Christmas Day 12-25-09

The Church Season of Christmas,
Christmas Day,
Our Savior Lutheran Church, Midland, MI (December 25, 2009)
One Year Series

“To You a Savior is Born”

Readings:
Micah 5:2-5
Titus 3:4-7
Luke 2:1-20

Sermon Form: Deductive

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Grace, mercy and peace be to you from the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, Amen

The text for today is as recorded in the Gospel Lesson from the 2nd chapter of Luke, especially verses 10 and 11.

10 And the angel said to them, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of a great joy that will be for all the people. 11 For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.”

Our Gospel lesson tells us of the journey of Joseph and Mary to city of David, to Bethlehem, where angels announce the birth of Jesus, the Christ. We hearken back to the day of Jesus’ birth as we sing our favorite hymns, “Silent Night”(LSB #363), “Hark the Herald Angels Sing”(LSB #380), “Joy to the World”(LSB #387), and “Of the Father’s Love Begotten.”(LSB #384) The angels came to announce the birth of Jesus Christ, Son of God, who chose to dwell among us. He came to us one day in Bethlehem to complete God’s eternal plan, Christ’s earthly journey of life and death, which would conquer sin for all time.

The Gospel message is clear, Christ the Messiah who was with God in the creation, descended from heaven and came to earth to dwell among us. angels appeared in the darkness of the night sky to shepherds in the field, where they were minding their flocks. Then the silence of that night was broken by the appearance of angels. The shepherds were filled with great fear, but the angels calmed the shepherds and told them of the birth of their Messiah. The news proclaimed to the shepherds from angels above was one they knew well. For the coming of the Messiah was well known, Israel had been waiting a long time for the One who would fulfill all the prophecies.

These shepherds, the guardians of their flocks, had probably heard before the words of the Prophet Micah who said: “And You Bethlehem, land of Judah, are by no means least among the leaders of Judah: For out of you shall come forth a ruler who will shepherd My people Israel.”

And the voices of angels this night pointed the shepherds to Word who became incarnate this day, to this child and the kingdom that He rules. But why was this ruler needed and why was He sent? Why did God send His only begotten Son to be born of a virgin, and to dwell among us? Was it to perform miracles, to open the disciples minds to all that was written in the book of law and the prophets? Was this ruler sent to gather troops to begin conquests like those of Old Testament magnitude? The angels gave the answer to all those questions, “to YOU is born this day…a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.” God gave this ruler to us, because of the sin of the world, because of our sin.

It was foretold that a star would come forth from Jacob. That star is Jesus Christ, who would be surrounded by the world’s most prized possessions, gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. But the greatest gift on that first Christmas Day was not what the child received, rather it would be a gift for all who would see and believe in Him, both then and now. This child was sent from God, it was God who gave us the greatest gift of that baby lying in a manger.

This child Jesus was sent for a conquest, to conquer our opponent which we cannot overcome and that is our sin. For is was as a result of sin in the Garden of Eden, that an angel and a sword were placed to guard the gates of that garden, and the tree of life therein.

But, on that Holy night so long ago, the angel came to announce the child who would come to reopen paradise for us. And to give us that eternal paradise, Christ would journey from a wooden manger to a wooden cross. He would journey from the joy of His mother arms, to the pain of the crucifixion. That child came to us on that night knowing of all the events to come, and came to bring us the forgiveness of sins, the most precious gift which cannot be purchased by human effort.

God’s gift, the new King, would be called “Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.” And while this new king now appeared on earth among His people, His Kingdom did not begin or end on this day. The Kingdom that this child rules is eternal. In the words of the Psalms “He has established the world; it shall never be moved; your throne is established from of old; you are from everlasting.” This ruler is the Alpha and the Omega, the one who “was in the beginning with God and through Him all things were made.” It is the kingdom that Daniel had foretold “And in the days of those kings the God of heaven will set up a kingdom that shall never be destroyed, nor shall this kingdom be left to another people. It shall crush all these kingdoms and bring them to an end, and it shall stand forever.” The kingdom that this child brings to us replaces the fallen kingdom of David, and allows us to pass into the promised land, where there is an eternal life in His Name.

At the announcement of His birth of Jesus, shepherds went with great haste to see the Christ child. And when they saw Him they glorified and praised God for all they had heard and seen. The shepherds looked at a baby and saw a King, but where do we look today? We look all around us, the kingdom surrounds us. Just as so many years ago when He was held in loving arms, He now surrounds us and holds us in His loving grace. We see the gift God as He is revealed to us in many and various ways. We see Him as we gather together with our family and friends and we pray, and as we gather in this place each week in the word and in the sacraments, in Christ’s body and in His blood.

Where is the kingdom of God? It is in the Savior whose birth was announced by the angels to the shepherds in Bethlehem. A Savior whose kingdom is far better than any of the gifts of this earth. A Savior who was sent as a precious gift from God, “for the grace of God has appeared, bringing grace to all men.” He brings grace to all of us, for He is Jesus Christ, the long awaited Savior of the world. Today this little baby in Bethlehem gives you the promise that one we will be with Him in paradise, “For unto YOU is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. “

In the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, Amen

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