Hold onto the real events of Christmas

Sermon for Christmas Eve

+ Luke 2:1-14 +

Some of you were here nine months ago on March 25^th when we celebrated the Feast of the Annunciation, the angel Gabriel’s announcement to the virgin Mary that she would give birth to the Son of God. Let me read to you what I said in the conclusion of that sermon: “Nine months from today, Lord willing, we’ll be gathered together again, celebrating Christmas, almost certainly in a world that looks quite different than it did last Christmas.” It wasn’t a prophecy, per se, but it was kind of prophetic, don’t you think? And the divine counsel I gave you at that time was this: “So hold onto the things that don’t move, that don’t change.”

We’ve gathered this evening, nine months later, in a world that does look quite different than it did last Christmas. We’ve gathered together because of one of those immovable, unchanging things, to hold onto it and to be uplifted by it. It’s the holy night when to us was born, in the city of David, a Savior who is Christ the Lord.

This may seem like stating the obvious, but in today’s world it bears stating out loud: the Christmas story that you heard tonight from Luke’s Gospel is real. It’s not a fairytale. It’s not a myth or legend. It’s not figurative or symbolic of some grander truth. A virgin really conceived the Son of God in her womb, by the power of the Holy Spirit. Nine months later, she and her husband really traveled down to Bethlehem from Nazareth to comply with the Roman census, and they lodged in a stable, and there she gave birth to the Word of God who had taken on human flesh in her womb, and she really wrapped up the newly born incarnate God in swaddling cloths and laid Him in a manger.

There really were shepherds staying out in the fields of Bethlehem, keeping watch over their flocks by night, and they really were scared half to death when the brilliant light of the Lord’s glory shone around them, and when they saw an angel standing there in front of them. But they had nothing to fear from this angel. He brought them good news of great joy which was for all the people.

Why good news? Why great joy? Because a promise that had been made some 4,000 years earlier to a newly created, hopelessly ruined human race had finally begun to be fulfilled, the promise made to our first mother, Eve, that her Seed, her Offspring, would do battle with that ancient serpent, the devil, and would win. And His victory would open the door for the rest of our race to be rescued from the devil’s kingdom, because without Him, that’s where we would all remain as slaves and prisoners.

Sin is the great problem, the real problem that has plagued humanity since the beginning. Every virus, every war, every act of hatred, every act of tyranny, every lie, every bout of depression and loneliness, every broken relationship, every death is caused by sin—sin that we commit with our hands and speak with our mouths and embrace in our hearts, sin that others commit against us, sin that corrupts every part of us, body and soul; sin that defies, disobeys, and disbelieves God, sin that turns us all inward, to focus on ourselves, to trust in ourselves, to serve ourselves. The devil had us by right. There was no good news. We couldn’t save ourselves, and none of the gods of the nations could save us, either. We were doomed to a pointless existence on earth, and to an eternity of suffering in hell.

But then to us a Child was born, to us a Son was given, born like us, but without sin, given to reveal God’s love for our wretched, miserable, loveless human race, given to carry out God’s plan to redeem our race by giving His own life as a sacrifice on a cross.

The angel called it glad tidings, good news, also known as “the Gospel.” It’s of great joy for all the people, because God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved. It’s an open invitation to all people, no matter who they are, no matter what they’ve done, to turn to this Child in humble faith and to find there a God who loved you this much and wanted you this badly to be saved, that He gave His only-begotten Son for you. To you is born a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.

Then the great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel and sang that famous song, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, goodwill toward men! Glory “in the highest,” that is, in the highest places, in the heaven of heavens, in the miraculous star that appeared to light the way for the eastern sages, glory among the holy angels who serve God by serving our race, and glory among all those souls who now rest on high, who had fallen asleep trusting in God’s promise to send the Messiah to redeem them from sin, death, and the devil.

And on earth peace, goodwill toward men. Make no mistake. The Christian message of peace on earth is entirely in connection with the Baby who was born on Christmas night, who is true God and true Man, the Messiah whom God had promised to His Old Testament people of Israel, the Christ for whom the Jews who originally kept the Menorah lit were waiting. The angels’ song of “peace on earth” was not a wish for us all to get along in peace. It was a proclamation of what God was doing on earth, in the Person of His Son, to bring peace between Him and mankind, because of His gracious goodwill toward sinful man. Only where sinners have been reconciled with God through Christ, by faith in Christ, can they truly begin to live at peace with one another.

Tonight we proclaim and celebrate that which is real: the birth of the Savior who is Christ the Lord. And if His birth was a real event in human history, then God’s love for us is also real, and so is His guidance and governance of the events that are taking place today, in our world, in our country, in your life. So hold onto the things that don’t move, that don’t change. Hold onto God’s love for you in Christ Jesus and seek refuge in Him from every storm. And no matter what happens between now and next Christmas, you will find peace and hope and joy in the God who is with us, Emmanuel. Amen.