First Lutheran Church of Little Rock

*Sermon for 01.09.22 Baptism of our Lord Text: Luke 3:15-22 Theme: The
paradox of progress*

*In the Name of the Father…Amen.*

– *The Gospel lesson serves as our sermon text for this morning.*

– *Grace, mercy, and peace be yours from God the Father through our Lord
and Savior Jesus Christ. Amen.*
– *Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, let us pray:*
– *Thanks and praise be unto You, our God and Lord, for sending us the
Gospel of Your Son, Jesus Christ, in which You teach us the way of
salvation and comfort us with the hope of everlasting life. *
– *Make Your Word in us a power of salvation, and the anchor of our
souls in life and death. *
– *Cause also the voice of Your Word to be sounded abroad, that the
nations that do not know You may come to Your light. Amen.*

– *Introduction*
– *The fifth-century BC mathematician and philosopher Zeno of Elea was
known for his paradoxical thought experiments which questioned human
assumptions of physical reality. *
– To paraphrase one such experiment: Zeno proposes that we imagine the
common experience of walking across a typical street.
– Further imagine that, in doing so, after our first step, we are
required to limit each further step to one half of the distance of the
previous step.
– In this way, let us imagine that our first step gets us two feet
closer to the other side, the second step moves us forward, but only one
foot closer, and the subsequent step another six inches closer to our goal.
– The paradox occurs as we realize that the distance of our previous
steps can be halved infinitely in ever more smaller movements.
– In other words, Zeno is observing the possibility of constant, forward
motion that never arrives at a destination.
– Zeno’s paradox has us always moving, seemingly making progress, but
never getting anywhere, of going nowhere fast.

– Have you ever felt this way in life—and maybe as you think ahead to
eternity?
– Do you ever wonder if you’ll ever get where you want—or need—to go?
– Wouldn’t you like to know if There Is a Solution to the Paradox of
Progress, rather than the destination eluding us eternally?

*I. We are People in a Predicament against reaching our destination. *

– *In our Gospel this morning, our eyes are directed to the crowds on
the banks of the Jordan River, described as **“**people in expectation,*
*”** a people waiting for something to happen. *
– These expectant Israelites would likely appreciate the frustration
found in Zeno’s thought experiment, as they, too, were people who, for
generations, moved a lot (both figuratively and literally) but never seemed
to get where they truly desired to be.
– *The crowds on Jordan**’**s banks, these people in expectation, were
also People in a Predicament. *
– They felt held back by the oppression of Caesar and the Roman Empire.
– They felt held back by the abuses of their own local government, Herod
the tetrarch after Herod the Great.
– These local kings, instead of being valuable advocates to their
people, were murderous tyrants, using their subjects to further their own
selfish interests.
– And as if Roman rule and its puppets weren’t bad enough, John tells
these weary people that their own national heritage, their earthly
descendancy from the mighty Abraham, would also get them nowhere.
– Heaven certainly appeared closed on this day.

– *This was a frustrating predicament that had existed for thousands of
years. *
– It began when the first humans trusted that human knowledge, rather
than trust in their Creator, would get them where they wanted to be.
– They quickly learned that having one’s “eyes opened” apart from God
was not the epiphany they expected but rather quite deadly.
– From the dependence on human knowledge came the belief that we could
move forward if we just had enough rules and regulations to get us there.
– Humanity got plenty of both, but quickly realized they could not
follow them, even when engraved in stone by God himself.
– Then later, it was thought that having a strong human leader, a wise,
generous king, would certainly get people where they wanted to go.
– But again, failure.

– This was truly a distressing predicament.
– Knowledge had failed them.
– Rules had failed them.
– Government had failed them.
– These people had a history of movement and change that had gotten them
nothing except captivity.
– The destination of heaven was closed, a predicament not just theirs
but one also shared by the entire human race.
– Especially in our own troubled days, we identify with the predicament
and weary frustration of the Israelite people on the shores of the Jordan
River.
– We have seen and heard, firsthand, the failure of human knowledge,
human rules, and human government to bring us to the destination we seek.
– We, too, are People in a Predicament, endlessly moving, but never
getting anywhere.

– *II. The real Problem is our Powerlessness to cross the infinite with
the finite.*
– *This predicament has existed since the time of the fall, but the
deeper and ongoing Problem is our Powerlessness to do anything about it. *
– And worse, we stubbornly refuse even to admit we have a problem, to
realize that we are powerless to reach the destination.
– After all, we’re moving forward, in the right direction?
– Making progress, right?
– Just a little more and we’ll be there, right?
– *In verse 15 of our text, the crowds turn their eyes to John the
Baptizer, thinking that this amazing man might be their solution, sinful
human though he was. *
– *John, however, in verse 16, quickly dispels this notion by
recognizing his own powerlessness, his unworthiness even to untie the
simple strap of the sandals of the real Savior.*

– *Herein lies the problem that keeps us in our predicament: our failure
to accept our powerlessness. *
– In Zeno’s experiment, we find endless motion without a destination
because we are trying to cross the finite distance to the other side of the
street with the infinite divisibility of the steps.
– The problem reminds us of the expectant Israelites on the banks of the
Jordan and of fallen humanity throughout the ages.
– Except that here the finite has no means of accessing, achieving, or
even comprehending an infinite that, instead of dividing, *multiplies*
the distance between us and the destination.
– Our Lord explains in the Gospel of John:
– “That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of
the Spirit is spirit” (John 3:6).

– *A broken, sinful human being is powerless to create anything from
within itself that is not already there. *
– That’s our problem.
– In other words, the dinner you make is limited by the ingredients you
have.
– If we expect a greater-than-human solution from the ingredients of
human knowledge, human rules, human politics, human ability, we will always
be disappointed, always moving but never getting anywhere fast.

*III. But Jesus**’** Baptism**—**and our Baptism**—**is the Provider of
true Progress.*

– *But do not despair. *
– *Everything changes in verse 21 of our text: *
– “When Jesus also had been baptized and was praying, the heavens were
opened.”
– The heavens are opened!
– The destination is in sight!
– Everything that broken humanity has longed for since the expulsion
from Eden has been made accessible.
– For the first time since the fall and for all time evermore, the
destination is reachable.
– The Son of God, fully human, yet fully divine, in future time and
timelessly crucified and risen from the dead, enters the waters of Baptism.
– In this man, the finite and the infinite are miraculously and
incomprehensibly made into one.
– “And a voice came from heaven, ‘You are my beloved Son; with you I am
well pleased’ ” (verse 22).

– *Jesus Christ is now revealed, by the Father**’**s own voice, to be
the only perfect, infinite human worthy of the perfect, infinite
destination, because he is the Creator of that destination. *
– Heaven is open to Christ because it belongs to him.
– *Jesus**’** Baptism provides the same progress for us. *
– How?
– How does Jesus’ Baptism end our predicament?
– It does so because the Son of God, as the Word, in a miraculous way,
remains in the water of Baptism.
– He enters the water for all time so that he might meet us in our
Baptism.

– *In the water of our Baptism, our failed humanity is killed with
Christ upon the cross*
– In that same water, Christ provides the life-giving Holy Spirit, who
creates the faith which receives infinite life.
– “Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ
Jesus were baptized into his death? We were buried therefore with him by
baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead
by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life”
(Romans 6:3–4).
– In the water of our Baptism, the infinite Father, Son, and Holy Spirit
has, from outside our reality, reached in and miraculously joined us to
himself.
– “For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ”
(Gal 3:27).
– Rejoice! You have received what you could not yourself achieve, for in
your Baptism, the power of God’s Son, his Word, has brought the
destination down to you, granting you the assurance of heaven, even as you
admit your powerlessness.

– This idea of power in powerlessness reminds me of one of my earliest
memories with my kids, as they would ride on my foot as little children.
– Did you ever do this?
– From when they were toddlers, so young that they could barely walk
without falling, I have such happy memories of placing them on my
comparatively, giant foot, while they held tightly to my leg.
– We would then walk around the house while they squealed with joy.
– For a moment, they became one with me.
– They could walk as I walked, do what I did, because they had become a
part of me.
– I would eventually pry them off my tired foot, but for a brief time,
they could go anywhere and do anything, despite their own limitations.

– *Conclusion*
– *Even more confidence can be found in our Baptism. *
– Jesus’ Baptism—and our Baptism—is the Provider of true Progress.
– Yes, we confess that we are powerless to solve the problems that lead
to our predicament, but in the water of our Baptism, we, the powerless,
have been joined to our crucified and risen Creator, not briefly, but
forever.
– Contrary to all earthly appearances, despite our endless failures, we
rejoice in this tangible assurance that our predicament has ended, our
problem has been solved, and the means to arrive at our heavenly
destination, long hoped for, true progress, has been provided.
– *“**Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name, you
are mine. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through
the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you; when you walk through fire you
shall not be burned, and the flame shall not consume you. For I am the Lord
your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior**”** (Is 43:1**–**3).
Amen.*

– *Let us pray:*
– *All that I am and love most dearly— *
– *Receive it all, O Lord, from me. *
– *Let me confess my faith sincerely; *
– *Help me Your faithful child to be! *
– *Let nothing that I am or own Serve any will but Yours alone.*
– *Text: Public domain (LSB 590)*
– *Amen.*

– *The peace of God, which passes all understanding, keep your hearts
and minds in Christ Jesus. Amen.*
– *In the Name of the Father…Amen.*

*Sermon for 01.02.22 2nd Sunday after Christmas Text: Ephesians 1:3-14
Theme: God loves YOU dearly!*

*In the Name of the Father…Amen.*

*The Epistle lesson serves as our sermon text for this morning.*

*Grace, mercy, and peace be yours from God the Father through our Lord and
Savior Jesus Christ. Amen.*

*Prayer*

*Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, let us pray:*

*God loves me dearly, Grants me salvation,*

*God loves me dearly, Loves even me. *

*Therefore I’ll say again: God loves me dearly, God loves me dearly, Loves
even me. *

*I was in slav’ry, Sin, death, and darkness;*

*God’s love was working To make me free. *

*Therefore I’ll say again: God loves me dearly, God loves me dearly, Loves
even me. *

*Text: Public domain*

*Introduction*

*Dear brothers and sisters of Christ Jesus: How much does God love you? *

*Have you ever pondered that thought? *

*God loves each one of you dearly. *

*The Father loves you so much that he sent his only-begotten Son, born of
the Virgin Mary, to be your Savior. *

*Jesus loves you so much that he willingly shed his blood for you so that
your sins might be paid for and you could receive forgiveness of those sins
and life eternal through faith in him. *

*The Holy Spirit loves you so much that he comes to you and works through
the waters of Baptism and the Word of God to change you from an enemy of
God into a lover and disciple of the only God, the Holy Trinity, Father,
Son, and Holy Spirit.*

*By the power of the Holy Spirit, St. Paul wrote the words of our sermon
text. Paul wrote these words to assure troubled hearts and to show the
wonderful wisdom and grace of our God. He teaches us that*

*God Loves You Dearly . . . and Has from All Eternity!*

*Paul wrote: **“**Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,
who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly
places, even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that
we should be holy and blameless before him. In love he predestined us for
adoption to himself as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose
of his will**”** (verses 3**–**5, emphasis added).*

*1. **The heavenly Father loves you from all eternity.*

*Consider how dearly we are loved by God. *

*St. Paul tells us that the heavenly Father blesses us in Christ Jesus with
every spiritual blessing. *

*It is amazing to consider that God loved us so much that he sent his
only-begotten Son so that whoever believes in him as their Savior will
receive eternal life.*

*All of us need forgiveness of our sins and eternal life. *

*Is there a person who can truly say that he or she has:*

never thought an unkind thing,

never said an unkind word,

and always has acted in ways that were pleasing to God?

*Even in this season of Christmas, we struggle with selfishness. *

*We are much more willing to be the recipients of gifts than to be the
giver of gifts. *

*Our tempers are expressed more than we like, when holiday guests disrupt
our routines or the situations of celebration cause us to be stressed. *

*In short, our sinful self is always ready to show itself in our actions,
thoughts, and words. *

*The awful reality is that we all have fallen short of the glory of God. *

*We all earn with our sins the wages of death. *

*This is only physical death being spoken of but, more important, also
eternal. *

*Every one of us must confess that he or she has not obeyed the
commandments of God perfectly and needs to be forgiven. *

*We all must understand that we are not able to earn our way to heaven. *

*We simply cannot do enough good works to cover over our many sins. *

*In fact, if we try to earn our salvation by way of God**’**s Law, we must
obey it perfectly, and not one of us has done that. *

*What are we to do? Who will save us?*

*The joyous message of Paul is this:*

God, before the creation of the world, before our creation, considered
carefully how to save us.

And the way that God determined that we were to be saved was in his Son,
Jesus Christ.

The heavenly Father predestined us to be adopted as his sons and daughters
so that, through faith in Christ Jesus, we are indeed children of the
heavenly Father.

We are heirs of God’s kingdom!

*This is not simply a general proclamation of God**’**s grace but rather it
is a personal one as well. *

God loves *you*. He calls *you* by name. His plan of salvation is for *you*
personally, even as it is for all the elect of God. Rejoice in how dearly
God loves you!

*2. Jesus the Son loves you from all eternity.*

*Jesus, who is God, the Second Person of the Holy Trinity, loves you so
dearly that he willingly became a man. *

*He was born of the Virgin Mary. *

*Thus Jesus was born without sin. *

*And as a man, Jesus lived perfectly under the Law of God so that he might
obey it as you and I have not obeyed it. *

*Jesus loves you and me so dearly that he willingly took our sins, in fact
the sins of the whole lot of mankind, and carried them to the cross of
Calvary. *

*Upon the cross, in obedience to the Law of God, Jesus died. *

*God says that the wages of sin is death and the soul that sins shall
surely die.*

*In order to fulfill the Law of God, Jesus allowed himself to be hung on
that cross. *

*Jesus died on the cross in order that he might redeem us with his blood
shed and his body broken. *

*Jesus once and for all time paid the price of:*

* your sins, *

*my sins, *

*and the whole of mankind**’**s sins. *

*Jesus didn**’**t remain in the grave but rose again on the third day
victorious over sin, Satan, and death. *

*He thereby assures us that all has been completed on behalf of our
salvation. *

*Paul reminds us that this plan of salvation was in place even before we
breathed our first breath.*

*3. The Holy Spirit loves you from all eternity.*

Jesus and the Father send the Third Person of the Trinity, the Holy Spirit,
to work through the Word and Sacra­ments to call unbelievers into true
faith and to sustain them in the true faith.

It is God’s desire that all people be brought into saving faith.

*We know this is his will from so many passages that point it out. *

*For example: *

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever
believes in him should not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16).

“For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people”
(Titus 2:11).

“This is good, and it is pleasing in the sight of God our Savior, who
desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth”
(1 Timothy 2:3–4).

And last but not least, “He is the propitiation for our sins, and not for
ours only but also for the sins of the whole world” (1 John 2:2).

*St. Paul, in our sermon text for this morning, reminds us that the Holy
Spirit called each of us to faith, and that the Holy Spirit, comes and
dwells with us. *

*The Holy Spirit changes us by enabling us to have:*

*a new heart,*

*A new mind, *

*A new desire, *

*and a new will to do the will of God. *

*In other words, the Holy Spirit leads us to strive to serve God and our
neighbor above ourselves. *

*The best way that we can serve our neighbors who are Christians is to
encourage them in their faith. *

*The best way that we can serve our unbelieving neighbors is to invite and
bring them to church so that they might hear the message of salvation in
Christ Jesus.*

*Conclusion*

*And when we find that we have fallen and sinned against God**’**s holy
will, which happens daily, the same Holy Spirit enables us to repent of our
sin and strive once again to walk according to God**’**s will. *

*See how much God loves us dearly. *

*He doesn**’**t leave us without a guarantee of our salvation. *

*The Holy Spirit is the guarantor of our eternal inheritance. *

*He is the one who leads us to true faith and enables us to receive the
wonderful blessings of God, blessings which God determined to give us
before the creation of the world.*

*Here is a question that may be impossible to answer: *

How wide is the door to heaven?

This is the kind of question that stumps first year seminary students and
those that are intellectually curious.

Well, how wide is the door to heaven?

“This wide”—the width of Jesus’ arms outstretched on the cross.

*God knew before creation that you were and are precious to him (Ephesians
1:4). *

*God knew that his Son, Jesus, would be the only way for you to attain
heaven. *

*He sent Jesus to save you, even though he also knew all your sins before
you had ever done them. *

*Remember, God loves you dearly! *

*Dear brother and sister in Christ, God indeed loves you dearly! *

*In Jesus**’** name. Amen.*

*Let us pray:*

*He sent forth Jesus, My dear Redeemer, *

*He sent forth Jesus And set me free. *

*Therefore I’ll say again: God loves me dearly, God loves me dearly, Loves
even me. *

*Jesus, my Savior, Himself did offer;*

*Jesus, my Savior, Paid all I owed. *

*Therefore I’ll say again: God loves me dearly, God loves me dearly, Loves
even me. *

*Now I will praise You, O Love Eternal; *

*Now I will praise You All my life long. *

*Therefore I’ll say again: God loves me dearly, God loves me dearly, Loves
even me. *

*Text: Public domain*

*The peace of God, which passes all understanding, keep your hearts and
minds in Christ Jesus. Amen.*

*In the Name of the Father…Amen.*

Sermon for 12.26.21 1st Sunday after Christmas
Text: Luke 2:22-40
Theme: Prepared for heaven

*In the Name of the Father…Amen.*

*The Gospel lesson serves as our sermon text for this morning.*

*Grace, mercy, and peace be yours from God the Father through our Lord and
Savior Jesus Christ. Amen.*

*Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, let us pray:*

*Heavenly Father, we pray that we hearers will know we are prepared for
heaven because of the birth, life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ.
Amen.*

*Introduction*

*Dear brothers and sisters of Christ Jesus: We’ve just celebrated Christmas
yesterday, and today we’re back in church to continue our celebration of
the gift God has given to the world—and, most important, to each one of
us!—namely, Jesus the Christ! *

*With our focus in these days on the amazing reality that at Christmas God
came down to earth, the sermon title may sound a little out of season:
“Prepared for Heaven!” *

*Well, of course, we know heaven isn’t just something we get around to
talking about at Easter or maybe Ascension, when Jesus, after his time on
earth, ascends back to heaven. *

*No, you know very well that the birth of Christ Jesus has everything to do
with your preparation for heaven. *

*The truth of the matter is that for us to be in heaven someday, we need
Jesus Christ coming down to earth . . . because without his coming here we
can’t have peace with God. And that, peace with God, is the key element of
the Gospel—and therefore also the key to heaven. *

*Let us all be very clear about this: We Are Prepared for Heaven Because
Our Savior Brings Us Peace with God!*

*I. Christmas in the eyes of the world is all about family, nostalgia,
traditions, and gifts, without any thought of the eternal ramifications.*

*This peace with God is something that all men, women, and children need. *

We need this because all of us have sinned and fallen short of the glory of
God.

All people by their sins have earned eternal death and damnation.

This truth of the circumstances of all people is something that does not
play well in the ears of the world.

Christmas isn’t supposed to be a time of thinking about sins and
punishment.

It’s supposed to be a time of joy and goodwill toward all men.

It’s a time for holly, traditions and everything in between, isn’t it?

*For many people, Christmas is a holiday and time of tradition for the
family and nothing more. *

*Many people don**’**t know Jesus as the great gift that God has given to
the world. *

*In fact, Jesus sort of gets in the way of the fun and festivity if you
take him and his words too seriously.*

*Of course, I**’**m talking about the grown-up Jesus. *

*The baby Jesus wrapped in swaddling cloths lying in the manger is so cute
and adorable, the stuff of the Precious Moments figurines. *

*That image of Jesus many in the world embrace and remember is one of
nostalgia.*

* Even the Holy Family is an image that**’**s viewed kindly; after all, it*
*’**s an illustration of family, and Christmas is a time for family.*

*And, oh, how the people of the world love the gift-giving part of
Christmas. *

*Merchants love it because the success or failure of their enterprises
often depends on the Christmas shopping season. *

*The recipients of the gift-giving love it because of the gifts they get,
unless they don**’**t get the gift they**’**ve been longing for. *

*The sad part about all the gift-giving is a lack of understanding of the
greatest gift that God has given to the world.*

*Most people don**’**t know they need a Savior. *

They only see a little baby, remember him for this time of year, and then
forget about him until it’s time for another Christmas celebration.

Truthfully, there are many who don’t see Jesus at all, because their
Christmas celebrations center around a fat bearded man in a red suit.

The vast majority of the people of the world take no thought and have no
knowledge of the eternal ramifications of the birth of Jesus the Christ.

*And of equal concern is the reality that some Christians get caught up in
the frenzy and glitter of Christmas without taking time to reflect on the
gift of God and the eternal ramifications of the gift of Jesus.*

* II. Christmas in the eyes of believers is God**’**s promised peace
that prepares us to receive and share heaven.*

*The birth of Jesus is a joyous reality because it was prophesied and
promised by God for many years prior to its fulfillment. *

*That**’**s why Simeon and Anna were so happy and rejoiced upon seeing the
Christ Child. *

They’d been waiting and longing for the Savior.

When Mary and Joseph brought Jesus to the temple, they didn’t just see a
little baby; they also saw their Savior.

They saw the Savior of mankind.

Simeon and Anna, by the power of the Holy Spirit, saw and knew the great
gift of God to them and to all mankind.

*Simeon points out God**’**s grace is for everyone and needed by everyone
when he states in what we know as the Nunc Dimittis: *

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

Notice that this salvation is not only for God’s people Israel (the Jews)
but also for the Gentiles.

We know this to be true because God tells us that he desires all people to
come to the knowledge of the truth and be saved (cf 1 Timothy 2:4).

*If you remember anything from this sermon, remember that we are prepared
for heaven because our Savior brings us peace with God! *

*The birth of Christ is a great blessing because Jesus, true God, became
incarnate so that he might live perfectly under the Law and satisfy that
Law for all mankind. *

*Jesus had to live willingly, perfectly under the Law of God as a man in
order to experience the Law of God in the same way that we experience it. *

*He had to be able to be tempted as we are tempted.*

*Jesus was tempted in every way that you and I are tempted. *

*He is truly human. *

Jesus lived perfectly under the Law of God without ever sinning.

And in fulfillment of the Law, he took on the sins of all mankind so that
he once and for all could pay their price, completely, on the cross.

We are therefore saved by grace through faith in Christ Jesus.

We can say with Simeon that we are able to depart in peace, because through
faith in Christ Jesus we see, hear, and know that we are at peace with the
heavenly Father and we are certain of our eternal salvation.

*Conclusion*

*And we, as believers in Christ Jesus, are enabled by the Holy Spirit to
exhibit goodwill toward our fellow men by sharing with them the truth of
who Jesus is. *

*Speak to those whom you know who don**’**t know the eternal ramifications
of the birth of Jesus. *

*Help those around you know that preparation for heaven comes through faith
in Christ Jesus. *

*Christmas is not just about the baby Jesus but also the resurrected Lord
Jesus Christ. *

*Remember that the hope of Anna and Simeon is tied up in Jesus**’**
meritorious work on their behalf as well as ours. *

*Christmas must never be divorced from Calvary, Jesus**’** death, and the
resurrection of Christ and Easter. *

*Anna and Simeon were so joyful because by the power of the Holy Spirit
they believed in the Christ and believed in their heavenly home. *

*And notice from our sermon text that Anna and Simeon then witnessed of the
Christ.*

*God bless you and empower you as you share with others the joy you know in
Christ *

*Jesus!The reality that you are prepared for heaven! Amen.*

*Let us pray:*

Luke 2:29-32

(29) “Now, Lord, you are allowing your servant to leave in peace as you
promised.

(30) My eyes have seen your salvation,

(31) which you have prepared for all people to see.

(32) He is a light that will reveal salvation to the nations and bring
glory to your people Israel.“

*The peace of God, which passes all understanding, keep your hearts and
minds in Christ Jesus. Amen.*

*In the Name of the Father…Amen.*

*Sermon for Christmas Day 2021 Text: Luke 2:8-11 Theme: For you who fear…*

*In the Name of the Father…Amen.*

*Luke 2:8-11 serves as our sermon text for this morning, which reads as
follows:*

(8) And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field,
keeping watch over their flock by night.

(9) And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the
Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid.

(10) And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good
tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.

(11) For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which
is Christ the Lord.

This is the Word of the Lord. Thanks be to God. Amen.

*Grace, mercy, and peace be yours from God the Father through our Lord and
Savior Jesus Christ. Amen.*

*Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, let us pray:*

Lord God, heavenly Father, we thank You that of Your abundant mercy You
sent Your only begotten Son to be made man, thereby graciously causing us
to be saved from sin and eternal death. And we pray that You would
enlighten our hearts by Your Holy Spirit, that we may give thanks to You
for this Your grace and take comfort in it in every distress and
tribulation, and so by Your Son, our Lord Christ, obtain eternal salvation.
Amen.

*Introduction*

*“**He looks just like you!**”*

*“**You can sure see his father there!**”*

*“**Look at that nose! Just like Aunt Gert**’**s!**”*

*We all know the game. *

*Peering through the glass on the neonatal floor or dropping off a meal for
the new family, you try to guess who Baby resembles. *

*I**’**m never very good at this. To me, all babies just look like babies.
But some people can see amazing resemblances**—**or at least think they
can. Perhaps they**’**re just seeing whatever they want to see.*

*Remarkably, all four Epistles appointed for Christmas**—**Christmas Eve,
Midnight, Dawn, and Day**—**look at our new baby and do see his family
traits. *

Paul looks at the baby Jesus and tells Titus, “The *grace of God* has
appeared” (Titus 2:11).

Then he looks again, and says, “The *goodness and loving kindness of God*
our Savior appeared” (3:4).

The writer to the Hebrews exclaims: “He is the radiance of the *glory of
God* and the exact imprint of his *nature*” (Hebrews 1:3)!

And John, who knew him best of all, takes a good close look upon him, even
touches him with his hands, and recognizes, “In this the *love of God* was
made manifest among us” (1 John 4:9, emphases added).

*The baby Jesus looks just like God his Father:*

which means that in his Son, God has brought “salvation for all people”
(Titus 2:11),

has “saved us, . . . according to his own mercy” (3:5),

“upholds the universe by the word of his power” (Hebrews 1:3),

and has “sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him
” (1 John 4:9).

*1. What do you fear this morning?*

*On a different subject altogether, what do you fear this morning? *

*The usual things?*

Loneliness?

Political upheaval?

Your after-Christmas bills?

Loss of health and mobility?

Death?

*2. Like the shepherds, we should rightly fear in light of the glory of
God.*

*The shepherds, too, were filled with fear on that first Christmas night,
but it wasn**’**t over the little stuff. *

*It wasn**’**t over the price of sheep, or the unseen dangers that lurked
in the darkness, or the decree from Caesar Augustus that all the world
should be taxed. *

*It was the angel of the Lord who appeared to them, and the glory of the
Lord that shone around them that caused the shepherds to fear as they were
out in the field keeping watch over their flocks by night. *

*They were **“**filled with great fear,**”** Luke tells us (verse 9). **“**Sore
afraid,**”** as the King James Bible says. The Greek literally says:
greatly afraid with terror.*

*Why were they so filled with fear and terror?*

The glory of the Lord that shone around them when God’s angelic messenger
spoke to them was in their very midst!

*This was a godly fear that the shepherds had.*

It was a fear that recognized and acknowledged the presence and holiness of
God.

It was a fear that quietly confessed their utter unworthiness to be in the
presence of the holy God because of their unholy sin.

It was a fear that left the shepherds naked and exposed before God, whose
glory surrounded them when his messenger appeared to them on that cold
winter night.

*And what about you and me? *

*We**’**re certainly not shepherds, but we do each have our own vocation: *

father,

mother,

son,

daughter,

husband,

wife,

worker,

state employee,

Retired,

medical technician,

nurse,

schoolteacher,

accountant,

road worker,

firefighter,

paramedic.

We each have our vocation, just as the shepherds did, and we live and move
and have our being in whatever “field” and over whatever “flock” God has
placed us.

*And as often as we are confronted by God**’**s Word, the angel of the Lord
appears to us and the glory of the Lord shines around us as well. *

*For what are angels but God**’**s messengers whom he sends to do his
bidding and declare his Word:*

that Word which is “living and active” and “[pierces] to the division of
soul and of spirit,”

that Word which “[discerns] the thoughts and intentions of the heart” and
makes it so that

“no creature is hidden from [God’s] sight, but all are naked and exposed to
the eyes of him to whom we must give account” (Hebrews 4:12–13).

*Yes, the glory of the Lord shines around us whenever and wherever our
lives come face-to-face with him who meets us in his Word. *

*“**For God, who said, **‘**Let light shine out of darkness,**’** has shone
in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the
face of Jesus Christ**”** (2 Cornithians 4:6). *

*And that glory of God which shines around us, as often as his Word breaks
into our comfortable lives:*

that glory of God should rightly leave us, like it left the shepherds,
filled with fear, utterly exposed, and sore afraid because of our sin.

* 3. But for you who have been led to a godly repentance for your sin,*
*The Message of Christmas**—**God**’**s Good News to You This Morning**—**Is
**“**Fear Not!**”*

*But for you who are filled with fear at the prospect of standing before
God alone on Judgment Day, *

for you who have been led by God’s Spirit to a godly repentance for your
sin,

for you who are searching for cover for your nakedness and are craving the
love, mercy, and affection of our gracious God that Adam and Eve knew in
the beginning,

*For you The Message of Christmas**—**God**’**s Good News to You This
Morning**—**Is **“**Fear Not!**”*

*4. For God himself has acted to save you from your sin.*

*Fear not! *

*For God himself has acted decisively to save you from your sin. *

*He who created you, and was grieved by mankind**’**s turning away from
him, but who wants all people to be saved and to know life again as it was
in the beginning:*

this loving Lord of heaven and earth has sacrificed himself to buy his
creation back from the curse of sin.

He has done what only God could do to right the situation!

God the Father has sent his one and only divine Son into this world to
assume our human nature, to become sin for us, to live up to God’s Law
perfectly for us, and then to give his life into death also for us and for
all people, to silence the accusation of the Law forever!

We frail humans are sometimes forced to cancel Christmas services on
account of bad weather, but on that first Christmas, God gave birth to his
plan to cancel sin—forever! “

Fear not [the angel said], for behold, I bring you good news of 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” (verses 10–11).

*5. So **“**Fear not!**”** this day or any day, including your last.*

*And in Christ there**’**s no need to fear when surrounded by the glory of
the Lord. *

*In Christ, there**’**s no need to fear at the prospect of standing before
your Maker on the Last Day, because in believing that Word of the angel to
the shepherds, you will not stand alone! *

*Instead, by faith, you always stand in Christ! *

*And in Christ: *

that is, fearing and loving and trusting him above all things

God’s final Word to you is good news.

It is grace and mercy.

*Because Jesus Christ has borne in his own naked body, exposed and hanging
on a cross, the full wrath of God over your sin.*

*Conclusion*

*So **“**Fear not!**”** on this warm winter morning. *

*Fear not any day of your life, including your last. *

*“**For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is
Christ the Lord**”** (verse 11). Amen.*

*Let us pray: *

Most merciful God, You gave Your eternal Word to become incarnate of thte
pure Virgin. Grant Your people grace to put away fleshly lusts, that they
may be ready for Your visitation; through Jesus Christ, our Lord, who lives
and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.

*The peace of God, which passes all understanding, keep your hearts and
minds in Christ Jesus. Amen.*

*In the Name of the Father…Amen.*