Christmas Day

You shall call his name Immanuel: God with us. John records in the beginning of his Gospel, “The Word was made flesh and dwelt among us.” This is not for God’s benefit, but for ours. God, dwelling with man. A great honor – honored beyond even the angels. God did not become one of them, but was incarnate by the Holy Spirit of the Virgin Mary and was made man. Let every knee bow down to the Lord Jesus, who gave up the majesty of his throne and humbled himself, enduring death on the cross for our salvation, and has now been exalted to the highest place.

The supporting Propers for today: Epistle, and Collect – are filled with imagery not of God in the flesh, but of Holy Baptism. Probably didn’t see that coming, did you? Word made flesh for our salvation, and waters of Baptism.

The Epistle is quoted by Dr. Luther in the Small Catechism,

“How can water do such great things: Certainly not just water, but the word of God in and with the water does these things, along with the faith which trusts this word of God in the water. For without God’s word the water is plain water and no Baptism. But with the word of God it is a Baptism, that is, a life-giving water, rich in grace, and a washing of the new birth in the Holy Spirit, as St. Paul says in Titus, chapter three: “He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit, whom He poured out on us generously through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that, having been justified by His grace, we might become heirs having the hope of eternal life. This is a trustworthy saying.”

And our Collect speaks of the New birth of Jesus in the flesh, and compares it to the Old bondage under the yoke of sin. Old bondage of sin, new birth of the Savior. New birth is Baptism language. It directs us from the new birth of the Savior, to our Saving new birth in the holy waters. This connection is strengthened by the Epistle reading, “The washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit.

Jesus came into the world to give us new life, by his holy life, blessed death, and glorious resurrection and ascension. And this new life is given to us through the washing of water and word. Today is the day of new beginnings, new life, new birth. Today we are directed to the manger where our Lord was laid for his first night, God with us. And we are directed to our Baptism, where we were called out of darkness into his wonderful light. We are with God.

We are truly blessed by God. Despite our sinful rebellion against him, he would not let us go. He sent Jesus to reclaim us. The image of the baby Jesus in the manger is an image of the depth of love the Father has for us. Any image of the life of Christ is an image of the Love of the Father and his only-begotten Son for us. This image finds is greatest expressing in the image of Jesus on the Cross. On my heart imprint thine image, blessed Jesus king of grace. Let the clear inscription be, Jesus crucified for me. The Lord Jesus was born to die. That’s not especially different than all the other people. Anyone is born with a death sentence. Anyone born in this sinful world faces death. But Jesus didn’t have to. He was without sin. Born of the Blessed Virgin Mary, without earthly Father. He was born to redeem us – specifically to die for the sins of the whole world. To redeem all of fallen humanity. Your sins were nailed to him on the cross, and swallowed up in his death. He was sent to redeem. He does redeem. Now, all those who believe in him receive the forgiveness he won for them on the cross. And this forgiveness is applied in the waters of Baptism.

When a new baby is born, he becomes an heir to the family. When a king has a son, he is an heir to the kingdom. Jesus is the Son of God, born into this world. Because of our new birth into Jesus in Baptism, we are joined to his death and his resurrection. We are joined to him. We are therefore made co-heirs with him. We are now inheritors of all the majestic glory of the life everlasting which God gives to all who love him, who look to him for forgiveness and life and salvation.

The Introit moves right from the prophecy – To us a child is born, to us a son is given – to the salvation which Jesus has earned for us: “His right hand and his holy arm have worked salvation for him. The Lord has made known his salvation; he has revealed his righteousness in the sight of the nations.” We look on the manger this day and see the salvation of the Lord. Our eyes are uncovered, instead of the blindness of sin, we see that the blessed light of the world is here. During Advent we heard over and over that we weren’t preparing for the first coming of Jesus – that is accomplished. We now wait for his second coming. And so Advent is a season of repentance and return to the Lord. Today on the day when we celebrate his first coming and hear again of the Word made flesh we realize that birth, death, resurrection, ascension, return. It’s all a part of the same glorious work. We’re just looking at different parts of the same glory.

Today we give thanks to God that he has revealed his salvation to us in Jesus Christ. Today we give thanks that he has brought us this salvation through the waters of Holy Baptism, where he has claimed us as his own. And so today we praise God for his many blessings, and pray that he would keep us from all harm, that he would keep us in our baptismal grace, that we would always look to him for salvation, as he has promised. A promise fulfilled in Jesus Christ our Savior. The Word made flesh to dwell among us. Thanks be to God! Merry Christmas, indeed.

Amen.