Joy and Peace! (Luke 2:1-20)
Rev. David French
12/24/22
No doubt, more than at any other time of the entire year, tradition plays a key role in what we do during the next forty-eight hours. For many of you, tradition has already determined who and in what order youâll make your visits or be visited in the next day or so. I mean, thatâs how it works for who you call, where you go, and what youâll eat. That âalways the sameâ part is, of course, how something becomes a tradition. For many, there is a real sense of comfort associated especially with Christmas traditions. But that comfort, we learn as we age, is not found in the tradition, but is found in the reason for the tradition.
I mean, think about the differences in the tradition of giving Christmas gifts. Some of you may open presents tonight. Some will wait until tomorrow morning. In some households the kids hand out the gifts. Others will have one person, usually the same person every year do it. And even though our specific family traditions may be a little different, the giving and receiving of gifts is at the heart of the tradition. Thatâs the part we all have in common.Â
But if we all exchange gifts and weâre all aware of how the whole gift giving thing works, why do we still call them gifts? Why not call them Christmas exchanges that we are personally both responsible for and entitled to? Can you imagine how you would feel if that special person in your life opened the package you offered and said, âThis isnât what I wantedâ? Do you think that would affect your Christmas spirit? Or if you offer that package with the words, âHere, I hope youâre satisfied.â Do you think he or she would know why youâre giving them that package?Â
Tell me, why did Jesus come into our world? Forget about all the trappings for a moment and think only about the why. Isnât it â Jesus came to live in our place and then offer Himself as the payment for our sins? Nothing more. Jesus was born of flesh specifically so He could pay for our sins of the flesh. And the result of Jesusâs work: the gift, if you will, is that all the riches of Godâs grace are now yours. You and all who believe the promise this child fulfills now live with Godâs undeserved mercy. Through the forgiveness you received at your baptism and are assured of again this night, one day the child carried by Mary will carry you to be with Him in heaven for all eternity.
The thing is, if we see that gospel blessing as something we deserve or are entitled to, then we are truly in danger of turning Godâs gift of Christmas into a meaningless or empty tradition. It may be contrary to popular belief, but you know in your heart that God doesnât owe you or me anything. You know your goodness and the goodness of all who have been conceived of flesh before us is not the reason God sent His Son to be born of Mary. You know that the Christ came not because of our goodness, but to pay for our sin.
Never forget, Jesus was not born into this fallen and sinful world to show us how to break the bonds of sin and death and the Evil One. He came to break the bonds for you. He came so that with His holy blood He would set us free from the things that bind us. You know the words, âFor it is by grace you have been saved, through faith--and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God âŠ.â
This evening, to be sure, we celebrate Godâs unconditional gift of love in the fleshâfor all of humanity. A love that didnât end with a babe in the manger because this child who is God in the flesh had a very specific purpose, and He will walk a path that leaves Him beaten and bloodied and hanging lifeless on a cross.Â
My friends, it was always Godâs will that our salvation begin in a manger and be finished on a cross. It was the only way we could be saved. The truth is, we celebrate the birth of this child because He is the One who will be sacrificed for our sins and so in Him we find the very definition of Godâs love and the peace the angels spoke of - a peace that goes beyond human understanding.
Perhaps thatâs where traditions like this evening can be most helpful because as flawed as we are, the Bible does say that even though weâre evil, we know how to give good gifts to our children, and we know the reason we give them gifts is because we love them. And that is, of course, the why behind the gift of Christ - God loves you. And Godâs love isnât just for those who love Him back.
We give a gift or two to those in need or put some change in a big red pot; and thatâs good, but itâs very little compared to what youâll do for your own. On this night weâre thankful thatâs not how God gives His gifts. God gave His Son for all people, even for those who hate Him or deny He even exists. You see, Godâs gift is truly unconditional; truly given out of a love so pure that, on this side of heaven, we will never fully understand it.
What we celebrate this evening is Godâs timeless gift, a gift as precious today as the day it was purchased. The gift of His Son and the salvation He brings to each of us. Yes, God in His wisdom chose to come into our world through a virgin who would give birth to Immanuel, God as child, who came into our world to pay for our sins with His own blood, that we might know we are forgiven and so free from the threats of the punishment sin deserves.Â
We, you and I, are the reason the Son of God was born of flesh and blood and would offer the same on the cross of Calvary as the all-redeeming sacrifice for the sin of the world. The death of this child is why His heavenly Father gave Him the name Jesus, because with His death, He truly saved His people from the eternal consequences of our sins.
The truth is, it really is only through the cross that we can know the true joy and peace of Christmas in our everyday lives, because the true joy and peace of Christmas has everything to do with God giving His only Son as a completely unconditional gift. And in return, our now spirit-filled hearts offer all that we have, that is, our humble thanks and praise.
We all know that as much as we enjoy this time of year, our joy and peace in this world of sin are not found in gifts that are bought and paid for with silver and gold or even our blood, sweat, and tears. Our joy and peace are not found around a dinner table or in a punch bowl with people we havenât seen in a while. Itâs nice to get together with friends and family, but like you, none of them can pay for a single sin. No, on this night before the celebrations begin, we remember that true joy and peace, the kind that last more than a season, is found in Christ Jesus our Lord and our Savior alone. May God bless you and grant you a very merry Christmas.
In the name of the child born for you, Amen.Â