Today's Verses:
Isaiah 52:7-10
Hebrews 1:1-4, (5-12)
John 1:1-14
Psalm 98
O God, you make us glad by the yearly festival of the birth of your only Son Jesus Christ: Grant that we, who joyfully receive him as our Redeemer, may with sure confidence behold him when he comes to be our Judge; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.
Today's Comments: Today is Christmas, and I think that it would be inappropriate to discuss, as I usually do, Ken Copeland's Bible verse of the day, since it does not even mention the Christmas Story or the Birth of Christ. Instead, I have included links above to the Revised Common Lectionary, which we use during the Christmas Day service.
You may notice, however, that the Gospel does not discuss the Christmas story in the sense that we usually hear it. The Gospel reading, instead, is from the first chapter of John's Gospel. Most people would prefer to hear Luke's account of the Nativity of our Lord (Chapter 2, Verses 1-20). The Revised Common Lectionary gives us that option, if we so wish to use it. But John's Gospel, in my opinion, was more relevant to the sermon that I preached this morning. I say that, because, although Luke's Gospel chronicles the events of our Lord's birth, John's Gospel explains why Jesus came. And, I felt that it was more appropriate for the content of my sermon.
My Christmas Day Sermon:
GOOD NEWS! GOOD NEWS! The Old Testament lesson announces the return of God to His Temple in Jerusalem. But this time, God does not come to His people as a pillar of fire or a cloud. As both the Epistle and Gospel tell us clearly, our God came to us in human form and for a period of 33 years, or so, ministered to us and brought us salvation.
There are several things that are, of course, remarkable about the events of Christmas. If you think about it, although, as the psalm reminds us, it is a time of joy and celebration, we can also find it to be a time of contrast and anomaly.
For example, consider the location and circumstances. Who could ever imagine a king, much less our God incarnate, being born in a stable with a manger for a bed? Isn’t a manger a trough for feeding animals? Kings are born in palaces, aren’t they? And why Bethlehem? Why Israel? There were bigger and much more powerful nations, and the biggest was Rome from which the great Roman Empire now ruled Israel. And Bethlehem? It was only 6-1/2 miles away from Jerusalem. So, why not Jerusalem, or even Rome?
And then, there are the shepherds. Don’t we read that it was the shepherds in the fields to whom the angels first announced the birth of Jesus? Aren’t the princes and kings of the land more important than just plain old shepherds? Well, I guess that if we count the Wise Men, then at least three kings got the word, too. Unfortunately, Herod did, as well. And he ordered the newborns in his kingdom up to the age of two, slaughtered.
And then, there is the country, itself. Israel? I unfolded and hung a six foot map of Israel from the pulpit.
We are talking about a country in that day of not much more than 6,000 square miles. It is a country of mountains, valleys, and crooked roads either running through valleys or along mountain ridges. Compared to the size of California, which is almost 164,000 square miles, we are talking about a country which is a little more than one-fifth the size of California. The North/South distance, from Dan to Beersheba, the original length of the promised land given to Joshua and the twelve tribes of Israel, was barely 150 miles. Its widest point was only 85 miles. And, the distance is only about 120 miles from either Nazareth or Capernaum to Jerusalem. In fact, if we think about all this, we can easily deduce that, if we exclude Jesus’ travels as a child from Egypt to Nazareth, the longest distance that Jesus walked, from one place to another during His adult ministry, was probably about the distance of from here to San Diego.
And yet out of such small beginnings, out of such a small nation, and out of such a small city came such great things. Why? How?
God had a plan. And that plan had been unfolding from the beginning of time. Isaiah prophesied the events of that plan, and John explained them. But, the fulfillment of that plan did not come with just the birth of a baby that Christmas morning. It came with the death of Jesus Christ, both man and God, on a cross for our sins and His resurrection from the dead. It was the birth of that helpless little child on that Christmas morning and the death and resurrection of that man, and Son of God, Jesus Christ, that would send shock waves through the world so that, even today, the world shudders in amazement how such a tiny baby, born in such a tiny country, in such a small town, could have such great impact.
Most people that I know, think that Israel is much bigger than it really is. And yet, although it is small in size, this tiny country bridges two continents, Asia and Africa. And, its position on the Mediterranean gives it shipping access to Greece, Turkey, and other European nations, including Rome. Whoever controlled the trade routes through Israel could control commercial access to the whole world of that time. Solomon’s reign demonstrated that. The Romans understood that. We also understand that Israel was the nation of God’s chosen people and that He had given them the land to make them the most powerful kingdom on earth, but exiled them during their apostasy, and then returned them to the land, only for them to renew that apostasy. Yet, despite all this, God would not abandon His people, but would fulfill His plan for them by sending His son to live among them, and then to die for their sins.
When Isaiah, in Chapter 40 promised comfort for God’s people, he was specifically describing the country of Israel when he wrote:
1 Comfort, comfort my people, says your God. 2 Speak tenderly to Jerusalem,
and cry to her
that her warfare is ended,
that her iniquity is pardoned,
that she has received from the LORD’s hand
double for all her sins.
3 A voice cries: "In the wilderness prepare the way of the LORD;
make straight in the desert a highway for our God.
4 Every valley shall be lifted up,
and every mountain and hill be made low;
the uneven ground shall become level,
and the rough places a plain.
5 And the glory of the LORD shall be revealed,
and all flesh shall see it together,
for the mouth of the LORD has spoken."
That voice crying in the wilderness was John the Baptist.
Isaiah’s prophesy clearly describes the lack of straight highways and level places in Israel.
And yet, the good news would spread, along all those winding roads through both hill and valley.
This was prophesy, not just for kings, but for God’s people. You didn’t have to be a king or a prince to get the picture. This was a prophecy for the shepherds. The good news of the savior’s birth would spread through them to the common people, as well as to the kings. And, in another thirty-three years, the good news of the resurrection of Jesus Christ would begin to spread from Jerusalem to Judah, and then to the rest of the world, even to the world in which we live today.
On Good Shepherd Sunday, I talked about what it was like to be a shepherd. The shepherds were one of the most important groups of people in Israel. We know that shepherds watched their flocks of sheep. We know that they were nomads and often traveled great distances. We also know that shepherds were important in the commerce of Israel. Sheep provided wool for clothing and meat for eating. Ironically, shepherds were under Rabbinic ban, because their isolated lifestyle prevented them from strict observance of the Jewish law. Yet many of the sheep that they watched were destined for sacrifice in the temple. And, without these same shepherds, proper temple sacrifice would be impossible.
Shepherds were also a trusted group. How could you not trust someone who was willing to give up his life for the animals that they tended? As a class, they were widely respected, and many people tended sheep either part time or full time, so there was a certain amount of general identification with this group. Consequently, who else might God better choose to spread the good news of the birth of His Son to all God’s people? Especially since the shepherd was the model of Jesus Christ’s ministry in the world. And what would be more apt than the Good Shepherd, himself, Jesus Christ, that helpless baby, laying in the manger where the sheep would normally feed, being worshiped and adored and watched by shepherds. The lamb of God who would take away the sins of the world, appropriately loved and honored by those shepherds of lambs. And one day, like so many of those lambs that those shepherds watched, this little lamb, helpless in the manger, watched over by those shepherds, would, himself, be destined for sacrifice.
The message of Christmas is that our God humbled Himself for us and took human form. He did so, not because he needed our love and devotion, but because He loves us and was willing be born for the purpose of death on a cross.
As your Deacon, I am especially reminded of this fact every time that we celebrate the Eucharist. As you know, or may have observed, one of the Deacon’s primary duties is to set the table for Communion. That includes pouring the wine and water into the chalices. After the priest blesses the water, and as the Deacon pours the water, it is customary for the Deacon to recite the following prayer, “by the mystery of this water and wine may we come to share in the divinity of Christ, who humbled himself to share in our humanity.” It is precisely this day that, at least for this Deacon, these words take on such special meaning. As I pour the water into the wine, I can’t imagine a picture of greater humility than our God as a helpless baby, lying in that manger. And so, may we, as we partake of the Blessed Sacrament that was instituted by Our Lord Jesus Christ, remember that little baby on that wonderful Christmas morning, and because of His sacrifice, may we share in His divinity as we experience the real presence of our Lord in the sacrament.
You may notice, however, that the Gospel does not discuss the Christmas story in the sense that we usually hear it. The Gospel reading, instead, is from the first chapter of John's Gospel. Most people would prefer to hear Luke's account of the Nativity of our Lord (Chapter 2, Verses 1-20). The Revised Common Lectionary gives us that option, if we so wish to use it. But John's Gospel, in my opinion, was more relevant to the sermon that I preached this morning. I say that, because, although Luke's Gospel chronicles the events of our Lord's birth, John's Gospel explains why Jesus came. And, I felt that it was more appropriate for the content of my sermon.
My Christmas Day Sermon:
GOOD NEWS! GOOD NEWS! The Old Testament lesson announces the return of God to His Temple in Jerusalem. But this time, God does not come to His people as a pillar of fire or a cloud. As both the Epistle and Gospel tell us clearly, our God came to us in human form and for a period of 33 years, or so, ministered to us and brought us salvation.
There are several things that are, of course, remarkable about the events of Christmas. If you think about it, although, as the psalm reminds us, it is a time of joy and celebration, we can also find it to be a time of contrast and anomaly.
For example, consider the location and circumstances. Who could ever imagine a king, much less our God incarnate, being born in a stable with a manger for a bed? Isn’t a manger a trough for feeding animals? Kings are born in palaces, aren’t they? And why Bethlehem? Why Israel? There were bigger and much more powerful nations, and the biggest was Rome from which the great Roman Empire now ruled Israel. And Bethlehem? It was only 6-1/2 miles away from Jerusalem. So, why not Jerusalem, or even Rome?
And then, there are the shepherds. Don’t we read that it was the shepherds in the fields to whom the angels first announced the birth of Jesus? Aren’t the princes and kings of the land more important than just plain old shepherds? Well, I guess that if we count the Wise Men, then at least three kings got the word, too. Unfortunately, Herod did, as well. And he ordered the newborns in his kingdom up to the age of two, slaughtered.
And then, there is the country, itself. Israel? I unfolded and hung a six foot map of Israel from the pulpit.
We are talking about a country in that day of not much more than 6,000 square miles. It is a country of mountains, valleys, and crooked roads either running through valleys or along mountain ridges. Compared to the size of California, which is almost 164,000 square miles, we are talking about a country which is a little more than one-fifth the size of California. The North/South distance, from Dan to Beersheba, the original length of the promised land given to Joshua and the twelve tribes of Israel, was barely 150 miles. Its widest point was only 85 miles. And, the distance is only about 120 miles from either Nazareth or Capernaum to Jerusalem. In fact, if we think about all this, we can easily deduce that, if we exclude Jesus’ travels as a child from Egypt to Nazareth, the longest distance that Jesus walked, from one place to another during His adult ministry, was probably about the distance of from here to San Diego.
And yet out of such small beginnings, out of such a small nation, and out of such a small city came such great things. Why? How?
God had a plan. And that plan had been unfolding from the beginning of time. Isaiah prophesied the events of that plan, and John explained them. But, the fulfillment of that plan did not come with just the birth of a baby that Christmas morning. It came with the death of Jesus Christ, both man and God, on a cross for our sins and His resurrection from the dead. It was the birth of that helpless little child on that Christmas morning and the death and resurrection of that man, and Son of God, Jesus Christ, that would send shock waves through the world so that, even today, the world shudders in amazement how such a tiny baby, born in such a tiny country, in such a small town, could have such great impact.
Most people that I know, think that Israel is much bigger than it really is. And yet, although it is small in size, this tiny country bridges two continents, Asia and Africa. And, its position on the Mediterranean gives it shipping access to Greece, Turkey, and other European nations, including Rome. Whoever controlled the trade routes through Israel could control commercial access to the whole world of that time. Solomon’s reign demonstrated that. The Romans understood that. We also understand that Israel was the nation of God’s chosen people and that He had given them the land to make them the most powerful kingdom on earth, but exiled them during their apostasy, and then returned them to the land, only for them to renew that apostasy. Yet, despite all this, God would not abandon His people, but would fulfill His plan for them by sending His son to live among them, and then to die for their sins.
When Isaiah, in Chapter 40 promised comfort for God’s people, he was specifically describing the country of Israel when he wrote:
1 Comfort, comfort my people, says your God. 2 Speak tenderly to Jerusalem,
and cry to her
that her warfare is ended,
that her iniquity is pardoned,
that she has received from the LORD’s hand
double for all her sins.
3 A voice cries: "In the wilderness prepare the way of the LORD;
make straight in the desert a highway for our God.
4 Every valley shall be lifted up,
and every mountain and hill be made low;
the uneven ground shall become level,
and the rough places a plain.
5 And the glory of the LORD shall be revealed,
and all flesh shall see it together,
for the mouth of the LORD has spoken."
That voice crying in the wilderness was John the Baptist.
Isaiah’s prophesy clearly describes the lack of straight highways and level places in Israel.
And yet, the good news would spread, along all those winding roads through both hill and valley.
This was prophesy, not just for kings, but for God’s people. You didn’t have to be a king or a prince to get the picture. This was a prophecy for the shepherds. The good news of the savior’s birth would spread through them to the common people, as well as to the kings. And, in another thirty-three years, the good news of the resurrection of Jesus Christ would begin to spread from Jerusalem to Judah, and then to the rest of the world, even to the world in which we live today.
On Good Shepherd Sunday, I talked about what it was like to be a shepherd. The shepherds were one of the most important groups of people in Israel. We know that shepherds watched their flocks of sheep. We know that they were nomads and often traveled great distances. We also know that shepherds were important in the commerce of Israel. Sheep provided wool for clothing and meat for eating. Ironically, shepherds were under Rabbinic ban, because their isolated lifestyle prevented them from strict observance of the Jewish law. Yet many of the sheep that they watched were destined for sacrifice in the temple. And, without these same shepherds, proper temple sacrifice would be impossible.
Shepherds were also a trusted group. How could you not trust someone who was willing to give up his life for the animals that they tended? As a class, they were widely respected, and many people tended sheep either part time or full time, so there was a certain amount of general identification with this group. Consequently, who else might God better choose to spread the good news of the birth of His Son to all God’s people? Especially since the shepherd was the model of Jesus Christ’s ministry in the world. And what would be more apt than the Good Shepherd, himself, Jesus Christ, that helpless baby, laying in the manger where the sheep would normally feed, being worshiped and adored and watched by shepherds. The lamb of God who would take away the sins of the world, appropriately loved and honored by those shepherds of lambs. And one day, like so many of those lambs that those shepherds watched, this little lamb, helpless in the manger, watched over by those shepherds, would, himself, be destined for sacrifice.
The message of Christmas is that our God humbled Himself for us and took human form. He did so, not because he needed our love and devotion, but because He loves us and was willing be born for the purpose of death on a cross.
As your Deacon, I am especially reminded of this fact every time that we celebrate the Eucharist. As you know, or may have observed, one of the Deacon’s primary duties is to set the table for Communion. That includes pouring the wine and water into the chalices. After the priest blesses the water, and as the Deacon pours the water, it is customary for the Deacon to recite the following prayer, “by the mystery of this water and wine may we come to share in the divinity of Christ, who humbled himself to share in our humanity.” It is precisely this day that, at least for this Deacon, these words take on such special meaning. As I pour the water into the wine, I can’t imagine a picture of greater humility than our God as a helpless baby, lying in that manger. And so, may we, as we partake of the Blessed Sacrament that was instituted by Our Lord Jesus Christ, remember that little baby on that wonderful Christmas morning, and because of His sacrifice, may we share in His divinity as we experience the real presence of our Lord in the sacrament.
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