LutheranLectionary.org

Series C – Christmas Eve – Thursday, December 24, 2015 | Pr. Chris Rosebrough

Welcome to the Teaching Ministry of Kongsvinger Lutheran Church. Kongsvinger is a beacon for the Gospel of Jesus Christ and is located on the plains of Northwestern Minnesota. We proclaim Christ and Him crucified for our sins and salvation by grace through faith alone, and now, here’s a message from Pastor Chris Rosebrough:

Time Stamp	Transcript
0:29	the holy Gospel According to Saint Luke
0:30	Chapter 2 verses 1 through 20.
0:34	and it came to pass in those days that
0:37	there were went that there went out a
0:38	decree from Caesar Augustus that all the
0:41	world should be taxed and this taxing
0:43	was first made when cranius was the
0:45	governor of Syria it all went to be
0:47	taxed everyone into his own City and
0:50	Joseph also went up From Galilee out of
0:52	the city of Nazareth into Judea unto the
0:55	city of David which is called Bethlehem
0:57	because he was of the house and the
0:59	lineage of David
1:00	to be taxed with Mary his espoused wife
1:03	being great with child
1:05	and so it was that while they were there
1:07	the days were accomplished that she
1:09	should be delivered and she brought
1:11	forth her firstborn son and wrapped him
1:13	in swaddling cloths and laid him in a
1:15	Manger because there was no room for
1:17	them in the end
1:19	and there were in the same country
1:20	shepherds abiding in the field keeping
1:23	wash over their flock by night and lo
1:25	the angel of the Lord Came Upon them and
1:28	the glory of the Lord Shone around them
1:30	and they were sore afraid and the angel
1:33	said unto them
1:34	fear not for behold I bring you good
1:37	tidings of great joy which shall be to
1:40	all people
1:42	For unto you is Born This Day in the
1:44	city of David savior which is Christ the
1:48	lord
1:48	and this shall be a sign unto you ye
1:51	shall find the Babe wrapped in swaddling
1:53	cloths lying in a manger and suddenly
1:57	there was with the angel a multitude of
1:59	the Heavenly Host praising God and
2:00	saying glory to God in the highest and
2:04	on Earth peace Good Will toward men
2:07	and it came to pass as the Angels were
2:09	gone away from them into heaven the
2:11	shepherd said unto one another let us
2:14	now go even unto Bethlehem and see this
2:16	thing which has come to pass which the
2:18	Lord has made known unto us and they
2:20	came with haste and found Mary and
2:23	Joseph and the Babe lying in a manger
2:25	and when they had seen it they made
2:27	known abroad the saying which was told
2:29	them concerning this child and all that
2:32	heard it wandered at those things which
2:35	were told them by the Shepherds but Mary
2:38	kept all these things and pondered them
2:40	in her heart and the Shepherds returned
2:42	glorifying and praising God for all the
2:45	things that they had heard and seen as
2:47	it was told unto them
2:50	in the name of Jesus
2:53	give me a second to compose myself
2:56	that particular hymn always has a
2:58	tendency to wreck me a little bit
3:04	our text this evening the traditional
3:07	Christmas text taken from Luke chapter
3:08	2
3:10	it proves that we’re nothing like God
3:18	Our God broke into his creation
3:22	to save his fallen and sinful creatures
3:25	and precious few were even aware of
3:29	God’s presence
3:33	this past Sunday we read the text
3:36	where Elizabeth
3:39	pregnant with John the Baptist
3:41	here’s the voice of Mary and the baby
3:43	inside of her leaps for joy
3:45	she knew
3:47	Joseph knew
3:52	not many other people did
3:54	how can we be so blind
3:58	how can our race the race of mankind
4:01	which was originally created
4:04	in the awesome image of the almighty God
4:08	but in our striving to be like God
4:10	through the temptation of the devil
4:13	we have been so twisted and corrupted
4:15	and plunged into great darkness and so
4:19	great is that darkness that we can’t
4:20	even see the light
4:23	even if it were pointed out to us
4:26	even when the light is tabernacling
4:28	Among Us in human flesh
4:34	the mystery of what’s happening in the
4:36	Incarnation
4:37	is solved and revealed in Philippians
4:40	chapter 2 verses 5 through 8 which reads
4:43	have this mind among yourselves which is
4:45	yours in Christ Jesus who though he was
4:48	in the very nature of God
4:50	he did not count equality with God a
4:54	thing to be grasped
4:56	notice here
4:58	Christ’s actions are the exact opposite
5:01	actions of our first parents Adam and
5:03	Eve who when they were tempted by the
5:06	devil in the garden the devil basically
5:09	said Take and Eat of that fruit and you
5:12	will be like God
5:17	and Eve pondered inside of her heart and
5:19	saw that the fruit was good and that it
5:22	would make one wise
5:24	and be like God
5:26	and so even though she was a creature
5:29	she reached out her hand and strove to
5:32	be like God
5:33	and now God himself is Among Us
5:37	and it says he did not consider equality
5:40	with God a thing to be grasped instead
5:42	he emptied himself
5:44	and truly he did
5:46	taking the form of a servant being born
5:49	in the likeness of men and being found
5:52	in human form
5:54	God humbled himself
6:00	wow
6:02	and became obedient
6:06	odd obeying
6:09	yeah became obedient even to the point
6:12	of death
6:14	even a death on something as Despicable
6:17	as a cross
6:21	humbled himself as exactly what the Lord
6:23	did
6:25	now although it is true
6:27	that Luke by informing us of the
6:30	historical context in which Christ was
6:33	born he informs us that Mary and Joseph
6:35	traveled from Nazareth to Bethlehem in
6:37	order to register for a Roman tax
6:40	and this is not throw away historical
6:42	data instead this is theologically Rich
6:44	information note the fact that even
6:46	though Mary was carrying the King of
6:49	Kings inside of her womb
6:52	there was no earthly privilege
6:55	that was granted to her because of it
6:58	and rather than receive a military
7:00	escort in the golden carriage and the
7:03	greatest Comforts of the Roman Empire
7:04	could Supply her she instead made the
7:06	journey from Nazareth to Bethlehem
7:08	probably on foot
7:10	while she was as this text says great
7:14	with child
7:16	swollen feet Braxton Hicks and sore back
7:20	and all
7:21	I remember when my wife was pregnant
7:23	with our kids
7:24	and every time we would see a pregnant
7:26	woman after that we’d think oh that poor
7:28	thing
7:29	right
7:32	and when she arrives in Bethlehem there
7:34	is no royal red carpet
7:36	there isn’t a presidential suite at the
7:38	Bethlehem Hilton
7:40	or even the basic necessities for a
7:42	woman who has now gone into full labor
7:45	her water has broken and with no wit
7:48	Midwife to a sister Mary and Joseph are
7:51	going to have to figure all of this out
7:52	on their own in a town bursting with
7:54	Travelers and to make matters worse
7:56	rather than a clean hospital room she’s
7:59	going to have to finish her pregnancy in
8:01	an animal pen
8:03	it doesn’t get any meaner than that
8:09	you could almost see them Mary doubled
8:12	over with a strong contraction Joseph
8:14	laying down his cloak on the straw so
8:16	that she can have a place to get off of
8:18	her feet
8:20	and the smell of animal urine and Cow
8:22	Patties but with no time to take it all
8:24	in or even to complain
8:27	and then another contraction hits and
8:29	this one’s stronger than the one before
8:33	Mary’s mom is not there to help her
8:35	in order to guide her tell her what it
8:38	to do next this is her first kid
8:42	and she’s probably what 14 15.
8:47	this is scary for 20 year old a 30 year
8:50	old but can you imagine a teenage girl
8:53	foreign
8:54	Joseph holds her hand she clenches her
8:57	teeth she lets out a cry
9:00	how many hours was Mary in labor
9:04	text doesn’t say
9:06	doesn’t say
9:08	but finally with the work of Labor
9:09	finished scripture says she brought
9:13	forth her firstborn son
9:18	she finally heard his first cry
9:22	Jesus had to be cleaned up as all
9:25	infants do
9:26	and there he was the son of David the
9:29	king of kings the Lord of lords crying
9:31	as his lungs took in air for the first
9:34	time and then his parents counted ten
9:37	tiny little fingers ten tiny little toes
9:40	just to make sure everything was all
9:41	right
9:43	make sure the baby was healthy
9:46	they didn’t have apgar tests back then
9:49	yes I grew up in a medical family
9:53	so Mary wrapped him in swaddling clothes
9:57	she laid him in a Manger
10:01	I’m old Troth
10:05	but she probably didn’t do that before
10:07	she tried to nurse him for the first
10:10	time and maybe even tried to sing a
10:13	Judean lullaby to him
10:16	Mary and Joseph had a lot ahead of them
10:19	nighttime feedings
10:21	poopy diapers potty training
10:25	learning how to speak to walk to read to
10:28	work
10:29	all the things that we face as parents
10:31	as we care for the children that God has
10:33	sent to us they face that too as they
10:37	raised God incarnate
10:40	who has come to save us
10:44	and that’s kind of the thing
10:47	if you were to see this family back then
10:52	they looked just like any family of the
10:57	time
10:59	they weren’t rich
11:00	they didn’t wear good clothes they were
11:02	poor mean
11:06	if we’d seen them walking down the
11:08	street would there have been anything
11:11	to point out
11:12	that that baby of hers was the god who
11:16	spoke the universe into existence
11:18	how could we miss it
11:21	how could we not know
11:24	Mary and Joseph
11:26	would have to begin this task of
11:28	parenting while on the Run being
11:30	fugitives hiding from Herod in Egypt
11:34	making it even tougher I mean you think
11:36	it’s tough you know moving to a new town
11:39	where you don’t know anybody
11:41	why don’t you try a different country
11:46	and when they finally were able to
11:48	return to Israel
11:49	they would return to one of the poorest
11:51	of the poor villages in all of Israel
11:54	they would end up having to work hard by
11:56	the sweat of their brow to put food on
11:59	the table clothes on their backs without
12:02	the help of a welfare state but with the
12:04	added burden of having to pay Roman
12:06	taxes on top of all that they had to do
12:11	and if the angels and the written word
12:13	of God had not revealed the amazing good
12:15	news of what God was doing for us we
12:18	just like the people of Bethlehem that
12:20	first Christmas night would be
12:23	completely oblivious to what was going
12:25	on
12:27	and we know it
12:33	but you see
12:34	the good news the gospel was preached
12:37	that first Christmas night
12:39	and there were in the same country the
12:41	text says shepherds abiding in the field
12:43	keeping watch over their flock by night
12:46	and lo the angel of the Lord Came Upon
12:49	them and the glory of the Lord Shone
12:51	around them and they were sore afraid
12:56	and the angel said unto them
12:59	fear not
13:02	you see
13:04	when Adam and Eve sinned in the garden
13:07	God posted Angels around the tree of
13:11	life with flaming swords
13:16	what terrible Duty that had to have been
13:18	for them
13:20	absolutely awful
13:22	Humanity made in the image of God now
13:25	barred from the Tree of Life to protect
13:27	themselves from themselves let’s say
13:29	live forever as The Walking Dead
13:33	and now
13:34	they have good news to announce
13:38	fear not for behold I bring you good
13:42	tidings of great joy
13:45	which shall be to all people
13:50	and do you hear that
13:53	that’s you that’s me
13:57	when the Angels gave this report to the
14:00	Shepherds
14:01	the shepherd’s job was to get this
14:04	report out
14:05	to let everybody know everywhere all
14:09	people including the people here in this
14:12	church this night
14:14	two thousand years later
14:16	good news of great joy for all people
14:19	for unto you is Born This Day
14:23	in the city of David
14:25	a savior which is Christ the lord
14:29	a savior
14:33	the fact that we didn’t even know God
14:34	was Among Us
14:35	shows we need a savior
14:38	how can we be so blind so bent in on
14:41	ourselves so upside down so evil so
14:44	Twisted that God himself is born and yet
14:51	none of us
14:53	no one knew
14:55	the Shepherds wouldn’t have known if the
14:57	Angels hadn’t said so
14:59	and so they show up
15:01	and here this will be a sign unto you
15:04	you shall find the Babe wrapped in
15:06	swaddling cloths
15:08	and lying in a Manger
15:11	sign is that
15:14	head into Bethlehem
15:17	find the poorest child you can find
15:21	a newborn babe
15:23	in a place you would never expect to see
15:25	it
15:27	in an animal feeding trough this is the
15:29	sign for you lying in a manger and then
15:32	suddenly there was with the angel a
15:33	multitude of the Heavenly Host praising
15:35	God and saying glory to God in the
15:38	highest and on Earth peace Good Will
15:41	toward men
15:44	and see that’s what the prophecy about
15:46	Christ was
15:49	Prince of Peace
15:52	is it come to swing his sword is it come
15:55	to cast us all into hell as we deserve
15:57	he’s come instead to bleed and to die
16:00	for us
16:02	and it came to pass as the Angels were
16:04	gone away from them into heaven the
16:06	Shepherds said to one another let us go
16:08	even now unto Bethlehem and see this
16:10	thing which has come to pass which the
16:12	Lord they knew this was a message from
16:14	the Lord that the Lord has made known to
16:16	us and they came with haste and found
16:18	Mary and Joseph in the Babe lying
16:22	in a Manger
16:25	and when they had seen it they made
16:27	known abroad the saying which was told
16:29	to them concerning this child
16:32	and the report reaches us this night
16:35	good news great joy unto you is born a
16:40	savior
16:42	and Mary kept all these things and
16:43	pondered them in her heart and then the
16:45	Shepherds returned glorifying and
16:47	praising God for all of the things that
16:49	they had heard and seen as it was told
16:52	unto them
16:55	see God chose to reveal what he was
16:57	doing not to Kings not to Governors not
17:00	to the wealthy not to the celebrities
17:01	not to The Beautiful People
17:04	the announcement was made
17:06	well it wasn’t made in the palace
17:09	or in the Senate or even in a building
17:11	made by human hands the announcement was
17:14	made to poor
17:16	hard-working Shepherds whom the world
17:18	considers insignificant
17:21	shepherds in the medieval period worked
17:24	so hard this is such a difficult task
17:27	that when they would die
17:30	they would have a tuft
17:32	of of sheepskin put into their hand to
17:36	be buried with it
17:38	so that when they stood before God and
17:41	said how come you weren’t able to go to
17:43	church all they would have to do is show
17:45	this and say I was a shepherd
17:48	that’s how hard their job was sheep are
17:51	dumb animals very difficult to work with
17:53	prone to wander off they have just about
17:56	every natural enemy that you can
17:58	possibly imagine and are completely
17:59	oblivious to it
18:01	we’re a lot like them
18:04	so the announcement wasn’t made in a
18:06	palace it was made to these hard-working
18:09	Shepherds
18:10	whom the world well considers
18:12	insignificant
18:14	you’ll know Shepherds don’t dwell in
18:17	palaces
18:18	but out in the open field
18:20	subject to all the elements when it’s
18:22	hot it’s they’re hot when it’s raining
18:24	they’re wet
18:26	when it’s cold they’re shivering
18:30	just be glad they didn’t have to do it
18:31	in North Dakota
18:35	it is these Whom The Gospel comes to it
18:40	is these humble and lowly
18:43	these are the ones who are ready to hear
18:45	the good news of the savior
18:47	those who’ve languished under the curse
18:52	those who are proud
18:54	and worship fame money Fortune power
18:58	they’re far too self-reliant and too
19:00	self-focused to even imagine that they
19:03	would need a savior
19:05	and so it is nothing has changed even
19:08	today the powerful The Purpose Driven
19:10	and those seeking to win and live their
19:13	lives victoriously so that they can be
19:15	affluent influential powerful and
19:18	Wealthy prosperous and perpetually
19:20	healthy they have no need of a baby born
19:23	in a barn born in a mean poverty Born to
19:26	Be mercilessly slaughtered on a Roman
19:29	cross
19:34	but we do
19:39	we do
19:42	and the sad thing is is that even
19:45	the wealthy need this
19:50	but they’re far too busy
19:52	far too bent on themselves
19:54	to pay attention
19:56	to such a sign
19:58	as a baby lying in a Manger
20:02	the king of kings and Lord of lords
20:06	Luther commenting on this text says this
20:09	the right and gracious faith
20:12	which God’s word and work demands is
20:15	that you firmly believe that Christ is
20:20	born for you
20:23	and that this birth is yours and
20:27	occurred for your benefit
20:31	sign that the shepherd saw and now
20:34	shared through this text is a sign given
20:38	for you
20:41	it’s humble it’s mean there’s nothing
20:44	striking or glitzy about it you’ll
20:47	notice the complete absence of twinkling
20:49	lights
20:50	of carolers
20:53	even the angels were not on the scene
20:55	they got to announce it and then
20:57	disappeared
21:00	Mary and Joseph didn’t see the angels
21:02	and didn’t even hear the song
21:05	and they wouldn’t have had much time to
21:07	enjoy it anyway
21:09	Herod would soon be on their Trail
21:12	trying to kill the baby
21:16	so all of this has happened to benefit
21:18	you the gospel teaches that Christ was
21:20	born because of us and that he died and
21:24	suffered
21:26	he did all of this everything because of
21:28	us as the angel said for I Proclaim to
21:31	you great joy that will be for all
21:32	people for unto you is Born This Day in
21:35	the city of David the Savior who is
21:37	Christ the lord
21:39	in these words
21:41	you clearly see he is born
21:45	for us
21:51	so again
21:53	we hear the words
21:55	of the sermon hymn we just sang
21:57	What Child Is This who laid to rest
22:01	on Mary’s lap is sleeping
22:03	whom Angels greet
22:06	with Anthem sweet well Shepherds watch
22:08	are keeping this this is Christ the King
22:12	whom Shepherds guard and Angels Sing
22:16	haste haste to bring him Lord
22:19	the babe the son of Mary
22:21	why lie is he in such mean estate where
22:24	oxen donkeys are feeding good Christians
22:27	fear for Sinners here the silent word is
22:30	pleading
22:31	and here’s the important part
22:34	nails
22:36	Spears shall pierce him through
22:39	the cross he bore for me for you hail
22:43	hail the world word made flesh
22:46	the babe the son of Mary
22:49	see that’s why he’s here
22:52	the manger will give way to the cross
22:57	the Shepherds will give way to the Roman
23:00	soldiers
23:02	who will eventually take this young baby
23:05	who’s grown into a man
23:08	and they will spit on him
23:11	they will beat him
23:15	they will Scourge him
23:18	and in the process take out of his back
23:20	all kinds of Flesh and Blood and then
23:23	they will nail him to a cross
23:26	because if there was any one human being
23:29	who was truly born with a purpose it was
23:32	Christ
23:34	he came to seek and to save the lost to
23:37	redeem Those whom the devil had forced
23:41	into bondage sin and slavery and death
23:45	to free us and to redeem us
23:48	and to set us free
23:51	he became obedient
23:53	and took all of this so that we can go
23:56	free
23:58	so the sign is there for you today this
24:01	evening The Babe wrapped in swaddling
24:04	clothes lying in the manger
24:09	hail the word made flesh
24:13	the babe the son of Mary
24:15	so bring him incense gold myrrh
24:19	offer yourselves as living sacrifices
24:23	in light of this good news
24:25	come peasant King to own him the King of
24:27	Kings salvation brings let loving hearts
24:29	enthron him raise raise a song on high
24:32	the Virgin sings her lullaby joy joy for
24:36	Christ is born
24:38	the babe
24:39	the son of Mary
24:42	in the name of Jesus
24:44	amen

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