Christmas -
Series A
Christ is Born
Luke 2:1-20
Luke 2:1-20
The tension between church and state is a problem every generation faces. At the very beginning of Jesus’ life the state had its say. A “decree” an edict from Rome gave Jesus’ parents a difficult time: a long and difficult trip from Nazareth to Bethlehem – seventy miles at a time when the expectant mother needed to stay at home with family. The decree resulted in a stable for a delivery room and animals for attending nurses.
“Caesar” continued to be a problem for Jesus to the
very end of his life. Jesus had said — “Render
unto Caesar”; and so He was sentenced to death by one of Caesar’s men. Yet,
on the other hand, the “decree”
reminds us that Jesus came into a real world at a definite time and place. The
incarnation is not a theory or myth or the product of human imagination.
Christmas is rooted and grounded in time and space and in the events and
context of history.
At Christmas God’s grace, that is, the undeserved love
of God became a reality by the appearing of Jesus. He was just as real and
human as you are. He was born and placed into a real family. He lived with and
among people. He learned a trade by His step-father Joseph, and was nurtured by
His mother. The grace of God became flesh that we might see, hear,
and feel God as a reality. Christianity is not a philosophy, not a program of
activity, not a code of ethics, but a person. He walked and talked, laughed and
cried, lived and died. In Jesus we see the love of God and He came to live with
and among people. At His birth we witness His immediate family.
How does Jesus choose to make Himself known? Not in
pomp and circumstance, not with grand fanfare and a flourish of light and
sound. Instead, He chooses to be placed in a manger; the feeding trough of the
animals. He is born in a stable, where beasts are kept. Not the place you would
go looking to find the redeemer and savior of the world. Or, would you?
This is the amazing thing about our Savior - He
chooses to be found in those places the world would least expect. He chooses to
reveal Himself in those places the world considers unimportant. He chooses to
exert His power in what an unbelieving world considers weak and of little
consequence.
Seeing is believing. The shepherds found the
Christ-child just as they had been promised. They sought out the infant and His
parents where they were told to find Him.
Where do we find the Savior today? We find Him in
those places only the Father has promised. We find Him in His message of the
Gospel. We find Him in the reading of the Inspired Word. We find Him the waters
of Holy Baptism. We find Him in His Meal, in His Word of Absolution, and hidden
away in our own hearts.
If you are seeking Christ this Christmas you will find
Him only in those places the Father has promised He would be found. The
Shepherds found Him – “just as it had been told them”. Why should you
expect anything different?
Sometimes we can feel quite alone despite of our many
activities. Yet, the message of the Savior’s birth comes to us with the same
joy and expectation. “For you is born this day a Savior.” This is the
greatest revelation known to man. This news calms our fears, removes our doubts
and gives us hope. The Good News of the Savior’s birth which is promised for
all people was given first to a lonely people. This message is given to you
this day as the Father’s gift.
The shepherds were the first to hear of the birth of a
Savior. Was it not strange that God sent the angel to tell the shepherds? Why
not announce it to the important and powerful people of the world? Why not to
kings and generals? Why not to Pharisees and Sadducees? The shepherds of Jesus’
day had a bad reputation as thieves. They were among the very poor and usually
classified with publicans and prostitutes.
The poor seem to be God’s greatest concern. Jesus was
born of poor peasants. Later Jesus taught, “Blessed
are the poor....” As proof of His messiahship. He reported to John the
Baptist, “The poor have the gospel
preached to them.” Jesus’ birth is good news to the hungry, needy,
deprived, and poor.
There was much excitement during the birth. You can
see a nervous, frantic new father trying to be midwife to a woman having her
first baby. Then came a group of shepherds asking questions and
staring at the new baby in adoration. Later came the Wise Men. There
was much talking, coming and going, chores to be done, and general
confusion. While all this was going on, Mary His mother, pondered all
these events and sayings.
What is the meaning of all this? Who is this new baby?
What will he amount to? Christmas needs to be a time for reflection and
meditation. For some Christmas is over in a day and then life goes on as
before. If so, Christmas is only a mad rush and a state of confusion. For those
who “ponder these things,” the cruel
cross of Calvary always looms ahead of us - even on Christmas
morning.
Does the death of a condemned man seem compelling
enough to offer atonement? Could His life and sacrifice really save you?
The surroundings and the circumstances of His birth predict His death. They are
the means by which we find peace with God and absolution for our
sin.
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Words- 975
Passive Sentences – 11%
Readability – 78.1%
Reading Level - 5.1
Image copyright © Ed Riojas Higher Things
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