Great Joy for All People :: Luke 2:15-20

And it came to pass, as the angels went away into the heavens, the shepherds began to say to one another, we should go to Bethlehem and see this promise that has come to pass, which the Lord has made known to us. And they went with haste and they found both Mary and Joseph, and the baby lying in a manger (vv 15-16).

[Introduction]

Do you remember seeing those “portraits” of Jesus that depict him as a handsome, white man, with a neatly trimmed beard, and flowing locks of long, golden hair? There was a time I didn’t like seeing our Lord portrayed this way. It seemed to be so disingenuous. How could Jesus have blonde-hair, blue-eyes and flowing locks of golden hair? The Mother of Our Lord is a Middle Eastern Hebrew, who almost certainly had olive-brown skin, dark hair and eyes. And Isaiah will remind you that [Jesus] had no form or majesty that we should look at him, and no beauty that we should desire him (Is 53:2). 

Brothers and sisters in Christ, what I read to you from the lectern is a faithful translation of real history. The Word of God is inerrant. Luke, who wrote our Gospel reading for today, emphasizes that point by compiling a narrative of things that have been accomplished among us (1:1). You can double-check the details he provides today. We know who the Roman Caesar was at the time of Jesus’ birth ... Augustus. We know about the census that was actually taken in Bethlehem. We know who the governor of that region was ... Quirinius. These details are important because they illustrate the inerrancy of his God's Word. All of God’s promises find their yes in him. The True God, who created all things, has become one with his creation as True Man. 

JESUS EMBRACES HUMANITY IN HIS HOLY INCARNATION

This is our theme.

I. [Jesus “became” man.]

When the Son of God took on our human nature in the womb of the Blessed Mother of God, he did not just become “A” man. He BECAME “Man.” God himself took all of humanity ... all men ... all people ... of all time ... into himself in his incarnation. As Paul teaches us in 2 Corinthians 5[:19], in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself. He came to bear the sins of all humanity in his body ... including the sins, iniquities, and transgressions of every nation and every race and every people and every tongue. He lived, and died, and rose again ... making right everything we made wrong.

Though Jesus was born a true Israelite ... (He literally embodies Israel) ... his birth reveals the truth that ... there is, in fact, only ONE human race ... the fallen children of Adam, whose name means Man. And in this newborn baby, every sinner is redeemed and restored to God. In his body and blood, God makes all people right again ... He delivers full and free forgiveness. 

Therefore, when Jesus is portrayed as an African or as an Asian or as a European ... theologically speaking ... that’s true. No matter what picture you have in mind of what Jesus might look like ... it’s undoubtedly true. By becoming man, Christ becomes one with all people to deliver all people, redeem all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David, a savior. As Matthew will tell you, you will call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins (Mt 1:21). Jesus is for you. Jesus is with you. Jesus became like you. No one has been left out of this new life that comes from this holy birth. He’s like you in every way, except without sin. He’s like you in every way so that you might become like him in every way and share in his divine glory.

This alone is the basis for the peace on earth of which the angels sang. In Christ, God and sinners are reconciled, reunited. In Christ, we are no longer under God’s wrath. In Christ, we are at peace with him through his self-giving mercy. In Christ, we are in full communion with him. 

The warfare between heaven and earth is now ended. God’s wrath against the sin of the human race is set aside, and God’s love for the world is revealed. Our flesh has been joined to God. Heaven and earth are at peace. God and man are together in Christ ... for Jesus is God and man together in one person. 

Baptized into Christ, we are set right with God. 

Absolved in Christ, we are set right with one another too. 

This is why the angels sing, Glory to God in the highest.

II. [We don’t embrace True God and True Man]

Of course, that first Christmas night was probably not very peaceful for Mary and Joseph. Not only did they have to deal with the stress and anxiety of traveling to Bethlehem for the census, but they also had to find a place to lodge while she was in labor. And there was no place for them, except with the animals. 

Imagine being a first-time mother trying to give birth under those conditions! The fact that Jesus was born in these circumstances is prophetic of his whole ministry, how he would be despised and rejected by men, with no place to lay his head (Lk 9:58). The Gospel of John says that He came to his own and his people did not receive him (Jn 1:11). They did not understand who he was. He was an outcast and an outsider from the beginning of his birth. And yet John goes on: But to all who did receive him, who believed 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 (1:12-13).

We all, of course, would like to think that if we were there that night, we would have made room for the Holy Family. But the truth is ... our lives often say otherwise. We, too, shut Jesus out. We do it when we stay away from the Divine Service. We do it when we spurn the idea of God serving us. Meanwhile, those who don’t come to church very often, if at all, don’t have any room for him in their inn, either. They push Jesus away. Youth sports are more important.

Even those of us who are here regularly sometimes keep him closed up in the church. We too don’t have room for him in our day-to-day lives. We shut out the Word of Christ in certain situations. We despise his Word, and we act like his Word isn’t important. We say We shut out the people in whom Christ is present. We don’t want to have to deal with the inconvenience of letting Jesus in because of all the changes it might mean for us in the way we live and worship.

Whatever the case may be, whoever you are, the message of this morning is that Christ came for you to rescue you, to forgive you, to give you his gifts ... every day ... forever. He has made room for you by his gracious mercy. He was willing to deal with the indignities of his lowly birth and his humble life and his humiliating death in order that you might be dignified and exalted and lifted up with him in his resurrection to everlasting life.

III. [Jesus is born “to you” so that we are reborn to him]

In truth, this Christmas narrative foreshadows the reason why Jesus came into this world. Even as he was born outside the inn with the animals, so he would be crucified outside the city with common criminals. Even as he was wrapped in strips of linen and laid in a manger ... later he would be wrapped in cloths and laid in a tomb. Even as he was wrapped up and laid on the wood of the manger ... later be stripped and nailed to the wood of the cross so that we will remember that he took on flesh and blood so that he might sacrifice his body and shed his blood to cleanse us and make us holy. He was born to die for us so that we might be reborn to live in him eternally.

Let us then return today to Bethlehem ... whose name means literally “House of Bread” to see the great wonder before us. Even as he was laid in a feeding trough, so he is given to be holy food for us, the bread of life, of which one may eat and live forever. The bread and wine that is his true body and blood is given and shed for you ... for the forgiveness of your sins. 

[Conclusion]

Brothers and sisters in Christ, this is why God became Man. 

Whoever you are, wherever you come from, whatever you’ve done, know this ... Christ Jesus came into the world to save you. In him, you are forgiven, you are put right with God. All is well. And all who heard [this Gospel] marveled concerning what the shepherds had told them. But Mary treasured these words, pondering them in her heart. And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God upon all they heard and saw, just as it had been told to them (vv 18-20). ... Merry Christmas, everyone! ... In Jesus’ name! Amen.