Christmas Eve | Luke 2:1-20

The Nativity of Our Lord, Christmas Eve, December 24, 2021 | A Sermon on Luke 2:1-20 | The Rev. Dr. Ryan D. Mills |

In 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 (NRSV).

In the Name of the Father, and of the Son +, and of the Holy Spirit.

Tonight, on Christmas Eve of 2021, we hear again the story of the birth of Jesus Christ.  It’s an amazing story that we gather for this night, and one we need to hear this year more than ever. Amazing that heaven and earth would meet in a baby, amazing that God and human beings would be joined in a little child, amazing that this sad old world of 2021 would find new life and new hope in a newborn, amazing that our deepest griefs this year and most terrible fears are soothed tonight by the cry of a baby, lying in a manger.

The angels’ message of good tidings of great joy came first tonight to the shepherds.  To shepherds who were poor, who were lonely, who were looked down on and judged and rejected, God sent good news to these ones first.  And so it’s to them, and to you, and to every humble one in this wide world that are given tonight the two promises of Christmas.  And the first is just this: “Fear not, don’t be afraid.”  That’s the first promise of Christmas tonight, straight from the angels’ mouth for you: “Don’t be afraid.”  We all know about fear, especially over these past couple years. But whatever you fear in your life this night, amidst every disaster facing this world, in whatever need, whatever heartache, whatever loneliness, whatever sin, whatever grief it is that you come with this night, hear the angel’s promise to you: “Fear not, don’t be afraid.”

The number one most-repeated Commandment in the New Testament is spoken to you tonight, like a Mother reassures a child, like a Father comforts his little ones; God is calling you to faith, calling you to trust in him tonight, saying, “Don’t be afraid!”

Why?

Because of the second promise of Christmas: “For unto you is born this day in the city of David, a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.”

For unto you is born.  For you is born.  For your sake, for the whole world, but also just for you Christ is born. God has not left our world or you or me alone or abandoned. God has not held our pasts against us.  God has not quit or turned his back or given up on any of us.  But he has come to us tonight, not in glory and majesty to terrify–but tiny as a newborn, gentle as a sleeping baby, humble as a child lying in an animal trough.  And this child is called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. He comes to reclaim this world which is his own, he comes to bring you back to himself by giving himself away for you, he comes to bear our sickness and weakness in order to bring life and healing to us all.  And now the One that heaven cannot contain lays on Mary’s lap, now the Eternal God is a newborn baby, now the King of Heaven once surrounded by angel choirs is a child of earth, surrounded by barnyard beasts, because there was no room for him in the inn.  The Son of God is far from home, lying in a cold manger tonight, so that whoever you are, wherever you are, you might open the door of your heart and make room for him tonight in faith. Let the Christ-child make his home in you, so that you may become his child forever.

He is born for you this day, in order to die for you one day soon.  All his living, and all his dying will be out of love for you.  Because to the end he will keep his arms open to you, not just in a wooden manger but also upon a wooden cross, and not just wrapped in swaddling cloths, but someday in grave cloths. He is born tonight to die, so that you and I will never die, but live with him forever.

And so these are the two promises of the angels tonight for you, the two promises of Christmas that point you to your Lord, silently loving you, lying in a manger:  “Fear not, don’t be afraid…for unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.”

Merry Christmas!

Amen.

The Rev. Dr. Ryan Mills

New Haven, Connecticut

Pastor@TrinityLutheranNH.org