Christmas Eve | December 24, 2024 | A Sermon on Luke 2:1-20 | by Luther H. Thoresen |

Luke 2:1-20              

(Text New Revised Standard Version copyright © 1989, 1995 National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America.)

¹In those days a decree went out from Emperor Augustus that all the world should be registered. ²This was the first registration and was taken while Quirinius was governor of Syria. ³All went to their own towns to be registered. ⁴Joseph 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. ⁵He went to be registered with Mary, to whom he was engaged and who was expecting a child. ⁶While they were there, the time came for her to deliver her child. ⁷And 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.

⁸In that region there were shepherds living in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. ⁹Then an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. ¹⁰But the angel said to them, ‘Do not be afraid; for see—I am bringing you good news of great joy for all the people: ¹¹to you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is the Messiah, the Lord. ¹²This will be a sign for you: you will find a child wrapped in bands of cloth and lying in a manger.’ ¹³And 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!’

¹⁵When 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.’ ¹⁶So they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the child lying in the manger. ¹⁷When they saw this, they made known what had been told them about this child; ¹⁸and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds told them. ¹⁹But Mary treasured all these words and pondered them in her heart. ²⁰The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told them.

Note: The initial paragraphs in italics of this sermon might be used as the basis for a Children’s message. If not used that way, one might adapt it as the beginning of the “usual” sermon, or insert part of it later in the sermon…or later in the service. These words are a description, not a “script” for this, except for the prayer at the end.

This evening read a ¹book called Humphrey’s First Christmas. (I read the book. It retells the events of Luke 2 and Matthew 2…and when Humphrey the camel wants to offer a gift to the Christ Child, he offers a blanket from his back).

Would you pray with me? God, thank you for the gifts we give and receive among family and friends. Thank you for the gifts we receive from you every day. Thank you for sending your Son as a baby wrapped in bands of cloth. Thank you for the gift of your Son so that we might receive Life now and forever. Amen

Grace, mercy, and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.

And [Mary] gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in bands of cloth (v.7)

This evening or tomorrow in many homes there will be gifts under a tree. These will be distributed and pictures will be taken. Children and adults will unwrap gifts and share “thank yous” and maybe hugs of gratitude. The unwrapping of gifts is a highlight of the season for many folks.

Anyone here enjoy wrapping gifts? Anyone in your family use excessive amounts of tape? Do you wrap with colored paper? Newspaper? Brown paper bags? Do you use gift bags with tissue paper? Something about us likes the mystery of a wrapped gift! What if nothing was wrapped? The mystery would be gone…no suspense…no surprises.

And [Mary] gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in bands of cloth (v.7)

Someone said that Mary wrapped the first Christmas gift – a child wrapped in cloth. Who is this? There is a sense of mystery with the wrapped child in this story.

A few years ago I heard about a two year old child ¹that was playing with the pieces of a home nativity. The “baby Jesus” was naked, so what to do? The two year old got out some Play-Doh wrapped the “baby Jesus” in a Play-Doh blanket. That’s what. The “baby Jesus” needed to be wrapped. Later the mother took the Play-Doh and put it away.  Guess what? The two year old got out the Play-Doh again to make a blanket! What did Humphrey give the “baby Jesus” in the story book? A blanket.

Have you sung the carol called ³“The Friendly Beasts”? Many of us have. In that Christmas carol, we are invited to imagine that each animal at the stable offers a gift to the Child Jesus. I won’t quote the whole of each verse, but a portion. The carol begins

Jesus our brother kind and good, was humbly born in a stable rude.
The friendly beasts around him stood. Jesus our brother kind and good.

“I,” Said the donkey, all shaggy and brown. “I carried His mother uphill and down.
I carried her safely to Bethlehem town…”

“I,” Said the cow, all white and red. “I gave Him my manger, for a bed.
I gave Him my hay to pillow His head…”

“I,” Said the sheep with the curly horn I gave Him my wool for a blanket warm.
He wore my coat on Christmas morn…”

“I,” Said the dove from the rafters high. I cooed him to sleep so he wouldn’t cry.
We cooed him to sleep my mate and I…”

Every beast by some good spell In the stable dark was glad to tell
Of the gifts they gave Emanuel…

There are also many legends told as Christmas stories. With these, a character often gives a gift to the Christ Child. An example is legend about a little “drummer boy” who has no other gift, so he plays his drum for the Child. This legend even became a song.

Christina Rossetti was a faithful Roman Catholic lay woman who lived a couple of centuries ago. One of her poems is called “In the Bleak Mid-winter”⁴ and it is sung as a Christmas hymn or carol. It begins like this:

         In the bleak midwinter, frosty wind make moan

         Earth stood hard as iron, water like a stone.

         Snow had fallen snow on snow, snow on snow.

         In the bleak midwinter, long ago.

Then, other verses follow – one about the birth of the child, one about the angels appearing to the shepherds, and so forth. Then, the final verse is sung:

         What can I give him, poor as I am?

         If I were a shepherd, I would bring a lamb.

         If I were a wise man, I would do my part.

         Yet, what I can I give him, give my heart.

 

It is good to consider what we might give, even give our heart to Christ. Yet the Good News is about God’s gift to us!

And [Mary] gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in bands of cloth (v.7)

• God’s gift comes to us wrapped in bands of cloth.
• God’s gift comes to us wrapped in the word and waters of Baptism.
• God’s gift comes to us wrapped in the bread and wine of Holy Communion.
• God’s gift comes to us wrapped in the fellowship among God’s people.
• God’s gift comes to us wrapped in our neighbor’s need.
• God’s gift comes to us. Period.
• God’s gift comes to us not because we earn it or deserve it. Christ Jesus is pure gift.

In our homes gifts are unwrapped. Would you ever NOT unwrap a gift? If so, you would never see the gift, and never receive its benefits.

Sometimes gifts at Christmas are for one person – like clothes, toys, and so forth. Can you imagine NOT using a gift – like never wearing a gift of clothes, or never playing with a toy? Gifts are to be unwrapped and put to use. At other times, gifts at Christmas are for two or more people – these are to be shared – like kitchen utensils, a TV, and so forth. Can you imagine NOT sharing those gifts?

And [Mary] gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in bands of cloth (v.7)

The invitation of Christmas is Yes, receive the gift; and the invitation of Christmas is to open the gift of Jesus and share the gift. Gifts are to be received, unwrapped and shared.

A number of years ago there was a song you may have heard on religious radio stations. It was called “The gift goes on.”⁵

The Father gave the Son, The Son gave the Spirit
The Spirit gives us life, So we can give the Gift of love
And the Gift goes on…

Don’t you love to get a present, Wrapped up in a Christmas bow
God gave each of us a present, On that night so long ago
It’s a Gift that keeps on giving…And the Gift goes on

And [Mary] gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in bands of cloth (v.7)

We might say, “I don’t think I’ll open this gift, maybe I don’t need it.” We might say, “Mine.” Period. I really like this gift, but someone else can share. I’ll keep it to myself. To NOT open the gift, or to NOT share the gift – both of these reflect our resistance to God’s work in the world. It is my sin, yet God gives anyway. It is God’s nature to give.

In Martin Luther’s Christmas Sermon of 1543 he said, “The inn was full…there are many who think to yourselves, ‘If only I had been there! How quick I would have been to help the baby.’ Why don’t you do it now? You have Christ in your neighbor, for what you do to your neighbor in need you do to the Lord Christ himself.”

And [Mary] gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in bands of cloth (v.7)

This is God’s Gift for you. This is God’s gift for you to share. Amen.

In the name of the Father, and of the +Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

©Pr. Luther H. Thoresen, ELCA, STS, retired; thoresenluther54@gmail.com; Grundy Center, IA, USA

¹ Humphreys First Christmas was written by Carol Heyer and published in 2012 by WorthyKids. It is suitable for children preschool through 3^rd grade.

² The original source for this anecdote is unknown by me…I heard it or read it, but where, I do not know.

³ The lyrics for “The Friendly Beasts”, a 12^th Century French Carol, are in the public domain.

⁴ The lyrics for Christina Rossetti’s “In the Bleak Midwinter” are in the public domain.

⁵ The lyrics for “The Gift Goes On” were written by Claire Cloninger & Ron Harris, and are under copyright, thus only a minimal portion is quoted here. If one has a CCLI license, it does cover public singing of this.