33. Christmas Day. I.
Lord, let thy tidings of joy
permeate our heart. Amen.
Gospel Lesson, Luke 2, 1-14. And it came to pass in those days, that there went out a decree from Cæsar Augustus, that all the world should be taxed. (And this taxing was first made when Cyrenius was governor of Syria.) And all went to be taxed, every one into his own city. And Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judæa, unto the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, (because he was of the house and lineage of David,) to be taxed with Mary his espoused wife, being great with child. And so it was, that, while they were there, the days were accomplished that she should be delivered. And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn. And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid. And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day, in the city of David, a Savior, which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger. And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host, praising God, and saying, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.
❦
The blessed angelic hosts praise God for that which he has done for us mortals. It is our joy with which the angels of heaven rejoice, our song of praise in which they join, our thank-offering which they bring before the throne. Therefore it is that they have come down to the earth and make it their temple. For God has given his Son to us; he is become our brother, our Lord and Savior; he is born on earth, he is become a man. That which was ordained in the eternal decree of the Trinity; that for which preparation was made through thousands of years, and which was promised throughout the whole time of the Old Testament, has today come to pass: The Son of God is born of a woman. We have allowed ourselves to be deceived, sold ourselves to the devil, and should of right have been eternally lost; but now we are redeemed and shall inherit eternal life. God himself has become our Savior. The earth shall no more be the kingdom of the devil, wherein anger, falsehood, and murder from hell are supreme; but shall be the home of saints, where God is worshiped in spirit and truth, and where love, peace, and God’s good will abound. For here is he who releases our conscience from the bondage of fear, opens our eyes to the truth, cleanses our heart, pours into it the love of the Lord, and unites us with the holy and blessed God. When we believe the love wherewith God loves us, it comes into our soul; we love him because he loved us first. In this way he makes for himself a dwelling-place in our heart.
The Son of God becomes a man for all men; he is born of a woman in order that he may give his life for all. Hear this, all men of whatever sort: The Son of God came for you, he wants to save you. Turn to him; seek him in the manger of the stable; that is, in the word and sacraments of the church. Seek him earnestly, in order to be saved from sin; then shall you find him and he shall save you. — Ye, needy sinners, who grieve on account of your sins, earnestly long for grace and follow after purity; fear not, but rejoice with great joy. You are of the people to whom the angel’s sermon is directed; the blessed joy that fills the heavenly host is in the strictest sense yours. For all who humble themselves and confess their sins and earnestly desire to be saved, are now saved; all the wretched and poor that hope in the Lord are his people, and they possess this “great joy.” None can describe your happiness, and none can rob you of your bliss. Love, the eternal and heavenly love, is yours; and as it is given you by him that has power to give it, so it is preserved in you by the same power and faithfulness. You have a glory which is greater than that of all angels. We speak of this in reverential fear; for Michael and Gabriel and the seraphim before the throne are so glorious and exalted, that we sinners cannot see them without terror. But God himself, before whom they hide their face, is our brother, and it is their greatest delight to look into the counsel of God for our salvation. These pure, radiant, heavenly spirits, which stand before God, delight in our delight, join in the joy that is given us according to the eternal good pleasure of God; and their blissful duty is to serve herein, to act as messengers between heaven and earth, and with us to praise the Lord. Are our glory and honor not great? They are stupendously great, and fill the heart with a blessed feeling of humility, and of elevation, and of rapture. For God so loved me from eternity and so loves me now and forevermore, that he gives me his only begotten Son; therefore I love him in return and shall love him forever in this heavenly love. God is my God, and my heart is his forevermore. Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men!*
The happy Christmas comes once more.
The heavenly guest is at the door.
The blessed words the shepherds thrill,
The joyous tidings: Peace, Good-will.
O wake our hearts, in gladness sing,
And keep your Christmas with your King,
Till living song, from loving souls,
Like sound of mighty waters rolls.
Come, Jesus, glorious heavenly guest,
Keep thine own Christmas in our breast,
Then David’s harp-strings, hushed so long,
Shall swell our jubilee of song.
34. Christmas Day. II.
Lord, give us grace to keep
thy words in our heart. Amen.
Luke 2, 15-20. And it came to pass, as the angels were gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds said one to another, Let us now go even unto Bethlehem, and see this thing which is come to pass, which the Lord hath made known unto us. And they came with haste, and found Mary, and Joseph, and the babe lying in a manger. And when they had seen it, they made known abroad the saying which was told them concerning this child. And all they that heard it wondered at those things which were told them by the shepherds. But Mary kept all these things, and pondered them in her heart. And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, as it was told unto them.
❦
These shepherds believed what they had heard; therefore they went into Bethlehem and found Mary, and Joseph, and the babe. Here the Spirit of God teaches us how we are to receive the Christmas gift and praise God for it. When we hear the gospel we must not wave it aside and forget it; neither shall we say: “No, it is not possible for me to believe this.” But we must ponder it, and speak one to another about it; then will the Spirit of God, which is in the word, help us to believe it. And when the life of faith begins to stir in us, we must encourage one another, search the scriptures, and seek communion with other believers who are farther advanced in their faith. For Mary and Joseph have the babe between them. Jesus is in his church on earth, and the saints have him in their midst. They have the word and baptism and the Lord’s supper, and through these he is with them. Do you think, that the believers can be gathered together without their having the word of God among them? But as surely as they have the word of God, just as surely do they have Jesus among them. He is the very one about whom they gather. There, in the means of grace in the church, you find the Lord. Say not in your heart: How shall I be able to lift myself up to heaven and reach Jesus? Or: To what place shall I make a pilgrimage in order to find him? Or: What works shall I do in order that he may come and reveal himself to me? In truth, he is much nearer to you than you think: he is in the Word. However, you must not expect to see the Glorious One with your eyes. But admit, that the truth is the truth; believe the Word, then shall you experience in conscience and heart, that he, in very truth, is there. For all things appertaining to the Lord are little to be regarded by the bodily eye and the natural understanding. What, indeed, did the shepherds see? They saw that which was told them: a babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger. But does it stand to reason, that this babe is the Savior of all people, God’s anointed, and the joy of the angels? The shepherds believed; therefore they found that which the Lord had made known to them, and this was enough for them. They did not doubt, that this babe was the promised Savior of Jews and gentiles. You, also, find in the church of God that which himself has said; namely, the tidings concerning him, going out into all the world; the sacrament of baptism in the name of the triune God; the sacrament of the altar, under the bread and wine, which he instituted the same night in which he was betrayed. You shall not ask to see more than what himself has said. The announcement made to the shepherds was this: “Unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you; ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.” They believed the word, found it true, and praised God. To us the Son of God has said: I died for you, and rose again, and am with you alway; and this is the sign: The gospel shall be preached, and the sacraments of baptism and the altar shall be administered. Do you not find it true? Have faith, then, and make known to others the presence and love and grace of Jesus; and when others speak to you of these things, then follow the example of Mary, who “kept all these things, and pondered them in her heart.” — Then, again; praise God in word and deed. Begin in earnest, dear Christian, to bless and thank the Lord during this Christmastide, and continue doing it all your life. Do you not owe God this much? He has given you his Son; and you do not thank him for it! Away with this baneful unbelief, with sloth, with the tormenting bondage under the law, and with the whimpering and whining of the perverted and sick heart! By the grace of God’s Spirit you can believe with that simple and childlike faith which enables you to bless and praise the Lord in the midst of the griefs of this life. I know well enough, that you must feel sin and sorrow, but I also know, that the joy of the Lord shall prevail over all our sin and sorrow. For God loves you and has made you his child. Obey his Spirit, and he shall answer in your heart: Saved, — saved and blest. Glory be to God! Say we with one another: God be praised for his unspeakable gift!*
To David’s city let us fly,
Where angels sing beneath the sky;
Through plain and village pressing near,
And news from God with shepherds hear.
The lowly Savior meekly lies,
Laid off the splendor of the skies;
No crown bedecks his forehead fair,
No pearl, nor gem, nor silk is there.
O holy Child, Thy manger streams,
Till earth and heaven glow with its beams,
Till midnight noon’s bright light has won,
And Jacob’s Star outshines the sun.
* Here the head of the family says a short morning or evening prayer in his own words, and closes with the Lord’s Prayer and the Benediction. This is to be done every day. If the stanzas are not sung, they may be read in their proper place before the impromptu petition and the Lord’s Prayer.