Christmas Readings and Hymns
https://video.ibm.com/channel/bethany-lutheran-worship
Christmas
Eve Service, 7 PM Central Time, 2020
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.
Luke 2 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.
Sermon - The Divinity of the Baby Jesus
Luke 2 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.
I was one of many looking to the sky in the West, looking for the planetary conjunction. I last one I viewed was about 45 years ago. As people realize during those rare events, lining up in the sky together is quite rare. That is why those objects are called planets (from the Greek) because they wander in respect to the fixed positions of the stars. Nothing is really still, so that is from our position with our limited eyesight.
Taxation is not so rare. Every tax is temporary and yet never goes away. Skeptics say, "We cannot find that particular taxation in history." But arguing from silence is worthless, especially since, as C. W. Lewis has observed, more than 99% of history has disappeared. Whenever an archeological find is discovered, it supports the Bible, and that has been published in many forms.
Taxation and the census go together, and America is no different from the Roman Empire in that respect. So the needs of the Empire brought the Family to Bethlehem. In God's wisdom, the greatest event had the least effect on the great and wise. No one noticed on their own, only some foreign astronomers.
But the place the Family had to visit was the one stipulated in the Scriptures. Bethlehem was so tiny and yet became so famous from the birth of Someone no one seemed to notice at the time - not officially.
What struck me about this was reading the Old Testament about this little shepherd boy who went against Goliath with "only a toy." This David was from Bethlehem and destined to be the King. What an ancient and distinctive connection! All the Old Testament prophesies are like that, often just a phrase or two, yet hundreds of them connect and are revealed in the New Testament.
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.
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.
The government did not care if this was a burden. Galilee was in the lowlands while Jerusalem was perched on a mountain. The couple needed to walk slowly up an incline the entire way. Mary on a donkey makes a beautiful Christmas card, but there is no mention of something to ease her burden uphill. Nor were they miraculously fed, though they were certainly watched over by their angels, as all of us are.
It is ironic that they made the same arduous journey when they left Jerusalem, thinking the boy Jesus was with relatives. Once they found out he was missing, they had to trudge back uphill to find him. They knew before birth what a great event was taking place, and knew the same later, and that was a burden, to know so much and realize no one else did.
Did this happen the first time because of taxation or because of God's will? We have to consider that all human events, whether obvious or not, are within God's will. Blessings and burdens go together.
Last year everything seemed difficult, burdensome, and painful for us. I did not feel like Christmas at all. However, now I see how many blessings are included with difficulties, like Christmas ornaments on a prickly pine tree. Like old family heirloom boxes of ornaments, those blessings are that much more valuable for their connection with past and present. For example, my mother's students still contact me about having her as a teacher, and my father's customers and employees contact me too. The later want me to make Melo Cream Donuts again. Living in one little house, my parents connected with decades of people in Moline. But we did not think of that - we woke up early for presents.
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.
Here is the strangest part of the Nativity, but so memorable. They came back to their hometown area. They had to have family and friends there, but no mention is made. Mary gave birth to her Son, and wrapped Him up, putting him in a manger. That is what gives away the lowliness of the birth. In Arizona, the manger was where they put the feed for the animals - doubtless rather soft and dry, but not a maternity ward. No one was there to give them lodging, and the innkeeper ignored Mary's condition. They may have seemed alone but they were not.
The divinity of Jesus is shown in His birth in Bethlehem, and all the signs of His miraculous birth. The Star of Bethlehem alerted the entire region, especially because the brightness of Jupiter (Zeus pater, or Zeus Father) merging with Uranus a symbol of Judea, suggesting a new king, as Herod feared. There are various solutions for the Star of Bethlehem but no one denying it anymore. Thank you, planetariums.
Jesus was born in a miraculous way - conceived of the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary. Everyone who has held a baby knows what a miracle each one is. They are terribly fragile and yet amazingly durable and tough. I visited a hospital with a mother and a tiny boy baby, born premature. I was afraid for them, but later he was a tough little kid with no signs of being on the edge of life.
So Jesus had all the attributes of God - the fullness of the Godhead dwelt in Him, but He was a tiny infant. No one can comprehend this - it is a mystery revealed by the Holy Spirit in the Scriptures. But we can marvel at the irony of it - as Luther did in his Christmas program - there was the greatest treasure, the greatest miracle in the humblest surroundings. He dwells in our hearts now through faith in Him. That faith provides a meeting place between us and Jesus. The Spirit in the Word conveys Him to us. That should never be forgotten. We can be as alone and neglected as the Holy Family was on that night, but God is with us - Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
I remind Old Testament students that we have one Professor - the Holy Spirit - who is above all other authors, though He has written only one Book - the Holy Scriptures. Every single great author can publish all their opinions, but the Scriptures judge every single book.
That should keep us in a state of wonder about this Baby, born in poverty as the King of Kings. Nothing is too difficult to get through - compared to what He went through to be our Savior. And in those trials, Jesus in His human nature, is completely with us in having the same difficulties, combined with pain, insults, abandonment, betrayal, and yet eternal life - the first of all who would follow Him later in eternal life.
Luther has a great statement in his sermons on Christmas. Everyone says, "Oh, I would have taken care of Jesus. I would have changed His diapers." But Luther says, "Then do that for your neighbor, because whatever you do for the least of brothers is done to Me." The same is equally true of neglecting the least of the brothers. That is just the same as neglecting Jesus.
Babies should always make us especially aware of Christmas, because no one is afraid of a baby. I have asked many young children this important question. "Are you afraid of babies?" They answer very energetically and trying not to laugh, "No one is afraid of a baby." So I continue, "That is why God revealed His love and mercy to us in the form of a baby" - lying in a manger, dressed in simplicity, apparently alone but knowing an angel host was assuring shepherds nearby.
We can see the great connection - David the shepherd boy, the shepherds in the field, learning about the Good Shepherd, as Jesus would call Himself.
Every phrase, every thought in the Scriptures contributes to our trust in Him, and our love for Him, because He first loved us.
The Prayers and Benediction
Hymn #648 I Am Jesus' Little Lamb
In Our Prayers
- In treatment - Rush Limbaugh, Mary Howell will be home for Christmas, Christina Jackson has excellent blood tests.
- Randy Anderson is doing very well.
- Doctor's care - Pastor Shrader, Pastor K, Dr. Lito Cruz, Jeshra Palangyos.
- Pray for Lyne Cruz' retirement red tape to be removed.
- Our media ministries - Alec Satin, Norma Boeckler, Travis and Lauren Cartee, Pastor Jordan Palangyos.
- Our President and his staff/cabinet, our military justice system.
