Christmas 1 Sermon -- Matthew 2:13-23 (LSB Christmas 1A)

December 26, 2010 at Calvary Evangelical Lutheran Church – Mechanicsburg, PA

“Then Herod, when he saw that he had been tricked by the wise men, became furious, and he sent and killed all the male children in Bethlehem and in all that region who were two years old or under, according to the time that he had ascertained from the wise men. Then was fulfilled what was spoken by the prophet Jeremiah: ‘A voice was heard in Ramah, weeping and loud lamentation, Rachel weeping for her children; she refused to be comforted, because they are no more.’”

Infanticide and rushed travel in the night don’t usually enter our minds during this time of year. And yet, on this Sunday after Christmas, we are presented with this episode from the life of the Christ Child. In fact, this is one of only four episodes of the Christ Child’s life that is recorded in the Scriptures. Beyond His birth, we hear about Jesus’ circumcision, His presentation in the Temple as an infant, the visit of the Magi and the subsequent flight to Egypt, and His visit to the Temple as a 12-year-old. That’s all the Gospels record.

As mentioned before, this incident in Christ’s life doesn’t seem to mesh with our idea of Christmastide. But even if our minds don’t usually consider it, Christmas is a time of tragedy. We can think about all the various ways that tragedy and sorrow enter our holiday celebrations, these times of joy. Empty places at the dinner table are seen as loved ones have died. The talk of joyful family celebrations and reunions are times of depression and sorrow for those with broken homes. The dancing nutcracker in uniform doesn’t bring servicemen home. Countless holiday duets won’t bring fulfillment to unrequited love. Santa’s bag of gifts doesn’t have enough for all who suffer want and poverty.

It’s interesting to note how our modern celebrations of Christmas seem to avoid any mention of tragedy. Perhaps we have sanitized it too much, fallen victim to Hallmark. And yet, centuries ago, those who celebrated the birth of the Christ Child did not pass over the heartbreak that St. Matthew records in his Gospel account.

For those of you who may have collections or recordings of Christmas Carols—the real ones, not the Jingle Bells or Silver Bells or White Christmas—you may have come across a song that captures this incident from Christ’s life. It’s especially true if you have recordings from British choirs. Many of these collections will include something called “The Coventry Carol.” It’s a song at least as old as the 16^th Century from the West Midlands of England. Though no one knows exactly who wrote it, the carol was sung during a “mystery play,” an enactment of Bible stories that took place in city squares.

One play that happened in Coventry depicted the Christmas story from St. Matthew’s Gospel. And it included this Christmas Carol:

Lully, lullay, Thou little tiny Child,

By, by, lully, lullay.

Lullay, Thou little tiny Child,

By, by, lully, lullay.

O sisters too, how may we do,

For to preserve this day

This poor youngling for whom we do sing

By, by, lully, lullay.

Herod the king, in his raging,

Charged he hath this day

His men of might, in his own sight,

All young children to slay.

That woe is me, poor Child for Thee!

And ever mourn and say,

For thy parting neither say nor sing,

By, by, lully, lullay.

The carol has a very haunting tune, as it is sung in the fashion of a lullaby. But it is a lullaby sung by the character of mother in Bethlehem, a mother who knows that her infant boy is doomed. King Herod’s soldiers will find him, no matter how much she sings and tries to keep her child quiet and hidden. She will weep, just as the prophet Jeremiah said would happen. Tragedy is part and parcel of this song: there is no sugar-coating or concealing the event. And for people in 16^th Century Coventry, this aspect of the Christmas story was well known.

It isn’t known how many infant boys died in Bethlehem and the vicinity. We could guess, and the number would be likely less than 50, probably closer to 20. Certainly, it is much less than the slaughter of children that takes place in our nation and most of the world. Herod wants to keep his throne, so he does whatever he deems necessary. Many of our own countrymen and women want to keep their lifestyle, so they will take whatever steps to do so. And in each case, the death of children takes place.

But we should not be surprised at that. In fact, the message that we heard on Christmas Day should make us expect it to happen. For the birth of Christ is a time of conflict and strife. It is even true in modern-day Bethlehem, as we have seen in recent years. Those who were in church yesterday morning on Christmas Day, they heard the first eighteen verses of St. John’s Gospel were read. And it included the interesting sentences: “The true light, which enlightens everyone, was coming into the world. He was in the world, and the world was made through Him, yet the world did not know Him. He came to His own, and His own people did not receive Him.”

The Gospel writer records for us that the entry of the Christ into the world—that “true light which enlightens everyone”—was not a very successful thing. Not everyone received the light. Not everyone benefited from it. In fact, there was an outright rejection of the Promised Christ, especially from the Jewish people who had received the divine promises for centuries. The event that St. Matthew described for us today made it clear that even the King of the Jews was so opposed to the Christ, that Herod sought His death. Herod wanted nothing to do with Jesus, and as an agent of Satan worked for the Christ’s demise.

We must remember that the point of the Christ Child’s birth was to bring salvation into the world, to redeem us lost and condemned creatures from sin, death, and the power of the devil. And that mission was so, even from the very beginning. The struggle between righteousness and sin, life and death, heaven and hell, the Lord and Satan, is even seen in the incident from Christ’s life that was read this morning. It truly is part of the Christmas story.

But we do see a victorious Christ appear. That is what St. John’s gospel heard on Christmas Day also told us: “The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it.” Christ’s mission was not thwarted by Herod’s murderous plot. Jesus would not fall victim to the infanticide of Bethlehem, the Massacre of the Innocents. For this is the same Jesus who says: “For this reason the Father loves Me, because I lay down My life in order to take it up again. No one takes it from Me, but I lay it down of My own accord. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it up again. I have received this command from My Father.” The Christ’s mission would require His own death to achieve it. But His sacrifice would be just that, not a death caused by someone else’s plot for greatness. Jesus will lay it down by His own volition, not have it taken from Him by someone who desires to prevent salvation from taking place.

Despite the tragedy that surrounded the Christ’s birth, we see that something greater, something of good will happen. St. Matthew ensures that we see that, even in the midst of all the deaths of Bethlehem’s baby boys: “Now when [the wise men] had departed, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, ‘Rise, take the Child and His mother, and flee to Egypt, and remain there until I tell you, for Herod is about to search for the Child, to destroy Him.” And he rose and took the Child and His mother by night and departed to Egypt and remained there until the death of Herod.” The Christ Child is delivered from death at this time, so that He may lay down His life for all of us when the fullness of time came.

There is an exodus in this Gospel account, a story of deliverance. Jesus goes to Egypt and returns to Israel. The Author of Life is spared, so that He can provide everlasting life to us. He will have the opportunity to do so. The divine plan will be carried out. It has been promised, set in stone by the Lord Himself. What the Lord decides and promises to do, that He fulfills. No human or worldly or Satanic plot will prevent it from being achieved. His will is done on earth, as it is in heaven.

In that, we can put our confidence, especially during this Christmastide. No matter what tragedies we may face in our lives, we know that what has been divinely promised will come to fruition. There will be deliverance for all who are the Lord’s people. Salvation has been achieved and is being doled out by that Christ who escaped death in childhood, but who became a sacrifice on Calvary for us. This we can even see in the midst of the infanticide of Bethlehem. The story of our redemption continues on, not even being thwarted by the greatest opposition that sin, death, and Satan can conjure up.

That is where all of us can find our joy in this holiday season, even if the days of December brought sorrow to our hearts and minds. We do not look at the externals or the peripherals for our confidence and bliss. All the great decorations and events have already come down or will be ended shortly. They are transitory. But what the Lord has achieved for us is eternal and everlasting, not choked out by the horrible power of this world.

So we may see the action of the Lord done for us, even in the midst of tragedy and sorrow. And like we heard from the prophet Isaiah this morning, we can say at this Christmastide and forever: “I will recount the steadfast love of the Lord, the praises of the Lord, according to all that the Lord has granted us, and the great goodness to the house of Israel that He has granted them according to His compassion, according to the abundance of His steadfast love. . . . And He became their Savior.” It is the favor and steadfast love that the Babe of Bethlehem provides, that even Herod cannot stop.

T In the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.

Christmas 1 Sermon -- Matthew 2:13-23 (LSB Christmas 1A)

December 26, 2010 at Calvary Evangelical Lutheran Church – Mechanicsburg, PA

“Then Herod, when he saw that he had been tricked by the wise men, became furious, and he sent and killed all the male children in Bethlehem and in all that region who were two years old or under, according to the time that he had ascertained from the wise men. Then was fulfilled what was spoken by the prophet Jeremiah: ‘A voice was heard in Ramah, weeping and loud lamentation, Rachel weeping for her children; she refused to be comforted, because they are no more.’”

Infanticide and rushed travel in the night don’t usually enter our minds during this time of year. And yet, on this Sunday after Christmas, we are presented with this episode from the life of the Christ Child. In fact, this is one of only four episodes of the Christ Child’s life that is recorded in the Scriptures. Beyond His birth, we hear about Jesus’ circumcision, His presentation in the Temple as an infant, the visit of the Magi and the subsequent flight to Egypt, and His visit to the Temple as a 12-year-old. That’s all the Gospels record.

As mentioned before, this incident in Christ’s life doesn’t seem to mesh with our idea of Christmastide. But even if our minds don’t usually consider it, Christmas is a time of tragedy. We can think about all the various ways that tragedy and sorrow enter our holiday celebrations, these times of joy. Empty places at the dinner table are seen as loved ones have died. The talk of joyful family celebrations and reunions are times of depression and sorrow for those with broken homes. The dancing nutcracker in uniform doesn’t bring servicemen home. Countless holiday duets won’t bring fulfillment to unrequited love. Santa’s bag of gifts doesn’t have enough for all who suffer want and poverty.

It’s interesting to note how our modern celebrations of Christmas seem to avoid any mention of tragedy. Perhaps we have sanitized it too much, fallen victim to Hallmark. And yet, centuries ago, those who celebrated the birth of the Christ Child did not pass over the heartbreak that St. Matthew records in his Gospel account.

For those of you who may have collections or recordings of Christmas Carols—the real ones, not the Jingle Bells or Silver Bells or White Christmas—you may have come across a song that captures this incident from Christ’s life. It’s especially true if you have recordings from British choirs. Many of these collections will include something called “The Coventry Carol.” It’s a song at least as old as the 16^th Century from the West Midlands of England. Though no one knows exactly who wrote it, the carol was sung during a “mystery play,” an enactment of Bible stories that took place in city squares.

One play that happened in Coventry depicted the Christmas story from St. Matthew’s Gospel. And it included this Christmas Carol:

Lully, lullay, Thou little tiny Child,

By, by, lully, lullay.

Lullay, Thou little tiny Child,

By, by, lully, lullay.

O sisters too, how may we do,

For to preserve this day

This poor youngling for whom we do sing

By, by, lully, lullay.

Herod the king, in his raging,

Charged he hath this day

His men of might, in his own sight,

All young children to slay.

That woe is me, poor Child for Thee!

And ever mourn and say,

For thy parting neither say nor sing,

By, by, lully, lullay.

The carol has a very haunting tune, as it is sung in the fashion of a lullaby. But it is a lullaby sung by the character of mother in Bethlehem, a mother who knows that her infant boy is doomed. King Herod’s soldiers will find him, no matter how much she sings and tries to keep her child quiet and hidden. She will weep, just as the prophet Jeremiah said would happen. Tragedy is part and parcel of this song: there is no sugar-coating or concealing the event. And for people in 16^th Century Coventry, this aspect of the Christmas story was well known.

It isn’t known how many infant boys died in Bethlehem and the vicinity. We could guess, and the number would be likely less than 50, probably closer to 20. Certainly, it is much less than the slaughter of children that takes place in our nation and most of the world. Herod wants to keep his throne, so he does whatever he deems necessary. Many of our own countrymen and women want to keep their lifestyle, so they will take whatever steps to do so. And in each case, the death of children takes place.

But we should not be surprised at that. In fact, the message that we heard on Christmas Day should make us expect it to happen. For the birth of Christ is a time of conflict and strife. It is even true in modern-day Bethlehem, as we have seen in recent years. Those who were in church yesterday morning on Christmas Day, they heard the first eighteen verses of St. John’s Gospel were read. And it included the interesting sentences: “The true light, which enlightens everyone, was coming into the world. He was in the world, and the world was made through Him, yet the world did not know Him. He came to His own, and His own people did not receive Him.”

The Gospel writer records for us that the entry of the Christ into the world—that “true light which enlightens everyone”—was not a very successful thing. Not everyone received the light. Not everyone benefited from it. In fact, there was an outright rejection of the Promised Christ, especially from the Jewish people who had received the divine promises for centuries. The event that St. Matthew described for us today made it clear that even the King of the Jews was so opposed to the Christ, that Herod sought His death. Herod wanted nothing to do with Jesus, and as an agent of Satan worked for the Christ’s demise.

We must remember that the point of the Christ Child’s birth was to bring salvation into the world, to redeem us lost and condemned creatures from sin, death, and the power of the devil. And that mission was so, even from the very beginning. The struggle between righteousness and sin, life and death, heaven and hell, the Lord and Satan, is even seen in the incident from Christ’s life that was read this morning. It truly is part of the Christmas story.

But we do see a victorious Christ appear. That is what St. John’s gospel heard on Christmas Day also told us: “The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it.” Christ’s mission was not thwarted by Herod’s murderous plot. Jesus would not fall victim to the infanticide of Bethlehem, the Massacre of the Innocents. For this is the same Jesus who says: “For this reason the Father loves Me, because I lay down My life in order to take it up again. No one takes it from Me, but I lay it down of My own accord. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it up again. I have received this command from My Father.” The Christ’s mission would require His own death to achieve it. But His sacrifice would be just that, not a death caused by someone else’s plot for greatness. Jesus will lay it down by His own volition, not have it taken from Him by someone who desires to prevent salvation from taking place.

Despite the tragedy that surrounded the Christ’s birth, we see that something greater, something of good will happen. St. Matthew ensures that we see that, even in the midst of all the deaths of Bethlehem’s baby boys: “Now when [the wise men] had departed, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, ‘Rise, take the Child and His mother, and flee to Egypt, and remain there until I tell you, for Herod is about to search for the Child, to destroy Him.” And he rose and took the Child and His mother by night and departed to Egypt and remained there until the death of Herod.” The Christ Child is delivered from death at this time, so that He may lay down His life for all of us when the fullness of time came.

There is an exodus in this Gospel account, a story of deliverance. Jesus goes to Egypt and returns to Israel. The Author of Life is spared, so that He can provide everlasting life to us. He will have the opportunity to do so. The divine plan will be carried out. It has been promised, set in stone by the Lord Himself. What the Lord decides and promises to do, that He fulfills. No human or worldly or Satanic plot will prevent it from being achieved. His will is done on earth, as it is in heaven.

In that, we can put our confidence, especially during this Christmastide. No matter what tragedies we may face in our lives, we know that what has been divinely promised will come to fruition. There will be deliverance for all who are the Lord’s people. Salvation has been achieved and is being doled out by that Christ who escaped death in childhood, but who became a sacrifice on Calvary for us. This we can even see in the midst of the infanticide of Bethlehem. The story of our redemption continues on, not even being thwarted by the greatest opposition that sin, death, and Satan can conjure up.

That is where all of us can find our joy in this holiday season, even if the days of December brought sorrow to our hearts and minds. We do not look at the externals or the peripherals for our confidence and bliss. All the great decorations and events have already come down or will be ended shortly. They are transitory. But what the Lord has achieved for us is eternal and everlasting, not choked out by the horrible power of this world.

So we may see the action of the Lord done for us, even in the midst of tragedy and sorrow. And like we heard from the prophet Isaiah this morning, we can say at this Christmastide and forever: “I will recount the steadfast love of the Lord, the praises of the Lord, according to all that the Lord has granted us, and the great goodness to the house of Israel that He has granted them according to His compassion, according to the abundance of His steadfast love. . . . And He became their Savior.” It is the favor and steadfast love that the Babe of Bethlehem provides, that even Herod cannot stop.

T In the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.

Christmas Day 2010 Sermon -- John 1:1-18

December 25, 2010 at Calvary Evangelical Lutheran Church – Mechanicsburg, PA

“And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen His glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth. . . . And from His fullness we have all received, grace upon grace.”

Once again, the Nativity of Our Lord gives us reason to be glad and celebrate. One of the Church’s traditional prayers expresses this Christmas Joy: “O God, You make us glad by the yearly festival of the birth of Your only Son Jesus Christ.” But the prayer takes an interesting twist, unexpected to many, especially those who hear it for the first time: “Grant that we, who joyfully receive Him as our Redeemer, may with sure confidence behold Him when He comes to be our Judge.”

Redemption is an expected theme for prayers at Christmastide. It was so in last night’s readings from St. Luke’s Gospel about a Savior being born for you in the City of David. It is also heard in this morning’s reading from St. John’s Gospel: “But to all who did receive Him, who believed in His Name, He gave the right to become children of God, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.” And in the Old Testament Reading from Isaiah’s Prophecy, the theme of redemption is clear: “The Lord has bared His holy arm before the eyes of all the nations, and all the ends of the earth shall see the salvation of our God.”

Certainly, redemption is the theme of Christmas. It is the purpose which the Son of God fulfilled by His birth into this world. But to speak about redemption, one must necessarily consider from what he is being redeemed. What power is being overthrown? What disorder is being overcome? Who no longer shall have control and sway?

In the Gospel Reading, John gives answers in a poetic way. Speaking about the Nativity and life of Christ, he writes: “In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.” Darkness—that is what mankind is being redeemed from. But this is not the lack of electrical power or fuel-burning lamps. No, this is the great and terrible veil of death, sin, imperfection, and deception in which all mankind finds itself enveloped: a darkness of utter spiritual blindness, devoid of any virtue.

And what happens in that darkness? Nothing good. It is so when blackouts strike large metropolitan areas. It is worse when the darkness is worldwide. In that darkness is all sorts of vice which takes place. Disorder and chaos rule. People with any sort of power or ability try to impose their will over others. The Psalmist described it interestingly: “Why do the nations rage and the peoples plot in vain? The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the Lord and against His Anointed, saying: ‘Let us burst their bonds apart and cast away their cords from us.’” There is the attempt to be bound by nothing, no thought that anything is out of bounds, and no idea that anything is wrong with the whole situation.

It is into that disorder which Christ has come: “The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.” In the midst of all the pettiness and futile attempts of mankind, Christ brings something better, something virtuous: “And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen His glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.” Glory from God comes into this sin-darkened world. It trumps all earthly ability. Even Satan with all his angelic powers has to yield.

With that glory comes something needed for you: “And from His fullness we have all received, grace upon grace. For the Law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.” Grace and truth are extended to you: grace is displayed in the pity and compassion that Jesus’ actions show; truth is revealed in what Jesus’ teachings declare. With that grace and truth, the Son of God brings your redemption. Seeing your plight, He acts for your benefit. Overcoming your ignorance, He shows you the order which the Father desires and He works to restore you to it.

This restoration which the Son of God brings is His work. He does it for you. It stems from what He underwent: humiliation, suffering, and death—when it looked like darkness had overcome the Light. It also comes from what His Father did for Him: raising Him to life again, receiving Him in His Ascension, and seating Him with total authority. The Epistle Reading refers to this about Jesus Christ: “He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of His nature, and He upholds the universe by the word of His power. After making purification for sins, He sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high, having become as much superior to angels as the Name He has inherited is more excellent than theirs.”

In this way, “the Lord has bared His holy arm before the eyes of all the nations, and all the ends of the earth shall see the salvation of our God.” As the reports of this go out into the world, the darkness begins to be dispelled. More are put under the Son of God’s gracious rule, being made part of His Father’s household: “But to all who did receive Him, who believed in His Name, He gave the right to become children of God, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.” They may live in this world of darkness, but they are children of the light.

And yet, this redemptive work of the Only Son of the Father, full of grace and truth, is not the complete extent of His purpose and role. There is more that He will accomplish. The deliverance of grace and truth was just the beginning. What is yet to come is the total and full overcoming of the darkness by the Light which the darkness cannot overcome. And that explains the petition of that Christmas Prayer you heard before: “Grant that we, who joyfully receive Him as our Redeemer, may with sure confidence behold Him when He comes to be our Judge.” This is where the theme of Judgment comes in, even at Christmas.

The Lord promises an end to all this madness and delusion found in this darkness of sin. He scoffs at all the scrambling for meaningless power: “He who sits in the heavens laughs; the Lord holds them in derision.” For He knows what order will be brought to this world, brought not at the Nativity of Christ, but His Return. The Psalmist describes this: “Then He will speak to them in His wrath, and terrify them in His fury, saying: ‘As for Me, I have set My King on Zion, My holy hill.” That King is His Only Son, our Lord Jesus Christ. To Him is given all authority: “I will tell of the decree: The Lord said to Me, ‘You are My Son; today I have begotten You. Ask of Me, and I will make the nations Your heritage, and the ends of the earth Your possession. You shall break them with a rod of iron and dash them in pieces like a potter’s vessel.”

Such a statement may not sound too Christmassy. But it is what the Son of God brings with Him. Those who spread the darkness or vainly try to reign in it are warned: “Now therefore, O kings, be wise; be warned, O rulers of the earth. Serve the Lord with fear, and rejoice with trembling. Kiss the Son, lest He be angry, and you perish in the way, for His wrath is quickly kindled.” Their time is at an end. Their so-called dominion shall be no more. For there is a new Ruler, a new Judge.

But for you, this appearance of Christ—the same One who came in humility at His Nativity—in all His glory is nothing to fear: “Blessed are all who take refuge in Him.” Blessed are you who have been brought from darkness to light. Blessed are you who have been made children of God by His will. Blessed are you who have received Him. Blessed are you because of what this Christ has accomplished for you. Blessed are you, for His Coming and His Glorious Return bring grace and truth to you.

So when He comes again, the Christ will recognize you as His own. You have His Name on you, given in Holy Baptism. You kiss the Son, as He permits you to partake of His Body and Blood in the Lord’s Supper. You find refuge in Him, as you turn from your sin, recognizing that only He has the power to save, and that He speaks pardon and peace to you. All of this is the fullness of the grace and truth which the Only Son of God has bestowed upon you.

Because of His gracious will, you have received Him—the Lord’s King and Anointed One—as your Redeemer. You have received Him, remembering when He came at His Nativity to bring salvation to you. So with sure confidence, you may receive Him when He comes to be your Judge, rendering favor for you and putting an end to all the darkness of sin, death, and Satan forever.

T In the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.