Pastor’s Notes for Christmas Eve, BDate: 12/24/14

Theme: The Birth of Jesus

Bible Ref’s: Isaiah 9:2-7; Psalm 96; Titus 2:11-14 [15]; and Luke 2:1-14 [15-20].

Prayer of the Day

Almighty God, you made this holy night shine with the brightness of the true Light. Grant that here on earth we may walk in the light of Jesus’ presence and in the last day wake to the brightness of his glory; through your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.

Brief Sermon Outline: “A New and Radiant Vision”

Focus Statement: YOU are the lowly manger in which the Christ child has been laid.

1. People by Isaiah’s time were accustomed to deep darkness. The prophet had simply put words to what was already abundantly clear to the Israelites: a calamity had befallen their nation. The kingdom was split, Samaria had fallen in the northern kingdom of Israel, and more was about to come upon Judah. But Isaiah also held out hope in the God who keeps his promises, who delivers Israel from the hand of its enemies. Isaiah declares, “the yoke of [Israel’s] burden, & the bar across their shoulders, the rod of their oppressor, you have broken as on the day of Midian,”

2. The “day of Midian” was when God used Gideon in a dramatic way to deliver Israel from the Midianites. It was an event that restored faith in Israel that God was with them. So now Isaiah identifies Hezekiah as the new Emmanuel, the new up & coming manifestation of “God with us.”

3. In face of a national disaster enshrouding Israel in deep darkness, Isaiah needed to lift up a new & radiant vision of God’s promises being fulfilled in their midst; he cast the child Hezekiah as a mes-sianic king. It was a vision, however, way bigger than Hezekiah could fulfill, a vision that wouldn’t come to pass until some 560 years later when angels would enter the silent night of a lowly couple in Nazareth (Mary & Joseph, now making their way to Bethlehem). But in the Judean countryside surrounding Bethlehem living in the fields, a band of sheep herders huddled against the darkness. They would see a dazzling light, a heavenly host declaring good news of great joy for all people.

4. This new & radiant vision would touch them deeply—their lives huddled in deep darkness would be forever changed by this herald of glad tidings. Perhaps you can identify w/ those lowly shepherds. Shepherds were marginal characters in ancient society, folks with DUI’s & bad credit, cons & ex-cons, migrant workers, illegal aliens, people living in poverty, in fields or on the streets, all those folks society tries to make invisible, tries to keep in the shadows—that’s who the shepherds were.

5. Or maybe the darkness you sit in is deeper than the shepherds’ (like the Israelites in constant fear of the Midianites), like a black man facing racism in America, or kids in Newtown CT or Peshawar, Pakistan facing gun violence. Maybe your deep darkness is like the dejection & hopelessness of being exiled from family or school or church or community—like being gay or lesbian, or maybe like a homeless, hungry young man who found his way to our church a couple Sundays ago, or a family of three living out of their car in Virginia three weeks ago that our Outreach Committee has since been helping to find food and stable housing. The darkness in the world is in our very midst.

6. For those who struggle against the night, especially those of us who’ve grown accustomed to deep darkness, we are introduced to Titus (Paul’s evangelist in training), who is told by Paul “Let no one look down on you [Titus, for proclaiming the truth of the gospel]…exhort & reprove with all author-ity.” So Titus tells it like it is, to all of us sitting in deep darkness: “the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all…” That “all” includes every one of us sitting in whatever deep darkness we may be in whether by sin or by circumstance. The gospel’s been laid in the manger of our hearts.

7. In the gospel story, Mary & Joseph were given amazing news of the roles they would play in the unfolding story of salvation thru their son, Jesus. Shepherds would share more amazing things his parents would ponder. And as this child grew up & embodied the best qualities of Israel’s heroes of old (preaching/teaching with authority, a wonderful counselor, deeds of mercy & might, feeding his flock like a shepherd, establishing peace)…as Jesus fulfilled the meaning of Emmanuel and Savior in one person, he’d give every person sitting in darkness a new and radiant vision to fulfill.

8. So now let’s clarify what this role we have to play looks like in the unfolding story of salvation. After the shepherds were given the good news of great joy, they went with haste to see this manifesta-tion of God’s glory that the night-angels had spectacularly heralded. And what did they find in the little town of Bethlehem? Though the angels had told them, it was a scene they quite didn’t expect.

9. Let’s turn to our Hymn of the Day, “O little town of Bethlehem?” (LBW #41) This hymn paints the picture so well: “How silently, how silently, the wondrous gift is giv’n. So God imparts to human hearts the blessings of his heav’n.” (st. 3) Here in THEIR little town of Bethlehem was this new & radiant vision they’d been yearning for. HERE, packaged in a helpless little baby was the glory of the Lord that not long ago had so terrified them… a gift to the whole world wrapped up in swad-dling clothes and lying in a manger. “So God imparts to human hearts the blessings of his heav’n.”

10. It is, it turns out, the eyes & ears of faith that see and hear God’s glory not in loud, flashy displays of power but in the quiet things of life (things like water, bread & wine, a lowly manger, a Finnish kantele, bells, a lackluster sermon, a Milky Way stretched across the sky, a beating heart) things which become means of God’s grace bringing a new and radiant vision to those in deep darkness.

11. Each of you sitting in darkness…you know the darkness that blinds the eyes of faith, that deafens the ears of faith…Each of you with a beating heart, YOU are the lowly manger in which the Christ child has been laid. Forget the scratchy straw of your sin, forget the rough, “imperfect” wood from which you were made. Your sin is FORGIVEN, the wood is who you ARE, the way God made you.

12. Your beating heart is the lowly manger in which the Christ child has been laid for you to raise up as did Mary and Joseph—to tend and nourish, to help take its first baby steps, and teach how to speak, and tell the truth of the gospel bringing salvation to all, & eventually to give up its life for the world. This new & radiant vision of Christ laid in the manger of our hearts is the vision of our very lives transformed by Christ’s presence, the role we are to play in the unfolding story of salvation…

13. …to bring light to those in deep darkness, to bring good news to the poor, to proclaim release to the captives recovery of sight to the blind…” (Luke 4:18-19) This is the new and radiant vision God intends for you and for me and for all people. As we sing “O little town of Bethlehem,” let us pray that we might see and hear this manifestation of God’s glory through the quiet, simple gifts of water, bread & wine, to cast out our sin & have Christ enter in, to be born & RAISED in us today.

Hymn of the Day: “O little town of Bethlehem” (ELW #279, LBW #41)

The Word

(Isaiah 9:2-7)

The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who lived in a land of deep darkness-- on them light has shined. 3 You have multiplied the nation, you have increased its joy; they rejoice before you as with joy at the harvest, as people exult when dividing plunder. 4 For the yoke of their burden, and the bar across their shoulders, the rod of their oppressor, you have broken as on the day of Midian. 5 For all the boots of the tramping warriors and all the garments rolled in blood shall be burned as fuel for the fire. 6 For a child has been born for us, a son given to us; authority rests upon his shoulders; and he is named Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. 7 His authority shall grow continually, and there shall be endless peace for the throne of David and his kingdom. He will establish and uphold it with justice and with righteousness from this time onward and forevermore. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will do this.

(Psalm 96)

1 O sing to the LORD a new song; sing to the LORD, all the earth.

2 Sing to the LORD, bless his name; tell of his salvation from day to day.

3 Declare his glory among the nations, his marvelous works among all the peoples.

4 For great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised; he is to be revered above all gods.

5 For all the gods of the peoples are idols, but the LORD made the heavens.

6 Honor and majesty are before him; strength and beauty are in his sanctuary.

7 Ascribe to the LORD, O families of the peoples, ascribe to the LORD glory and strength.

8 Ascribe to the LORD the glory due his name; bring an offering, and come into his courts.

9 Worship the LORD in holy splendor; tremble before him, all the earth.

10 Say among the nations, "The LORD is king! The world is firmly established; it shall never be moved. He will judge the peoples with equity."

11 Let the heavens be glad, and let the earth rejoice; let the sea roar, and all that fills it;

12 let the field exult, and everything in it. Then shall all the trees of the forest sing for joy

13 before the LORD; for he is coming, for he is coming to judge the earth. He will judge the world with righteousness, and the peoples with his truth.

(Titus 2:11-14 [15])

For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all, 12 training us to renounce impiety and worldly passions, and in the present age to live lives that are self-controlled, upright, and godly, 13 while we wait for the blessed hope and the manifestation of the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ. 14 He it is who gave himself for us that he might redeem us from all iniquity and purify for himself a people of his own who are zealous for good deeds.

[15 Declare these things; exhort and reprove with all authority. Let no one look down on you.]

(Luke 2:1-14 [15-20])

In those days a decree went out from Emperor Augustus that all the world should be registered. 2 This was the first registration and was taken while Quirinius was governor of Syria. 3 All went to their own towns to be registered. 4 Joseph also went from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to the city of David called Bethlehem, because he was descended from the house and family of David. 5 He went to be registered with Mary, to whom he was engaged and who was expecting a child. 6 While they were there, the time came for her to deliver her child. 7 And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in bands of cloth, and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn. 8 In that region there were shepherds living in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. 9 Then an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. 10 But the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid; for see-- I am bringing you good news of great joy for all the people: 11 to you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is the Messiah, the Lord. 12 This will be a sign for you: you will find a child wrapped in bands of cloth and lying in a manger." 13 And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host, praising God and saying, 14 "Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace among those whom he favors!"

[15 When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, "Let us go now to Bethlehem and see this thing that has taken place, which the Lord has made known to us." 16 So they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the child lying in the manger. 17 When they saw this, they made known what had been told them about this child; 18 and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds told them. 19 But Mary treasured all these words and pondered them in her heart. 20 The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told them.]