Opening Prayer
Lord, give us grace to keep Your words in our heart. Amen.
Text: Luke 2:15-20
So it was, when the angels had gone away from them into heaven, that the shepherds said to one another, “Let us now go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has come to pass, which the Lord has made known to us.” And they came with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the Babe lying in a manger. Now when they had seen Him, they made widely known the saying which was told them concerning this Child. And all those who heard it marveled at those things which were told them by the shepherds. But Mary kept all these things and pondered them in her heart. Then the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, as it was told them.
Devotion
These shepherds believed what they had heard. Therefore they went now to Bethlehem and found Mary and Joseph and the Baby. Here God’s Spirit teaches us how we should receive the Christmas gift and praise God for it. When we hear the Gospel, we should not ignore it and forget it, nor should we say: “No, I can’t possibly believe that!” But we should think about it and talk about it with each other. Then God’s Spirit who is in the Word will help us to believe it. And when the life of faith begins to stir in us, we should encourage each other, search the Scriptures, and seek fellowship with other believers who are farther advanced in their faith. For Mary and Joseph have the Child between them. Jesus is in His Church on earth. The saints have Him in their midst. They have the Word and Baptism and the Supper, and in these He is with them. Can the believers be gathered together without having God’s Word among them? But as surely as they have God’s Word, it is just as certain that they have Jesus among them. He is the very One around whom they gather. There, in the Church’s Means of Grace, you ?nd the Lord. Don’t say in your heart: How shall I be able to ascend up to heaven and reach Jesus? Or where shall I make a pilgrimage to ?nd Him? Or what deeds should I do that He will come and reveal Himself to me? Indeed He is nearer to you than you realize. He is in the Word. But there you should not expect to see the glorious One with your eyes. But you should let truth be truth. Believe the Word, and you will experience with your conscience and your heart that He really is there. For everything with the Lord is unimpressive to the physical eyes and to natural understanding.
So what did the shepherds see? Indeed, they saw what was told to them: a Child, in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger. But was it reasonable that this should be the Savior of all people, God’s Anointed, and the angels’ joy? The shepherds believed, therefore they found what was told them by the Lord, and that was enough for them. They didn’t doubt that this Child was the promised Savior for Jews and Gentiles. You also ?nd in the Lord’s Church what He Himself has said: preaching about Him spreading into the whole world, Baptism in the name of the Trinity, the Supper in bread and wine which He instituted the night in which He was betrayed. You shouldn’t expect to see more than what He has said.
To the shepherds it was said: “For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be the sign to you: You will ?nd a Babe wrapped in swaddling cloths, lying in a manger.” They believed the Word, found it so, and praised God. To us God’s Son has said: I died for you and rose again and I am with you always, and this is the sign: the Gospel shall be preached, Baptism and the Supper shall be administered. Isn’t this how it is? O then believe it also, and tell others about Jesus’ presence and love and grace. And when others speak with you about it, then do like Mary: keep the words, and ponder them in your heart.
Then praise God with word and deed. Begin now seriously, dear Christians, to praise and thank the Lord in this Christmastide, and continue with it every day. Don’t you owe it to God? He has given you His Son, and you don’t thank Him for it? Away with wretched unbelief, with laziness, with the painful bondage of the law, and with the spoiled, sick heart’s whining and complaining! By the grace of God’s Spirit you can simply believe in childlike faith, so that in the midst of life’s troubles you can praise and worship the Lord. I know well enough how you must feel sin and sorrow, but I also know that the joy of the Lord can and will prevail over all our sin and sorrow. For God loves you and has made you His child. Listen to His Spirit, and He will also answer in your inmost heart: Saved, – saved and blessed. Praise to the Lord! Yes, we say this with one another: God be praised for His unspeakable gift!
Hymn
Behold, the joyful day is nigh,
And angels’ voices from on high
Proclaim the news in early morn
That the Good Shepherd now is born.
In quiet splendor forth He comes,
The scattered sheep and tender lambs
To gather, and their fold prepare
With all a shepherd’s tender care.
The gentle Shepherd we behold
Who, not with silver and with gold,
But by His suff’ring and His death,
Will save us from eternal wrath.
His Church, though small its seed may be,
Shall grow into a mighty tree,
With fruitful branches spreading o’er
The earth till time shall be no more.
Arise and shine, thy Light is come,
O humankind, O Christendom;
Thy glory and thy peace is here;
The Savior of the world draws near.
All praise and glory be to Thee
For wisdom, pow’r, and majesty;
And for Thy grace and mercy, Lord,
Forever be Thy Name adored.
Wallin: Lovsynger Herrens Miskundhed!. L 147:3-4 HOS 345 tr. E. A. Edlén (This may be a different hymn.);
tune: Vom Himmel hoch (ELH 123); alternate hymn: The happy Christmas comes once more ELH 143:2.4.7