Picture it. God’s creation, Adam and Eve, have just disobeyed God. They have destroyed the perfection of paradise. We think that they should get everything they deserve for messing up. And God does discipline them, yet He doesn’t leave them in their punishment. He promises one will come who will defeat sin and Satan. This would be One who would crush the serpent’s power while being struck on his heel and dieing on a cross.

This is what this day is all about—rejoicing in the coming of our Savior – the ultimate expression of God’s love.

First Lesson: Genesis 3:8-15

Then the man and his wife heard the sound of the LORD God as he was walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and they hid from the LORD God among the trees of the garden. ⁹ But the LORD God called to the man, "Where are you?" ¹⁰ He answered, "I heard you in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; so I hid." ¹¹ And he said, "Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten from the tree that I commanded you not to eat from?" ¹² The man said, "The woman you put here with me-- she gave me some fruit from the tree, and I ate it." ¹³ Then the LORD God said to the woman, "What is this you have done?" The woman said, "The serpent deceived me, and I ate." ¹⁴ So the LORD God said to the serpent, "Because you have done this, "Cursed are you above all the livestock and all the wild animals! You will crawl on your belly and you will eat dust all the days of your life. ¹⁵ And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; he will crush your head, and you will strike his heel."

Hymn: #59 — "Christ the Lord to Us Is Born"

The same thing happens in life when we are tested. Some people become so confused and flustered they feel they’re doomed. Some even begin to resent God. In despair and frustration they turn on Him, then go a different way.

That’s not God’s intention. Luther reminds us that God tests us "to bring us closer to Himself." God asked Abraham to sacrifice his son. This test confused Abraham. God supposedly loved Abraham, yet He asked him to kill his precious son. Why? God knew that Abraham was in danger of loving his son more than his God. The test would make him look closely at his life and arrange his priorities properly. This may seem harsh, but when faith and salvation are at stake God wants to draw us close to Him.

When you passed your school tests, you were relieved. When Abraham passed the test, God promised a Savior from his offspring through whom all nations would be blessed.

Second Lesson: Genesis 22:15-18

The angel of the LORD called to Abraham from heaven a second time ¹⁶ and said, "I swear by myself, declares the LORD, that because you have done this and have not withheld your son, your only son, ¹⁷ I will surely bless you and make your descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and as the sand on the seashore. Your descendants will take possession of the cities of their enemies, ¹⁸ and through your offspring all nations on earth will be blessed, because you have obeyed me."

Little things also have the ability of becoming big things. Everything is made of tiny atoms which cannot even be seen. Many moments make a total day, many days make a year, and many years make a lifetime. A small acorn becomes a mighty oak tree. A little faith will move mountains. A grain of mustard seed becomes the kingdom of God, and a little flock becomes the Christian church. This is the miracle of little things. And who will despise the day of small things?

The greatest miracle of all is that a little child should be born in Bethlehem as the Savior of all humankind. He is the mighty God, the everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace, our great Savior. God indeed works wonders with little things.

The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of the shadow of death a light has dawned. ⁶ For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. ⁷ Of the increase of his government and peace there will be no end. He will reign on David's throne and over his kingdom, establishing and upholding it with justice and righteousness from that time on and forever. The zeal of the LORD Almighty will accomplish this.

Choir: "Bring a Torch, Jeanette, Isabella"

Fourth Lesson: Matthew 1:18-25

This is how the birth of Jesus Christ came about: His mother Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be with child through the Holy Spirit. ¹⁹ Because Joseph her husband was a righteous man and did not want to expose her to public disgrace, he had in mind to divorce her quietly. ²⁰ But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, "Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. ²¹ She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins." ²² All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: ²³ "The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel"--which means, "God with us." ²⁴ When Joseph woke up, he did what the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took Mary home as his wife. ²⁵ But he had no union with her until she gave birth to a son. And he gave him the name Jesus.

But to come as a helpless baby, one of the most helpless and dependent things in the world? How absurd! Why would God send a baby wrapped in swaddling clothes? Yet God’s plan was never to come by force and might, to win the world for Himself. He works His plan through the weak and little things of the world and shows His glory to us.

He enters as a weak baby. But in this child He will accomplish—yes, has accomplished—His most wondrous and glorious plan to bring peace on earth to men on whom his favour rests. So helpless a child, He had to flee the envy of a violent king. But was He helpless? No! He would accomplish His purpose and save His people from their sin.

And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. ⁹ An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. ¹⁰ But the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. ¹¹ Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord. ¹² This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger." ¹³ Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, ¹⁴ "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests." ¹⁵ When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, "Let's go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about." ¹⁶ So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. ¹⁷ When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, ¹⁸ and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. ¹⁹ But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart. ²⁰ The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told.

Hymn: #63 — "Angels We Have Heard on High"

But then he does something else. He puts his arms around them and hugs them. He holds these unattractive, unlovable, sometimes incontinent persons, and loves them back into life. Often, the first words they speak are simply, "Thank you."

This is what Christ did for us at Christmas. He moved into the ward with us. He placed his bed among our beds. Those who were there, those who saw him, touched him and were in turn touched by him and restored to life. Among the first words the Magi must have said to the Christ-child as they knelt is worship was: "thank you." Christmas is our time to say "Thank you."

After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi from the east came to Jerusalem ² and asked, "Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star in the east and have come to worship him." ³ When King Herod heard this he was disturbed, and all Jerusalem with him. ⁴ When he had called together all the people's chief priests and teachers of the law, he asked them where the Christ was to be born. ⁵ "In Bethlehem in Judea," they replied, "for this is what the prophet has written: ⁶ "'But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah; for out of you will come a ruler who will be the shepherd of my people Israel.'" ⁷ Then Herod called the Magi secretly and found out from them the exact time the star had appeared. ⁸ He sent them to Bethlehem and said, "Go and make a careful search for the child. As soon as you find him, report to me, so that I too may go and worship him." ⁹ After they had heard the king, they went on their way, and the star they had seen in the east went ahead of them until it stopped over the place where the child was. ¹⁰ When they saw the star, they were overjoyed. ¹¹ On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold and of incense and of myrrh. ¹² And having been warned in a dream not to go back to Herod, they returned to their country by another route.

Hymn: #67 -- "What Child is This"

A loving son found the perfect gift for his lonely widowed mother who loved to chat but often had no one with whom to communicate. The son found an amazing, magnificent bird. It seemed to possess an almost human-like understanding of the English language and spoke more than a thousand words. In addition, it could communicate equally as well in German (her native language) and could sing beautifully. The bird was very expensive, costing more than twenty thousand dollars.

Since it was for his mother whom he loved dearly, the son purchased it and had it sent to her. The next day, the son phoned his mother to ask how she liked the bird. She replied, "It was delicious."

God chose the perfect gift for us in His Son Jesus. He is just what each of us needs because the manger led to the cross and the open grave. Among all the gifts we give and receive this Christmas, may we always treasure the perfect gift God gave us in His Son Jesus.

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. ² He was with God in the beginning. ³ Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. ⁴ In him was life, and that life was the light of men. ⁵ The light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not understood it. ⁶ There came a man who was sent from God; his name was John. ⁷ He came as a witness to testify concerning that light, so that through him all men might believe. ⁸ He himself was not the light; he came only as a witness to the light. ⁹ The true light that gives light to every man was coming into the world. ¹⁰ He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him. ¹¹ He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him. ¹² Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God-- ¹³ children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband's will, but born of God. ¹⁴ The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.

Choir: "Mary Did You Know"

O Lord, who bears the name "Jesus" and comes to save us from our sins, we praise You for Your birth in a world made dark with sin, giving thanks for the bright light which You have shown upon us through the forgiveness of Your cross. As the angels once sang with joy over the darkened fields of Bethlehem, grant us joyful hearts to proclaim the same good news to this world which sits in the darkness of sin.

O Lord, who bears the name "Wonderful," we thank You for the gracious and wonderful gifts You have given to us: the gift of faith, the truth of Your Word, the consolation of Your Sacraments, and the help and comfort we receive from fellow members of Your body, the Church. Help us to not keep these gifts to ourselves, but to spread far and wide the glad tidings of great joy so that Your kingdom may grow and flourish under Your grace.

O Lord, who bears the name "Immanuel" and is "God with us," we pray that You would be with and sustain those who are in hospitals, nursing homes, or are lonely in their hearts or homes (especially _____________). Be near them, Lord Jesus, with the comfort of Your most Holy Word and through the presence of us, their neighbors.

O Lord, who is the Light of the world and who shines upon those who dwell in darkness and upon those who live in the shadow of death, bring through Your people words of comfort to those who fear death or who mourn and have not the hope found in Your birth, life, death and resurrection. For those who are dying or are near death (especially _____________), turn their eyes toward the glory of heaven found only in You so that they need not fear death.

O Lord, who is the Bread come down from heaven born in Bethlehem, prepare our hearts this day to receive Your body and Your blood for the forgiveness of our sins. So fed and nourished by You, grant us to live lives to the glory of Your name and in love to our neighbors.

Into Your hands, O Lord, we commend all for whom we pray, trusting in Your mercy; through Your Son, Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen.