Ezekiel 37,24-28. Christmas Eve Vespers

✠ One Message: Christ crucified and risen for you ✠

The Word of the Lord Endures Forever 

se cwide þæs béaggiefan ábireþ ferhþ

Ezekiel 37,24-28   0520

Christvesper  05

Adam and Eve

24. Dezember 2019 

1. О Eternal God, the Little Christ Child, once again we celebrate Your birth among us this evening and may our praise impact others so that they welcome You in their lives, in their homes and in their country.  Amen. (VELKD Weekly Prayer for 4. Advent 2019 § 1)

2. »The Word of the Lord spoke to me: „My servant David shall be king over them, and they will all have one shepherd. They will walk in My rules and be careful to obey My statutes. They will dwell in the land that I gave to My servant Jacob, where your fathers lived. They and their children and their children’s children will dwell there forever, and David My servant will be their prince forever. I will make a covenant of peace with them. It will be an everlasting covenant with them. And I will set them in their land and multiply them, and will set My sanctuary in their midst forevermore. My dwelling place will be with them, and I will be their God, and they will be My people. Then the nations will know that I am the Lord who sanctifies Israel, when My sanctuary is in their midst forevermore.“«

  3. When the Prophet Ezekiel spoke the words of the Lord, Judah was in dire straights; they were caught in the cross roads between the struggle of Egypt and Babylon for control of the region. Judah had thrice been defeated and Jerusalem sacked (1. 605 bc, 2. 597 bc and 3. 586 bc). In one of these deportations, Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego had been deported to Babylon’s capital (the Magi in Matthew 2 descend from these Jewish prophets and sages). Ezekiel was writing c. 585 bc in Chapter 37 to the Jews living in Babylon following the 3. and final deportation that also beheld the utter destruction of the temple in Jerusalem. Chapter 37 begins with the famous Vision of the Valley of Dry Bones. Judah would not again experience such a time of upheaval until the Maccabean Revolt (167-60 bc) against the Hellenistic Seleucid Empire ruled by the infamous Antiochus IV Epiphanes. Chanukah celebrates the temple’s rededication as the Festival of Dedication/Lights, which Jesus and His disciples celebrated in John 10,22-23. 

4. Ezekiel promised the disheartened Jews that God will restore them and Messiah will arrive. Fast forward about 600 years and Judah was in similar straights. Rome now ruled the region instead of Greece; Judah had a king, Herod the Great, but he was not a descendant of David; his father, Antipater the Idumean (Edom) and his mother was Cypros (an Arab Nabatean), but he was raised Jewish and educated in Rome. God promised His people a King from the line of David, and that was not Herod; he was merely a temporary king until the true Davidic heir appeared. Where do we find ourselves 2019 years later? What disheartens us? What ails our bodies? What politician vexes us? What tribulations do we endure simply as the people of God? 

5. Ezekiel has some good news for us too; his name literally means God strengthens. The Lord told Ezekiel: »David My servant will be their prince forever. I will make a covenant of peace with them. It will be an everlasting covenant with them. And I  will set My sanctuary in their midst forevermore. My dwelling place will be with them, and I will be their God, and they will be My people.« Jesus fulfilled these promises from Ezekiel 37. We celebrate the birth of this Savior tonight as the Prophet Isaiah reminds us tonight: »For to us a Child is born, to us a Son is given; and the government will be upon His shoulder, and His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. He shall inaugurate endless peace for He shall establish and uphold this peace with justice and righteousness forever and ever« (Isaiah 9,6-7). 

6. The very Son of God was incarnate in the virgin Mary, has taken into His Godhood human flesh and was born in the city of David. St. Luke’s Christmas narrative tells us: »Joseph went up from Galilee, from the town of Nazareth to Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David, to be registered with Mary his betrothed, who was with child. And while they were there, the time arrived for her to give birth. And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in swaddling clothes and placed him in a manger.... And an angel of the Lord appeared to the shepherds and said to them: „Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord« (Luke 2,4-7.10-11). Christ’s birth brings peace from God to us for He is born to be our Redeemer from sin and the Devil. In Christ, we have joyous peace. Rejoice and be merry, for unto you this night we celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ our Lord. 

7. Tonight we celebrate the fulfillment of the gospel shining forth, and it has shone forth ever since that starry night in Bethlehem 2000 years ago. The Lord called Ezekiel υιέ ανθρώπου (son of man), and 600 years later Jesus would take that title for Himself: Luke records 24 times were Jesus called Himself the Son of Man. Jesus chose this title because it was devoid of any messianic baggage, and thus, Jesus could make this phrase, the son of man, a contemporary title of the Messiah, and in doing so He was able to teach people what the true ministry and mission of the Messiah is, namely: »The Son of Man must suffer, die and on the third day be raised« (Luke 9,22). The shepherds went with haste and found the Son of Man, the newborn baby Jesus, lying in a manger. They were among the first to see the fulfillment of God’s promises extending all the way back to the first in Genesis 3,15, where God promised to send Adam and Eve a Savior from their fall into sin; the baby Jesus born in Bethlehem is the fulfillment of this and every Messianic promise that winds its way through the pages and the centuries of Israel and Judah beginning in Genesis and ending in Malachi. 

8. Tonight Luke continues the story: Messiah promised is now Messiah among us. Behold and marvel at the mercy of God who sent His Only Son into our world to redeem us back to Himself. Mary treasured all these things, pondering them in her heart; the shepherds glorified and praised God (Luke 2,19-20). Let us treasure the birth of Jesus in our hearts and glorify God for His birth. This Baby beams with the light of redeeming grace, Jesus, Lord at His birth. He is our Savior and Friend.  Amen. 

9. Let us pray. O Christ Jesus, born this night our Savior, whom God has sanctified; help us to see this glorious gospel in Word and Carol which proclaims that today Jew’s Messiah and the Gentile’s Christ descended upon the Earth, so that we can rejoice in all things and give thanks to You who is the greatest gift given to us by our Heavenly Father.  Amen. 

To God alone be the Glory 

Gode ealdore sy se cyneþrymm

✠

All Scriptural quotations are translations done by The Rev. Peter A. Bauernfeind using the Biblia Hebraica Stuttgartensia, 4. Edition © 1990 by the Deutsche Bibelgesellschaft, Stuttgart, and the Novum Testamentum Graece, Nestle-Aland 27. Edition © 1993 by Deutsch Bibelgesellschaft, Stuttgart. 

ELKB. Evangelisch-Lutherische Kirche in Bayern. www.bayern-evangelisch.de/www/index.php. Copyright © 2013 Evangelisch-Lutherische Kirche in Bayern. 

The Sunday Sermons of the Great Fathers, Vol. 4. © 1963 Henry Regnery Co. 

VELKD. Vereinigte Evangelisch-Lutherische Kirche Deutschlands. www.velkd.de. Copyright © 2019 Vereinigte Evangelisch-Lutherische Kirche Deutschlands. 

O God is with us antiphon. 23. December

O Immanuel

℣ O Immanuel, our King, Law-giver and LORD, the Longing of the nations and their | Savior: * 

℟ Draw near and save us, O | LORD our God. 

Therefore the LORD Himself will give you a sign. Look, the virgin is with Child and shall bear a Son, and shall name Him Immanuel (Isaiah 7,14). 

The Apostle Matthew proclaims in His Gospel the fulfillment of Isaiah 7,14: Now the birth of Jesus Christ took place in this way. When his mother Mary had been betrothed to Joseph, before they came together she was found to be with child from the Holy Spirit. And her husband Joseph, being a just man and unwilling to put her to shame, resolved to divorce her quietly. But as he considered these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, do not fear to take Mary as your wife, for that which is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will bear a son, and you shall name Him Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.” All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet:

“Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a Son,

    and they shall call His name Immanuel”

(which means, God with us). When Joseph woke from sleep, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded him: he took his wife, but knew her not until she had given birth to a son. And he named Him Jesus.

Prayer: O Christ Jesus, our Immanuel, draw near us and be with us in Your Word and Sacraments so that we may rejoice and celebrate Your birth into our world.  Amen.

4. Sunday in Advent readings: December 22-28

Advent is a season of preparation and waiting for the celebration of Jesus’ birth at Christmas. Advent begins four Sundays before December 25. One preparation is to read the following 28 Scriptures that can be broken into four weeks with a passage for each day. Below are this week's readings using the English Standard Version of the Bible. 

4. Sunday in Advent, Rorate Caeli 

Sunday, Dec. 22
Again the Lord spoke to Ahaz: 11 “Ask a sign of the Lord your God; let it be deep as Sheol or high as heaven.” 12 But Ahaz said, “I will not ask, and I will not put the Lord to the test.”13 And he said, “Hear then, O house of David! Is it too little for you to weary men, that you weary my God also? Isaiah 7,10-13

Monday, Dec. 23 

In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth,27 to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. And the virgin's name was Mary. 28 And he came to her and said, “Greetings, O favored one, the Lord is with you!” 29 But she was greatly troubled at the saying, and tried to discern what sort of greeting this might be. 30 And the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. 31 And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus. 32 He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. And the Lord God will give to him the throne of his father David, 33 and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.”

34 And Mary said to the angel, “How will this be, since I am a virgin?”

35 And the angel answered her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be called holy—the Son of God. Luke 1,26-35

Tuesday, Dec. 24 

But there will be no gloom for her who was in anguish. In the former time he brought into contempt the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, but in the latter time he has made glorious the way of the sea, the land beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the nations.

2  The people who walked in darkness
    have seen a great light;
those who dwelt in a land of deep darkness,
    on them has light shone.
3 You have multiplied the nation;
    you have increased its joy;
they rejoice before you
    as with joy at the harvest,
    as they are glad when they divide the spoil.
4 For the yoke of his burden,
    and the staff for his shoulder,
    the rod of his oppressor,
    you have broken as on the day of Midian.
5 For every boot of the tramping warrior in battle tumult
    and every garment rolled in blood
    will be burned as fuel for the fire.
6 For to us a child is born,
    to us a son is given;
and the government shall be upon his shoulder,
    and his name shall be called
Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
    Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
7 Of the increase of his government and of peace
    there will be no end,
on the throne of David and over his kingdom,
    to establish it and to uphold it
with justice and with righteousness
    from this time forth and forevermore.
The zeal of the Lord of hosts will do this. Isaiah 9,2-7

Wednesday, Dec. 25 

Now the birth of Jesus Christ took place in this way. When his mother Mary had been betrothed to Joseph, before they came together she was found to be with child from the Holy Spirit. 19 And her husband Joseph, being a just man and unwilling to put her to shame, resolved to divorce her quietly. 20 But as he considered these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, do not fear to take Mary as your wife, for that which is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. 21 She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.” 22 All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet:

23 “Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son,
    and they shall call his name Immanuel”

(which means, God with us). 24 When Joseph woke from sleep, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded him: he took his wife, 25 but knew her not until she had given birth to a son. And he called his name Jesus. Matthew 1,18-25

Thursday, Dec. 26 

In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered. 2 This was the first registration when Quirinius was governor of Syria. 3 And all went to be registered, each to his own town. 4 And Joseph also went up from Galilee, from the town of Nazareth, to Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David, 5 to be registered with Mary, his betrothed, who was with child. 6 And while they were there, the time came for her to give birth. 7 And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in swaddling cloths and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn.

8 And in the same region there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. 9 And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with great fear. 10 And the angel said to them, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. 11 For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. 12 And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.” 13 And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying,

14 “Glory to God in the highest,
    and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!”

15 When the angels went away from them into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let us go over to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has made known to us.” 16 And they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby lying in a manger. 17 And when they saw it, they made known the saying that had been told them concerning this child. 18 And all who heard it wondered at what the shepherds told them.19 But Mary treasured up all these things, pondering them in her heart. 20 And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told them. Luke 2,1-20

Friday, Dec. 27 

Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the east came to Jerusalem, 2 saying, “Where is he who has been born king of the Jews? For we saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.” Matthew 2,1-2

Saturday, Dec. 28 

And at the end of eight days, when he was circumcised, he was called Jesus, the name given by the angel before he was conceived in the womb.

22 And when the time came for their purification according to the Law of Moses, they brought him up to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord 23 (as it is written in the Law of the Lord, “Every male who first opens the womb shall be called holy to the Lord”) 24 and to offer a sacrifice according to what is said in the Law of the Lord, “a pair of turtledoves, or two young pigeons.”25 Now there was a man in Jerusalem, whose name was Simeon, and this man was righteous and devout, waiting for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him. 26 And it had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord's Christ. 27 And he came in the Spirit into the temple, and when the parents brought in the child Jesus, to do for him according to the custom of the Law, 28 he took him up in his arms and blessed God and said,

29 “Lord, now you are letting your servant depart in peace,
    according to your word;
30 for my eyes have seen your salvation
31     that you have prepared in the presence of all peoples,
32 a light for revelation to the Gentiles,
    and for glory to your people Israel.”

33 And his father and his mother marveled at what was said about him. 34 And Simeon blessed them and said to Mary his mother, “Behold, this child is appointed for the fall and rising of many in Israel, and for a sign that is opposed 35 (and a sword will pierce through your own soul also), so that thoughts from many hearts may be revealed.” Luke 2,21-35