Christmas Eve 2019

Luke 2

December 24, 2019

Zion Lutheran Church + Nampa, ID

Tonight, we heard from several Scripture passages concerning the promise and prophecy of Christ. Promised to mankind from the Garden of Eden. He would crush the head of the Satan. He would be of the lineage of Abraham and through Him all people of the world would be blessed. To us a child is born, to us a Son is given.  He would sit upon the throne of David. He would be born of a virgin. He would He would be born in Bethlehem. While the shepherds certainly had heard of the promised Messiah, they were doing their normal daily work while He was born.  It took the heavenly choir of angels to tell them of the good news of great joy, that on that very night, the promised Christ child was born. Since so much was at stake that the shepherds not fail to recognize the person of the Savior, the angels gave them a sign by which they might recognize Him: You will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger. Rather than the pomp and glory that many expected in the Christ, they hear about diapers and a makeshift crib. Without a doubt, this rang wonderfully in their ears, for they went with haste to see thing that had happened. 

And just like long ago, Emmanuel – God with us – does not come in all the pomp and glory that so many expect.  To our eyes, the means through which Christ comes and meets the world is insignificant. Just as on that occasion, the worthy little child was met by the shepherds, so He still has a crib and swaddling cloths in which one should seek Him. The manger is the Christian Church, which feeds us God’s Word; in that very same Word is Christ; in that very same Word alone is salvation. His swaddling clothes are the Holy Scriptures, in which He wraps Himself, a sign so that we might see Him, for all the Scriptures testify about and point to Him. What is more modest than the water of Baptism and the bread and wine in the Holy Supper? At the same time, through such common signs, God brings forth the greatest of all gifts. So we look with eyes of faith to the promises of God, that He comes lowly and born of a virgin; that we are born from above through washing of Baptism, a rebirth and renewal of the Holy Spirit; that along with the bread and wine of the Supper is the true body and true blood of Christ Himself on which we nurse.

What this means is from the foundation of the world, God’s plan was not to rescue us up out of the sinful world, but rather that God would finally bring heaven and earth together in a great act of new creation, completing the original purpose by becoming a part of His creation.  This He does that so that He could truly be Emmanuel, God with us.  This He does so that His appearing is truly good news of great joy as heaven breaks out into earth. This He does so that He might take upon Himself the brokenness of the world upon the cross, and when stomping on the head of the ancient serpent, Satan, die in order to save, in order to give you eternal life. 

In this Christ Child and upon this holy night, then, Christ gives His life to us, received by faith in Him and faith alone. And like the shepherds, we wait for the consummation, for the fulfillment, of God’s promises as we go about our daily lives. 

Anticipation marked the season of Advent with the foci of hope, faith, joy, and peace. What was anticipated is now fulfilled in the incarnation. Likewise, as Advent bears a longing not only for Christ’s first coming but also for His coming again on the Last Day, so Christmas continues that longing. The hope and promise delivered by the prophets is realized in Bethlehem, yet some of what they prophesied awaits its fulfillment. The life and ministry of Christ will bring some of that fulfillment as Christ brings the grace of God into the lives of His people and especially as He suffers and dies for their salvation. The final consummation of the hope and promise of the prophets will arrive at Christ’s final advent. When He returns, all will be fulfilled. Thus, the Nativity of Our Lord keeps us focused not only upon God humbling Himself 2000 years ago to become man, but also upon the impending return of Christ.

His return promises the exaltation of His people. The great Christian hope is not for us for us to “go to heaven,” but that the life of heaven to arrive on earth. On Christmas, this has taken place. And yet we still wait for the complete fulfillment. The book of Revelation ends, not with souls going up to heaven, but with the New Jerusalem coming down to earth, so that “the dwelling of God is with humans.” The whole creation, declares St. Paul, will be set free from its slavery to corruption.  Our mortal bodies will put on immortality; the perishable will put on the imperishable; death will be swallowed up in victory (1 Corinthians 15:54). That we should be so exalted at Christ’s return, He enters the state of humiliation in His first advent. He humbles Himself to be born of a virgin that He might further humble Himself, becoming obedient to death, even death on a cross (Philippians 2:8).

By His death, God will put the whole world right. He already puts people right, by the Gospel, with the good news that for Christ’s sake, God is pleased with men and shares His goodwill because of His Son.  So repent of your sins. Repent of your lack of attention and waiting well for Christ. Repent of wishing to be the Lord over your own life. And rejoice. There is good news for you tonight. No matter how your Christmas is going, no matter where the Lord has led you in life, Christ is born for you. Christ died for you. Christ lives for you. And Christ is coming again. So as with gladness men of old on this silent and holy Christmas night as all Christians sing, we hear angels from the realm of glory tell of this great and mighty wonder in the little town of Bethlehem, that we would come and adore Him, Christ the Lord.