Introduction: Grace be to you and peace, from God our Father, and from our Savior and Lord, Jesus Christ. Our text is the Epistle Lesson just read, from Heb. 1. We begin with prayer.
Dear fellow disciples of our Savior and Lord, Jesus Christ:
- It has always kind of seemed to me that Christmas was the major church celebration for children, whereas Easter was the major celebration for adults.
- We lament much about the lack of genuine respect for Christmas in American culture today – how superficial and commercialized the whole season has become. However, perhaps we have contributed to this by keeping Christmas as a kind of syrupy and childish celebration.
- Our text moves us away from cooing at a baby in a manger, and away from sad thoughts about how tough it was for Jesus to be laid in a manger in the cold of wintertime. It moves us beyond thinking of angels and shepherds and the Magi wondering about a completely fragile and vulnerable newborn king.
- Our text sets the backdrop of the praise of the angels – which God the Father Himself commanded. And it describes fully just Who it was Who was lying there in a manger – and why the angels and all of creation owe Him their reverence, honor, praise, and glorification!
- Perhaps if we spent more time considering these things Christmas would take on greater reverence, seriousness, and solemnity. And rather than focusing on our “giving” [and also all of the temporal gifts we hope to receive], perhaps people would take greater consideration of what God gave to the world at that first Christmas.
- So let us look carefully at or text and “THE BABY LORD JESUS” – that we may be filled with awe, gratitude, and praise of God!
- First, we must take full consideration that:
I. Jesus – The Very Son Of God – Is Now The Means Of God’s Self-Revelation; If You Want To Know God You Must Hear And Know His Son
Text: “Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets, but in these last days He has spoken to us by His Son, whom He appointed the heir of all things, through Whom also He created the world.”
A. As The Very Son Of God The Baby Lord Jesus Is Creator Of All Things And Heir Of All Things
Text: “Whom He appointed the heir of all things, through Whom also He created the world.”
B. He Is One With The Father, Equal To The Father In His Divine Nature
Text: “He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of His nature.”
C. He Also Is The One Who Sustains The Universe To This Very Day – Simply By The Power Of His Word
Text: “And He upholds the universe by His Word of power.”
Statement: This is “THE BABY LORD JESUS.” Who could have imagined this? Who would have deduced this merely by looking at Him in the manger? How could He so thoroughly cover His Divine Nature in His incarnation – in taking on human flesh and soul?
There is astonishing mystery in all of this – and the prophets of God, the apostles of Jesus, Christian theologians of all centuries, and pious believers in Christ have pondered these things from the very beginning when God first promised a Savior to Adam and Eve. He delivered on His promises – this glorious reality – that first Christmas time so long ago.
So let’s get the reality. The Divine Son of God – Who is the exact imprint of God’s nature and the very radiance of the glory of God; Who is Creator and Heir of all things; Who mightily upholds the whole universe by His mere Word of power – He was laid in a manger as a human infant.
Application: This is an astonishing occurrence! There is so much more power, glory, and majesty, than vulnerability and pitiable circumstances. Most importantly, let us fully grasp that this is how God now reveals Himself to mankind – how He wishes to speak to us! This is not exclusive of the Divine Word of God, provided for us in the writings of the prophets and apostles – but rather that their words have no greater purpose than to present this Christ to us, this glorious Son of God, so that through Him we may know the Father!
The Word of Scripture is His Word – He is the Divine “Logos,” the Word of God. He bids us to continue in His Word, that we may know the truth and be freed by the truth! He bids us eat His body and drink His blood in His Sacramental meal!
Judge for yourself how reprehensible it is then – in view of what God has given to us in His Son – to seek the Father in any other way, whether by writings of other so-called prophets, other religious writings, by contemplating creation rather than the Creator, or by seeking Him within us – by some form of mysticism, by means of intuition or some supposed inner “spiritual” revelation. Consider how dark it is that we treat His Word as optional reading, and devalue His Sacrament as optional – or worse yet, re-define it as something other than what He asserts that it is!
Transition: And saddest of all, the vast majority of humanity still remains rebellious and rejecting of what this glorious Savior came to do, for:
II. He Is Our Redeemer – Now Glorified Above All Things
Text: “After making purification for sins, He sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high, having become as much superior to angels as the Name He has inherited is more excellent than theirs. For to which of the angels did God ever say, ‘You are my Son, today I have begotten You’? Or again, ‘I will be to Him a Father, and He shall be to Me a Son’? And again, when He brings the firstborn into the world, He says, ‘Let all God’s angels worship Him.’”
Statement: You see – He made purification for our sins! We are forgiven, cleansed, redeemed! “God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not counting their trespasses against them.”
Now He sits at the right hand of God – ruling and reigning over all things until the Day of His return in glory. Now God commands that every creature worship Him, His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. It is as the Scripture asserts: “Therefore God has highly exalted Him and bestowed on Him the Name that is above every name, so that at the Name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”
Application: This is “THE BABY LORD JESUS,” born in Bethlehem, born of Mary, Son of God and Son of man! He is our Redeemer – we need nothing else to reconcile the Father to us! He has provided us with forgiveness, life, and salvation – the eternal glories of the new heavens and new earth! Now it is certain that every creature will acknowledge Him as Lord – and bow to worship Him, whether willingly with joyous faith or in the humiliating judgment on unbelief.
We are privileged to know Him, and to know the Father, even here and now, and to joyfully worship Him, our Creator, Redeemer, and Sustainer! And by so doing we bear witness to Him to all people, and invite them to do the same! If we do not do so who will? This is the real import and joy of Christmas – not mere musty nostalgia and superficial emotionalism, which quickly transforms into our giving and receiving of mere temporal gifts, and on to mirthful partying!
Conclusion: We too must bow down before Him in awe – and hear the Father in His glorious Son Jesus Christ, that we may know Him and His love for us. We too must “continue” in His Word, and wondrously receive His Sacrament – especially at our celebrations of Christmas!
The world – well, it will go on its merry way, and all the more so if we let it lead the celebration in ignorance and unbelief. We must not follow but rather be attentive to “THE BABY LORD JESUS,” and worship Him!
Yes, He was a human baby – vulnerable, especially to the death He willingly embraced for our purification, for our forgiveness and salvation. But let us never forget Who He is that accomplished this great blessedness for us, and let us worship Him with angels, and archangels, and with all the company of heaven! Now, let us again worship Him also as we receive Him where He has promised to come to us in His Sacramental meal. Amen.
Votum: And the peace of God, which surpasses all human understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds in the true faith, which is in Christ Jesus, even unto life everlasting, Amen.