Sermon for 12/28/25: The Sunday After Christmas (a)

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The Paradox of Christmas
Matthew 2:13-23

Grace to you and peace from God our Father, and from our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Amen.
 

According to Webster's dictionary, a paradox is "that which is seemingly contradictory or opposed to common sense and yet is true." An example of a paradoxical statement would be, "The more things change, the more they stay the same." The Christmas season is full of paradoxes. A virgin has a baby. God lies in a manger. The incarnate King of the universe is first worshiped by lowly shepherds.

 And in our text, we see this paradox: In Christ, God is both vulnerable and almighty. He is controlled by circumstances, and yet He is in control of everything. Today we are going to look more deeply at this reality and discover that within this paradox there is a great deal of comfort to be found for our own often paradoxical lives.

 One thing that comes through loud and clear in this passage is that Jesus was vulnerable, at risk. You recall that when King Herod found out from the Wise Men that another King had been born, he was fearful for his throne. He tried to use the Wise Men to find Jesus so that he could have Him killed. But when that plan failed, Herod flew into a rage. Because Jesus was at least a year old at this time, he ordered that all male children in Bethlehem two years of age and under be slaughtered. As this was about to happen, Joseph was warned by an angel to flee to Egypt. Imagine that: the Son of God having to escape under the cover of darkness, being rescued from a murderous monarch by a frightened father and mother. Joseph did as the angel said, and they took up residence to the south in Egypt until the death of Herod not long afterwards. God's eternal will was being carried out.

 All of this, then, eventually brings us to the cross. If there is anything in the Scriptures which epitomizes both the almighty-ness of God and the vulnerability of God, it is the crucifixion of Jesus. On the one hand we know that the cross was a part of God's plan from the beginning. It was His will that Calvary take place. And yet, when it actually happened, God the Son was utterly helpless. No escape occurred this time. There He was, so horribly vulnerable to the taunting and the nails and the spear and death–completely despised and rejected. Nevertheless, through that almighty vulnerability, God paid the full price for our sins and brought eternal life to all who dare to place their confidence in Him.

 And that brings us to the place where we can apply all of this very specifically to our own lives. Since we have been joined to Christ by water and the Word and made members of His body through faith in Him, we should certainly expect to experience His almighty-ness and His vulnerability in our own lives as well. Our lives are also often characterized by vulnerability. Much of what happens to us is beyond our control and seems random. Some have had loved ones die recently. Others have been having a rough time of it in their families. Still others have been struggling with tough situations at work or in their neighborhoods. There often doesn't seem to be much order to the way things happen in our lives.

 And yet into the midst of this messy and complex world comes God's Word to us in Romans 8: "In everything God works for good with those who love Him, who are called according to His purpose." Not only in our Lord’s day, but also still today, God is active in human history working out His good and perfect will. Now that is not to say that God is the cause of sin or evil or trouble. Certainly not! Nevertheless, God is not above delving into this sinful world to direct all things for the sake of His chosen ones. God is truly working for good in our lives. For we know that we were "called according to His purpose" in Holy Baptism, made to be His sons and daughters through water and the Word, all our sin being washed away. And so we believe in the midst of our human vulnerability that God is indeed working for our good.

 In those times when you can't make sense of things, when there seems to be no valid purpose or meaning to what's going on in your lives, God points your eyes again to the cross. For there in that senseless and yet most meaningful death of Jesus, you are assured that God's love for you is limitless and unshakable. There is nothing in all of creation that can separate you from Him and His love in Christ Jesus. In the name of the Father and of the Son (†) and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

 

The peace of God which passes all understanding keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus always. Amen.

 

Sermon for 12/25/25: Nativity of Our Lord

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Not Alone; Not in the Dark
John 1:1-18 

Grace to you and peace from God our Father, and from our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.  Amen. 

 

An amazing thing happened a couple of days ago, though it likely went unnoticed by most. We reached and passed the Winter Solstice, and now our northern hemisphere tilts just a bit nearer the sun. Each day we receive a few more moments of sunlight; it will soon be Spring. And yet, we must still travel through the dreary days of January, as well as February’s flirtation with spring. The Solstice has come and gone, but it’s not quite Spring yet. Indeed, our coldest days are likely still ahead.

Men walk about this cold, dark, and sinful sphere of pain, regretting the past and afraid of the future: hopeless, despairing, frustrated, and alone, if only with their thoughts. Their souls are as gray and gloomy as the winter skies. They are the living dead. Their guilt seems too much to bear. They cope through denial. They strive to forget. They hide. They run. They pretend. They strike back with cruelty and violence. They want to kill whatever remains in them that feels or can still be hurt. Ask them how they feel about life, and what they think of God; it is bleak and dismal and ugly. Do not think that they are the exception from humanity; do not think that man is basically good. No, this is man without God, and there is at least a bit of this infection in all of us, however much we may try to cover up what we really are.

Fallen man is cursed with an emptiness that has been left in him by rebellion against God. It is a deadly ignorance, which even the animal creatures in this world cannot experience. It is man’s foolish and shameful ignorance alone. In this regard, the wild beasts are wiser than men. Men are infected with sin. We are twisted in on ourselves. Sin is killing us as surely as death itself.

Sins, popular or not, great or small, afflict and torture us. They are not innocent. They are both the problem and the symptom. There are no “little white lies,” no “meaningless affairs,” no suitable “lesser evils,” no “small vices.” Our sins, our most grievous faults, our wicked desires and selfish motives, deepen the chasm that exists between us and happiness, between us and righteousness, between us and God. Men have chosen darkness, and we have deserved what darkness renders. We are dead, and on our own there is no hope. We are perpetrators, willing and intentional sinners. We have gossiped and lied, backstabbed and plotted, craved evil things, thought dark and cruel thoughts. We are shameful and guilty. We cannot stand on our own before the blinding glory of God’s holiness. We are despicable and disgusting, and, humanly speaking, impossible to love. Merry Christmas, huh?

But we are not alone, and that is a very good thing. There is One who is in every way what we were created to be: Jesus Christ, the Word who “became flesh to dwell among us.” He became Man, and yet He remained pure and holy, merciful and gracious, kind, compassionate, and forgiving. He was true Man more true than any other, for He lives as we were created to live; He is all that Adam should have been for Eve and his children. He was born to rule this world as the Prince of peace.

And this is how our King chooses to rule: “To us a Child is born, to us a Son is given...” He does not rule by power or might, nor by force or violence, nor by coercion or popularity; He enforces His gracious rule by sacrifice, by forgiveness and grace. There was no room for Him in the inn so that there would be room for us in heaven. He was born to die, to be a sacrifice, to be the Light of man and beat back the night, to shut the devil’s mouth, to rob the grave of its victory, to be God with us in flesh.

Here is the real miracle of Christmas: The Triune God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, loves us. Jesus is Immanuel—God with us as the flesh-and-blood embodiment of that love. All things are possible for Him who took up our flesh. He chooses of His own gracious will to love us. Love was born of Mary, according to the flesh, in those humble circumstances Luke describes in his Gospel. But the One born in flesh that night is the only-begotten of the Father from eternity. He did not come to exist in that moment of the angel’s announcement to Mary; He has always been. But in that moment, when Gabriel told Mary the Good News, God became Man. He took up our flesh to live our life and die our death, to rise again for our justification, to love us, to free us, to make us clean and holy, to redeem us.

We are gaining sunlight every day. The Solstice marks the turn. It promises a future free of cold. If it is Winter, then Spring is coming. If it is Christmas, then Easter cannot be far away. And if that is the Spring, then His return in glory is the warm and peaceful Summer. And that glorious day will soon be upon us, too. For we are not alone. God is with us. God is One of us to save us. On this day we stand in His grace, righteous in Christ, adopted as His beloved, forgiven of all sins, bearing His holy name. We are not alone. We are not afraid. We have hope. For we have a Savior. He is Christ the Lord, proclaimed by angels, worshiped by shepherds, and adored by us this day, where He bestows the life we so desperately need. In the name of the Father and of the Son (†) and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

 
The peace of God which passes all understanding keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus always.  Amen.

Sermon for 12/24/25: Eve of the Nativity of Our Lord

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Here is the hymn text for this sermon.

Fear Not: Shepherds and Saints

Luke 2:8-20

 

Grace to you and peace from God our Father, and from our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Amen.

  

          The shepherds knew a thing or two about fear, and they certainly had reason to know about fear. After all, tending the flock involved many dangers. The sheep themselves are stupid animals, just as likely to run in the opposite direction or even trample the shepherd as to go where the shepherd leads. And, of course, there are the wolves looking for dinner; they want the sheep, of course, but they’ll settle for the shepherd. The nights were long and cold and dark, conditions with plenty of inherent dangers. So if they allowed themselves to think about it, these men had plenty of reasons to be afraid. And that’s all before the angels show up—you remember: those angels that bear no resemblance to the Hallmark figurines; those angels who reflect the glory of the righteous God; those terrifying angels who bear the Word of God as a flaming, two-edged sword.

          And these shepherds were, at best, ordinary men. Being a shepherd did not require an advanced degree in theology, or even a degree in shepherding. It didn’t require jewelry or fancy clothing, though warm clothing would certainly help some nights. It didn’t require a way with words, though it did help if you spoke gently to the sheep so they would recognize your voice. It did require physical fitness to keep up with the sheep, sometimes to carry a sheep, and to be able to fight off wolves and thieves. Ordinary men—and sometimes just boys—these shepherds would have no reason to expect that God would have a special message for them. After all, they already knew the Ten Commandments, and they heard the rabbi teaching God’s Word. For such simple men, that was their theological education. The shepherds were ordinary people just like us—maybe even more ordinary.

          So why does this divine message come to these humble shepherds? Why should the shepherds cast off their fear at the appearance of this divine messenger and his heavenly host? The angel gives us the answer. The message that the angel delivers is “good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.” The others who were visited by the angels might have seemed like regular people, but they had unique qualities or backgrounds which set them apart. Mary and Joseph may have seemed ordinary, but they were descended from King David himself. Zecharias may have seemed ordinary, but he was a member of the priesthood, selected to serve in the Temple. But these shepherds were the lowest of the low, and still the Lord sent messengers to them. On the other hand, we know Herod was afraid; he thought Jesus had come to steal his throne. The angel doesn’t come to reassure Herod. The high priests, Pharisees, and other religious leaders should be afraid; Jesus had come to do away with their false piety of and lead the people to the true Temple: His own body and blood. But the angel didn’t come to them, either. He came to these shepherds. So the message isn’t only for those the world sees as special people. The message isn’t only for the ruling class. The message isn’t only for religious leaders. It’s for all people, even the humblest shepherd. This is truly “good tidings of great joy,” for Jesus is a Savior for all people.

          This joyful message, first given to humble shepherds, is for all humble sinners. It is for us: sinners who kneel before our Lord and admit that we have sinned; sinners who admit that we fall short of God’s glory; sinners who admit that we deserve only present and eternal punishment—sinners who have been made saints in the waters of Holy Baptism. This joyful message is for shepherds, for doctors and nurses, for prison workers, for teachers, for students, for farmers, for mayors and judges, even for pastors! “Unto you”—unto each of you sitting in this holy sanctuary this evening, and to me, as well—“Unto you is born…a Savior, which is Christ the Lord.” Unto sinners is coming the Savior. He is coming to bring “peace, goodwill toward men.” How will He do that? He has come to bear your sins; He has come to die, and in that death He gives us that peace which the world cannot give: true peace, peace between the holy Father and redeemed sinners, now made saints in our Lord Jesus Christ.

          Dearly beloved children of God, it is my privilege and pleasure as a humble messenger of God to bring you good tidings of great joy, which is for you, for your neighbor, for all people. Born to you is your King, your Temple, your Refuge and Strength. Born to you is your Savior. He is Christ the Lord. Do not be afraid! In the name of the Father and of the Son (+) and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

 

The peace of God which passes all understanding will keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus always. Amen.