LSB 378 Break forth, O beauteous heavenly light
Who is in the manger?
“Fear Not” – The one who takes
away fear
“Good tidings of great joy” – the
One with Good News
“Savior” – “We are Americans
we have never been slaves of anyone!” -
“All sinners are slaves of sin”
- Why is it that the most detailed perfect plans never seem to work out right?
- We even have a sayings to cover up and make ourselves feel better about screw-ups,
- “To Err is Human”
- “Everybody makes mistakes”
- “If at first you don't succeed, try, try again”
- Nothing's perfect – the first transistors – failure rates
- We admit that we are sinners and that we are slaves to sin – it clings to us wrapped up in bad habits, little annoyances, body odor and bad breath.
- Sin creeps up on us in little one experiments in evil only to find that turn so easily into addictions – cheapo replacement gods
- And because they are cheapo replacement gods they cannot hold up under the weight of our lives and so we need a few back gods.
- But that is why the angel Gabriel tells Joseph, “You shall call His name, Jesus, because He will save His people from their sins.” – “save our sins”
“Christ” – “The one set aside
for service to God” “The Perfect One”
Prophets – Priests – Kings
- Prophets had spoken God's word – no holds barred – The True “No Spin” Zone
- People don't like that kind of truth – It's hard on our egos, it spoils our good time to hear that we have not loved each other the way that God would have us love
- Still not one perfect prophet in the Old Testament
- Priests? Not one perfect priest in the Old Testament
- Kings? Now there is a sorry lot, there is a reason we don't teach about the biblical old testament kings to our kids – we would hate for our kids to imagine they should be like them.
Jesus the Christ is the anointed one
announcing the Word of the Lord as no human prophet could.
Jesus the Christ is the anointed one
rescuing from sin as no human priest or animal sacrifice could
Jesus the Christ is the anointed one
beginning His reign over all creation as no human king could
How? A Savior has been born who is
Christ, the LORD.
The LORD – with this claim the Angel
announces that this little babe is no run of the mill man of God.
This little babe is God. They did not
go running to see a baby. They went running to see “this great
sight” They went running because God was there. They went running
to see because He had moved out of his comfy digs up in heaven and
was now walking right along with us.
- To save
- to rescue
- to bind Satan
- to cast out sin
- to bring health and healing
- to disarm death
- to take up the throne of the Kingdom of God and set it over hearts and mindswho will know Him, Trust Him, Love Him, and Follow Him.
One more problem of Christmas to solve
and that is this:
Christmas is the starting line for God
and us
It's wonderful to be on the field in
competition, the stands are full and crowd is filled with
anticipation, the spotlight is right on us, we are chomping at the
bit to WIN.
Preparations
On your mark
Get set
Here is the climax of all those
preparations – the moment when we will be tested against all the
forces against us – forces of nature – forces of other
competitors – forces of evil. Every muscle, every fiber of your
body tensing for the moment anticipating the starting gun, it is
going to fire any second ...
Go!
Shall we just stand up at the gun,
admire the crowd, and bask in their cheers as others run on ahead to
capture the prize. Jesus, our champion is tonight stepping onto the
field of battle in full battle array – wearing your flesh and
blood.
The LORD is putting you on, so that you
can put Him on.
People around the world today and
tomorrow are Hearing these words and the Savior, who is Christ the
LORD is pleading with them one more time: Know Me, Trust Me, Love Me,
Follow Me,
On your mark, get set, …
Luke 2:8-12
The Shepherds and the Angels
And in the same region there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with fear. And the angel said to them, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of a great joy that will be for all the people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.”
John 1:1-5, 14
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made. In him was life, and the life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.1 Timothy 2:5
And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.
For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus,Hebrews 2:11-12
For he who sanctifies and those who are sanctified all have one origin. That is why he is not ashamed to call them brothers, saying,
“I will tell of your name to my brothers;
in the midst of the congregation I will sing your praise.”
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