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 St. Matthew 1:22-23 – Christmas Eve Evening
St. Mark Lutheran Church, Conroe, TX
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Merry Christmas! In the name of Jesus. Amen. One year, unbeknownst to all of us, my father took the Christmas tree out. Put lights on it, decorated our den, put a Christmas album on, and sat down in his chair and began to sing Christmas carols.
The only problem was that it was October! My mom came in and told him to put the tree up! He just couldn't wait for Christmas.
Jesus has come. Finally. No need to put away the tree. He has come. Advent and it's violet are gone – replaced by the the shining white of Christmas! A white Christmas – not quite like the one we used to know!
We never get white Christmases in Texas. In fact, I've never seen a White Christmas. We're lucky in Conroe to get a coat-wearing Christmas.
Was that first Christmas white? Was it cold? St. Matthew doesn't tell us – nor does St. Luke. So it must not be important.
What's important is what we hear from the Word of God. That's the way you separate the facts of Christmas from the myths. Myths pass away. They are on television every year and then they disappear for the rest of the year. Moral and family stories give us good feelings inside, but they don't last.
What we heard tonight, what the kids put into our ears, that's what's important.
An announcement to a virgin that her child is of the Holy Spirit. Her husband Joesph, a census for tax purposes, trek to Bethlehem, no room in the inn, a baby who is the Son of God, ruddy shepherds keeping watch over their flocks by night. Oh Holy Night! The Stars are brightly shining!
Then, the angel standing on the earth, then a host of angels, and the good news, “unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.”
And they found the Babe wrapped in swaddling cloths lying a food trough. They named the Baby, Jesus, the same name given to them by the angel. Named because He would do what His named says, “Save His people from their sins.”
Oh night divine! Holy night, because He is divine. God with us. Immanuel. This one, born of the Virgin, is God and Man. Fully God, fully Man.
We need both to save us. Christ is fully man, so that He can take upon Himself our sins and die as one of us.
Christ is fully God, only God dying can save not just us but the whole world. Only God dying can reconcile God and sinners.
Die. That's what this is about. That Baby wrapped in swaddling clothes lying in that manger is going to die. He's going to suffer and die for you and me.
Nails, nails shall pierce Him through, the Cross He bore for me, for you. Hail. Hail. the Word made flesh, the babe, the Son of Mary.
That's later. Tonight we get the facts of His Birth. Fact. Historic. Real people. Not a myth. Not imaginary.
And that's good news because our sins are not imaginary. You and I have real sins – real evil things that we do. We disobey God daily and much, ignore Him, forget about him, take His name in vain. We throw that baby's name around all the time – give him a middle initial “h.” And take the title Christ and make it His last name.
We may spread Christmas cheer tonight, but other times we hurt one another – really hurt with words and actions. We gossip, we cheat, we despise, we take, we want for ourselves, we steal, we borrow and don't return, we take what is others. Then, afterwards, we justify ourselves as if what we do isn't so bad.
But when we are alone with just us, if we look at ourselves, it is almost unreal the things we do, say, and think. It's not only the Grinch who shouldn't be touched with a thirty-nine-and-a-half foot pole!
What we need is a Savior. And that is just what the Father gave us. What a Christmas gift! The Father prepared it even before we knew we needed it!
A real savior for us real sinners. This little baby came to a real little town called Bethlehem. They laid Him a real manger. No crib for a bed. I don't know if He cried that night, but we know He cried when He was betrayed into the hands of sinners – He cried and sweated blood that night at Gethsemane.
And it all started with the celebration of His birth – tonight. Christmas was... Christmas is a real night.
It started silent, then burst forth with great joy. The mountains would have replied, if mountains could echo their joyous train!
And your sins, my sins, He has made as white as snow. White... that's the white of Christmas that matters.
Not in that poor, lowly stable with the oxen standing by shall we see Him, but in heaven. Set at God's right hand on High. Then like stars His children, crowned, all in white His praise shall sound. (LSB 376, 5)
It's here. It's finally here. Christmas trees up. Stockings hung in hopes of possible visits. Carols being sung.
And a real baby Baby in a real manager – no crib for his bed. True God begotten of His Father. True Man born of the blessed Virgin. Born to save you and me from our real sins.
A blessed and Merry Christmas to you and your family. In the name of Jesus. Amen.
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