Christmas
Day - 2016
In the Name of Christ Jesus, our Newborn King +
In the Name of Christ Jesus, our Newborn King +
Christmas
morning is here, and from the manger shines forth Christ Jesus, whose
birth we have been anticipating for weeks now. And it’s here –
the day has dawned, the presents have been opened, and now, we are
gathered at Church, and we pause, and we behold this Christ – so
let us now ask the Lutheran question – what does this mean? Peel
back all the hoopla, the lights, the torn and tossed away wrapping
paper and behold Christ Jesus, lying in a manger. What does this
mean?
In
the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word
was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made
through Him, and without Him was not anything made that was made.
Behold the Word of God, now in flesh appearing. The joy and wonder
of Christmas day isn’t just the joy of a new life being brought
into this world – it isn’t just the joy parents have when they
first hold their child in their arms. No, this child is God. This
child is the Word, the Son, the 2nd
person of the Trinity, God Himself. When you behold Christ Jesus
lying in the manger – you see your Creator. You see the Word of
God which called all of this, that spoke this entire world into
being. That Child is the Creator of all things – as we just
confessed in the Nicene Creed “by whom all things were made.”
And of all the things this God could choose to do, of all the ways
that an Almighty God might appear – there He is. Not as some 10
foot tall powerful giant. Not as the strongest of the strong. A
child, an infant. God, unable to speak. Do you see that – the
Word of God, unable to speak. God Himself, whom gives us all our
daily bread, unable to feed or clothe Himself. God coming not just
as a Man, but as a Man at His weakest, at His lowliest.
What
do we see when we behold the manger? We see God taking up Human
flesh and becoming one of us. But this becoming man, it’s not just
a matter of our God becoming some sort of idealized figure, strong
and buff where everyone sees Him and their eyes get big and they say,
“Boy howdy, that’s the sort of god that a fella could worship –
why, he’s even tougher than Zeus or Mithras!” No – when He
comes as one of us, He comes as one of us. Born, just like all of us
were born. Weak, where even opening His eyes is tiresome and
difficult. This is an experience you and God have in common now,
because that is how He chose to come. God comes down to your level,
to be with you. And why?
In
Him was life, and the life was the light of men. The light shines in
darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.
John drives right to the heart of the matter with these words.
Christ has life. We didn’t. Not since Adam, not since Eve. We
didn't have life - Death was what we sinful men had. Our days on
earth were just a brief flickering, a spark that flared up and then
was snuffed out – grass that withers and fades away. We didn't
have life – we grew old and died. The life that was mankind’s we
lost by sin, and we were thus stuck in death, in darkness. And
that’s where all us sinners would have stayed, except for one
thing.
The
Light of Light Eternal comes into the world of darkness, the world
full of sin, He comes into our world of death in order to bring with
Himself life. In
Him was life, and the life was the light of men.
When you see that Child in the manger, you
are seeing that even though you should die, you will live again.
When you see Christ Jesus held in His mother’s arms, you see and
know that God the Father has not forgotten you, and that He will do
whatever is necessary to hold you again as His own, do whatever is
necessary to pull you out of the darkness which you have stumbled
into, do whatever is necessary to have you restored to Him, and not
just for a day, but forever, for all eternity.
And
so, the Son comes down from heaven, Who for us men and for our
salvation came down from heaven. He comes bringing life with Him.
When you see Christ Jesus, you see one who is truly Man, who is like
us in every way except one – He is without sin. He has no darkness
of His own, He has no death in Him. When He comes, He comes bringing
life, His life to contend against our death. He comes to be
mankind’s champion against the tyranny of death – this is the
combat He wages throughout His ministry, this is the combat He fights
most fiercely upon the cross – this is the combat He wins
resoundingly on Easter day when He strides forth from the tomb alive,
for in Him is life.
This
Child that you see shall grow in wisdom and stature, and He shall go
to the Cross, because until He goes there – Satan had a string tied
to you. Until this newborn King goes to the Cross, He was not yet
your King. He had not yet won you for His own. But see, He comes,
and even when He cannot yet walk, He is striding towards Golgotha,
ready to fight for your life, ready to win you salvation. This One
lain in the manger in the One who will lay down His life so that He
will share His life with you for all eternity. God will save you –
that is what this Child means. He will fight even sin and death and
Satan for you.
And
the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen His glory,
glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.
But this Child who comes to save you, to give you life, He is not
distant. He is not standoffish, He will not brow beat you with how
wonderful He is and how poor you are. No, He comes as lowly as you
are, not so that He can save you and then dump you off on the side of
the road, as though He’s just a nice fellow picking up a hitchhiker
for a few miles – no, He comes to dwell with you and to have you
dwell with Him.
When
you see the Christ Child, know that your life is different, different
from what it would have been. Your life is now a life shared with
God. That is the present reality of your life even now. When we
speak of our life with God, it is true, we are speaking of life
everlasting, life where we will be raised to Bodies like His
incorruptible body, and bask in His presence and Glory – but we
aren’t simply speaking of a being with God at some point down the
road. No – there is more than just that – it is a present
reality.
Christ
is with us now, and what we need to remember is that this is more
than just some sentimental feel good statement – it is reality and
truth. The Word who became flesh is present with us in His Word.
Christ has said that He is present in our midst whenever 2 or 3 are
gathered in His Name for worship. Christ is present in us, for He
has claimed us as His own in Baptism, and we are now His temple.
Christ is even present for us in a way more mind boggling than these.
There is a reason the day is called Christmas – Christ Mass –
because it is in the Supper that we behold the very same thing which
Mary and Joseph and the Shepherds beheld that first Christmas – God
present for us, God in flesh appearing. What is this Supper – it
is the true Body and Blood of Christ Jesus our Lord, given for you.
What is the special focus of Christmas – that Christ Jesus took on
Body and Blood to win you life and salvation. This is what we
receive, what we participate in whenever we celebrate the Lord’s
Supper. This is the reality that we participate in. The truth and
wonder of Christmas is not a once a year occurrence –not something
we only drag out in December, but it shines forth from this altar
every time our Lord gathers us together around His Body and Blood.
Christ
Jesus, True God, has come as a True Man to be with us sinful men, to
win us life and salvation, and to be present with us, be it now in
time or forever in eternity. This is the wonder and joy of
Christmas, this is the reason our voices are joined together this
day, this is what this celebration means. Our God has come to us to
be with us – and thus our lives are changed. We have life and
salvation – because Jesus brings with Him life and salvation. His
victory is our victory, and so we remember Christmas – when Christ
begins His march towards winning our Victory. Thus we come and adore
Him, thus we welcome Him, thus we sing and rejoice. God is our
Savior, and He is here with us. Merry Christmas to all! In the Name
of Christ Jesus, our Newborn King + Amen.
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