Christmas Day 2010

Christmas Day
12/25/10
John 1:1-14

When a baby is born into a new home, it does not take long for the parents to understand the meaning of its cries. They learn to distinguish the cries of "I'm hungry -- feed me NOW!" from the one that means, "Pick me up and hold me; I need to know I'm safe and warm." Parents learn to tell the difference between the cry that means the baby is simply bored and restless and fretful and the cry that means they're in real pain. And of course there is that dreaded, “My diaper is full” cry.

As the baby gets older and the parents have mastered the crying language of the baby, it begins to laugh and before long the parents learn to understand the language of laughter. Both the crying and laughter are language without words, but a language nonetheless! And it does not stop there for those who study language say that up to 75 percent of all communication is non-verbal. We learn what others want or are thinking through the movement of hands, body positions, and none language sounds.

Long ago, God spoke to our ancestors in many and various ways by the prophets, but in these last days he has spoken to us by a Son," says the letter to the Hebrews. God speaks to us through his son, a son born into this world like any of us, a son who is entrusted to parents and to the world like any of us born into the world, a son who cries and laughs like any other newborn.

Jesus enters the world like each one of us, dependent upon others for survival. He is vulnerable to hunger and thirst, to cold and stress, to infection and accident and mishap. In fact, if not for the protective love of his parents, Herod's armies would have found him after his birth and killed him.

"The Word became flesh and lived among us," says the Gospel of John. In fact, the divine Word became a child, newborn, fragile, and vulnerable, and as dependent as we all are upon the love of others for survival.

In the birth of Jesus, God reveals Himself and His plan for salvation and it turns out to depend on human beings! This God, who is all-powerful, who could simply destroy the world and start over again, will not. This God, who could demand our obedience, does not. This God loves us so much that He lays aside his Godhood to be one of us. He comes as an infant who is dependent upon Mary and Joseph for his very survival. God sends His Son to be cared for, protected, listened to by us. Mary and Joseph are entrusted with this precious baby's life, and through his laughs and cries, they begin a lifetime relationship with Jesus.

It goes against all our worldly logic to imagine God being dependent upon human beings or anything else, for that matter. Isn't it supposed to be the very definition of God that God is all powerful, needs nobody else, is totally self-sufficient? How could God depend on us? But how else do we explain this child given to the world? The gospels don't claim any special, extraordinary power for the infant Jesus: he gives no blessing from the manger his lying in, performs no miracles, he does not speak words the world can understand. He is a baby like any other baby, who cries and is dependent upon others to be fed and cared for and held and loved dependent upon others for his very life.

Yet, the Gospel continues: "We have beheld his glory..." The glory in the infant Jesus is that he is the Word, the message brought from God to humanity through his birth into our world. The glory in Jesus is God's love for the world He has created, a love so great that God Himself would experience life in the world through His son. The glory is being invited to share in God's hope for us. The glory is sharing the work of creation with God, so that God's hope for us might become a reality in our world, and God's kingdom may come in our lives.

The glory of God Emanuel lives among us; the story of Christmas is told and retold day after day as God invites us to share in the kingdom he has prepared for us through His son. The story of Christmas is the story of how God's Kingdom enters our lives. We tell the story today not only in words, but in the language that is beyond words: by how we live and love.

While for most Christmas today is mainly about decorating the tree, giving gifts, especially to children, and having that wonderful Christmas dinner; Christmas is a story about all of us receiving that which we most want and need; that is love. a deep, strong, unconditional love which gives us a peace that truly does pass all human understanding.

The gift at Christmas isn't just the gift of a baby to Mary and Joseph, the shepherds and the Wise Men. It isn't just a story about Joseph and Mary being entrusted by God with the awesome responsibility of caring for God's son. The Christmas story is about how God so loved and continues to love his human creation.

The Word became flesh and lives among us. May we tell that story each day as we love, as Christ loves us. Amen.
Parts of this sermon were taken from a sermon delivered by Rev. David Klutterman

Christmas Eve 2010

Christmas Eve 2010
12/24/10
Luke 2:1-20
God’s Saving Love gives me peace

The theme for tonight’s service is peace, peace on earth. We came to church tonight to find peace, if it is only for an hour or so. We do so because there is certainly very little peace in the world, and for most of us there is little peace in our lives. So, how can the claim be made that there is peace on earth? No matter what you see with your “physical eyes,” no matter how you might feel there is peace! For on this night we are assured that God keeps His promises. Tonight we are assured that God is both with us and for us! That’s why we can say there is peace on earth!”

It may have been a silent night that night when Jesus the Word of God was born, as the hymn “Silent Night” suggests, but it probably wasn’t and if it was it didn’t stay silent for long. For soon after our Savior Jesus drew His first breath and cried his first cry, a war broke out, a war unlike anything the world had ever seen or will see in the future. We first hear of the war when God’s army of angels burst into song before the shepherds that night. In Jesus’ birth God put Satan on notice. His time was limited, for on the cross 33 years later Satan’s power over the people of God was finished. Peace is restored between God and his creation.

Since the army of God’s angels knew what was going to happen how could they be silent any longer? The Savior of the world was born. The victory has begun. They just had to burst out in song that night.

Jesus was born into a dark and terrible world, much like our world today. It was not at all what God had created. It had been broken and spoiled, all of it taken captive under the deadly dominion of the Satan the accuser of all people. The ruthless teller of lies, and he always lies, turned God’s wonderful human creation against God. He successfully tempted Adam and Eve planting the seeds of selfishness, envy, self-righteousness, pride, lust, and arrogance in what had been the Lord’s beautiful garden spot. And it continues today. Brother against brother, spouses against each other, children against parents, and parents against their children.

Since we are all descendents of Adam and Eve fear lingers in our hearts along with, if you are willing to admit it, every evil passion and rebellion. Not a single person, except for Jesus, since that terrible rebellion against the Lord of life has drawn a sinless breath.

Worst of all, many sinners do not take to heart the work of God through Jesus Christ. They live as if they have to solve their own problems, take care of their own sinfulness, as if the one who created them, who lived for them, who died for them, does not know what is best for them, so that they can fill up their lives with joy and peace. They ignore God most of the time only giving lip service, so off they trudge, sad, lonely, and afraid, trying to find peace in their own self, relationships, and goodies.

The angels that night bubbled over with joy because they could see the perfect plan coming together. The Promised One has established a foothold in Bethlehem. He’s come to set His people free. The Prince of Peace is here to wage war against the father of all wars. Peace was guaranteed. So, the angels broke out in song, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of 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.”

That message is for you, for all people, for Jesus fought the war for you. He crushed Satan’s head, for you. Jesus did not come with a mighty army. He made a a sneak attack, as it were, small, at night, God hidden in the flesh of humanity. But make no mistake about it. His birth was not just a cute, picturesque moment. It was the breaking of Satan’s dominion, it was the regaining of God’s rightful territory, and it was the beginning of true freedom for sin burdened, enslaved people.

We who have been pressed down by the yoke of slavery to sin, the burden of carrying guilt and shame because of our sins, our failures to follow God’s commands have been freed by Jesus letting the weight of our sin press down on him all the way to Golgotha’s hill. And just as he walked from the grave, so does he declare “forgiven” and “free” all who trust in Him.

Could the angel hosts, having heard the greatest good news ever; God is here in your flesh to be Your Savior stand by idly, letting only one of them speak? No! Oh, it wasn’t quiet for long. They suddenly appeared and broke out singing: “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom He is pleased.

Is God pleased with you? He is if you have accepted his free gift of forgiveness. He knows your struggles, your failures, your sin just as he knows my struggles, failures, and sin. He knows and yet God freely chose to be born on earth, to be your brother, to suffer and die as we ought, all the while living as we should be living. He did this, for this is real love. In Christ is God’s peace on earth; his undeserved, unstoppable love frees you and keeps you in God’s grace forever.

That is such good news that just like the Angels you can’t just sit there you have to stand up and sing for joy! Your Savior is born! There is peace on earth for you; each of you, for Christ has set us free. Please stand as we sing verses 3 and 4 of “Joy To The World”, for there truly is peace on earth.