Encore Post: Simeon patiently waited for years. The Holy Spirit told him he would see the promised Messiah. On the day that the Son of God suddenly appeared in his temple, the Holy Spirit led him to the Court of the Women in the temple. There he did as countless rabbis did, took a baby in his arms. This time, the infant was different. He was the Son of God. Simeon’s song — the last in Luke’s musical — is sung by the church in the vespers, compline and in divine services.
We know the song by the first of its words in Latin — nunc dimittis: “Lord, release…” Simeon’s words sum up the checking off of the last item on the ultimate bucket list. He had held God himself in his own hands. He knew that in this Son of David, God would save his people — both Jewish and Gentile. He could die in peace.
When we sing the song of Simeon after the Lord’s Supper, we, too, have received the Lamb of God in our own hands and mouth as we eat his body with bread and drink his blood with wine. We, too, can go in peace. When we sing the song in the evening, we do it as we prepare for bed, knowing that we have seen the Lord in his Word.
There is one other time when we sing this song. When a pastor senses that the Lord himself will soon call us to be with him, the pastor will sing this song with us or for us. If he has time, he will bring us the Lord’s own supper as bread for our journey. If he is present with us when the angels come for us, he will sing this song for us again: “Lord, now let your servant go in peace, according to your word. For his own eyes have seen your salvation, which you have prepared in the sight of all people. A light to lighten the gentiles and the glory of your people Israel.” I did this for my own wife twice during her last hours, just before the angels carried her home to be with Jesus. May we then rest in his peace, now and to the day of the resurrection of all flesh.
Encore Post: “He’s a saint!” you might hear someone say. What they probably mean is that the person is very good, generous, kind, or helpful. Most often, when we use the term, we mean someone respected and honored by the early or medieval church for their example of holy living or strong faith. Such people, called saints in the first few centuries, were witnesses to Jesus to the point of death. They were also called martyrs, witnesses.
The Bible does not use the word saint in such a narrow way. The word means “holy one” and is used to describe God’s people, saved and made holy by his grace. St. Paul goes to great lengths to explain how those God is making holy should live. Many Lutheran pastors follow this custom and call the hearers of their sermons “saints.”
During the Middle Ages, saints who were admired for their faith went from being good examples to be venerated — worshipped, really, although Catholics would object to that description. The church redefined a saint as someone whose good deeds were more numerous than their sins, so they did not go to purgatory but directly to heaven. (that subject is for another post!) There, it was said, they are aware of what is going on and pray for us. They can hear our prayers and do miracles for us—or instead, ask God to perform them. The honoring of and praying to the saints became known as the cult of the saints.
Martin Luther and the reformers believed the cult of the saints had gotten out of control. They believed it was good to give thanks to God for saints, to study their lives, and to imitate their faith. The Book of Hebrews says as much. (Hebrews 13:7) Yet the saints in heaven do not know what is happening on earth, and they do not hear our prayers. Prayer and worship belong to God alone.
So Lutherans do not pray to saints, collect pieces of their bodies, or things that belonged to them as magic objects. We study their lives, consider what happened to them, learn from their sins and mistakes, and imitate their faith and good works. We do this not because they are better than us, but because they are just like us. If God got them through this life by faith, he can — and will — keep us to everlasting life.
Sermon on the Holy Innocents, Martyrs Exodus 1:8-22, Matthew 2:13-18 December 28, 2025
Grace, mercy, and peace be to you from God our Father, and from our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Amen.
Dear saints, in a dispute with some Jews, Jesus tells them that the devil was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks out of his own character, for he is a liar and the father of lies. As we read Scripture, we see this play out over and over. Of how the devil influences and guides people from God to evil. From the snake in the garden to sin crouching at the door and desiring Cain. To a people bowing before a golden calf, to arrogantly thinking the city of Jerusalem was safe because the Temple was built in it.
Perhaps, however, the greatest and most vile treachery of the devil is his targeting of children. The demonic practice of child sacrifice. Not only in the lands of ancient Babylon and Assyria, but even in the cultures of Central America. Human, and specifically child sacrifice, was…is common around the world. The blood of the young and innocent is shed to feed the desires of demons masquerading as gods. To serve the self as a god. To buy favor with a man or a false god.
It is not only the devil and his minions who are bloodthirsty. Many kings and generals through the centuries have been as well. They would conquer and slaughter for the sport of it. Or, perhaps it was out of fear, like when a group of your servants starts to grow larger than you are comfortable with. Or when you convince yourself, there is a rival heir to your throne.
These are the fears we hear this morning. A new king arises who is ignorant of or simply despises history. Does not know or care how, centuries ago, a man came to Egypt as a slave, was wrongly imprisoned, but saved the entire region from a severe famine. We also hear of a tyrant who feared any challenger. And when he hears of a newborn king, he fears this infant with a violent response.
Some 1500 years before our Lord’s birth, the devil is working to thwart God’s plan to redeem His creation. When a severe famine brings the chosen family to Egypt and the land of Goshen, the Lord blesses them greatly. They grow great in number. And now, the devil uses Israel’s size to scare the new Pharaoh. And as we heard, the lives of Israel are made miserable. They are mistreated and abused. But it was not enough to oppress God’s people. The devil had greater goals.
For God promised a seed from Abraham. But if the line is broken, if Abraham’s line is ended, the Messiah cannot come. God’s plan and promise to save mankind would be derailed, and you and I would be forever under condemnation. The devil uses Pharaoh as his vessel. The goal was to end the line of Israel. To systematically kill all male Hebrew children. To force the girls to marry into Egyptian families and end the line of the Patriarchs. So, the command to the midwives was to kill any male child immediately after he was delivered and to allow any girl to live.
Yet God will not be thwarted. Although a Pharaoh arose who did not know Joseph or fear God, so also were there faithful and brave midwives. When choosing between honoring God and the command of Pharaoh, Shiphrah and Puah chose their Lord and your Lord.
Their faithfulness was rewarded, but the devil did not give up. He intensified. Rather than killing the boy at birth, Egyptians were commanded to find Hebrew boys and throw them into the Nile, to drown them. The very river that gave life and symbolized fertility was to be the agent of death.
We do not know how many children were tossed into the Nile nor how long this decree lasted. We are not sure what the age cutoff was, for Moses’ brother Aaron was about three when this began. But we do know that not all male children were drowned. A Levite family has a son, and when they can no longer hide him, they place him in a basket. They place it in the Nile. And the basket, like the ark during the Great Flood, protects the precious cargo. None other than Pharaoh’s daughter draws the basket and baby out of the water. She adopts and names the child Moses. And though it takes decades, through Moses, the devil is finally thwarted. God’s people are saved from their slavery and affliction. Egypt and her gods are judged. And the promise to Abraham and the Patriarchs is preserved.
We also hear this morning of another king. One whose reign at first was of building and relative peace, but devolved into depravity, paranoia, and tyranny. And when magi from the East arrive, reporting the birth of the King of the Jews, that paranoia went into overdrive. A man who was willing to kill his own kin to protect his throne had no qualms about having an infant murdered, either.
This jealousy and fear gave the devil another opportunity. While he failed to prevent Christ’s birth, he could still go after Him as a baby. And because the devil hates God and His creation, he was willing to kill any child he could while going after God’s Son. Like the Hebrew children in Egypt, we do not know how many boys were killed by Herod’s order. We do not know how many parents had their infants and toddlers ripped from them by the murderous will of Herod and the devil.
But we know God acted to preserve His promise. Mary, Joseph, and Jesus were hidden away and safe in Egypt when Herod’s evil decree was carried out. They stay until Herod dies. In this time, the devil causes grief and sorrow but fails to accomplish his evil agenda.
Horror and turmoil persist today. People suffer at the hands of other people. People suffer from accidents and other natural occurrences. People still suffer from the devil’s antics and plans. When this occurs, weeping and lamentation are appropriate responses. The desire to comfort the afflicted and the suffering is good and natural. For we rejoice with those who rejoice and mourn with those who mourn. Pray for all who are suffering, that they may know peace.
Today, we remember the children and their families who suffered due to the actions of the devil and evil men. We lament the lives that were cut short. But we also remember that God’s will and promise are still accomplished. He loves those children and families just as He loves all children and families. It is for them and for you that He comes as a baby. For them and for you, He dies. Not the victim of Satan, but as the victor over Satan. The schemes of the devil are ultimately all overcome by your God.
And so, we thank God that He delivers all His martyrs and saints from the great tribulation of this world. For all who have had their robes washed in the blood of the Lamb. Who are made pure and holy on account of the death and resurrection of Christ. Let us take refuge in all His promises. Rest in the knowledge that He will not let you be put to shame. Remembering that Jesus hands over the Spirit so that He may reside in you, delivering you from evil. Amen.
The peace of God, which passes all understanding, keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Amen.
Encore Post: “In the beginning was the Word…” John begins his gospel. (John 1:1) His introduction is very different from Matthew, Mark’s, and Luke’s gospels. He takes us back in time to creation itself. Where are the shepherds, the sheep, the star, the wise men, and all the details we’ve come to love? Why doesn’t the beloved disciple tell us the story? It is because John is not a biography like the ones we’re used to. (The other gospels aren’t either, but that is another story!) In fact, John tells us what he is trying to do: “Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book; but these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.” (John 20:30–31)
For John, what happened in Jesus’ earthly life is less important than why. The Gospel of John tells the good news simply, profoundly, and in ways that strengthen the faith of every Christian — young and old. So, John begins at the beginning.
Jesus is the eternal Word — the λόγος (Logos) — living with God the Father forever. He is divine, God himself, the Author of Life and the Creator of all things. He is Light itself, which overcomes darkness. He came to the world, and the world did not know him. His own people did not receive him. Yet those who believe in him, he adopted as his children, not born of human will, but by the will of God.
But John does talk about Christmas — he tells us the reason for the season. The Word became flesh and lived with us. This mystery is so profound that it makes no sense in Greek philosophy. To the Greeks, spirituality is all about denying the flesh and the material world in which it lives. To them, the body is suspect and evil; the spirit is good. That God’s Word would become human is backwards. For the Jew, it is offensive to think that man could be God. Yet that is precisely what happened at Christmas.
So, the beloved disciple teaches us, if you want grace and truth, look to Jesus. Human beings have never seen God, but the only begotten God — he is from the Father and made him known. Christians are blessed because when they discover they cannot understand God, they can look to Jesus. In him, God has come to live with us and will do so now and forever.
Encore Post: The coming of the wise men from the east is a beloved part of the story of Christmas — even if the church doesn’t get around to celebrating it until the twelfth night of Christmas. (Stay tuned!) It really was logical for them to stop in Jerusalem. Where else would you find an infant crown prince? Yet that stop set in motion unintended events that are not so pleasant.
Herod the Great was a master politician and a loyal client of Rome. He was a master builder, rebuilding the temple in Jerusalem, constructing the port of Caesarea Maritima out of nothing, among other projects. He was also paranoid, executing anyone he thought was plotting to take his throne, including his favorite wife and several of his sons. The standard joke in Rome was that it was safer to be Herod’s pig than his son. (as a Jew, he did not eat pork) No wonder his court was upset when foreign scholars wanted to worship the newborn King of the Jews!
When the wise men were warned by God in a dream not to return to Herod, the king took no chances and ordered all young boys in Bethlehem to be executed. True to his name, Jesus’ foster father, Joseph, heeded an angel who appeared to him in a dream and took his family to Egypt. This may sound strange to us, but it was not odd during the time. Egypt was then a province of Rome, and the route there was a well-traveled and relatively safe one. Many Jews lived in Egypt, especially in Alexandria, the intellectual capital of the empire. Egypt had for centuries, been very friendly to Jews.
On the Church’s calendar, December 28th is celebrated as Holy Innocents Day. We remember the boys murdered by Herod as martyrs for Jesus, even though they did not realize it. We also remember all the children sacrificed by their parents for various reasons and dedicate ourselves to preserving the lives of infants, born and unborn.
Tonight is the Night Christmas Eve Luke 2:1-14 December 24, 2025
Grace, mercy, and peace be to you from God our Father, and from our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Amen.
Dear saints, tonight everything changes. Tonight, something important happens. For tonight, in a small room, something incredible is delivered. Someone’s life will be forever changed. That is, if they match all the numbers. The last time I looked, the Powerball drawing tonight is worth an estimated $1.7 billion. The cash option is estimated at $780 million. The cashier seemed surprised that I did not want tickets for the second-largest jackpot in our nation’s history. I suppose that makes sense. This is life-changing money. But for many jackpot winners, it is also life-ruining money.
It makes you a target. People you know will want things from you. They will ask you for things or money. Have sob stories where they deserve your charity…whether the story is real or not. People have been killed after winning. Sometimes by robbers who target you, others by robbers who pretended to be friends until they could ‘finish the job.’ Even if you escape with your life, they can still steal your mammon. I mean, money.
But it doesn’t end there. Events like winning a jackpot can change and strain relationships. If you are single, good luck finding someone interested in you and not your money. Then there is the boredom and even guilt that comes. Guilt that you did nothing to have everything. Boredom that your days are free, while everyone else still toils.
What is worse is that statistics say 70% of lottery winners actually go bankrupt. Probably not from a nearly $2 billion ticket, but professional athletes end up broke while and after making hundreds of millions of dollars.
But why do I bring this up? It isn’t to get you to buy a ticket. It is to show where hope lies. Tonight, many hope for a Christmas miracle. That their ‘lucky numbers’ or their Quick Pick ticket is the right one. They think a windfall can lift the darkness around them. Darkness that has been around since the beginning of time.
Things change in the darkness. The darkness is scary and can be dangerous. It is in the dark that evil meets and schemes. Where the seedy underbellies of city and town thrive. There is a reason the unlit alley is scary. That the dark room seems to press in on you.
But it was in the darkness that the Lord spoke the words, “Let there be light.” It was in the night that the Lord’s judgment on Egypt came, where the firstborn of Egypt, even Pharaoh’s son, was destroyed and Israel was vindicated. Where, at the Red Sea, the Lord spends the night driving back the waters that Israel would cross on dry land.
Several times in the Old Testament, we see the Lord work on behalf of His people in the darkness. We recall Gideon’s 300 men, or when God causes the Syrian army to hear the sound of chariots and horses and a great army in the night. They abandon their camp and run away in fear, leaving it for lepers to find and bring the good news to Samaria when God answers Hezekiah’s prayer and sends an angel to strike down the 185,000-strong Assyrian army of Sennacherib.
While the world schemes in the night, the Lord breaks through it. There is no darkness in Him. He causes it to become light, because He is the Light. And a little over 2,000 years ago, the Light forever pierced the darkness. But unless you knew, you would have never known.
It did not sound like God breaking into His creation. It sounded like a young woman in agony. Like the desperate cry of a newborn. It didn’t look like the nursery of a king. It was the smell of a barn and the feed trough of an animal. But He was there. The Light who had just broken into the darkness.
And this good news had to be proclaimed. And it is, not to the might who were living in splendor and soft clothing. But to the humble and scorned. To some lowly shepherds in a nearby field. It is dark. Real dark. The darkness of the middle of the field; no such thing as light pollution. And suddenly, it was bright. Not just light, but the weighty glory of God. And in that brightness, an angel caused the shepherds to fear greatly.
Again, that makes sense. Even prophets, in the presence of the holy, fear. Yet the words of this angel dispel any need: “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.”
This is, indeed, good news. The Messiah is here. The darkness’s days are numbered. Soon, its power will be vanquished.
The proclamation is enough. Nothing more needed to be said. But the angel goes on: “And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.” God’s word, His promise, is enough. But even more grace is given to the shepherds. They can see the fulfilled promise with their own eyes.
What joy! What grace! Immanuel is here. God is with His people. In the flesh.
And heaven cannot contain itself. And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!”
You are among those with whom He is pleased. He created a perfect world out of love for you, His creation. He gave a good Law. Gave a promise of deliverance after the Fall. Kept that promise through various schemes of the devil trying to overturn God’s will and plan.
God breaks through the darkness to bring His light. In the darkness, your Messiah takes His first breath. In the darkness, He is betrayed. In the darkness, even though it was the middle of the day, He takes His final breath. He descends to the gloomy darkness of hell to proclaim His victory. And in the darkness, just as the sun begins to rise, He rises too.
He is the true, life-changing, eternal jackpot. And winning all for you, blessing you with life and salvation, you are made a target. But do not fret, for Jesus is the stronger man. He raids the devil’s kingdom and overthrows his throne. He will battle the devil and demons. He will face off against His own creation and people. And He will conquer it all, winning your redemption in the process.
But it all begins tonight. Because tonight, everything changes. Tonight, something important happens. For in a small room in a small town just south of Jerusalem, someone incredible is delivered. Where a poor family welcomes the virgin’s firstborn, lying there in a manger. Amen.
The peace of God, which passes all understanding, keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Amen.
Nativity of Our Lord Luke 2:15-20 December 25, 2025 Through the Eyes of the Shepherds
Grace, mercy, and peace be to you from God our Father, and from our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Amen.
It’s the middle of the night. You’ve been out in this field for hours. Just like you were last night and, it seems, every night. Even when you’re used to the long nights, your eyes get heavy. And it’s even harder in the cold. But, as far as you know, it is just another night like so many before it. Just another night…until the darkness is suddenly gone and everything is lit as if it were day. And now someone is standing there who was not there just three seconds ago. This ordinary night has just become the most frightening night of your life.
And then, he speaks: “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.” Whatever you understand of this message, the man you now recognize as an angel continues, “And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.”
If this was not overwhelming enough, now the sky explodes with light and sound: And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!”
Just as quickly as everything appears, it is gone. The night surrounds you once again. The stillness comes over you. But the sights and the sounds continue to ring in your minds. You cannot help but think of what you have just seen and heard. And you start talking about it. Your group decides, “Let us go over to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has made known to us.”
You quickly leave the fields and make your way into the little town. You find Mary, Joseph, and Jesus. And awe overcomes you. You see what you heard from the angels. And you cannot help yourself; you tell them everything you saw on this very night. You see deep contemplation in Mary. Finally, you all return to your fields and your flocks. This ordinary night has just become the most joyous night of your life.
Now things are different. Your eyes are open. Your shoulders are lighter. You cannot help but praise and glorify your God. Not only because of what you have seen, but because of what He is accomplishing. The long-awaited Savior has arrived. The root of Jesse has finally cracked the surface of the soil. And you realize that the peace being made known, made manifest, is for you.
This is because the Light will shine. Think of our Introit. In a world of darkness, a light pierces through. And while the darkness is a frightening place. A place where evil abounds, your God is still at work. And on this day, we celebrate that to us a child is born. A child who brings peace between God and man.
Think of what we heard from Isaiah, words that Jesus will confess about Himself in the synagogue at Nazareth: The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me, because the LORD has anointed me to bring good news to the poor; he has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to those who are bound.
All these things your Lord has done. He instructs, he convicts, and he comforts. He tells you of His peace and absolution. He takes and heals your heart. He frees you from sin’s captivity. The gates of hell are destroyed, no longer able to bind those He calls to Himself.
In this, you have true joy. For your salvation comes. Now, in a manger. Soon, on a donkey. In glory upon a cross. In victory over the grave. And, one day, descending upon the clouds, ending all strife and bringing you and all His holy people to the New Creation. Where you will dwell with Him and all the saints forever and ever. Amen.
The peace of God, which passes all understanding, keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Amen.
Encore Post: John, son of Zebedee, was many things. He was the youngest of Jesus’ disciples. With Peter and his brother James, he was in the inner circle of the apostles. The beloved disciple was likely the closest Jesus had to a best friend. With his father, his brother, Peter, and Andrew, they operated a successful fishing business on the Sea of Galilee. They were headquartered in Capernaum, operated several boats, and employed several assistants. An early follower of John the Baptist, John heard the last of the prophets point to Jesus as the Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world.
John had a ringside seat for the ministry of Jesus. He was present from the wedding at Cana through the ascension of Jesus into heaven. He saw all the miracles, the healings, and heard all that Jesus taught. During the Last Supper, he leaned against the side of the Lord. Unlike most of the disciples, he remained with the Lord throughout his trial and his crucifixion. To him, Jesus entrusted the care of his mother Mary. When the women who first heard the news of the Resurrection came to announce it to the disciples, he went with Peter to the empty tomb.
In the beginning, John and Peter led the church from Jerusalem. Eventually, he moved to Ephesus with Mary. There, he would live longer than all the apostles. He was never martyred, but was exiled for a while on the island of Patmos. Next to St. Paul, he wrote more of the New Testament books than anyone else. His gospel was the last of the four, written with the other three in mind. He wrote three letters and probably the Book of Revelation.
The church gives thanks to God for St. John on December 27th. Among the passages of Scripture most loved by Christians are the words given through him. “For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” (John 3:16) All that he wrote was so that we might believe and, believing, might have life in his name. (John 20:31)
Encore Post: “You will be my martyrs (μάρτυρες),” Jesus said to his disciples just before he ascended into heaven. (Acts 1:8) A martyr is the New Testament is a witness to the good news about Jesus. All Christians are martyrs, then. The only question is how good a witness we will be.
The apostles and early disciples were very good martyrs. In fact, all the apostles except John the Evangelist (tune in tomorrow) validated their testimony with their lives, most of them through torturous, painful deaths. That is why we associate the term martyr with giving up one’s life for a cause. For a while, though, harassment was the pushback of the leaders who had seen to the crucifixion of Jesus.
All this changed with a confrontation with Stephen the Deacon. He was a Jew whose native language was Greek. The apostles had appointed him and six others to take care of the poor among them. He was very good at evangelism, so Jews who rejected Jesus as the Messiah lied about him to get him arrested. Brought before the Sanhedrin, he argued from the Scripture that Jesus was the Messiah and that they had killed him. He called on them to repent and believe the good news.
In great anger, they seized Stephen and took him outside the city and stoned him to death. Following the example of Jesus, he forgave them and gave up his spirit. Among those who witnessed the stoning and approved it was Saul of Tarsus, the man who would soon become the Apostle Paul. The church remembers Stephen as the protomartyr — the first martyr. It gives thanks to God for his life and witness on the second day of Christmas — December 26.
In today’s world, Christians are still called to witness to Jesus with their lives. Even in our own country, opposition to faith is growing, and Christians are called upon to testify to the gospel at a cost to reputation, property, and perhaps someday freedom and lives. We have the example of our Lord, Stephen, and countless martyrs to give us courage. With them numbered may we be, here and in eternity.
Encore Post: Shepherds were hardworking everyday people. To some extent, they even looked down on a bit. If you were a king, you wouldn’t send a herald to them. And yet, that was exactly what God did. He sent his Angel — his messenger — with an εὐαγγέλιον (evangelion; Gospel) to, of all people, shepherds.
Royal proclamations of Good News announced the victory over enemies, the birth of a royal heir, and the beginning of the reign of a new king. Often the messenger is also a legatus — an ambassador — with the authority of the ruler to organize a grand celebration. He could free captives, cancel debts, suspend taxes, sponsor games, and the like. This Gospel is unlike any other. “Good news of great joy for all the people,” the angel announced the birth of God’s own son in David’s hometown of Bethlehem. He is the Lord Christ, who would save his people from their sins.
The Christmas gospel is very good news indeed. God the Father, our Savior, reveals his kindness and love for people in it. He sent Jesus, our Savior, to save us because of his mercy, not because of the good deeds we have done. Jesus poured out the Holy Spirit, our Savior, on us, who washed away our sins in Holy Baptism and regenerated our hearts. We are justified by the grace of the Holy Trinity, so that we may be made heirs of eternal life, being justified by his grace.
So, great joy comes to us at Christmas. Not only the song of a legion of angels, but eager shepherds also rushed to see the Savior and the mother who treasured it all in her heart. God has broken into our world and changed things forever. We have an inexpressible joy, for we know God keeps his promises. And so it is our hope. Many blessings are awaiting us in Heaven, where Jesus is preparing a place for us. We have seen a great light and nothing can ever take that from us.
Encore Post: A Wonderful thing happened when the angel announced Christ’s birth to the shepherds.
If this birth had been proclaimed to the nobles of this world, if the shepherds had measured themselves against the standard of these important fellows, if the shepherds had compared to royal wisdom and wealth, they would have been afraid, because power frightens and wisdom intimidates people.
If Christ had come with trumpets sounding, if he had a cradle of gold, his birth would have been a stately thing. But it wouldn’t comfort me.
So, He had to lie in a poor girl’s lap and be scarcely noticed by the world. In that lap I can come to see Him; In this way, He now reveals Himself to the distressed. Yes, He would’ve had greater fame, if He’d have come in great power, splendor, wisdom and high class. Yet, He will come some day, in another way, when He comes to oppose the great nobles. But now He comes to the poor, who need a Savior.
