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INJ
St Luke 2:1-14
Putting the 'X' Back in X-mas
Christmas Eve | December 24th, 2006
Vespers
Dear Saints,
Merry Christmas! There is a merriness to Christmas-tide, isn't there? “It's the most wonderful time of the year,” at least that's what the hymn says. The snow can cover our homes and cars and streets and Christmas decorations, but nothing, it seems, can cover that excitement of the season.
The decorations are in place, the tree is lit, the presents are wrapped, the food is ready to be cooked, families have gathered, and here we are, having just heard the Christmas Gospel, “It came to pass in those days, that there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be taxed.” We recognize the Christmas hymns and we know that soon we will be holding our candles high and singing “Silent Night.” This truly is a wonderful night.
But there is something else. For many people Christmas is a time of sorrow. The tinsel and glitter and nostalgia cannot cover up the sadness. For many Christmas stirs up memories of death and loss and pain. Some have lost loved ones this year, and there is that stab or remorse when you think, “This is our first Christmas without....” Some of your friends and family died at Christmas time, and the joy of the season is mixed with the morning of their memory.
And here's what makes things worse for us, for such a time as this, when we celebrate the birth and the life of our Lord Jesus, we might feel guilty for being sad, telling ourselves, “What place to thoughts of death have in our celebrating of Christmas?”
But this, really, is a wonderful question. What does death have to do with Christmas? Perhaps more, what does Jesus' death have to do with His birth?
That story starts at the beginning, the very beginning, when God created the heavens and the earth. The very height and pinnacle of the Lord's creation is Adam and Eve and all humankind. But humanity is a bit like a snowstorm (here's an illustration we can all understand), it's pretty and nice and even pure for a day or so, but soon after it falls it turns into a nasty mess and causes all sorts of trouble. So it is with Adam and Eve. God commanded that the knowledge of good and evil fruit was not to be eaten, “If you eat of it you will surely die.” And sure enough, they eat, they sin, they fall, and surely they will die.
Sin and death, then, becomes the common lot of all men. “In Adam all die,” [1 Corinthians 15:22] for “The wages of sin is death.” [Romans 6:23] Of course God knows nothing of the taste of death, the Father, Son and Holy Spirit are eternal, full of love and life. The Holy Trinity is far away from our sinning and our dying, or, to say it another way, because of our sin and death, we are far from the life of God.
But look, our Lord does not want us to die and suffer forever the wages of our sin. He does not want to remain far away, distant; He is not pleased that we have isolated ourselves from Him. And so the Father so loved the world that He sent His only begotten Son. The Baby Jesus is the Holy Trinity's Christmas gift to the world. His Name is Immanuel, 'God-with-us', God in our neighborhood. Jesus has come near, and He has done it for a reason, with a purpose, Jesus comes to rescue us from sin and death.
This is the reason for the season, the reason for Jesus' birth, the reason for the incarnation, Jesus coming in the flesh, that He might win for us life and salvation. Now we are getting to the connection, the unity between Jesus' birth and death. For in many ways the wood of the manger and of the cross is cut from the same tree. The shadow of the cross stretches all the way to Bethlehem.
This is important, for we cannot understand Jesus' birth unless we also understand His death, and in this way we put the 'X' in X-mas. You all know that this was a big deal a few years ago, that instead of writing 'Christmas' people were putting up 'X-mas', shorthand, perhaps an act of rebellion, not wanting to write out 'Christ'. There was a reaction that I remember, people talking about “putting 'Christ' back in 'Christmas'.” This is good, for Christmas is altogether and nothing more than the celebration of Jesus' birthday. Without Jesus, without His being born, there is nothing to celebrate but snow and cold and short days.
But that Jesus is a baby lying in a manger is not yet the good news, it is not yet the Gospel. Jesus didn't come in the flesh so He could just drop in and say hello. That Baby has more to do, He does not stay in the manger, but grows in grace and truth, becomes a man, teaches the coming of the kingdom of heaven. But the Man does not remain a Teacher, but goes to the cross, goes to death. Neither does Jesus remain on the cross, but is laid in the tomb, and is risen from the death, and has ascended into heaven. The same Baby, the same Jesus, the same Savior; it is why He came in the flesh.
In this way we put the 'X' in 'X-mas', the cross in Christmas.
Look how St Luke does it. St Luke 2:7:
“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.”
That sound a lot like St Luke 23:53 (where Joseph of Aramethia is depositing Jesus' body in the tomb):
“And he took It down, and wrapped It in linen, and laid It in a sepulchre that was hewn in stone, wherein never man before was laid.”
The humility of the birth in the manger is full grown when Jesus is laid, dead, in the tomb. Jesus is born in our flesh. Jesus dies our death. And in this we are given life. This is the good news, the Gospel, the message of hope and life and light that comes into the midst of our sorrow and sadness and mourning, the joy of our Christmas celebration, the joy of God's love for us.
Now through His Son doth shine
The Father's grace divine.
Death o'er us had reigned
Through sin and vanity;
He for us obtained
Eternal joy on high.
May we praise Him there!
May we praise Him there!
Merry X-mas! Merry Cross-mas! Merry Christmas! Amen.
And the peace of God which passes all understanding, guard your hearts and minds through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
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Pastor Bryan Wolfmueller
Hope Lutheran Church | Aurora, CO
Reflection questions:
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What is the purpose of the incarnation, Jesus' coming in the flesh?
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What does Hebrews 10:5-10 say about Jesus' body and His death?
