Sermon in Minneapolis 25.12.2008

Let us begin our services with opening prayer and thanksgiving. Holy and righteous God, our dear Heavenly Father, on this Christmas morning, we wish to give praise and thanks unto you for that greatest of all gifts, the Christ child, our Lord and Savior, who was born into this world for the atonement of sins, redemption of all mankind.

We thank you that we have been able to find, own, and possess this gift of all gifts, which is hidden like a treasure in a field, as Jesus says in one parable. And this treasure is hidden in the field of God's kingdom here on this earth. And we thank you that we can own this gift alone by faith, alone by grace, all through the merits of your Son, Jesus Christ.

And your Son, he is the light of the world. He brings peace to a person's undying soul through the power of your forgiveness in the blood of, in his name. So we ask that you would give us service blessings again this day as always. Be with us now and forever. Keep us in this begun faith and carry us one day from this land to that eternal homeland, that land of Christmas that will have a beginning and never an end one day in heaven.

So we ask for service blessings in the name of your dear Son, Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen.

An Old Testament text for Christmas morning is from the prophet Isaiah chapter 9, and I will read the first seven verses. Nevertheless, the dimness shall not be as it was in her vexation, when at the first he lightly afflicted the land of Zebulon and the land of Naphtali, and afterward did more grievously afflict her by the way of the sea beyond Jordan in Galilee to the nations.

The people that walked in darkness have seen a great light. They that dwell in the land of the shadow of death, upon them hath the light shined. Thou hast multiplied the nation and not increased the joy. They joy before thee according to the joy in harvest, and as men rejoice when they divide the spoil.

For thou hast broken the yoke of his burden in the staff of his shoulder, in the rod of his oppressor, as in the day of Midian. For every battle of the warrior is with confused noise, and garments rolled in blood. But this shall be with burning and fuel of fire.

For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given, and the government shall be upon his shoulder. And his name shall be called Wonderful, Counselor, the Mighty God, the Everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace.

And of the increase of his government and peace, there shall be no end. Upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment, and with justice from henceforth, even forever. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this. Amen.

I'm sure some of us have experienced at times when we have been alone in a dark room. Sometimes I have had to get something late at night from my office for the next day, for example. Some paper or book that I forgot.

And when one steps alone into this dark, quiet church late at night, and there are no lights on, one can imagine many things, hear every creak and groan. One feels isolated, alone, slightly fearful, and jumping at every little odd noise.

Perhaps some of you have maybe experienced something similar, being alone in a dark room or a dark house all by yourself. If we could expand the borders of that room or that house even further, to encompass all of the world and all of the universe.

If we go back to the beginning pages of the Bible, it says that in this way, at the beginning, darkness covered the earth. All there was was darkness, and there was no light. Void of life. Void of light. Void of light. And void of every kind of hope of the future.

That is when God began his work of creation. And he began by saying, Let there be light. And there was light. Light.

This was not the natural light that we see, the lunar bodies, the sun and the moon and the stars. For they weren't created until the fourth day of God's creation.

Light is so important for us. It gives hope. It gives happiness. Studies have shown that a little baby, an infant, can be put next to a Christmas tree, for example, that may be even beautifully decorated. And the small baby, an infant, may hardly even notice it.

But if one puts the plug into the wall and the lights are illuminated, immediately the small child, the baby, the infant's attention, gets drawn and is turned toward that lit-up Christmas tree.

For ten years, I lived in northern Europe and Finland. And one experiences the period of time that they called Gamos in Finn. And in fact, above the Arctic Circle, there are areas where the sun sets on November 25th and rises again for the first time two months later on January 21st.

Two months when the sun is not seen. All they live is those 60 days of twilight. For many people, this is a very difficult time of the year. It is very depressing.

Many people have to escape from the northern parts of the hemisphere and go to sunny vacation spots farther south to perk up their lives and mental stability.

But there is one locality in northern Norway when on November 25th the sun sets for the last time they have a custom and a habit of putting lights around the windows and the lights are illuminating, illuminated and to bring forth artificial light and some hope for the future.

This text that we read for this morning, one of the assigned texts for Christmas morning, is written by the prophet Isaiah and the period of time when it was written was about 700 BC.

It was at that time when the great superpower Assyria was attacking the north and bringing its people into exile. And those people that from the north were brought into exile never returned.

And whoever went to visit that part of the country after this period of time when they were conquered saw a land and a country and cities that were left in ruins.

And for the most part the people of Israel at that time were falling into unbelief. They had fallen into idolatry and were worshipping false gods.

And the prophet Isaiah now addresses the people of Israel, the people of his time for that particular situation but it also has a very clear messianic prophecy which is why it was chosen as a text for today.

The people of Israel at that time walked in darkness, the darkness of hopelessness, unbelief and idol worship, and they have seen a great light.

This same prophet writes later or it's impossible for it to be the same prophet because it's written hundreds of years later but it's another section of this book of Isaiah that has its same name and it is written now to the people of Israel after they had returned from 70 years of captivity and they were from the southern nation of Israel and brought into Babylon.

And now when these people return back to Jerusalem, back to the area of Judea of the southern kingdom again, they found their country in the holy city of Jerusalem decimated and in ruins.

The prophet Isaiah addresses these people and he says arise awake for the light has begun to shine giving them a vision of hope in the outward sense yes it is time to begin to rebuild your country and to rise up and out from the pile of ruins in ashes but of course there is a clear messianic prophecy in here as well.

We can imagine what it was like when the people of Germany for example returned to their cities at the end of World War II or how the surviving Jews felt and experienced those that survived the concentration camps and went back to their homes, villages and farms and saw everything laid to ruins.

And this perhaps this prophecy, this word of prophet Isaiah would have given them some sort of hope and encouragement rise awake for your light still shines.

These words of the prophet Isaiah were not written to Abraham. Abraham was given that promised land and who had large flocks of sheep.

These words were not written to King David, the king of Israel who was the autocratic ruler in the palace there in Jerusalem or to his son Solomon who also sat on the throne and was the king of the nation of Israel at its zenith and at height and the pinnacle of its power and glory.

But these words were addressed to those and addressed to such people even yet today who may feel that they are outcasts, they are rejected, they are overlooked and despised feeling that they are but poor wretched sinners arise awake for your light shines.

So what then is this light that is spoken of as we mentioned already that when God began his work of creation as it is related to us in the creation story at the beginning of Genesis when there was darkness covering the earth and God said let there be light and there was light.

As I mentioned already the lunar bodies, the sun, the moon and the stars light up the world around us in the physical and outward sense were not created until much, much later.

So what then was this light that God first established and began to light the world?

We could look elsewhere in the Bible which gives an explanation to what this light is the words of Jesus himself are as we remember I am the light of the world he who follows me will not travel in darkness but he will have everlasting light.

So this light was the spiritual light and this light was Jesus Christ himself in this sense no individual no person here on this earth would have a source of light of themselves you and I as well as human beings of ourselves but just in the spiritual sense would be cold dark lifeless and hopeless.

But this light is a light, a source of light that has come from the outside something that we have been able to receive as a gift own and possess in our hearts by faith and therefore for this reason when we are able to own this Christ child Christ Jesus the savior of the world then Jesus says for this reason because he is in our hearts by faith you are a light and you are a salt to the world because we own the light of light Christ Jesus in our hearts.

And for this reason a city that is on a hill cannot be hid and for this reason a candle that is lit should not be placed under a bushel should not be hid but should be placed on a candlestick in a visible place so that light could radiate and shine to all around.

On Christmas morning we recall that first Christmas there in Bethlehem and we can imagine in our minds and in our hearts how an engaged couple Mary and Joseph who had had no physical contact with each other are on a journey and it is a long arduous trip from the city of Nazareth 90 miles south to the city of Bethlehem where they have to go to register for taxation purposes a census is being taken throughout the Roman Empire for all the world shall be taxed.

And Mary I'm sure is feeling low in her heart being despised and rejected by many because she is now pregnant she is out of wedlock and the rabbinical law was so severe for such a case that often such women were stoned to death and if not stoned to death they were rejected from the Jewish synagogue for ten generations 250 years they were excommunicated from the Jewish synagogue.

And now this woman who was engaged not yet married pregnant out of wedlock and at the third trimester nearing the point of giving birth I'm sure Joseph as well was feeling that rejection from friends and the people in the society around.

He receives word from the angel of the Lord himself do not reject Mary your spouse wife or your fiancé for this is the Lord's doing.

After walking perhaps Mary is riding on the donkey and Joseph is walking beside the donkey after going 90 miles they finally arrive into the city small city of Bethlehem and there they find all of the hotels are filled no place to go no hospitals available at that time.

Mary is I'm sure already feeling and experiencing contractions and the pains of childbirth are beginning.

The only place of security and shelter that they find is an animal barn and there they go and find a manger where the baby would be born and laid.

At the same time in the darkness of the night not far away were shepherds tending their sheep and suddenly in the middle of the dark night it becomes we can imagine bright as midday and there was a host an innumerable number of angels so many that the human mind I'm sure couldn't even count and they began to sing they began to give good news for unto you is born this day in the city of Bethlehem Christ the Lord.

And so the shepherds leave their sheep behind they come with haste into the city of Bethlehem and they find Mary and Joseph and the babe lying in the manger here was the king of all kings here was the hope of everlasting life and salvation and here was the light of the world.

And we can imagine that at about the same time a light is lit up in the area perhaps in nowadays or Persia perhaps Iraq or Iran today and the wise men from the far east are attracted to this bright light this seemingly unnatural phenomenon in the sky and the light which leads them and guides them on a long arduous journey.

And they used their mind and they used their reason thinking that the king of all kings the new king of Israel would of course be in the capital city in a palace there in Jerusalem and when they followed their mind their reason they went astray into the city of Jerusalem and that star disappeared.

But then when they again left Jerusalem and heard of the prophecy of the king to be born in Bethlehem the star reappeared and it was an unnatural phenomenon for it seems that as they moved the star moved when they stopped the star stopped.

Eventually that star that led them that guided them stopped right over the place where Mary and Joseph and the baby were they went in bowed down and brought their gifts of gold frankincense and myrrh and again with their natural eyes they were able to see the gift of all gifts the gift of everlasting hope and salvation the light of the world.

And so Jesus Christ as we mentioned already said that I am the light of the world and this light yet shines today and it continues to shine as Paul writes to the Corinthians it shines from the faith of Christ in that gospel message into our hearts as the light of our conscience.

But unfortunately here in this world as it was during the time when this prophecy was written when the people of Israel were falling away into unbelief into idolatry being consumed by envy strife and lies and what other types of vices one could imagine at that time they traveled in darkness but they were able to behold a great light.

Unfortunately this darkness is here in the world yet today in a very similar fashion as it was even during the time of Jesus when the words in the Bible in one of the gospels says this has been from the beginning of times and it will be until the end of all times people for the most part love darkness more than they love the light.

So the people that walked in darkness have seen a great light they that dwell in the land of the shadow of death upon them the light has shined.

And now the prophet continues for those people at that time or at any time who have been in the state of unbelief and have been able to own and possess by faith Christ Jesus the light of the world and been able to experience the miracle of all miracles here on this earth the miracle of conversion repentance and the receiving of the forgiveness of sins this brings about great joy and happiness in one's heart.

And so the prophet says you have multiplied the nation you have increased the number of people in your nation when there have been those who have received the grace of repentance and have increased the joy.

They joy before thee according to the joy and harvest just as a farmer experiences those feelings of happiness after a bountiful year and a good harvest and the grain is in the bins and in the granaries.

So in a similar parallel situation the joy is increased as during the time of harvest and men rejoice when they divide the spoil.

There is always a three fold joy when one is able to experience the grace of repentance and the forgiveness of sins first of all that individual was able to experience that miracle feels that joy the brothers and sisters in God's kingdom rejoice on that person's behalf then thirdly even the angels in heaven rejoice over one who has been translated from the kingdom of darkness into the kingdom of light from the kingdom of the enemy of souls into the kingdom of God which is the kingdom of righteousness peace and joy in the holy spirit.

So at that time the prophet writes for you have broken the yoke of his burden perhaps in the temporal sense in some way the yoke of the enemy was able to be broken but more importantly by faith through the power of the gospel and the forgiveness of sins a greater miracle is this when the yoke the snare of the enemy of souls is able to be broken and a bird is as if released from a cage or an animal that is caught in a snare is able to be freed again.

And so here is what the prophet is speaking of for you have broken the yoke of his burden in the staff of his shoulder the rod of his oppressor as in the day of Midian for every battle of the warrior is with confused noise and the garments rolled in blood but this shall be with burning and fuel of fire.

As mentioned already this prophecy was written approximately 700 years before the birth of Christ 700 years is a long time.

The first promise of the coming Messiah was mentioned there in paradise to the enemy of souls and Adam and Eve were able to hear it and this was the first gospel pronounced in this world by God himself but it was very vague it was very unclear the first time it was mentioned that of the seed of the woman will be born he the Messiah who will crush the head of the serpent.

But this prophecy is renewed time and time again and we can imagine if we have binoculars and we are able to zoom in on the object the Old Testament saints and believers when hearing these renewed prophecies as the time is getting closer and closer the object gets bigger comes into clearer focus and more details are given about he will be born of the seed of the woman here 700 years now before Christ was born and with longing they are waiting for another prophet says that they were longing and yearning when will the heavens break open and the Messiah finally stepped down to heaven upon earth.

So here 700 years before the actual event the prophet states for unto us a child is born as if that event is taking place right then and there at that moment and then he goes on to give titles of this newborn king of all kings the promised Messiah unto us a child is born and unto us a son is given and another prophet says his name shall be Emmanuel.

This is a very important title for it means God be with us he was not a savior that was remote and there in far away heaven but no he became incarnated he left from the glory of heaven he left from the right hand of God there in glory and came upon earth.

He didn't take upon himself the form of an angel he didn't come in the form of a spirit but no he took on the form of a human being having flesh and blood just like you and I.

When the first sin in this world was committed by the first Adam the first human being this fall this transgression needed to be corrected by a human being and that is why God sent his savior into this world the second Adam who was Christ Jesus in the form of a human being just like you and I and therefore a child is born and his son Christ Jesus was given and the government shall be upon his shoulders government rule.

When Jesus was the last hours of his life being interrogated by Pontius Pilate and then later King Herod King Herod asked him are you a king do you have a kingdom first of all Jesus does not respond Herod is looking him up and down circling him asking him to perform a miracle are you a king Jesus then finally responds my king and my kingdom is not of this world.

Yes I am a king and yes I am a ruler of a kingdom but it is a different kingship and a different kingdom than you are thinking of it is not temporal but it is spiritual it is God's kingdom here upon this earth.

And his name shall be called wonderful counselor the mighty God the everlasting father the prince of peace he is a counselor.

Paul writes to Timothy in this way about the kingdom of God that it is a pillar and a ground of truth and this counselor Christ Jesus by and through his holy spirit using his mediators his servants here upon this earth he instructs one even yet today how one can be saved and for those who are saved and walking as members of his kingdom by faith today he instructs us how one can be preserved so as a child of God instructing us how to travel according to the instructions of the Holy Spirit and the Holy Scriptures and also speaks those words of admonition to one who may be without this gift of all gifts Christ Jesus and the gift of living faith where this gift of everlasting hope of life and happiness may be found here upon this earth.

And he is mighty we remember when Jesus began his public ministry he was first of all 40 days in the wilderness where he was tried he was fasted he fasted for 40 days first and then he was tried by Satan the enemy of souls and after this period of fasting and trial and temptation ended he returned and began his public ministry and it says that he returned with power.

The writer to the Hebrews says about the Messiah Christ Jesus that he carries all with might and with his sword one prophecy of old and the old testament speaks about the coming of Jesus and he says who is he who comes from Edom whose clothes are crimson red like they are drenched with blood and it is he who is alone who treads the wine press of God and there is no one there to help him but it says that he comes from Edom with power and with might.

And so Jesus during his life here upon this earth at one point in time just before he ascended into the glory of heaven and was saying his farewell to his followers his disciples those believers around him he mentioned all power in heaven and in earth has been given unto me.

And for this reason we can trust in this source of strength for Paul writes to the Corinthians that trust in my grace for it is my power in you who are weak.

We feel weak and poor and faulty of ourselves we have nothing to find nothing to offer it seems like we are powerless many times hopeless and helpless how can we find strength to take another foot step even along this narrow way of life.

But Paul writes to the Corinthians and unto us be satisfied in my grace for my strength is powerful in the weak.

And so he is an everlasting the mighty God and everlasting father as I mentioned already it was important that he was God of God and light of light he was divine but at the same time he needed to be human to fulfill and and prepare God's plan of salvation for humankind here on this earth and therefore he is also man of man just like you and I tempted in tribe and surrounded by the temptations of sin but with one exception he was sinless he was faultless he was blameless and therefore he is able to help you and I and those who need and want and are able to receive his power and strength and might.

And then lastly it says that he is the prince of peace again going back to the first pages of the Bible thinking of the first human pair there in paradise they were living in actual paradise things were wonderful beautiful there was no pain there was no suffering there was no darkness there was no sickness there were no oppressions but then when Adam and Eve fell into sin they listened to the cunning deceit of the enemy of soul they ate of that fruit of the forbidden tree what happened that peace was shattered the peace was broken they were now without peace and without happiness and joy of a good heart and conscience.

But for this reason God gave that promise of that Messiah the coming Savior whose nativity whose birth we can celebrate again this morning and he was born in such a lowly fashion there in the city of Bethlehem laid in a manger and that threshold to him is not very high it is very very low it is like a table that is lowered so low that anyone who is desiring and wanting can have access to this table of grace.

Jesus Christ made peace on the cross as Paul writes to the Colossians he prepared that gift of life and everlasting life and salvation and we today are able to own that greatest of all gifts when mine through faith our sins are forgiven and we are able to experience peace in our heart in our conscience.

My peace said Jesus in his farewell speech I give unto you I don't give that peace that the world may offer nations and countries in the world are seeking for peace treaties often they are made and soon to be broken when you hear of wars and rumors of wars here may you know that my second coming is soon approaching these rumors of wars and wars will not cease before the end of time outward peace will not ever be completely found here on this earth.

But amidst this dark many ways evil world and peaceless world we are able to own Christmas peace the savior of the world as the gift of all gifts in our hearts.

So even now this morning we can be happy and free when we didn't have to offer anything no money no price no effort or work of ourselves but simply through faith a gift of grace Jesus Christ our Lord is there in the manger of our heart and he brings that peace that peace of conscience and the hope of everlasting life.

So even now on Christmas morning uplift your hearts just as you are just as you find yourself to believe sins forgiven in his name and precious atonement blood in Jesus name amen.

The Lord bless us and keep us the Lord make his face to shine upon us and be gracious unto us the Lord lift up his confidence upon us and give us peace in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost amen.