Christmas Eve December 24, 2019
Christmas Eve
Luke 2:1-20
December 24, 2018
“What Child Is This?”
(The basic idea of this sermon is from Rev. Ralph Tausz in his Advent & Christmas series “What Child Is This?”)
In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
You’ve been to enough Christmas Eve services, seen plenty of nativity scenes, that you know the birth scene pretty well in your mind. There’s the manger where the baby lays—swaddled in white cloths. Our mangers are usually made of wood like this one, although it may very well have been a stone manger. And to the right is Joseph kneeling, keeping watch over his newborn. And to the left is Mary, sitting or kneeling, admiring her firstborn son. Then a little further back to the right is the Wise Men, one of them holding a present of myrrh. That scene you know pretty well.
But let me remind you of another scene, another picture, which you might not know as well because we don’t set it up in our houses and in our yards. At this scene there’s the baby again, lying on a slab of stone just as his manger might have been. Only now he’s 33 years older. And He’s dead. But again He’s swaddled in white cloths, linen cloths. And there’s Joseph. Not Joseph the carpenter father, but Joseph of Arimathea, who asked Pilate for the body of Jesus and brought it to his own grave and laid Him there on that slab of stone and wrapped Him in those linen cloths.
And there’s Mary also. Only not Mary the mother of Jesus, but this time Mary Magdalene and some other Mary’s also. And they’re all going to the tomb to take care of the body of Jesus just as His mother had done on that first night. And what gift are they taking with them for the body of Jesus? Myrrh. The very gift of the magi at His birth. This time they bring the myrrh to anoint His body in the grave.
Is that all a coincidence? Or from the moment of this child’s birth did God the Father already have in mind His death and burial for your sins?
When a child is born, you get all the usual questions. “How much does he weigh? Who does he look like? What did you name him?” Do you think Mary got all those question? As shepherds and Wise Men and relatives all came to visit, did they get the questions? “Does he have all ten fingers and ten toes? Does he look like Mary? How much does he weigh?” Did the local Bethlehem doctor come to examine him, “Is he alert? How’s he breathing? Are his lungs clear? Can he hear alright?”
Those are all the questions you expect to hear. There are other questions that you don’t ever expect to hear. You don’t expect to be asked, “Have you thought about who will handle his funeral arrangements someday?” Or, “Have you decided which cemetery he’ll be buried in?” Or, “What do you think will be the cause of death? How old do you think he’ll be when he dies?” Those questions would be absolutely out of place.
But those are exactly the questions that the Father had in mind when Jesus was born. The normally unthinkable question, “How will this child die?” is the absolute question that matters when Jesus is born. This Child was born precisely to die. Unlike us. We’re born to live but we can’t escape death. Jesus, on the other hand, was born specifically to die for us. It was God’s plan long before He was even born. That’s why the angels fill up the sky and talk about Him being a Savior and bringing peace on earth. They’re singing about His death.
So if we come here on Christmas Eve and think, “I’ll just sneak a quick peek at the cute baby,” we must think again. If we think, “I’ll just see some cute kids doing a play about a cute little story,” we’re mistaken. If we think, “I’ll just catch the Christmas Eve service and sing a few of my favorite fun Christmas songs,” then all of a sudden we come upon this one:
What child is this, who, laid to rest,
On Mary’s lap is sleeping?
And then:
Nails, spear shall pierce Him through,
The cross be borne for me, for you,;
Hail, hail the Word made flesh,
The babe, the son of Mary.
You can’t just come in on Christmas Eve and take a quick peek at this here manger, without taking a long hard look at this here altar. What child is this? “Oh, that’s who He is.”
This is the single most important question you’ll ever ask at Christmas. And, in fact, the most important question you’ll ever be asked in your entire life? “What child is this?” What do you say about this Jesus? That’s the most important question. Jesus repeatedly was asking His disciples that very question, “Who do you say that I am?” And Peter finally gave the definite answer, “You are the Christ, the son of the living God.”
That’s the question for you here tonight. “What child is this? What do you think of this Jesus? Who is He?” Is He just a cute tale like Santa Claus with his elves and reindeer? Is He just something for December—a reason to spend a whole load of money on presents and food and lights? A way to get through the bleakness of winter? Just a reason for a season?
What do you think of this Jesus? What child is this? Is He that one right there hanging on that cross? Is He your substitute? The one who didn’t just come for a few shepherds and a few wise men—but came for these 150 people or so here two thousand years later, many thousands of miles to the east?
What child is this? Only each one of you can answer that question. And the bottom line is that He truly is for you. That’s why He came. He came for you. To die for you. He came because you’re a sinner. Because you need Him. Because you’ve hurt people. Because you’re hurt yourself. Because you’re greedy. Prideful. Quick to anger. Because you’re unhappy. Because you have impure thoughts. He came for it all.
So repent. Repent of all your sins and answer this question What child is this by saying, “This, this is Christ the King, whom shepherds guard and angels sing.” Answer by saying, “This, this is Christ the King, who gave His life that I might sing.” “This, this is Christ my Lord, crucified, died, and buried, that I would be restored.”
This is the Jesus who was wrapped in linen cloths by Joseph of Arimathea and placed in a tomb. Who was watched by Mary Magdalene, who brought with her a gift of myrrh to anoint His body. But behold! He wasn’t there. Because this is the Jesus who lives. Who rose! Who is now raised to heaven and with us. This is the Jesus who now lives to forgive your sin. In His Word and Sacrament. And to one day bring you to be with angels and shepherds and wise men—in heaven.
Whatever else is going on in your life this Christmas Eve, know that this is your friend, your Savior, your Brother. He knows all your pains, your sorrows, and your weaknesses. And He promises you, “Whoever believes in Me will not perish but will have everlasting life.”
What child is this? May you have great joy and peace to answer and sing, “This, this is My Savior.” Amen.