Christmas Eve December 24, 2016
Christmas Eve
Luke 2:1-20
December 24, 2016
“Directions to Bethlehem”
In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Merry Christmas! Glad to have all of you here tonight to celebrate Jesus’ birth. All night long during this service we’ve been invited to “come to Bethlehem”. Come to Bethlehem and see. Well, you probably ought to know then how to get to Bethlehem. From El Paso, IL to Bethlehem is 6,292 miles. That’s quite a trek. If you’re going to fly to Bethlehem, the flight from Chicago to Tel Aviv in Israel (which is the nearest airport) is going to take you around 14 hours.
So even if you leave right now for Bethlehem, you’re not going to get there tonight. And you’d probably be really lucky to even get there by tomorrow, Christmas Day. And then what? What happens when you get to Bethlehem? There probably won’t be any room in the inn. At least that’s what I’ve heard. And there’s one other glaring problem when you get to Bethlehem—and that is—that you’re about 2,020 years late. You won’t find Jesus there anymore. Wrapped in swaddling cloths. Laying in a manger. You won’t find it. So why in the world are we being invited to Bethlehem?
Jesus isn’t in Bethlehem anymore, right? He grew up. He went to Egypt for a while to escape King Herod. Then His family settled in Nazareth where Jesus grew up. Then He started His ministry and did a bunch of traveling around Galilee and Judea. Then He ended up in Jerusalem where He died on the cross and was buried. Then He rose from the dead and finally ended up in Galilee 40 days later where He ascended into heaven. So where are you going to find Jesus now?
Well, that’s why I want to give you the real directions to Bethlehem that we’re talking about tonight. We’re not talking about jumping on a plane and flying 14 hours to Israel. We’re talking about you and me coming to the Bethlehem where Jesus is right now. And it’s not over 6,000 miles away.
Bethlehem means “house of bread”. In Hebrew, “beth” is house and “lehem” is bread. It’s the house of bread. Well, of course it is because Jesus is the bread of life. “I am the bread of life,” He said. So Bethlehem is more than just the city where Jesus is born—it’s the house where Jesus, the Bread of Life, dwells.
So the Bethlehem where you will now find Jesus—the house of Bread where Jesus now dwells—isn’t 6,000 miles away, but it’s in His holy Word and in His Sacraments. This right here tonight is Bethlehem. This is the house of bread. Because Jesus is here. He is here in His Word. When Jesus ascended into heaven, He told His disciples to go baptize and to teach His Word and then He says, “Behold, I am with you always to the end of the age.” Why? Because where His Word is, Jesus is. Where two or three are gathered in His name, Jesus says, He is there in the midst. Where Jesus’ Word is being heard and received, Jesus is there. And where the Word is, there is Bethlehem.
The Word of God brings this baby Jesus of Bethlehem to you. Did you hear the angels singing to you tonight? They weren’t just singing to the shepherds outside Bethlehem. Those angels are singing to you. They said, ‘For unto you is born this night in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.” Unto you. A Savior. Your Savior. This is Bethlehem, see. This is the house of Bread. Where your Savior Jesus comes in His Word to you to give you the bread of life.
Bethlehem is found up here at the altar where Jesus comes to us under the bread and wine of the Lord’s Supper. Tomorrow morning when we have our Divine Service and Communion, this is Bethlehem. This is the house of bread where Jesus comes to us with His own words, “This is My body. This is My blood. Given and shed for you for the forgiveness of your sins.”
When we’re inviting you tonight to Come to Bethlehem and See, we’re inviting you to come to Jesus in His Word. To hear God’s Word and believe in Jesus Christ His Son. To believe that this baby Jesus became a human as you are so that He could live a perfect life for you (which you definitely don’t do) and give that life on the cross as the sacrifice for your sins. See, we’re not just inviting you to Bethlehem tonight to hear of Jesus’ birth. We’re also inviting you to come to Jerusalem, just a few miles up the road, where Jesus was crucified for your sins. Come and hear. Come and see. Jesus is your Savior. He has died for your sins to give you life forever in heaven.
That’s why we want you to come to His Word tonight—Come to Bethlehem—and see this Jesus.
Because all of this stuff you’ve been told tonight in this service about Jesus’ birth isn’t just an old story that we tell for fun. It’s not just an old story that we tell because it’s cute and neat and it makes us feel good. It’s not just a story that you’re supposed to forget after you leave and not think about again until you come back next Christmas. This story isn’t just about a Bethlehem long, long ago.
This story is about the Bethlehem now. The Jesus who is still living and a Jesus that you will now find in His Word and Sacraments. The baby who was first born on that first Christmas is the Jesus that is now with you in His Word. It’s the Jesus who gave His life for you on the cross and right now delivers that forgiveness to you in His Word and Sacraments.
That’s why we want you to come and see Jesus tonight. Because He’s here. Real and living. He was born on Christmas and now tonight He is with us in His Word. He forgives our sins and promises to return one day to take us to be with Him in heaven.
So—you’ll find this Jesus in His Word. When you and your family sing that Word together in Christmas hymns. Like when you sing the song of the angels, “Hark! The Herald Angels Sing, Glory to the Newborn King.” Or “Joy to the World, the Lord is come.” You’ll find Jesus when you and your family come to Church together and hear the story of His birth from His Word. You’ll find Jesus when His Word is shared in Christmas cards. And in prayers around the table. And when His Word is the focus of our Christmas lights and trees and presents—when we’re remembering that He’s the light of the world and the tree of life and God’s perfect present to us.
This Christmas, you’ll find Bethlehem, and you’ll find Jesus, wherever His Word is proclaimed. There’s your directions to Bethlehem. You don’t need a map or a plane. You just need God’s Word. God’s Word here in Church and God’s Word in your homes. The Word that proclaims to us that our Savior is born. In Jesus’ name. Amen.