Christma Eve Candlelight Carol Service, 7 PM Central Standard Time, 2017

The Nativity by Norma A. Boeckler

Christmas Readings and Hymns

Bethany Lutheran Church

Christmas Eve Service, 7 PM Central Time, 2017.

Springdale, Arkansas

Pastor Gregory L. Jackson

Hymn #81         O Jesus Christ, Thy Manger Is

The First Gospel
Genesis 3:15 And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel.

KJV Isaiah 40:1 Comfort ye, comfort ye my people, saith your God. 2 Speak ye comfortably to Jerusalem, and cry unto her, that her warfare is accomplished, that her iniquity is pardoned: for she hath received of the LORD'S hand double for all her sins. 3 The voice of him that crieth in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the LORD, make straight in the desert a highway for our God. 4 Every valley shall be exalted, and every mountain and hill shall be made low: and the crooked shall be made straight, and the rough places plain: 5 And the glory of the LORD shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together: for the mouth of the LORD hath spoken it. 6 The voice said, Cry. And he said, What shall I cry? All flesh is grass, and all the goodliness thereof is as the flower of the field: 7 The grass withereth, the flower fadeth: because the spirit of the LORD bloweth upon it: surely the people is grass. 8 The grass withereth, the flower fadeth: but the word of our God shall stand for ever. 9 O Zion, that bringest good tidings, get thee up into the high mountain; O Jerusalem, that bringest good tidings, lift up thy voice with strength; lift it up, be not afraid; say unto the cities of Judah, Behold your God!

The Place of Jesus’ Birth
KJV Micah 5:2 But thou, Bethlehem Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall he come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel; whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting.

Hymn# 102                   O Come All Ye Faithful

KJV Isaiah 9:2 The people that walked in darkness have seen a great light: they that dwell in the land of the shadow of death, upon them hath the light shined.

Virgin Birth
KJV Isaiah 7:10 Moreover the LORD spake again unto Ahaz, saying, 11 Ask thee a sign of the LORD thy God; ask it either in the depth, or in the height above. 12 But Ahaz said, I will not ask, neither will I tempt the LORD. 13 And he said, Hear ye now, O house of David; Is it a small thing for you to weary men, but will ye weary my God also? 14 Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel. 15 Butter and honey shall he eat, that he may know to refuse the evil, and choose the good. 16 For before the child shall know to refuse the evil, and choose the good, the land that thou abhorrest shall be forsaken of both her kings.

Incarnation
KJV Isaiah 9:6 For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace. 7 Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even for ever. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will perform this.

Hymn#109              While Shepherds Watched Their Flocks

KJV Matthew 1:18 Now the birth of Jesus Christ was on this wise: When as his mother Mary was espoused to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Ghost. 19 Then Joseph her husband, being a just man, and not willing to make her a publick example, was minded to put her away privily. 20 But while he thought on these things, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a dream, saying, Joseph, thou son of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife: for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost. 21 And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins. 22 Now all this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying, 23 Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us. 24 Then Joseph being raised from sleep did as the angel of the Lord had bidden him, and took unto him his wife: 25 And knew her not till she had brought forth her firstborn son: and he called his name JESUS.


Sermon –  Promises of God and Faith

Everything that is good comes from God. We have plenty of opportunities to mess up what God gives us, but He still generously and patiently provides for us.

Most people will attribute various blessings to God. They see the wonders of Creation and also the special blessings of human life. God has provided and arranged an intricate combination of dependencies, which are worth dwelling on, because each depends on the other. Our medicines came mostly from herbs until WWII. Those herbs provide medical properties on one hand (foxglove for the heart) and generally favor poor soil. Some herbs will not grow in good soil.

My favorite butterfly plant is not butterfly bush or butterfly weed, but Joe Pye Weed, which attracts them better than anything else - and JPW was discovered and used as a medicinal herb by... Joe Pye.

Our miracle drug penicillin is bread mold, used by my kin, French peasants, for infections. It was not discovered by Fleming so much as re-discovered when the mold spores killed bacteria in his messy lab. How many lives have been saved since? Scientists took note and began sifting through molds and soils to find additional antibiotics.

Faith, Which Is Good, Comes from God
Faith is a universal quality, which changes thoughts and actions based upon the object of that faith. Some have faith in magic and the occult. Others have faith in science alone. Still others believe in a tyrannical government like Stalinism. It is said that more Communists live in California than all of Russia.

When Christians use the term faith, they mean faith in the Holy Trinity, especially faith in Christ - the human face and voice of God.

This faith does not come from intellectual pursuits or from making a decision. Those who imagine this are bound to fall into all kinds of errors. Anyone who thinks of faith in a distorted way with have a distorted faith. That distortion is why people promote the idea of selling people on Christianity or telling them they have to make a decision.

The Promises and Blessings of God are the work of the Holy Spirit in the Word to plant faith in our hearts and to strengthen and nurture that faith.

Anyone who disparages faith in Christ is simply attacking the work of God in the Word. That is how Jesus identified His mission so many  times in John's Gospel - the work of God. So the disciples asked, "What is our work?" And Jesus said, "To believe in Me."

Just as Creation shows us an infinite number of dependencies, so the Scriptures show us an infinity of passages that relate to many other passages. In fact, they are all linked as one, but we need to study and remember them to see how vast this relationship is.

Hundreds of Promises in the Old Testament show us fulfillment, but also many other relationships, such as among the 500 references to shepherds and shepherding, sheep, lambs, and so forth. How can we not think about the the binding of Isaac and the ram substituted for him. A male sheep substituted for the first-born son. And then later, the blood of the lamb was put on the doorposts, and the spotless lamb was sacrificed for each Passover meal.

So people do not need more persuasion or more incentives (like popcorn and soda during church) but more Promises and Blessings of God.

That is why the Easter Vigil service struck me as so powerful in years gone by. Most of that service consists of readings from the Old Testament leading up to the resurrection of Christ. The readings alone provided the awe, majesty, and power of Jesus rising from the dead.

Likewise, great hymns put these thoughts into condensed form that we can appreciate as we sing them to ourselves or remember them during the week.

We should remember that when we hear the word Gospel. The Book of Concord authors liked to say the Promises of God when they referred to the Gospel. God promises -
A Savior, God becoming man, having both natures, human and divine.
Forgiveness of sin through faith in Him.
In parables, various blessings from remaining in the Means of Grace - fruits of the Spirit, bearing fruit, growth in those Gospel attributes: Galatians 5, John 15, Matthew 13.
Eternal life with the blessed Trinity and fellow believers.
Joy and peace on earth from the power of the Gospel in our lives.

Hymn # 646                                     Silent Night

Heavenly Host
Luke 2:13 And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, 14 Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men. 15 And it came to pass, as the angels were gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds said one to another, Let us now go even unto Bethlehem, and see this thing which is come to pass, which the Lord hath made known unto us. 16 And they came with haste, and found Mary, and Joseph, and the babe lying in a manger.

The Prayers and Benediction


Hymns # 87                              Joy to the World

 Norma A. Boeckler

Christmas Holy Communion - Sunday, 10 AM - December 24, 2017

 Norma A. Boeckler

The Feast of the Nativity of Our Lord, 2017

Pastor Gregory L. Jackson

http://www.ustream.tv/channel/bethany-lutheran-worship

Bethany Lutheran Church, 10 AM Central Time

Hymn #647                O Little Town of Bethlehem
The Confession of Sins
The Absolution
The Introit p. 16
The Gloria Patri
The Kyrie p. 17
The Gloria in Excelsis
The Salutation and Collect p. 19
The Epistle and Gradual 
The Gospel 
Glory be to Thee, O Lord!
Praise be to Thee, O Christ!
The Nicene Creed p. 22
Sermon Hymn #657       Beautiful Savior

Not the World's View

Hymn # 646                Silent Night 
The Preface p. 24
The Sanctus p. 26
The Lord's Prayer p. 27
The Words of Institution
The Agnus Dei p. 28
The Nunc Dimittis p. 29
The Benediction p. 31
Hymn #341         Crown Him with Many Crowns

 Norma A. Boeckler

CHRISTMAS

Lord God, heavenly Father, we give thanks unto Thee, that of Thy mercy and compassion Thou didst suffer Thy dear Son to become incarnate, and didst through Him redeem us from sin and everlasting death: We beseech Thee, enlighten our hearts by Thy Holy Spirit, that we may ever be thankful for such grace, and comfort ourselves with the same in all tribulation and temptation, and at last obtain eternal salvation through the same, Thy beloved Son, Jesus Christ our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with Thee and the Holy Ghost, one true God, world without end. Amen.

Readings

KJV Isaiah 9:2 The people that walked in darkness have seen a great light: they that dwell in the land of the shadow of death, upon them hath the light shined. 3 Thou hast multiplied the nation, and not increased the joy: they joy before thee according to the joy in harvest, and as men rejoice when they divide the spoil. 4 For thou hast broken the yoke of his burden, and the staff of his shoulder, the rod of his oppressor, as in the day of Midian. 5 For every battle of the warrior is with confused noise, and garments rolled in blood; but this shall be with burning and fuel of fire. 6 For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace. 7 Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even for ever. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will perform this.

 Norma A. Boeckler

KJV Luke 2:1 And it came to pass in those days, that there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus, that all the world should be taxed. 2 (And this taxing was first made when Cyrenius was governor of Syria.) 3 And all went to be taxed, every one into his own city. 4 And Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judaea, unto the city of David, which is called Bethlehem; (because he was of the house and lineage of David:) 5 To be taxed with Mary his espoused wife, being great with child. 6 And so it was, that, while they were there, the days were accomplished that she should be delivered. 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. 

8 And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. 9 And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid. 10 And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. 11 For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. 12 And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger. 13 And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, 14 Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men. 

Not the World's View

KJV Luke 2:1 And it came to pass in those days, that there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus, that all the world should be taxed. 2 (And this taxing was first made when Cyrenius was governor of Syria.) 3 And all went to be taxed, every one into his own city.

During this season, many people jump on the opportunity to rewrite the Bible, to improve upon it and argue from some source they have read - or heard - that certain details are wrong and we should re-think them.

Nothing has made me more suspicious of these claims than their emptiness. That is, someone takes on detail and decides to build an entire cathedral of thought upon it. That began as soon as Christianity began to spread. There was always someone who argued that kind of case and wanted a big following because of it.

So the historians, who have to publish for tenure, say, "Look at how they argued over these issues for centuries, about Jesus being God and man." For them, the debate just proves to them that there is no truth. And they ride that hobbyhorse forever.

These mattes can be examined in great detail, but they end up showing us that God's Word is true is all respects and therefore always being opposed.

There is a simple reason for this. God's view is the opposite of the world's view. One is opposed to the other. 

Isaiah 55: For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the Lord.

The very act of making God's Word fit into the world's perceptions will distort it. But that is really just the beginning. They are at war with each other. The world uses all weapons, including violence and death, to silence God's Word. Besides that, there are many copies of the truth, decoys and diversions, in world and American religion, to draw people away from the truth by substitution. That is quite effective.

The saying used to be, "Where God builds a cathedral, Satan builds a chapel." But now "Where God builds a chapel, Satan builds a cathedral."

But God uses another method altogether to oppose the world, and that is the Incarnation. 

On a specific date in history, the Roman Emperor declared a tax that required Joseph and Mary to make the difficult journey toward Jerusalem, to Bethlehem, the birthplace of David.

If anyone has watched the Biblical epics on film, there is an attempt to re-create the grandeur of Rome. Imperial monuments are always impressive, and Rome outdid them all. Everything Roman was bypassed for the birth of the Savior. 

The Temple of Jerusalem was another great and holy place, so large that the remaining Western Wall is still awe-inspiring. That was the capital of Judaism, the place of sacrifice and their Supreme Court rolled into one. And yet they were bypassed for the birth of the Savior.

Looking back, we do not always see the impact of certain details, which we take for granted. But the shepherd boy David became king by God's election, and he was born in Bethlehem. The Good Shepherd was born in the same place because of a tax and census imposed by an authority that did not exist when David was born. 

The Messiah would be from the line of David, so the foreign tax brought Joseph and Mary to Bethlehem by the force of an imperial government. The priests and scholars knew the prophesies well, and all these events were building toward the public ministry of Christ.

Such events as the Star of Bethlehem brought fear and hope to many. 

4 And Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judaea, unto the city of David, which is called Bethlehem; (because he was of the house and lineage of David:) 5 To be taxed with Mary his espoused wife, being great with child. 

To this day, Bethlehem is very important and remains in the news for anything religious. 

The precision of Luke's Gospel is impressive. Each Gospel takes up and reveals certain details of the Savior's ministry. The rest of the world did not notice anything, as expectant as they were. All the nations longed for a Savior, not just the Jews. Many Gentiles were drawn to Judaism because of the Messianic Promises, a good reason to have a Greek Old Testament. As I wrote many times before, Alexander the Great conquered the world for the Greek language and culture, which made it possible for one language to communicate with a vast majority of the nations. The Greek Old Testament (Septuagint) opened the Hebrew Bible to the world. In this respect, Alexander served as a military leader unparalleled in world history, and he served God's Word unknowingly.

For those we call Bereans, the Old Testament is the foundation of the Gospel's truth. Is this true, that Jesus fulfilled a Promise from centuries ago? The Greek Old Testament taught people that it was indeed foretold in ancient days, back to the Creation.

But while world events were taking place through Joseph and Mary, the supposed eye-witnesses were looking the other way. The great, wise, and mighty were denied their chance to see these events take place, and many who saw Joseph and Mary only saw a poor couple forced to make a journey. 

What happened to the relatives and friends who might have been around Bethlehem and Jerusalem? They are not mentioned. Why would people not give up or share room with this couple? Con artists have shown that they can put on rented clothes and drive a rented limo to impress everyone. God does not look at appearances but regards the faith, the heart of people. 

6 And so it was, that, while they were there, the days were accomplished that she should be delivered. 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. 

The birth of Jesus is told in two simple verses. In Bethlehem, perhaps earlier than they expected, Jesus was born. She lacked helpers and all the basics. Even in Luther's time they argued over these terms. "A manger" is where the animals eat - a crude crib. At Yale we had a shared crib that went from first-born to first-born. But it was a tiny wooden crib, not a place where large animals ate.

The inn was a place where the travelers would normally stay, rooms to rent, but the rooms were full. 

If everyone had known, they would have rioted to help out and share in the honors. Joseph and Mary knew they were chosen for this great honor, but telling people would not have helped at all. 

Thus the Gospel does not go about blaring trumpets and declaring great wonders, but communicates through ordinary people who are often scoffed at and laughed at for not fitting in with the world's view of itself.

This is the great temptation, to earn the high regard of unbelievers who love to taunt Christians for being too poor, too weak, too plagued by disease.

8 And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. 9 And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid. 

To emphasize this even more, the revelation to the working people, the shepherds, is polar opposite the silence and darkness offered the great, wise, and mighty.

The unifying theme of shepherds is quite remarkable in the entire Bible. The Savior will be The Good Shepherd, so the Gospel message was given to these ordinary shepherds who were just doing their jobs, which meant keeping predators from their flocks, away from the weak and vulnerable.

There are many ways to prey upon people today. Ideas are captivating in good and bad ways. My student suggested that everyone go to an all-day motivational/sales presentation. In Phoenix they happened all the time. He said, "Do not take anything, no cash, no credit cards, no checkbook. Just your ID and car keys. Because they will get you to buy things you never wanted. But it is really exciting and fun." So many have been captured by false-teaching sects, by cults, and by real slave-masters.

The message of God's love was one of faith. The shepherds did not need to join the priesthood or shave their heads or abandon their work.

10 And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. 11 For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. 

Fear is the opposite of faith. Therefore, the Word of God always combines the two concepts, "Do not fear but trust in God's Word." For the weak, the poor, the lonely, the disabled, the people recovered from the wounds of life, the Gospel is simple and pure. The Savior is born, just as promised for centuries, in the city of David. 

He is not named Jesus in this birth announcement, but given three titles - Christ (Messiah) and Lord and Savior.

12 And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.

How can they find a baby who is not even named? There is one unique birth that night. The baby will be wrapped in swaddling clothes and lying in a manger, so look for this baby in a stable, not in a palace or mansion, or even in a rented room at an inn. 

A sign - that really means a miraculous proof. We have watered down the meaning of "a sign." That is said so often that it more a matter of personal opinion. What is the symbol of Jesus' birth today? No one needs to doubt it, because in every place we see a stable, animals, and Jesus in a manger, with Mary and Joseph nearby. 

This remains the Gospel reminder of how God works. He always works through the Word, so I laughed to myself when I saw a special presentation book created for a bishop, something from the New Testament. The printing, cover, everything was so elaborate that it would never be read, only admired and shown in a place of honor - or discarded to be sold as a used book (where I saw it). But the true Christian Church is a mouth and ear church - we speak and hear the Gospel.

Today someone can work from a rented apartment, surrounded by atheists in a world-class city, and reach the entire world with Gospel publications. And that was true long ago, before the Internet and inexpensive printing. 

One only needs faith in God and disregard for human opinions to send books to African seminaries. 

13 And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, 14 Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men. 

God does not simply show us these truths. He shows them over and over, in many ways, so we cannot possibly miss the power and love of His message.

The shepherds received the initial message - angel means messenger. What the angels said was miraculous and world-shaking, told only to these working people. But then the fireworks display appeared - an enormous army of angels praising God and saying:

1. Glory to God in the highest.
2. Peace on earth.
3. Good will toward men.

God glorifies Himself in all that He does and says. Nowhere is this more  apparent than the humble birth of Jesus and His atoning death for our sins. God hates what the world loves, and God loves what the world hates. We only need to keep that straight to follow Jesus.

Peace on earth - refers to the forgiveness of sin. Nothing weighs us down more than our sinful nature. The Gospel message is that we receive complete and full forgiveness daily through faith in the Savior. That is the meaning of Justification by Faith. We are declared forgiven through faith in Him. Apart from faith in Him, there is no forgiveness. (The world hates to hear that, so we know it is true from that alone, but more importantly from the Word.)

Good will - The alienation between God and man works both ways. Humanity hates and fears God, trying to tame Him or appease Him. God loves those who love Jesus, so His good will is shown many times over, with many blessings, when people trust in Jesus as their Savior.

 Norma A. Boeckler