Christmas
Eve – 2019 – Luke 2
In the Name of Christ Jesus, our Newborn King +
In the Name of Christ Jesus, our Newborn King +
It was
the most normal and typical thing in the world. “The time
came for her to give birth. And she gave birth to her firstborn son
and wrapped him in swaddling cloths.”
To all appearances, this would have been the most typical thing in
the world. A mother giving birth. Happens all the time. They put
pictures of new babies up on the board at Riverside all the time.
And the fact that you are here means that one day a while ago someone
gave birth to you. And plenty of kids were born today. In fact, we
just sent a bunch of beautiful blankets up to the birthing centers at
Riverside and St. Mary because still today you have a kid who is born
and they get all swaddled and bundled up in comfy blankets to keep
them warm.
We know that Jesus being born was special – but just
pause for a moment and consider just how typical and normal this
birth looked to be. Now, remember, typical and normal doesn't mean
“easy” or “ nice” - far be it from any man to call any
childbirth “easy”. But there you have a Boy born in the normal,
typical fashion, just like billions of people before and after Him.
If you had been in that manger watching the birth – and you
wouldn't have been, because they were in the manager so Mary could
have some privacy. (The “Inn” wasn't a Hampton inn with a bunch
of private rooms – it would have been a crowded mess – so head on
out to the barn and have some privacy, and if anyone comes snooping
around I'll give them the back of my hand.) But if you had been
watching that birth, it would have seemed like any other one you
might have gotten to see – and then a mother and her child, the
bonding, the care. Utterly typical.
And
of course, the Shepherds were having an utterly typical, boring
night, out there in their fields, keeping watch over their flocks by
night. Oh, what a boring job – hours, days of tedium only
interrupted if wolves or bears attack. Night shift shepherd was a
lousy job – and there the shepherds were, the low guys on the totem
pole at work, slogging along, when something utterly untypical
happens. And an angel of the LORD appeared to
them, and the glory of the LORD shone around them, and they were
filled with fear.
We don't understand how fearful this would have been – we love
angels – we have angels all over the place, on our tree tops. The
Angels were the mighty warriors of God – and normally if they
showed up, if you saw them, it meant you were dead meat. Even today
if the mobster says that he'll “send you to the angels” that
means you're dead. But more than that – there's the glory of the
LORD – the awesome presence of God that people couldn't abide in
the Old Testament – the glory that departed Israel over 600 years
early – even Moses was fearful in that glory cloud – and these
are just humdrum shepherd... of course, Moses had been just a humdrum
shepherd when God appeared to him at the burning bush. An awesome,
fearful thing – would have terrified any of us.
And
yet, this most terrifying, fearful thing ever - “Fear
not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for
all the people.”
Don't be afraid – it's good news I bring. It's gospel – it's
life and salvation and joy and wonder for all people. Why? Because
on this seemingly utterly typical night, the most wondrous event in
all creation heretofore has taken place. All the promises of the Old
Testament – the promise of God to be with His people, to come to be
their Savior – well - “For unto you” - to
you, for your good shepherds – is born this day
in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the LORD.
God Himself has been born. That typical baby boy is also in fact
God Almighty – God of God, Light of Light, Very God of Very God.
And how will you know Him? Not because He's glowing, not because
there are Angels singing to Him – we'll sing here in a moment,
because this really is cool and we angels have been waiting to see
this play out – but this will be the sign for
you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a
manager. Yeah,
it's that normal looking Kid – the one in the barn. You'll see
Him. But before you go, there's a choir piece. And the angelic
armies – that's what a heavenly host is, an army – this angelic
army sheathes their flaming swords and breaks out into a song of joy
and peace and salvation. Utterly astonishing – most wondrous than
we normally take it for.
And the shepherds go and see, and they tell Joseph and
Mary about the angels, and Mary is left there to treasure this all up
in her heart – because this had to be a ton to take in. And the
shepherds glorified God and praised Him – and then life went on.
And that boy, Jesus, grew in wisdom and stature, and lived perfectly
for us, and fulfilled the Law of God for us, and in order to be our
Savior, He went to the Cross and died and rose, and what the Angels
had proclaimed to the shepherds was fulfilled and true. The Savior
had come, and Salvation was won.
There is, in reality, nothing more mind blowingly
awesome than how our God wins us salvation. He becomes man, and He
suffers, and He dies. This is heady stuff, this is the sort of thing
that befuddles the brightest and most brilliant of people, that still
causes our heads to spin if with think about it too much. God
Himself wins forgiveness! Jesus wins everlasting life. The powers
of hell and death and Satan are undone by this little Child born in
Bethlehem.
And
yet this, the wonder of the ages, a mystery so profound that angels
break out into song over it – it comes to each of us here, my dear
friends, in such simple, typical, normal ways. This salvation that
Jesus won – you don't have to go on some long dangerous trip for it
(although if you've traveled back home for Christmas, we're glad
you're here). This salvation is not some costly thing for us where
we must slave and save our lives away to earn it – oh it cost Jesus
but for us, it is free. And it is given out to us and to our
brothers and sisters in faith all around the globe in hundreds of
thousands of Churches in the most simple ways. The Good News the
angels sang is still proclaimed – Christ Jesus has come and won you
salvation. The gift of Baptism, where you are joined to this Christ
Child and given all that He has – and you don't need a golden font
or frankincense to pull this off – just simple water and Jesus'
Word. The Lord's Supper, where this same Jesus who was born on
Christmas comes to you and gives you His true Body and Blood for the
forgiveness of sins – and all that is needed is again simple bread
and wine and Jesus' own Word.
And why all this? Because the mystery of the ages is
this – that God Himself came down from heaven, and now salvation is
freely open and given to all, in the most simple, commonplace ways.
Wherever there are people – there will be water, there will be
bread and wine, there will be someone to speak the Word. Because
this Jesus is for all, even for us here today. Therefore, in the
Name of the Christ child, born for you, a most hearty and profound
and yet typical and normal Merry Christmas! In the Name of Christ
Jesus, our New Born King +
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