Luke.2.29-32; First Sunday after Christmas; December 28, 2008

“Lord, now you are letting your servant depart in peace, according to your word; for my eyes have seen your salvation that you have prepared in the presence of all peoples, a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and for glory to your people Israel.” Luke 2:29-32 (ESV)

(From “Emmanuel, God With Us”)

Grace and peace to you from our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

The last winter, in South Dakota, my family and I were sitting in the living room enjoying a video. The wind was howling out side and the snow blowing against the window sounded like sand. Just as the credits began to roll, there was a flicker in the lights… then another, and finally the lights went out completely… and it was dark. Not just a little dark either, I mean really dark. Fortunately, the lights were only out a few minutes and they flickered back to life again. After a few other threats, they stayed on for the remainder of the night. You know, there is just something people don’t like about the dark. That’s why night-lights were invented. That’s why the hall light burns out long before the lights in the kid’s rooms. That’s why horror movies are always set at night.

But there is also something we like about the darkness. In the dark, we can’t be seen. We can be quiet and alone. And if you’ve been in the dark for a while you don’t want the light. Think about turning that bedside lamp on first thing in the morning. The alarm has dragged you from sleep, but your still warm and comfortable. Suddenly the light click on and you shield your eyes from its invasion. It almost hurts until you become once again accustomed.

For a long time the whole human race was very much in darkness. People didn’t really know where they were. We didn’t know why. And many people tried to figure out the reasons, but no one found it. Some of the time we were afraid, in the dark, but sometimes we were very comfortable. Then a light did come into our darkness. It shown so brightly that none of the darkness was left at all. Jesus Christ is our Dayspring and the Desire of Nations.

Why is it that there is so much suffering in the world? Why do bad things happen to good people? Why is it that so many people wander around their whole lives wondering who they are? What am I suppose to do with my life? Why do people die, especially my close loved ones? Why do I have to die? Life is full of questions like this. Maybe we’ve come to expect them. Maybe we’ve become comfortable with them. But it seems that in a good and perfect world we would not have questions like that to ask. Something’s not right, something is wrong in the world.

Well, the world is in darkness. It’s like a shadow that covers over everything. Just like all darkness it makes it hard to see what’s real. And even though we know there is something wrong we can’t see what it is. Like sitting in a darkened room, you can’t see what’s around you. And you know what it’s like to drive the roads at dark, knowing that lurking in the darkness just outside your headlights are dear waiting to dart out in front of you. It’s dangerous driving.

God’s Word tells us about the darkness in the world. It’s called sin. Sin is a blindness that has affected all people. It ‘got dark’ when Adam and Eve decided that they wanted the ‘knowledge’ to judge good and evil on their own. They thought that that knowledge would let them see more clearly. But in reality, it blinded them to God and His desire for their lives. They separated themselves from God by saying that they wanted to be their own judge of right and wrong. But that’s something that only God can really say, and that separation has been a real part of every human life ever since.

The advent hymn Oh, Come, Oh, Come Emmanuel talks about our Dayspring. Oh Come, Our Dayspring! We sing right here in the middle of our darkness. Oh Come, our Dayspring from on high, and cheer us by your drawing nigh. Disperse the gloomy clouds of night, and death’s dark shadows put to flight. Jesus Christ has come into our dark world and He has brought true light. God has always been about bringing light. Remember God’s first words in the bible? Let there be light! Through Jesus God has spoken those words again. Let there be light! Let people see. Let them see that disease and suffering and death are not the way the world is supposed to be. Let them see that things are not right. Go, my beloved Son, and be the light that takes their darkness away. Be their Dayspring.

One of the worst things about darkness it that it hides those we love from us. You know what its like to try to find someone in a crowd; and if the crowd is in a dark room its even harder. Darkness separates from people. In darkness we are alone, stumbling around looking for a friend, a mate, or just someone to talk to. Sin, the real darkness in the world, has made it much harder to find each other.

It’s because of sin that we can’t see each other clearly. We can physically see other people. But we don’t know what they are thinking. We don’t know what people really want from us. How many of you had a crush on someone when you were young? It’s called a crush because is pushes everything else out of your mind. You spend endless hours trying to find answers to your questions of: Does she feel the same? Do he really like me? But primarily the most important thing about a crush, the thing you spend the most energy on is keeping it secret. You don’t want to rush out and speak your feelings, because you don’t want to be seen as foolish. So you keep your secret in the dark. And really all of our relationships are like that. We spend a great deal of time and effort trying to discover what people mean when they say certain things. We argue over the smallest thing because of a simple misunderstanding. Marriages end because the spouses don’t ‘understand’ each other anymore. Without God, without Jesus Christ, people are disconnected from one another, hiding alone, living in darkness.

When the light shines in our darkness, we are not alone anymore, we can find each other again. When we are at one with God, through Jesus, He binds our hearts together as one. Jesus brings light to the troubling questions of life: Who am I? What should I be doing?

Who are we? We are God’s precious creation, loved by Him dearly. He shows us the great extent of His love by sending His only son to die and be separated from Him instead of you and me. He sends His Son into our dark world to shed light on you and show you that you are His. God made you His very own child in baptism. That’s where God snatched you out of darkness into His wonderful light.

Where are we going? We are going to be in the light forever. That is the light of Christ. We are on our way to city where there will never be any darkness. And right now you have a great purpose. You are a light in the dark world. You are a light pointing to Jesus Christ; showing people that their darkness can have an end.

It’s not always easy to see the light. Our lives are full of dark moments that we’d rather not have to live in. But God shines the light of Jesus on your life through His Word and Sacraments. Through these things, He keeps you focused on the true light of the world.

You have been placed in the light through faith in Jesus Christ. He is the Dayspring that will dawn on a new world. He is coming again, and when He does, all that is dark, evil, and sinful will pass away forever. And we will join with all those who have faith in Him, past, present and future, one in the light of Jesus Christ. Amen. Come Lord Jesus, Come! Amen.

The peace of God that passes all understanding keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Amen.

Christmas Eve, 2007, Luke 2.19

But Mary treasured up all these things, pondering them in her heart. (Luke 2:19, ESV)

Grace and peace to you from our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

I once heard about a child who told the story of Christmas. I don’t remember all the ins and outs of it, but I do remember one phrase. Mary treasured up all these things and pounded them into her heart. Well, it makes a certain amount of sense doesn’t it? What second grader is going to know or understand the word pondering? Now, she probably understood the idea of pounding something. If she had brothers, she’d probably even been on the receiving end of a pounding. Her brothers had something they wanted her to know, so they pounded her till she remembered it. That was an object lesson in the making. Mary, the mother of Jesus, pounded these things into her heart. I’m sure she did. All these wonderful events; shepherds, angels, magi, special travel arrangements made in the middle of the night, these things didn’t happen every day. God’s hand in the birth of her child wasn’t subtle. Mary was probably the first human being to really understand the meaning, the reality of God coming into the world in human flesh. She suffered the pains of child birth when God was born. She knew these events were events to be remembered. She pounded them into her heart. When she held the infant Jesus in her arms and fed him at her breast, she must have been overwhelmed to hold God, feed God, and change God’s diapers. She pounded these things into her heart. When she and her husband took him to the temple to be circumcised, on the eight day, when he cried at the pain, at the first shedding of his blood and the prophet told her that her heart would be pierced; she pounded these things into her heart. As he grew, learned to walk and talk, skinned his knees, worked with his Joseph, laughed and played and cried, just like any other completely human growing baby boy; she pounded these things into her heart. When he was twelve and stayed behind in the temple wowing the scribes and the Pharisees with his knowledge of God and his understanding of scripture. She and Joseph were in a panic when they couldn’t find him. They were angry, but soon they understood. Jesus was doing what he had come to do; she pounded these things into her heart. When Jesus ministry began in earnest, when he turned water into wine, when he healed the sick, when he preached to the gathering crowds, he spoke with authority showing he wasn’t just an ordinary prophet; she pounded these things into her heart. She’d need to remember all these things. Her son, isn’t just any human baby, he is the son of God. He wasn’t born to live a life for his own sake. He lived his life for her. He live his life for you. Mary, Jesus’ mother, saw all these things first hand, she saw Jesus living his life for sinful human beings. She saw God’s love expressed in human form. She saw grateful human beings reacting to God, in the flesh; she pounded these things into her heart. So, with Jesus standing bleeding from thorns in his scalp, torn flesh from the Roman scourge, bruises on his face from being pounded with human fists, she recalled the things she had stored up in her heart. She maybe didn’t fully understand why God-in-the-flesh would allow himself to be treated so, but she knew who he was. And so this too, she pounded into her heart. She remembered Simeon’s words about the pain she would endure. With each blow of the hammer that pounded a nail into Jesus hands and feet, she felt the pain she was warned about, a mother’s pain. And yet it was nothing compared to the pain that her son, Jesus bore. You see, this her son, the God-man, Jesus Christ, was born of the virgin for this very purpose. The life he lived, the life Mary pounded into her heart, was lived with the purpose of suffering the guilt and shame of sin. He lived his life to suffer the death of sinful men. What Mary saw on the cross, wasn’t just her son, it was her Savior. With all of his life stored in her heart, what she saw on the cross was the sinless Son of God; God, himself, restoring a relationship to his people. God doing what was necessary, what you and I, (and she) can’t do for ourselves. Jesus Christ, true-God, conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, crucified dead and buried; And Mary saw it all, and pounded these things in her heart. But it wasn’t over. The joy Mary felt at the birth of God’s son, was given in full measure when he rose again. Then she understood fully what God had done through her son. All that she had pounded in her heart came flowing out in joy.

But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons. And because you are sons, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, “Abba! Father!” (Galatians 4:4-6, ESV)

Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. (Philippians 2:5-11, ESV)

So, this evening, what are you pounding into your heart? Christmas gifts, or the Christmas gift? As you listen to the account of your Savior, do you hear about the Savior for you? Do you pound Jesus Christ and his life, death and resurrection for you into your heart?

Think on Jesus, the son of the Virgin, God in the flesh born for you, and pound that into your heart. Think about Jesus keeping God’s law perfectly for you and pound that into your heart. Think of Jesus suffering for you, think of Jesus dying on the cross for you for the forgiveness of your sin, and pound that into your heart. And pound into your heart the joy that Jesus promises to come again. You will live with him forever.

I guess the little girl had it right. Mary kept all these things and pounded them into her heart. Amen.

The peace of God that passes all understanding, keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Amen.

The Nativity of Our Lord, December 25, 2006, Luke 2:1-20,

Luke.2.1-20

Christmas Day, 2006

St. John’s Lutheran Church, Howard, SD

And it came to pass in those days, 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. And so it was, that, while they were there, the days were accomplished that she should be delivered. And 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. And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid. And 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. And suddenly 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. And it came to pass, as the angels were gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds said one to another, Let us now go even unto Bethlehem, and see this thing which is come to pass, which the Lord hath made known unto us. And they 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. But Mary kept all these things, and pondered them in her heart. And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, as it was told unto them. (Luke 2:1-20, KJV)

Grace and peace to you from our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

Well, it is finally Christmas. The time has arrived; the packages and presents have been opened. It is a joyous season, a very joyous holiday. It’s nice to have family around, all the holiday hassle seems to be worth it as we see our families sitting with us around the dinner table. The hours of work, Christmas baking, shopping and wrapping are all behind us. It all seems, at that moment, to have been worth it. Next month is a different story… But, today is Christmas! It is almost an anti-climax. Our attention has been very focused on our gifts, our families, and wondering if it will really be a ‘white Christmas.’ It’s easy to get wrapped up in the holiday, the family gift exchange, and the Christmas tree. It is wonderful that so many people celebrate this day… the day that a baby was born in Bethlehem. It’s great that people, who don’t even believe, celebrate. It has truly become a part of our American culture.

All the lights, all the carols, all the glitter and decorations, the sense of community… peace on earth; now to be sure, there’s nothing wrong with any of that stuff and it’s great to enjoy it, as a matter of fact we should! We should enjoy it; we should revel in it, even more than anyone else. But don’t forget that for some this holiday is only a time for family… only a time for gift exchanges… only a time to wish peace on the world. But, for us it is different. As we listen to this very familiar story we should remember the most important words that are in it.

For unto you… for you…

It is these words that reach out across time and drag us back to the dark fields where shepherds stood and trembled. It is these words that make the rag wrapped baby shivering in the cold important. It is these words that tell us that something wonderful has truly happened. And that it has all happened, for us.

But still the message of Christmas is wrapped up in the tinsel and paper of the season. Sometimes we find it hard to remember what the season really means… for us. Maybe if we were actually there, standing in that field with the Shepherds, we’d have a better appreciation of that message. Maybe if we understood what it meant for the shepherds maybe we’d better understand what it means for us.

The night was dark, not dark like here, where even the lights of Howard fade out the blackness of the sky, (How many of you went out of town last week to see the Aurora?) but really dark, like black velvet. Each star in the sky can be seen clearly as a pinpoint of light. There is time to notice each one. Shepherds have one single luxury in their lives… time to think, and time to contemplate the universe and especially their place in it. Because, for a shepherd, the world isn’t a very welcome place. It isn’t just the smell of sheep that keeps people away. Their occupation is on the very bottom rung. Little boys didn’t grow up wanting to be a shepherd. People who were shepherds were outcasts. They weren’t welcome in town. They weren’t allowed at social gatherings.

To say that the appearance of an angel to shepherds was surprising is to not say it strong enough. It is nothing short of miraculous. It certainly surprised everyone who heard about it later, And all they that heard it wondered at those things which were told them by the shepherds. But maybe the most surprised were the shepherds themselves. They were certainly afraid. They knew their place in the society of the day; they also knew their place before God. Few people would have the perspective of shepherds in that respect. Certainly not people who were accepted.

Maybe this is where we have trouble with the story. Maybe we don’t see ourselves standing there trembling in the presence of God, like they were. Maybe we don’t identify with them. We more likely account ourselves among the Kings. That’s our pride isn’t it? What the shepherds understood, that maybe we don’t, is exactly what it means to be outcasts, to be separated. Most of us have been in the ‘presence of God’ our whole lives. Most of us were baptized as young children and have never felt ‘apart’ from God. But as surly as their social standing kept the shepherds out in the fields, sin pushes human beings away from God.

From that problem we ourselves are not immune. It’s easy to see the ‘shepherds’ around us. Undesirable people… the lazy and unemployed, who spend their money on lottery tickets and cheap beer. People who don’t care about their appearance. People we prefer to help from a distance. What we don’t like is to see those undesirable traits in ourselves. Well, we know they are there. We just don’t like to admit it in the open. But we know our selfishness, our proud attitudes, our tempers… our sin. Sin is no respecter of social class. The sin that plagues shepherds is the very same as the sin plagues you and me. When we stand in the presence of God, our sin deserves punishment. If we understood that clearly we too, would tremble there with the shepherds.

“Don’t be afraid!” the angels said. In spite of what you deserve, there is Good News for you!” It’s good news for shepherds, outcasts from Jewish society. They were sinful people keenly aware of their status, keenly aware of their sin. “In fact this Good News is so good that it is for everyone!” It’s for shepherds… it’s for me… it’s for you!

For you… today… Christmas day… a Savior has been born. God will not tolerate sin and its effects on people. He can not have his beloved people separated, and outcast from him. What makes Christmas day Good News is that Jesus Christ, God’s answer to sin, is born for you! The very same Jesus, found by the shepherds in the stable, is found there for you. The very same Jesus, who gave himself up to the cross for shepherds, has given himself up to the cross for you. Sin that troubles you has lost its power, because of Jesus, born to Mary and announced to shepherds. Because of Jesus, who’s first home on earth was a place for animals, and whose first visitors were outcast shepherds, you have a place with God, and your sin will not separate you from him.

Do you need more than that? There is more… it’s one thing to look back to a time so far removed from us, to a dark field flooded by the light of angels, and to try to see what that means for us. It is one thing to picture in our minds God made flesh, wiggling in a manger surrounded by shepherds, sheep, and cows. It is quite another thing altogether, to have him here present with us right now. But Jesus Christ is here with us now just as he promises. “I am your Savior, where two or three are gathered in my name I am with you. My very body which was laid in a manger, which was given for shepherds, is given and shed for you for the forgiveness of your sins. Take it and eat it. Touch it and feel it.”

So what effect did this message have on the shepherds? What did it mean for them that God had sent a savior for them? They went around telling everyone what God had done. They shared it ‘abroad,’ everywhere! People everywhere where amazed. Maybe you can even imagine what they said. “The Savior of the world has come! He has come for us! He has come for you!” Notice how it doesn’t say that the shepherds shared their story with only other shepherds. They shared it with everyone, regardless of social class and status. They may have returned to their sheep, they may have returned to their regular jobs, but they were completely changed. The angel’s message that first filled them with fear now filled them with joy. That joy overflowed all around them. I can’t imagine the fields around Bethlehem being quite the same ever again.

Have we been changed like the shepherds were? Is our joy in Christmas wrapped up in the gift exchange, the lights and carols? Or do we shout out with joy that a Savior has been born for us. Will we return to our work places the same as we were before, or will we announce to everyone the Good News, like the shepherds did?

Joy to the world the Lord is come! Shout it out loud. Sing it to the rafters. Remember what it means that ‘God and sinners are reconciled.’ Glorify God for what you have seen and heard on this day. This Christmas day when God announces to shepherds and to you that Jesus is born… for you. Amen.

Christmas Day, Titus 3:4-7, Dec 25, 2005

Titus3v4-7
Christmas Day, 2005
St.  John’s, Howard, SD
4But when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared, 5he saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit, 6whom he poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, 7so that being justified by his grace we might become heirs according to the hope of eternal life.  Titus 3:4-7 (ESV)
Grace and peace to you from our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.
One of the greatest joys in the world is looking at, or even holding, a baby.  It doesn’t matter what kind of a mood you are in, when you get a baby in your arms you automatically go into ‘care’ mode.  Anger drips away as you look into a baby’s eye.  And if it smiles at you, all you can do is melt.  If the baby is your own flesh and blood, if you carried it those nine months of nurture, that baby may even hold the whole future in it’s face.  It’s impossible to fell bad or think evil thoughts as you look at a baby in your arms.  
I think that’s one of the reasons why people like Christmas so much.  It’s all centered on a baby.  It’s what makes the holiday cross over so many boundaries.  People understand Christmas, because they understand babies.  And they relate to it.  If you say to people, “the goodness and loving kindness of God is shown in that baby in the manger.”  They’ll pretty much know what you are talking about.  A baby is goodness and loving kindness personified.  If someone were going to make a new designer holiday, the best kind would be one that was wrapped up in the symbolism of a baby.  
Christmas isn’t a designer holiday, or even a manufactured holiday.  But it is about a baby.  It’s a holiday about a real live baby not a symbolic one or a pretend one.  All those years ago in that stable a real live mother actually gave birth to a real live flesh and blood baby.  I’m sure that Mary and Joseph had many of the same feelings, fears and joys that all parents have when a child is born.  And when they held their baby in their arms, they were looking the future in the face.  Right there in their presence was the goodness and loving kindness of God.  They could reach out and touch it, and hold it, and caress it.  It’s as if God were saying, as much as you love this baby, I love you.  As much as you will be father and mother to him, I care for your.  Yes, that baby, born in an animal shelter is God’s declaration of how much He loves human beings.  
And it seems that love is a part of the holiday, too.  You see things in people this time of year that you don’t see any other time.  In some ways, we get the feeling that this time of year shows the ‘real character’ of people.  They just seem to care more, help more, and love more.  Red buckets are hung by ringing bells, toys for tots are stuffed in boxes all over town, people even give more blood at this time of year than any other.  It’s nice that, for a few weeks at least, people show that kind of love for one another.  But before we pat ourselves on the shoulders for a ‘job well done’ we should remember that even a full year full of Christmases wouldn’t be enough to make up for all the ugliness, pain and selfishness that people inflict on one another for the rest of the year.  Christmas good deeds aren’t the ‘real character’ of people.  The ‘real character’ of all people is sin.
Actually, we are exactly the opposite of the ‘goodness and loving kindness’ shown to us at Christmas time.  How many different ways have been invented by people to cause each other pain?  Christmas joy is the blip on the radar; it’s the exception not the rule.  A quick perusal of the news will confirm it.  The top stories of most every day show the dark nature of human beings.  Murder, theft, abuse, and greed top the list of evils.  And worst of all, children are often the targets of those same evils.
Now, let’s make it personal.  It’s one thing to point to the world out there and say that it’s full of evil people, it’s quite another to turn that finger on ourselves.  But that’s exactly what we have to do.  We can see our own guilt very quickly by just looking at one of God’s Ten Commandments.  “You shall not kill.”  It says.  Jesus, that lovable little baby accuses us when he says, “22But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother will be liable to judgment; whoever insults his brother will be liable to the council; and whoever says, ‘You fool!’ will be liable to the hell of fire.  Matthew 5:22 (ESV)” Who among you hasn’t been angry?  I know I’ve been angry with someone and recently, even during the month of December!  The time when there is suppose to be ‘peace on earth,’ the peace was shattered by anger.  Insults are the same and even calling someone a fool.  What Jesus is really saying is that you don’t have to spill someone’s blood to violate God’s will for your life.  Just like everyone else on the planet, your ‘real character’ isn’t shown at Christmas.  There is blackness in your heart that you can’t erase with any amount of ‘good deeds’ at Christmas time.  No matter how much ‘good’ you do, that evil will still be there and will spill out again.  
You might be able to fool the people who live around you by doing good things, but God sees your heart.  God sees my heart.  He sees the evil, the selfishness, and the deceit that is there.  And God doesn’t judge the things we do by how good they are; He judges the things we do by our hearts.  When He looks into our hearts, He sees that we don’t deserve goodness and loving kindness at all.  What we really deserve is punishment.
But it’s Christmas; can’t we put aside that punishment stuff for even one day?  Can’t we just enjoy the “Joy” of the season without talking about sin, death and hell?  Can’t we just look at the stable and revel in the goodness and the loving kindness that we see there in a newborn baby?
That is precisely the point.  The text for this message says when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared, that’s what the Baby is all about, the goodness and loving kindness of God appearing.  It comes in a little baby wrapped in rags.  It comes with poor parents and even poorer shepherds that looked on.  It comes in the middle of a stable instead of a birthing room.  The goodness and loving kindness of God comes in a Baby, Jesus.  We look with loving kindness on this Baby not just because he is a baby, but also because he came for punishment.  
In goodness and loving kindness, God sent Jesus to suffer punishment for us.  That’s the mercy of God.  That instead of punishment for our sin, God punishes Jesus.  We deserve it.  Jesus takes it.  Instead of turning away from you and me, God turns away from Jesus and allows Him to be nailed to the cross, to bleed and die in great pain.  God looks at His Son and deals out punishment to Him, and goodness and loving kindness to you and me.  That’s a different way to look at a baby.  But that’s the only way to look at this Baby.  If we fail to see the Baby Jesus as the one-and-the-same Jesus bleeding on the cross, the joy we have at Christmas is meaningless.  
But God’s goodness and loving kindness goes way beyond the punishment of Jesus in our place.  There is more to what this Baby came to do than die (although that is essential!).  In a few months, we’ll put these white cloths back on the altar again and we’ll say to each other “He is Risen!”  The baby in the manger grows up to die, but more importantly, He grows up to rise again from death.  The loving kindness of God goes so far that God isn’t content with just paying the penalty for our sin; He wants us to live forever.  That’s God’s ultimate act of kindness for us.  He gives us the resurrection of Jesus.  The washing of regeneration and renewal that we read a few moments ago, is God connecting us to the Baby through Holy Baptism.  That’s where God makes us clean; and regenerates us, that is makes us a new person, by making the death and resurrection of Jesus ours.  Our punishment is His and so is His coming back to life is ours.  We inherit eternal life in Jesus.
Now let’s make this personal, too.  Jesus didn’t come only for the multitudes of people living everywhere out there.  He came for you.  That little baby was born in the manger for you.  He lived and He died for you.  The punishment He suffered is the punishment you deserved.  The new life that He rose from the dead to live is yours, too.  You are a child of God!  How do you know?  Well, it’s not because of anything you’ve done.  It’s not because you have a warm feeling in your heart at Christmas time that makes you do good things for people.  Remember he saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy.  You’ve been adopted.  You’ve been washed and regenerated.  God poured out on you all of His wonderful gift of grace when He poured over your head, water together with His words of forgiveness and life.  Baptism is God’s promise to you, that all that Jesus did He did for you.  That’s the goodness and loving kindness of God made personal for you.  
So, all of Christmas is wrapped up right here in the joy of seeing a baby.  When we see a baby, we know what goodness and loving-kindness is.  We know it because we feel it; it’s automatic; it comes with the territory.  Babies bring it out in us.  Maybe that’s part of the reason Jesus came as a baby, to show us that that’s how God looks at you and me.  To show us a love so great that a Baby, Jesus, came to live and die and rise again and give us life forever.  Amen.
The peace of God that passes all understanding, keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.  Amen.

Christmas Eve, Luke 2:1-20, Dec 24, 2005

Luke.2.1-20
Christmas Eve, December 24, 2005
St. John’s Howard, South Dakota
In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered. This was the first registration when Quirinius was governor of Syria. And all went to be registered, each to his own town. And Joseph also went up from Galilee, from the town of Nazareth, to Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David, to be registered with Mary, his betrothed, who was with child. And while they were there, the time came for her to give birth. And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in swaddling cloths and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn. And in the same region there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with fear. 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. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.” And suddenly 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 among those with whom he is pleased!” When the angels went away from them into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let us go over to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has made known to us.” And they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby lying in a manger. And when they saw it, they made known the saying that had been told them concerning this child. And all who heard it wondered at what the shepherds told them. But Mary treasured up all these things, pondering them in her heart. And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told them. (Luke 2:1-20, ESV)
From a sermon by Tim Pauls.
“The Manger”
Go ahead-take a look inside. There's no need for you to be anxious or frightened. Go ahead-take a look: The angels already told you what you will find. You'll find “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, goodwill toward men.”
Look there, inside and you’ll see glory, because God is there and wherever God is you’ll see glory. As you look think about the Exodus, when God led His people out of Egypt by a pillar of cloud and fire. Remember how he parted the Red Sea, and gave Moses the Ten Commandments on Mt. Sinai. There was fire and smoke and lightning. The glory of God can be a terrible and magnificent and wonderful thing. But, the angel said that there is better glory here. God ahead take a look.
Look again, there’s peace on earth there too; and right now with all the talk about war we sure could use some peace. There’s weapons inspections, terror alerts, reports of chemical, biological and nuclear weapons. And it appears from all accounts that we’ll be in the heart of the fighting this time. Look inside the manger again. “Peace through strength,” people say. Peace is just what we need. Look there and see strong peace.
Look inside and you will see goodwill toward men. It’s a tall order these days to even find a “strong will.” Someone who’s willing to stand up against the prevailing culture and speak his mind. Tolerance and acceptance must be accepted at all cost, and disagreement is bigotry. Resolve and purpose are not qualities that are favored these days. And good will… well you’ll be looking for a long time to find someone who has unselfish good will. That really belongs to God alone. It’s ok, look in again. You’ll find good will to men there.
Look in the manger, right there. The angels told you what you’d find: Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, goodwill toward men.
Look inside, what do you see? A baby? But, how can that baby be everything that we’ve been talking about. How can a baby bring help and solutions to the real problems in the world? When you look at a baby you might see hope for the future, but I’m not sure you see, peace and good will.
Babies don’t seem all that glorious either; especially this one, born in a manger with the smell of animals around. His mother is beaming, but the baby in a diaper, breathing quietly, isn’t a commercial for glory.
Maybe peace is found here. After all a sleeping baby may be quite peaceful, for the moment. But the peace can quickly end. Parents know that very well, as they sneak quietly around the house when their children are sleeping. No it doesn’t seem like peace is to be found here either. Not one that ends violence and trouble.
What about good will. You know as well as I do that babies have no will but their own. If your looking for strong resolve for the good of all mankind we don’t see it in a baby either.
You’ve left your flocks, your work behind and walk all the way here looking for what the angels told you you’d find. But you just found a baby. Of course he’s cute, just like any baby is. But the world is full of troubles and problems and you’ve got your share of them. You’ve got sin to deal with too. Satan always makes things harder than they should be. He fills your life with grief, because you all too often listen and believe what he says. Death is out there too keeping track of you. The clock is ticking and every day brings death closer. Babies can’t be of help with problems like that.
It’s time to understand that you are wrong. Instead of living by your ears, and believing what you’ve heard, your living by your eyes. “It’s just a baby!” your eyes tell you, and your experience tells you that babies aren’t much help at all. But your ears have heard differently. The angels sang to you “Glory to God in the highest!” They sang God’s Word to you. Listen to what you’ve heard instead of trusting your eyes.
This baby is glorious, just not terrifying. When God showed himself before he was also terrifying. The baby here hides his true glory in human flesh and blood. His purpose isn’t to terrify, he has come, instead to give glory to God the Father. He is glorious in that manger because he lives up to God’s standards of glory, not human standards. He is glorious in the manger because of what he will do, and because he has humbled himself to do it. His glory will come, as he lives and breaths, like every human being. His glory comes when he suffers and dies on the cross, for every human being. If you think his glory is hard to see now, just wait until he hangs there, on that cross-shaped throne.
This baby brings peace. Not peace through strength, like the world does. The world uses laws that only contain violence. But this baby will destroy evil. He won’t just slow down the devil; he’ll remove him from power completely. He will completely destroy Satan and the curse of sin. He will do that by sacrificing himself on the cross for the sins of the world. That will bring peace between man and God.
And goodwill comes through this baby too. His will is a good will. He will do exactly what he has been sent to do. He will endure hunger in the wilderness, betrayal of his closest friends. He will feel the Roman scourge and the nails that will pierce his hands and feet. This baby is good and his will conform completely to the Father’s will. He is sent to suffer and die for you and for me.  And that’s exactly what he’s going to do.  
So believe you’re ears, in spite of what your eyes may show you. Your ears have heard the angel’s song; they tell you what you will find in the manger: Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, goodwill toward men.
Gloria in Excelsis
The good news sung by the angels is far too good to keep just for one day a year. We sing it often, most of the time when we gather for worship. It’s called the Gloria in Excelsis: “Glory to God in the highest.” We sing it all year round and it’s a way of keeping a little bit of Christmas all year round. You see we don’t want to forget the Glory of God found in the manger. We don’t want to forget the Word made flesh, dwelling among us. We sing it so that we remember.
But we don’t just sing about the past when we sing that song.  Of course, we rejoice in the Baby in the manger, he’s not there anymore, he grew up, walked among people, healing and teaching. We remember the price he paid for us on the cross, but he no longer hangs there either. We remember Jesus in the tomb, but the tomb is empty, He is risen! We remember in this song how he comes to us today, with glory. “God in the highest, and on earth peace, goodwill toward men.”
And we still need help: Jesus Christ has conquered sin, death and the devil. But we still deal with their effects every day. Satan tempts us every day. Our weak sinful flesh battles us every day, wanting us to live in sin instead of the forgiveness won by Jesus. We look forward to the day when Jesus finishes what he has begun. We look forward when they are all sent into hell forever.
Jesus promises help for us. He is as much here as he was in that manger. He is God and man, the “Word made flesh.” When His Word is proclaimed He is there. When His Holy Supper is given He is there also. He is present in His body and blood for the forgiveness of your sins, and for strength and courage to live in the face of sin, death and Satan.
You struggle every day with temptation, sin and guilt and you will as long as you live. Listen to the angel’s hymn gain “Glory to God in the highest; and on earth peace, goodwill toward men.” It rings out to remind us that the Savior is here. He is here to bring peace and goodwill. He comes to you now to bring you the forgiveness he has won for you on the cross.
To tonight we do rejoice. We gather to celebrate the birth of our Savior, Jesus Christ. And even though we only see a baby in a manger, our ears have heard the true story. In that manger is God’s glory. He has come, himself, to bring peace and goodwill, and to reconcile you with God again.
Glory be to God on high, and on earth peace, goodwill toward men. Amen.The peace that passes all understanding, keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Amen.

Nativity of Our Lord, December 25, 2004, Luke 2:1-20

Luke.2.1-20
Christmas Day, 2004
St. John’s, Burt ~ Our Savior, Swea City.
Lk 2:1-20, ESV
(Outline from a sermon by Rev. Donald Deffner)
Grace and peace to you from our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Amen.
Christmas is for children. If you have any doubts, I’d like to point out just a few things to you. First, school’s out. If you are going to do anything that children want, you’ve got to start first with letting school out. There’s nothing better to lift the spirit of a child than to give them free time to play. There’s nothing like “no school” to maximize play time. Add to that six inches of snow, that magical liquid in power form that we’ve been blessed with, just in time to make it a real white Christmas. There is something wonderfully childlike in the air when the ground is covered with a fresh blanket of white. Think about the stories you’ve heard. Think about the “Christmas specials” you’ve seen on TV (although not all are really appropriate for children). All of it is aimed at children. And even the picture of that first Christmas has been made in the images a child can love and understand. Just think of the cubby cherubs, lazy lambs, cozy cows, and dozing donkeys that populate any proper manger scene. They all seem to be made with children in mind. Even here, last night children played a major part of our celebration, by telling the story of Christmas to us again. That’s probably why Christmas is so appealing to so many people. It touches something of the child in us all. And so, Christmas is for children… and that’s not all bad, is it?
So how will you celebrate Christmas this year? What’s on tap for the rest of your day? I think that since Christmas is really for children, the best way to celebrate Christmas is as a child. Actually that is the only way to properly understand and celebrate Christmas. Christmas is for children because it all began with a child being born, and only when we become children ourselves can we look at Christmas and keep it properly.

After all, the familiar Christmas text, this account of Jesus birth is all about a child. There is one point that’s repeated several times. Firstborn son, baby, child... And I think its amazing that these words refer to the Creator of the Universe. Of all the ways God could have revealed himself to human beings, of all the ways he could have chosen to set us back on our heals, of all the ways he could have declared to us who he is, he chose to reveal himself as a little child. Instead of finding God in all his power and majesty (at least as we understand power and majesty), at Christmas time we remember, that we will find [God] wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger, a baby.
When we look in the manger and see that little child there, it tells us something about God, something important about who he is. If you think back to the Bible Stories you may have learned in Sunday school, you might notice that God has been in the habit of working through children. It was a child that told a military captain that he could be healed of leprosy. It was a child that Jesus showed as an example of the stature a person would have to have to enter the kingdom of heaven. A young boy gave up his lunch so that 5000 other people could eat. God often works in ways that are quite different than the ways we would work if we were creator of the universe. And in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, (Heb 1:2, ESV) a child, a baby born in a lowly manger and in lowly surroundings.
For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. (Is 9:6, ESV)
It might be difficult for us to understand that a sweet little baby, wrapped in rags, crying in a food trough, is “Mighty God.” But that’s what we are told. If you come to the manger and peer in from a child’s perspective, with a child’s faith, you’ll know that it’s true. For you and me, it’s impossible to believe with out God planting that faith in our hearts by the Holy Spirit. That’s what happened to the Shepherds. After the angel told them what to look for, they went, they saw, and the told everyone what they had heard and seen.
But not every is ready to see Jesus and receive God “as a little Child.” There were lots of people in busy Bethlehem who were not. The angels didn’t appear to the Roman Legions, they didn’t appear to King Herod or Caesar. They didn’t appear to people in the busy inns and market places. They came to the Shepherds.
So how about you, are you ready to see Christmas from a child’s point of view, with the faith of a child? Can you see the baby of Christmas, for who he is? Can you see why he has come?
Remember what Jesus said, Truly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child shall not enter it.” (Lk 18:17, ESV) This is the only way to see him. This is the only way to have Christmas and eternal life through Jesus. But, everything in your nature shouts out against it, your pride, your ego and your need to be self reliant.
It is a childlike faith that admits “I need a Savior.” A child like faith that admits, “Without Jesus I am lost. I am a sinful person. I sin against God daily, in thought word and deed. I don’t deserve God’s forgiveness and I can’t earn it.” It’s that same faith that holds on to the promise of God that also comes with the child in the stable. “I have a Savior. He has done everything for me.”
The biggest obstacle to a child like faith is wanting God to be who we want him to be. We want Him on our terms and by our conditions. We want to live our lives without interference, unless we are in trouble. We want to think we know what’s best for us.
In faith we come to the stable this morning, knowing what we need because we know what’s in our hearts. We come to this baby, clinging onto him with a childlike faith that says, “This child is my Savior from the sin that fills my heart. This child is God’s promise to me and the whole world.”
Is there something that’s getting in the way of your Christmas joy today? Is there an empty place at the Christmas dinner table? Are you afraid and unsure what this next year will bring? Does your heart ache over a broken relationship that you can’t repair? Look with childlike faith at The Child. There, you’ll see God’s love for you, in a way that you can understand and feel and hold on to. The Child is God for you. Wrapped in the blanking is the one who is carrying all your sin and all the hurt and pain that goes with it. That peaceful child has come to bring you peace.
As you suffer remember that he too suffered. As you live with sin remember that he was born into a sinful world, to carry your sin and take it from you. He carried it all the way to the cross and he took it into death. There’s a painting I remember that shows the classical manger scene but draped all across it is a dark shadow of a cross. We have missed the greatest meaning of Christmas if we don’t look at the Child of the manger with the eyes of faith, and see also the cross. We can confess it with the faith of a child and say, “This is Jesus, who died on the cross to take away my sin.”
There’s another thing about children. If something wonderful happens to them you can’t make them be quite about it. They’ll tell you all about it, again and again. That’s part of the childlike faith, too. The shepherds did it. They returned to their work glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told them. (Lk 2:20, ESV) I’ll bet those shepherds made known the saying that had been told them concerning this child every day of their lives, over and over again, and whispered it in their last breath. They had seen the Christ, the very day he was born. God had told them it was so through angel song. That’s the kind of thing you can’t hold in, especially when you have faith like a child, especially when you see Christmas from a child’s point of view.
Christmas is for children. There’s no secret to seeing Christmas from a child’s perspective. It’s what children do naturally. They do it because they are children. You are God’s very own child, connected to God through a childlike faith in Jesus. It is childlike when you remember that Jesus is God’s gift to you. When you gaze on that baby in wonder remembering that he was born, lived, died and rose again for you, that’s really seeing Christmas with the faith of a child. Amen.
The peace of God that passes all understanding keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Amen.