Christmas Day
Text: John 1:1-14
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What a wonderful day it is; it’s finally Christmas!
But has anything really changed in your life this Christmas?
Dietrich Bonhoeffer wrote:
We cannot approach the manger of the Christ child in the same way we approach the cradle of another child. Rather, when we go to his manger, something happens, and we cannot leave it again unless we have been judged or redeemed. Here, we must either collapse or know the mercy of God toward us. (God is in the Manger, p. 66)
In other words, will you leave this Christmas and the manger of the Christ child different from how you awoke, opened presents, or arrived at church this morning?
I mean, so much of what our celebrations have become today are wrapped in the world’s story of Christmas. And no, this isn’t an attack on “Yuletide carols, mistletoe, or tiny tots with their eyes all aglow.” Instead, it reminds us that the child, born of Mary and lying in a manger, came into this world for a real, transcending, and transformational purpose.
Listen to these words of the Gospel again,
And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth. (John 1:14)
There is so much packed in this verse, so much Gospel.
These words from the Gospel of John are not the words of the Christmas story we heard last evening with the Angel Gabriel making visits in the night, no room in the Inn, or shepherds in their fields; no, this is a very different Gospel calling on us to think deeply upon our Savior Jesus Christ, and the purpose for which He came into this world as He became flesh.
He came to redeem you, that is, to grant you His grace, to forgive all your sins, and to open the way to eternal life. And with this knowledge, you cannot approach this Christmas the same way as any other Christmas or the cradle of any other child.
It’s truly something to ponder: the very Word that was at the beginning of time, the same Word through which everything of creation was made, has not only become flesh but dwells among us – among man.
Why does God come to us in this way? To tell us where He is located and how He chooses to work and grant us His grace.
And for this reason, “we cannot approach the manger of the Christ child the same way as we approach the cradle of another child.”
Instead, His birth, life, death, and resurrection transcend mankind in such a way that when we come into His presence, our lives must experience a cosmic shift and change, being brought into His own life.
This is how confession and absolution work in the lives and hearts of man. When we confess our sin, our repentance is a petitioning of God for a change that transcends the mind or attitudes of man; repentance leads to a desired change within man's heart.
To frame this differently, this is what occurs when you remember and approach your baptism through the daily drowning of the old sinful Adam within – you confess your desire to die with Christ so that a new man may arise.
Truthfully, you cannot approach or remember your baptism without a change of heart because it is here you were first joined to the Christ child and He with you.
Think about that…Your Savior takes you into Himself, and from the font, your life is intimately joined to the Word made flesh, His manger, cross, and grave.
But even more, as you gather here today, the Word-made flesh continues to come and dwell among you as the Gospel was read in your very midst. In fact, you could not help but turn yourself and listen to His Words.
And now, in just a few moments, we will gather around the manger of this altar where the crucified and risen Lord now feeds you with His flesh and blood, granting you in the most tangible of ways His redemption and forgiveness, again, coming to you and taking you into Himself.
When all of this occurs, you truly cannot remain indifferent to the Christ child even as much of the world tries on this most holy day of days. Instead, something must happen as Bonhoeffer said: Here, [you] must either collapse [under God’s judgment] or know the mercy of God toward you.
And this is the beautiful gift you continue to receive today: the news that a Savior has been born for you.
So receive the truth of His grace and mercy today in His Word and then return to your homes and families a new way, or rather, a new person in Christ Jesus.
Because when this happens, there is no more extraordinary gift you could receive and confess among one another on this day as you return home to celebrate with “Yuletide carols, mistletoe, or το [watch] tiny tots with their eyes all aglow.”.
So come to the manger of the Christ child and receive the mercy of God.
Merry Christmas!
