and believe what the angel spoke of him, that he is your Savior, that he is God most High, and still believe that God wishes evil against you. Christ's birth in Bethlehem expresses God's deep love for you.
St. John writes, "There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not been perfected in love. We love because he first loved us." The angel banished the shepherds' fear by proclaiming God's love for them through the child of Bethlehem. And so he seeks to banish your fears. God loves you. It is clear to see!
That God became man also changes your perspective of your neighbor. Are you angry with someone, even hate someone? Know this, God shares that person's flesh and blood. The blood that flows through that person's veins flows too through the veins of your God. Your God has a human body and soul just like that object of your hate. How can we hate our neighbor, whom God loves so much to join himself to so intimately?
Indeed Christ's incarnation should spread peace among all members of our race. That it doesn't, that people still hate and slander, that they even kill, that babies (a group of people Christ joined without shame) are slaughtered in the name of progress demonstrates how desperately we need this baby Jesus. But you Christians, who love this Christ Child, who know that God shows his love to you through him, should also love your fellow man. You know that this message of joy is for all people. You know that we are one family. You know that Christ has joined our one family to be with us forever.
Christ became man to save us from sin, death, and hell and give us peace with God. Yet the fruit of such peace with God through faith in Christ is peace with all people. And though we don't achieve this peace of ourselves, we know God does. And he will. So even in our imperfect lives we strive to live in peace by forgiving those who sin against us, repenting of our sins, and putting the best construction on those for whom God became man.
The angel said, "Fear not, for behold I bring you a Gospel of great joy that will be for all the people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord." Joseph and Mary could have had a much quieter night had the angel not made this announcement. Christ the Savior of those shepherds could have lay sleeping in his manger just a couple miles from them and they could have been none the wiser. But when the angel announced it to them, everything changed. Then the shepherds knew of the great treasure that had come to them that night. It's like if you had a billion dollars in some hidden bank account somewhere, but you had no idea it existed. Would it do you any good? Of course not. Not until that great treasure were revealed to you.
And so it is with you today. You have a great treasure. In fact this treasure is for everyone, even those sad souls who won't come to hear this good news this Christmastide. But if you don't hear that Christ is born in Bethlehem it doesn't do you any good, does it? If you don't hear that God has made peace with you, that he has expressed his love in the most amazing way for you, it doesn't matter to you. You're still lost! God's love is hidden from you.
"The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who dwelt in a land of deep darkness, on them a light has shined." But to those who have not or will not hear the message of the angel, the darkness remains black. Without the Gospel being preached to you, you who sat in darkness will remain in the dark. And in the darkness fear, of the common things of this life and of the judgment of God, will reign.
Everyone needs to hear this news! God became man for all humans. He died for you personally. God accepts Christ's death in exchange for yours. Yet the eternal life earned for you by Jesus can only be received by faith. And faith can only come by hearing the Gospel. There is no other way. The Shepherds glorified and praised God for what they had heard and seen. But had they not heard and seen, they would not have glorified and praised God.
"And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths lying in a manger." The Shepherds believed the angel, sought the sign, and found their Savior. We can't just run over to Bethlehem. And if we could we wouldn't find the baby wrapped in swaddling cloths. That sign was for the Shepherds to seek, but for us to believe. But God has given you a sign, for you to see and feel and glorify and praise God for having seen it. Christ gave his Church Baptism. Through this washing we are joined to God in a spiritual way, which washes away our sins and makes us God's children. Christ has given us a Supper in which we find our Lord. As that young child was wrapped in swaddling cloths, so too Christ is hidden in this sign. We see plain bread and wine. But Christ says, "This is my body and blood." It is our sign. Our sign that God became man and was born in Bethlehem. That that man gave his body to be pierced and his blood to be shed to take away your sins. It is a sign of God's love for you.
So as the Shepherds dispelled of their fear at the angel's voice and ran to see this sign, which had been made known to them, so you are invited to cast off your terrors. God puts an end to them. And you are invited to come and see the sign of God's love for you, Christ's very body and blood, come, eat and drink and have your sins forgiven. Glorify and praise God for what you have heard, seen and tasted. Christ is born for you. He gives his life for you. He gives you his body and blood as a foretaste of the eternal life he has won for you.
Merry Christmas my brothers and sisters in Christ. Now let us go and see this thing, which the Lord has made known to us. Amen.

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"For faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ." ~ Romans 10:17

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