The Word of the Lord Endures Forever
Verbum Domini Manet in Aeternum
1. Timothy 3,16 0514
Christvesper 05
Adam and Eve
24. Dezember 2013
1. Almighty God, who has given us Your only-begotten Son to take our nature upon Him and as at this time to be born of a pure virgin: Grant that we, being regenerate and made Your children by adoption and grace, may daily be renewed by Your Holy Spirit (Book of Common Prayer 21-22). Amen.
2. »And in the same region there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with fear. And the angel said to them: „Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of a great joy that will be for all the people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be a sign for you: you will find a Baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.“« (Luke 2,8-12)
3. Thus the great choir of angels sang their beautiful praise in glorious splendor to herald the birth of their God and Creator in human flesh. Perhaps the Apostle Paul had this angelic song in mind when he wrote in his 1. Epistle to Timothy: »Great indeed, we confess, is the mystery of godliness: Jesus was manifested in the flesh, vindicated by the Spirit, seen by angels, proclaimed among the nations, believed on in the world, taken up in glory.«
4. Tonight, indeed, is the mystery of godliness for the Son of God was born in Bethlehem. The mystery was promised long ago to another fair maiden who had fallen from God’s grace. God promised to Eve: »I will put enmity between the serpent and you, and between his offspring and your Offspring; He will bruise the serpent’s head, even as the serpent will bruise His heel« (Genesis 3,15). This promise was passed down from generation to generation through the patriarchs, then through the royal line of David and finally through the Prophets. Tonight the promise to Eve, to Abraham, to David, to the Prophets, to the people of Israel, to every man, woman and child living upon the earth this very moment and to each one of you has been fulfilled. An angel of Yahweh, perhaps it was Gabriel, said to the shepherds that Jesus’ birth is »the gospel of a great joy that is for all the people.«
5. Generation after generation, for millennia after millennia, the long night of our sinful nature and the curse imposed upon us by Yahweh hung over us as a dark gloom and shroud that surrounded us on our slow, wailful path to death and grave. The Baby Jesus wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger entered our history, took upon Himself our flesh and blood, lived life among His fallen creation and grew up to redeem us from sin and the curse. The mystery long-hidden was revealed on this night in the little town of Bethlehem.
6. An angel of Yahweh calls Jesus the Savior, Christ and Lord. Jesus has these titles even as a little baby. Jesus is God and man. He is our Savior from sin, death and the devil. Jesus is the Christ and the Anointed One of His Heavenly Father to be our Savior. He is the Lord and Creator of all things. Thus the Apostle John gives Jesus the superlative: King of kings and Lord of lords (Revelation 19,16).
7. Many kings have been born and many lords have ruled throughout human history. Some have achieved legendary status so that we yet remember their birthdays, like Washington or Lincoln, but none have or ever will obtain the glory lavished upon the Son of God. Jesus is the Word of God made flesh (John 1,14), and Jesus alone is the Gospel that redeems His fallen creation back under His reign.
8. An old Medieval Christmas poem describes Christmas Eve this way: „The Sovran Lord of heaven, effected help for all mankind e’en through His mother’s womb. And aye unceasingly the Savior of men bestows His forgiveness unto people each day to help them, He the Lord of hosts. For this we should loyally and zealously extol Him in word and deed. ’Tis a noble counsel for every mortal mindful of the past, that aye most often and most inwardly and with all eagerness we worship God. We will be rewarded for our sweet love, yea by the Hallowed Savior Himself, e’en in that home where we came ne’er before, the happy land where the immortals are, there blessed shall we abide for evermore, and dwell eternally world without end“ (Kynewulf 424-39).
9. Yes, on Christmas Eve the Immortal and Eternal Son of God was born among we mortal and temporal men and women. The Ancient God now lies in a manger as a Newborn Infant, and He lies there for us. No greater gift and present could God the Father give us than His very own Son. The virgin Mary gave birth to the world’s Savior and Joseph raised Him as his very own Son. God’s promise to redeem us was fulfilled this night two thousand years ago, and we have not ceased to celebrate the True and Perfect Gift of Christmas.
10. „Light breaks through Jesus’ birth in the middle of the night – it does not take much to experience this on Christmas Eve. It tells of the ancient promises of a King of Peace, who we find in Jesus, the descendant of King David and their fulfillment. He is Immanuel: God is with us. The night of His birth recalls the great mystery of God: truly in this Little Child, in Jesus Christ, He shows Himself. God’s truth is located and veiled here and nowhere else“ (ELKB). May each Christmas song you hear on the radio remind you of the angelic hosts who sang when He was born. May each Christmas tree light and ornament remind you that Jesus was born just for you and your salvation. May each gift and present you receive remind you of the greatest gift you have ever received: that of the Little Lord Jesus born to you this day in the city of David. May the love that Jesus shows you dwell deeply in your heart and may you share that love freely and graciously among all people who need the gospel of Christ’s forgiveness. Amen.
11. Let us pray. O Lord Jesus Christ, both Son of God and Son of Man, the heavens are glad and the earth rejoices, for You have arrived to judge the earth. O Jesus, Your judgment upon us is not guilty; help us to rejoice in this marvelous justification so that we may live each day with the Christmas spirit of joy and peace. Amen.
To God alone be the Glory
Soli Deo Gloria
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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.
Book of Common Prayer, The. Copyright © 1990 Oxford University Press.
ELKB. Evangelisch-Lutherische Kirche in Bayern. www.bayern-evangelisch.de/www/index.php. Copyright © 2013 Evangelisch-Lutherische Kirche in Bayern.
Löhe, Wilhelm. Seed-Grains of Prayer: A Manual for Evangelical Christians. Wartburg Publishing House, Chicago circa 1912. Concordia Publishing House; Concordia on Demand.
VELKD. Vereinigte Evangelisch-Lutherische Kirche Deutschlands. www.velkd.de. Copyright © 2013 Vereinigte Evangelisch-Lutherische Kirche Deutschlands.
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