radiant beams from thy holy face
with the dawn of redeeming grace
A word before our Christmas Scripture. For years now, Luke has out-peached me! Each year, we hear his lovely Christmas gospel. And then, each year, it’s this poor pastor’s lot to try and follow that up! And each year, the best I’ve managed is to flail about in the wake of Luke’s masterful Christmas sermon.
This year, though, I’m not going to let that happen. But not because I’ve come up with a better sermon than Luke. No, no one can do that on Christmas Eve! No, Luke’s not going to show me up tonight because I’m not going to let him preach before me! I’m going to exercise a little of my Christian freedom and preach before Luke! And only then will we let Luke preach. That way, he can’t outshine me!
Joking aside, this is as it should be. No one can preach like Scripture itself. And tonight, Luke’s the master. He should get the last word. So we’re going to let him have it!
For my part, it’s my prayer that this humble offering might simply give utterance to all that is lovely in the Christmas gospel we’re about to hear. Ideally, preaching this way will give me time to get out of Luke’s way! By the end, if the Holy Spirit blesses this enterprise, when I sit down, all our hearts will be standing at attention to hear the Good News of the Christmas gospel on this blessed eve!
But, even if none of that comes to pass, the order will be correct. You’ll hear one sermon, and then you’ll get to hear a better one. If nothing else, it will be enough just for Luke to take us there tonight with his magisterial Christmas sermon. Because that’s where we’re all trying to get tonight. Isn’t it?
Tonight, of all nights, we’re trying to get to Bethlehem. Aren’t we? O little town of Bethlehem, how still we see thee lie. And each and every last one of us would like a bit more of that blessed Christmas stillness. Wouldn’t we? I know I would.
O Bethlehem, the little town where a cold and indifferent world is kept at bay for one night. O Bethlehem, where unexpected quarter is found, and fellowship extended by a motley crew of bunkmates. In fact, the very unlikeliness of such warm and welcoming accommodations makes the glad tidings of this night ring out all the louder.
O Bethlehem, where the uncertainty of life is put away by the shining of yonder star. O Bethlehem, where the silence of this night is not frightening at all, but rather holy. O little town of Bethlehem, where the hopes and fears of all our years are met in thee tonight. And met, not with judgment, but grace, mercy, and love!
…Well, seeing as we have a moment or two, why don’t we look at how everyone came to be in Bethlehem on that holy night. It won’t take long. It’s actually very straightforward.
Mary and Joseph were there by government mandate. That’s all! They weren’t in Bethlehem because they thought they were doing God’s bidding. No, they were there because they were told they had to be!
They didn’t want the threat of a letter from the IRS hanging over their heads. So on that fateful night, they found themselves in Bethlehem of all places. But, while Mary and Joseph were just trying to manage their lives, God managed to fulfill Scripture!
And the shepherds? Well, that’s even more simple! They went to Bethlehem because that herald angel crashed their night shift! The shepherds had drawn the short straw that night and were on the clock. But while they were counting down the hours to quitting time, the heavenly host started singing the hymn of good news of great joy for all people!
The shepherds had the honor of worshipping Christ before anyone else! But they didn’t get there first because they showed up to church early. Quite the contrary! It happened because they had to pull the graveyard shift that night. But while they put in the hours, the angels put them on notice! Salvation itself had slipped in under the nose of an unsuspecting world in the birth of a tiny babe!
Are you picking up a pattern here?!? Each and every character, all the way from the very emperor of the known world to a down on their luck couple who couldn’t find digs for the night, thought they were just going about life at its most indifferent. But, all the while, unbeknownst to them all, God was busy using their circumstances to bring about the unintended consequence of the world’s salvation!
And before I say anything else, let me say this loud and clear, that includes you! The Good News of great joy for all people is meant for you! There is no sin lurking in your past or failing hiding in your future that will disqualify you from these words. Full stop.
The Good News of great joy is that Christ comes to cast out your sin and enter in to your life! And on this night of all nights, he’s not about to let anything stop him! Because, and here’s just one more piece of what Jesus is up to tonight, he’s even, right now, using your circumstances to fulfill Scripture tonight right here! Right now!
I don’t know what brought you here tonight. But after a few years at this, I have my guesses. It might be routine. Or maybe you enjoy the humble majesty of this night. Maybe you love the hymns. Maybe someone is dragging you here. Maybe you’re on the hunt for a little nostalgia. Maybe it’s tradition. Or, might a pastor dare to hope, perhaps you’re here tonight because you’re hoping. You’re hoping that maybe one night of the year, you might actually hear some news that is good.
And if that’s why you’re here, like Mary, you’ve chosen the better part. But, if the Christmas story means anything at all, and it most certainly does, it means all our machinations are beside the point! Because, all the while, right under our noses, God is busy fulfilling Scripture! Fulfilling Scripture for you and for me! With you and with me! Right here in our little corner of the empire! Tonight of all nights!
Unbeknownst to us all, God has used everything that brought you here to bring about salvation. And that includes your salvation! You are saved! Christ the Lord is born today! Born for you and for me! Born, to be your Lord and your savior!
And so, with that promise of good news of great joy hanging in the air, let us do something we haven’t done since covid first came on the scene. Let us rise for the reading of holy Scripture! Let us go now to Bethlehem! To Bethlehem to see this thing that has taken place, which the Lord has made known to us! And so, O brother Luke, tonight of all nights, preach to us! May your voice once again fill the air as your Christmas sermon take us there all over again!
All rise for the reading of holy Scripture on this blessed Christmas Eve!
Comments
Post a Comment