Luke 2:8-20.                         True Christmas Joy???                                                     25/12/16

(8)  And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. {9} An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. {10} But the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. {11} Today in the town of David a Saviour has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord. {12} This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger." {13} Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, {14} "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favour rests." {15} When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, "Let's go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about." {16} So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. {17} When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, {18} and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. {19} But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart. {20} The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told.

Christmas is a time when we look for happiness and joy. We speak of it as a time of festivity and the imparting of Christmas cheer to one another. It is to be a season of peace and goodwill: of giving and receiving: and of family. You know the catch words – they are fed to us regularly through the media, ‘junk mail’ and where ever. It is all very warm and enticing; and it feeds into that deep longing that we have in our hearts. We all yearn for a greater degree of these things in our lives.

So at this time of the year our spirits rise within us. Holidays, gifts, parties: one after the other. Yes, this is the life. This is what it is all about. More, bigger, better, all so that this spirit of Christmas may be stronger in our lives. Just maybe this year Christmas may bring us the cheer that we want and need in our lives.

But, unfortunately the boss has put the pressure on in the lead up to this day. Working longer hours so the boss can make a few more quick dollars: late night and weekend shopping bites right in and puts the pressure on. Then when it comes to our buying of gifts. What do we buy someone who has everything? The kids have nearly all the toys that are on the go. No longer is it a few simple gifts with love in the heart; it has to be bigger and better; but oh so much more expensive. So the credit card is at its limit, and the squeeze is on.

Then when it comes to the Christmas parties; it is another night out and another night away from the family. And the pressures continue; the spirit wanes. Then to add to it all, this year the kids have to go to the ex’s, or we have had a ‘blue’ with someone in the family and they are all in a huff over it.

Throughout the emphasis is on what we do, buy and have that is focussed on at this time. It is about having a good time. It is about us making the Christmas spirit through giving, receiving, sharing and all the rest.  Christmas is all about almost everything but what Christmas is all about. 

The spirit of Christmas has been swallowed up by the commercialization of it all and its failure to be what is promised. Christmas has lost its glitter and sparkle. It is another thing that we have to do. It is just another party; another gift; another trying to lift the spirits in a life overfull of these things already. There are glimpses of that which is promised, but it is drowned out by all the competing forces.

Despite the pretences and new gifts that will soon lose their shine, there is still left that longing for something more: something better: something far more significant. The peace, joy and goodwill of this season has promised much but has again failed to deliver. So is Christmas really all that it is cracked up to be? Is it really all that special?

Here today, let us again hear another Christmas message: a message that has been drowned out by the commercialization that our society keeps throwing our way. Hear again that which truly does make Christmas, truly Christmas. Hear again why this day really is special and life changing, in the midst of all of this other ‘bull dust’.

Hear the message of the angels to the shepherds on that first Christmas night. "Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people.  Today in the town of David a Saviour has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger."

Here remember that this is not just some nice fairy story, that has been written down to give some sense of wonderment to our children. This is God’s message to humanity. This is God’s message into our modern day Christmas. It is here in this message; when we are prepared to unwrap this gift, we will find that which gives true peace, joy and goodwill to all mankind. This gift continues on and on giving meaning and purpose to people no matter what they face in life; whether it be plenty or nothing; health or sickness and death: whether in a great family or all alone.

This gift works right into the very core of our lives and gives us all that we really need. This is good news of great joy that is for all the people. This good news: this great Christmas gift, is that the Saviour has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord. In Jesus, the baby born in Bethlehem some 2,000 years ago, we have the Saviour being born. God himself has come to be with us: is with us now, and has eternal life for all. This surely is good news.

Or is it? Do we believe that we need a saviour? For most people in the western world, we don’t need a saviour. We have got it all. We have told ourselves that we are the centre of life itself. We just need to follow Jesus’ example and we will make this world what we want it to be. It is all ours and it is all up to us.

But as we truly listen and humble ourselves before him we are brought to the knowledge that we are sinful and that we desperately need the Saviour. Already at the beginning of the Bible we see what our problem is. We, like Adam and Eve, have told God to move over: we want to be the centre of life. We want to do what we want to do, instead of following what God has given us and told us is good for us.

We have set our opinions above what God himself has set down for us, and the results are nothing short of catastrophic. We have brought all kinds of troubles on ourselves and one another and most significantly death and eternal separation from God. Now in our selfish pride we still want to work against God: we try to eliminate sickness and death, and we even want to work our way back into God’s presence. We want to even make Christmas all about us and what we want and do. But we cannot achieve it and are doomed to failure because of our sinful human nature. Without God’s intervention we are doomed to an eternity in hell.

However, this is what makes Christmas so truly special and great. God sent his only Son as a gift into our world. He came as one of us, so that not only could he do what was necessary for our salvation, but just maybe we might listen to him and submit ourselves to him. He came as little baby, born in poverty and meanness: he lived as a normal human being, but without sin. He alone listened to God and followed his commands and ways. Then he allowed himself to be killed on the cross, so that God could punish him, instead of us. He gave his life so that we might have life:  eternal life with God. He extended forgiveness of sins to each and every one of us – without exception. There is once again peace made possible between God and us; extended to us as a free gift.

This is his gift to you and me. Jesus Christ has brought forgiveness of sins, life and salvation to each of us. This is his Christmas gift to you and me. This is truly the greatest and most wonderful gift that we could ever receive. This is what makes true peace, joy and goodwill possible. This is what enables us to have the real festive spirit and be able to impart Christmas cheer to one another. We have peace with God: we have eternal life with him. This wonderful gift now impacts on everything else that we face and that we do.

This naturally then gives us hope and joy. Not the joy that is a bubbling over smile from ear to ear; but an underlying contentment which knows that no matter what we now face in life we have eternal life with God, which no one and nothing can take away from us. Now that we have Christ in us, we have that quiet and sure confidence that He will see us through, even when we face our crosses in this life, for we know that he himself goes and has gone before us, and now uses all these things for good. God himself has assured us now that he is at work in and through our lives, seeking to draw all people into his eternal kingdom.

That being the case, now we can share this joy and hope that we have now been given, with one another. We can impart this Christmas cheer with all others that we come into contact with. Not just today and tomorrow; but every day is now Christmas for us. God is with us; we can now share him with those that we come into contact with. We can share his peace and goodwill in all circumstances. And just as we have received from him; and that includes now seeing every gift that we receive from others as a gift given from God Almighty himself; now then we too can give.

Yes, Christmas now has truly given to us all that it has promised. Peace, joy and goodwill has now come to us. Now we can celebrate and now we can live with confidence and hope. For Today in the town of David a Saviour has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger. Our Lord has come to live with us so that we can live with him for all eternity. To him then be all glory and honour now and always. AMEN.

A blessed Christmas to you all.

Pastor Roger Atze

Glandore/Underdale Lutheran Parish