Luke 2:1-20 On this holy night that we set
aside to remember our Savior’s birth as the Babe of Bethlehem we see God’s
wisdom guiding the course of history so that his Son would perfectly fulfill
all the prophecies that were made about him and we are comforted that God still
rules this world for the sake of our eternal salvation.
We hear the
angel’s good news that because of Jesus things are right between us and God and
that we have peace with him because our sins are forgiven.
And like the
Shepherds, we feel the Spirit’s call to share that Good News with the world,
giving our life meaning and purpose.
These are the gifts of the ChristChild.
Luke writes that:
…there went out a
decree from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be taxed. (And this taxing was first made when Cyrenius
was governor of Syria.) And all went to be taxed, every one into his
own city. And Joseph also went up from
Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into
Judaea, unto the city of David, which is called Bethlehem; (because he was
of the house and lineage of David:) To be taxed with Mary his espoused wife,
being great with child.
You
can read about Caesar Augustus and Cyrenius and Herod in history books. You can visit Bethlehem and Nazareth and
Galilee. When Luke wrote the biography
of our Lord’s life in his Gospel- and the history of the early Christian church
in the Book of Acts- he took great pains to show that the story of our
salvation happened in real places and times and people.
What God the Holy
Spirit wants us to know is that the story of our Lord’s birth is not myth or
fable—but fact and history. Paul says
that when the fullness of time had come,
God sent forth his Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those
who were under the law so that we might receive adoption as sons.
Every moment of
history. All of the technological
innovations. The rise and fall of
nations-- and the plans of great men—God carefully worked together so that his
promise of salvation was fulfilled with the birth of his Son in Bethlehem. It is through faith in him we are adopted
into God’s family. Luke writes that
while Joseph and Mary were in Bethlehem:
…she brought forth
her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a
manger; because there was no room for them in the inn.
The Savior of the
world that God had promised took on the human flesh of a particular person in a
particular place in a particular moment in time: a baby named Jesus, born in
Bethlehem, while Caesar Augustus ruled the Roman Empire.
Jesus’ birth was
the pivotal moment—and he the pivotal person-- in all of human history. What the world had been hoping for—praying for—searching for --was accomplished one
dark night two thousand years ago as the Savior of the world was born –in- a –shelter- for- animals.
You would think
that such a momentous event would be marked by opulence and luxury—but it was
not—it was cloaked in the deepest humility.
The humble nature
of our Lord’s birth: his peasant
mother—a rough manger for a crib—surrounded by barnyard animals—puts flesh and
bone on the words of our Lord—that he came not to be served—but to serve—and to
give his life as a ransom for men.
The manner of his birth
reveals that he did not count equality with God something to be held onto—but
made himself nothing—taking on the form of servant so that we could become the
sons and daughters of God.
His birth in our
flesh—his death in our place—and his glorious resurrection has reconciled us to
God. Those are the good tidings of great
joy for all people that the angels proclaimed to the shepherds on the night of
our Savior’s birth. Luke wrote that:
…the angel said unto
them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall
be to all people. For unto you is born
this day in the city of David
a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. And
this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling
clothes, lying in a manger.
Already
in these first moments of Jesus’ earthly life the reconciling, redeeming work
that Jesus came to do was on full display.
The angels of
heaven tell the Good News of a Savior—to lowly men—and all of heaven
rejoiced to see that great chasm of sin and death that separated us from God
was bridged by the perfect, holy life
of Jesus.
It
was not an accident that the Good News of our Lord’s birth was first proclaimed
to lowly shepherds. In that day and time
they were the least among men-- and in their lowliness --they are
representative of us all.
We may have all
kinds of pretenses—we may regard ourselves as a cut above everyone else—we may
look down upon others—but who we truly are-- is who we are in God’s sight. And God says that, by nature, we are his enemies—by
nature we are unworthy of the least of his many gifts—by nature we are the dust of the earth and to the dust we will one
day return.
And yet, God
condescends to bestow upon the lowliest- the greatest gift of all—the gift of his
Son Jesus—and in the angel’s announcement of this world-changing event we are promised that this gift of God’s
Son is for us too.
No longer do we
have to stand before God guilt-ridden and ashamed—no longer does his great glory
reveal only our lowliness—but the sign of a baby lying in a manger reveals
peace now exists between us and God.
Luke writes that:
…there was with the
angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, Glory to God
in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.
The Father’s
saving plan was accomplished-- and just as the multitude of the heavenly host
rejoiced that Christmas morning, knowing that the restoration of the world had
begun—so do the heavenly hosts still rejoice with singing each time a sinner is
restored to their heavenly Father through faith in his Son.
Glory to God in the highest and on earth
peace, good will towards men were not just the words to the heavenly anthem
sung by the angels at our Lord’s birth-- but they revealed God’s gracious
attitude towards man on account of his Son.
God’s true glory
is not the shaking of mountains and the roaring of the sea and the fire and
lightening of Sinai. God’s true glory is
the newborn baby of Bethlehem and the dying man of Calvary and because of him we
really do have peace with God that passes all understanding.
Every bit of the precious
gift of salvation that is given to us in Jesus, God intends be shared with
others. St.
Luke writes that the shepherds:
…came with haste, and
found Mary, and Joseph, and the babe lying in a manger. And when they had seen
it, they made known abroad the saying which was told them concerning this
child. And all they that heard it wondered at those things which were told them
by the shepherds.
God has never
promised an ongoing heavenly choir that will proclaim the greatness of his love
to every time and place. That night’s
recital was a singular event seen by only a few lowly shepherds.
And yet the
message of that heavenly choir is a message meant by God to continue to
ring out throughout the world. It is a
message that he has entrusted to us to share with others.
Each Lord’s Day we
are invited to do just as the shepherds did—to come and see. We come into the presence of the Lord and we
hear his voice as his Word is preached. In
Holy Absolution we receive the gift of forgiveness that he came to bring. In Holy Communion we kneel in his presence as
he comes to us in bread and wine just as surely as the shepherds kneeled at Jesus’
manger. We worship him as they did.
But we do not
remain here in the glow of candles while so many around us remain in darkness. Instead, we go out into the world just like
the shepherds did, bearing the Good News that there is grace and peace for all
people on account of Jesus.
The Lord has made
this Good News known to us and he has entrusted us with the mission to make it
known to the world. And so our worship
of Jesus—which is real and deeply personal, is never an end unto itself because
God’s love in Christ is not just for a few folks—but for the world. Luke writes that Mary:
…pondered [all these
things] in her heart. And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising
God for all the things that they had heard and seen…
As
it was for Mary and the shepherds, so it is for us tonight. The gift that God has given in his Son Jesus
Christ is for each and every one of us.
It is intensely personal. We know
our own sins that need forgiving. We
know our own worries that need comforting.
We know our own burdens that need lifting. Just like Mary, we ponder in our hearts what
Good News it is for us that Christ is born and glorify and praise God for his
mercy.
But our individual
faith in God’s Son always draws us into a worshiping, witnessing community of
believers just like the shepherds—glorifying and praising God for Jesus and
sharing that Good News with the world.
May God grant that
this Christmas season will be an opportunity for us to be renewed in our own
faith—but also re-committed to the church and her mission in the world. Amen.
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