First Lutheran Church of Little Rock

Sermon for Christmas Eve 2021
Texts: Isaiah 9:2, 6-7; 1 John 4:7-16; Matthew 1:18-25
Theme: The Savior is born (told in three parts)

*In the Name of the Father…Amen.*

*The three Scripture readings serve as our texts for our consideration this
evening.*

*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:*

*O God, You make this most holy night to shine with the brightness of the
true Light. Grant that as we have known the mysteries of that Light on
earth we may also come to the fullness of His joys in heaven; through the
same Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and
the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.*

*Part One: The Savior was born.*

*We**’**ve heard it once again. *

*A thumbnail sketch of the Christmas message. *

*And if there**’**s one time of the year we wouldn**’**t want to miss the
forest for the trees, it**’**s Christmas! *

*Around the world, churches are full and ears open. *

*The traditional **“**trees**”** of Christmas surround us: *

beautiful music, carol upon carol,

all the sights, sounds, and smells that we’ve come to know and love.

*Against this backdrop, once again tonight, God**’**s Word invites us to
step back and see the forest as well as the trees:*

to hear once again some of the key passages of Scripture that take us from
deep in the history of God’s people to the birth of the Savior.

*We heard from the prophet Isaiah the who, when, and where of the Savior,
especially that he would be a Son from the house of King David, whose
father was Jesse. *

*Then we heard from the New Testament of the fulfillment of those ancient
promises that the Savior:*

the very Son of God, the actual Word of God, who is eternal with God, who
himself is God

He was born into the world in Bethlehem, to a virgin named Mary, so that he
could give his life in exchange for our life, as payment for our sin, which
has disqualified us—both here and forever—from the blessed life our Creator
intended for us.

And we heard a profound commentary on the birth of Christ from St. John who
proclaimed to us that God sent his Son into the world to be a payment for
our sins, so that we might live through him, and that Christ appeared to
bring salvation for all people.

*Such is the biblical narrative of Christmas, as we have heard it again
tonight. *

*And it**’**s really very simple.*

*Part Two: The Savior is born*

*Christmas is about God**’**s gift to you:*

the concrete, flesh-and-blood, real-life gift of his own Son, born into
this world as Jesus of Nazareth so that he could walk in our shoes, and
live in our skin, and experience what we experience and, because he is God,
could then redeem fallen humanity—redeem us!—from the curse of sin, death,
and everlasting condemnation.

*Christmas is about God**’**s gift of hope for beyond this life. *

Hope for you!

Hope for a never-ending, perfectly blissful existence with him, just as he
intended it from the beginning for his creation.

*Part Three: The Savior is born for you!*

*No matter how far you**’**ve wandered, *

*no matter how buried the Gospel message has become under the other
priorities in your life, *

*no matter how bittersweet tonight**’**s celebration might be for you
because of sad memories or the sorrows you**’**ve experienced this year, *

*God**’**s simple good news of the Gospel remains the same for you tonight.
*

*That a Savior has been born for you! *

*That his name is Christ the Lord. *

*And that he took all the baggage and guilt of your life onto himself and
paid for it at the cross where he died for your sins. *

*And in exchange, he gives you his holiness and innocence, his
righteousness and adoption as sons and daughters, his promise that you will
follow after him in his resurrection from the grave and ascension into
heaven.*

*And this gift of hope doesn**’**t depend in any way on your earning it. *

*It**’**s God**’**s pure and free gift for you and for all people, just for
the believing:*

promised of old,

given in Bethlehem,

paid for on the cross,

and unwrapped for you tonight.

*This gift was first given in Bethlehem, but God didn**’**t stop giving his
gifts there. *

*And his giving to you doesn**’**t end with tonight. *

*Rather, everything we**’**ve heard this evening and so much more, together
with all the life-changing reality it brings is available to you constantly
in the fellowship of the Holy Christian Church: *

*love, *

*forgiveness, *

*grace, *

*mercy, *

*peace, *

*hope, *

*acceptance, *

*redemption, *

*and salvation. *

*It**’**s all God**’**s gift to you, for the sake of Christ Jesus, every
time you hear and receive God**’**s Word in faith and join in the communion
of saints.*

*So this is why Joy to the World crowns this Silent Night! *

*Not only because a Savior was born, but because the Savior is born:*

*born into your heart again tonight by his Gospel, born into your heart for
your salvation. *

*And the gifts that your Savior brings, he will keep offering to you in the
communion of his Church**—**in this very place**—**until he comes again.*

*A Savior Was Born.*

*The Savior Is Born.*

*The Savior is Born for You!*

*Amen.*

*Let us pray:*

*Almighty God, grant that the birth of Your only begotten Son in the flesh
may set us free from the bondage of sin; through Jesus Christ, Your Son,
our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now
and forever. Amen.*

*The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the fellowship of
the Holy Spirit be with you all. Amen.*

*In the Name of the Father…Amen.*

*Sermon for 12.15.21 Advent Midweek 3 Text: **Luke 19:41**–**44; John 11:30*
*–*
*36 Theme: The Man**’**s Man: Why Would Jesus Ever Cry?*

*In the Name of the Father…Amen.*

*Two texts we focus on tonight are Luke 19:41-44, which was read earlier,
and John 11:30-36, which reads as follows: *

*(30) Now Jesus had not yet come into the village, but was still in the
place where Martha had met him.*

*(31) When the Jews who were with her in the house, consoling her, saw
Mary rise quickly and go out, they followed her, supposing that she was
going to the tomb to weep there.*

*(32) Now when Mary came to where Jesus was and saw him, she fell at his
feet, saying to him, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have
died.”*

*(33) When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who had come with her also
weeping, he was deeply moved in his spirit and greatly troubled.*

*(34) And he said, “Where have you laid him?” They said to him, “Lord,
come and see.”*

*(35) Jesus wept.*

*(36) So the Jews said, “See how he loved him!”*

*This is the Word of the Lord. And for added affect, let us not forget
verse 37:*

*(37) But some of them said, “Could not he who opened the eyes of the
blind man also have kept this man from dying?”*

*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:*

*Set our hearts, O Lord, on Your blessings and promises, that we remain
steadfast in our faith during all circumstances. Amen. *

*Introduction*

*As most of you know by now, our focus this Advent is to offer **“**Advent
Answers to Hard Questions Hardly Anybody Is Asking.**”*

*Hindsight says that may sound a bit defensive, as though we Christians are
out of step with our culture, irrelevant and immaterial, as if we**’**re
sort of the Maytag serviceman who spends his days twiddling his thumbs
while the rest of the world passes us by, while other, more pressing issues
are being addressed. *

*After all, there**’**s warfare and conflict almost everywhere in the
world; there**’**s a host of moral and societal issues which cry out for
our response and prayer.*

*So, does anybody really care or remember the question we asked the first
week, **“**How can God take on human flesh, and why?**”*

*Or, what about last week, **“**When Jesus was a boy, did he know that he
was God?**”*

*I**’**m not so na**ï**ve to suggest that most of the people we know either
care or bother about such matters; such questions won**’**t be the hot
topic around the proverbial water cooler.*

*But, I**’**ll tell you, we had better care about such questions, for they
provide: *

*The footing for our faith, *

*The framework for our confession, *

*The foundation for our eternal destiny. *

*To such questions, we had better know the answer, the Advent answer.*

*The first week we focused on Jesus the baby; last week, Jesus the child;
today, the very adult Jesus, the Man**’**s Man, and we ask,*

*Why Would Jesus Ever Cry?*

*I. Because his heart was filled with sadness and compassion over sin
and death.*

*We sometimes portray Jesus as a gentle, sweet person who loved to hold
children in his lap. *

*That**’**s true, and such qualities for sure don**’**t minimize one**’**s
masculinity. *

*But Jesus was also filled with courage; he didn**’**t hesitate to confront
evil; and, as for religious pretense, more than once he called certain
Pharisees hypocrites and a **“**brood of vipers.**”*

*You**’**ve heard the old adages, **“**Big boys and grown men don**’**t cry*
*”** or **“**Keep a stiff upper lip**”** or **“**Hang tough.**”*

*Well, of course we know Jesus cried, quite famously, in fact, and probably
far more than the two references in Scripture.*

*Amid the Palm Sunday procession and before he went into the temple to do
his spiritual housecleaning, as he approached Jerusalem, he wept (Luke
19:41).*

*The people had failed time and time again to heed the call to repentance
and had continued in their woefully sinful ways.*

*Why did Jesus cry?*

*Because his heart was filled with so much sadness**—**like seeing someone
whom you deeply love go astray.*

*I wonder if he still cries when he sees his people, people who call him
Lord, behave or think in ways that fly in the face of discipleship.*

*Jesus also wept when his good friend Lazarus died (John 11:35).*

*Not when he first heard the news, for he knew he had power to raise him,
even after four days. *

*Rather, it was when he saw his dear friend Mary of Bethany weeping in
sorrow over the loss of her brother. *

*Oh, how his heart was filled with compassion and care! *

*Oh, how rich it is to know and believe that Jesus is with us during our
times of sorrow and pain!*

*II. Because, as a Man**’**s Man, he was not afraid to cry**—**or to
sacrifice himself for those who grieve.*

*Jesus**—**the Man**’**s Man. *

*Nowhere in Scripture is his strength and courage more dramatic than when
he was nailed to the cross. *

*Remember what happened during our Lord**’**s Passion:*

He was beaten

He was battered.

He was physically and verbally abused,

*In all this, he never once relinquished his single-minded resolve to
fulfill his mission of redemption for the world, as full and final payment
for all of our sins.*

*In addition to the two references to Jesus**’** weeping, I wouldn**’**t be
surprised if a tear came to his eye when he looked down from that cross and
beheld his mother.*

*Simeon was right when he said; a sword would pierce Mary**’**s heart (Luke
2:35), and it was happening now. *

*Despite his own pain and imminent death, Jesus had to ensure that she,
most likely a widow, would be cared for through his best friend, John.*

*What**’**s a good definition of a Man**’**s Man?*

*Someone who:*

shows unbridled concern and compassion,

someone who identifies with those who grieve,

someone who is not afraid to call evil by its right name,

someone who is totally selfless and willing to sacrifice his own life for
another,

someone who isn’t afraid to cry.

*Conclusion*

*This Advent has been about **“**When Heaven Met Earth.**”*

*Actually, every Advent is about that, for this time and season tells the
miraculous story of God becoming flesh and blood through a baby named
Jesus, about that child**’**s obedience to the will of his heavenly Father,
about the Son of God who is our Savior and Lord. *

*Whatever else is going on in and around our lives, this story is
paramount, for all else will pale in comparison when the Lord comes in His
final Advent. Amen.*

*Let us pray:*

*Hear our daily confession of sins, O Savior, and set our hearts on things
above. Amen. *

*2 Corinthians 13:14* * The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the love of
God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.*

*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 12.12.21 Third Sunday in Advent Text: Luke 7:18-35 Theme: Are
you the one?*

*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:*

*Come, Jesus, come Messiah Lord,*

*Lost Paradise restore;*

*Lead past the angel’s flaming sword—*

*Come, open heaven’s door. Amen.*

*Introduction*

*Poor Freddy! In the musical My Fair Lady, he’s not much of a lover. *

*For the longest time, he pines at a distance for the affections of Eliza
Doolittle, hanging out day after day on the street where she lives. *

*At last, his moment arrives. *

*Eliza is finally fed up with being exploited by Professor ’Enry ’Iggins,
and in the middle of the night she slips away. *

*“Words, words, words,” she’s so sick of words! *

*And there’s Freddy waiting, right where he’s always been. *

*Now Freddy has a gorgeous singing voice, and he speaks almost poetically. *

*But it’s not time for words now. *

*“If you’re in love,” Eliza sings, “show me.” *

*Alas, poor Freddy hasn’t got it in him.*

*Our current culture, for all of its technological marvels, flees from a
foundational question**—**namely, What does it mean to be a human being?*

* A British author, Jonathan Sacks, has aptly described this reality in a
Wall Street Journal article. *

He maintains that secularism has overlooked a hugely important aspect of
humanity: that human beings are, as he says, “animals that seek meaning.”

Providing meaning is something our most familiar secular institutions,
those on which we’ve so come to depend, don’t seem to be doing.

Science explains how things work but doesn’t say why.

Technology enables us to do amazing things, but it can’t offer wisdom into
how that amazing power to build, to harness, should be used for meaningful
purpose.

The marketplace gives us what seem to be almost unlimited choices these
days but not a hint as to which choice has real value.

The government tells us we’re free to live as we choose, but its very
premise means it won’t help us know how to choose.

Science, technology, the free market, and the government have led to
impressive achievements in discovery, personal autonomy, and comforts.

In many ways, they mark great steps forward in history, and we can be very
thankful.

But the big questions everyone needs to ask and answer—Who am I? Why am I
here? How then shall I live?—here they come up empty (Jonathan Sacks, “Swords
into Plowshares,” *Wall Street Journal*, October 3/4, 2015, C1).

*Who are you? *

*That is a necessary question, isn**’**t it? *

*How we answer it defines our core identity and shapes our life and
activities. *

*And yet, answering that question**—**Who are you?**—**is not necessarily
so easy.*

*3. You know who you**’**re often told you are.*

*Many come to us with beckoning answers.*

A popular answer among many elites and multiple segments of society is that
you are but a moment in an evolutionary process that’s utterly erratic and
without purpose.

In the grand scheme of things, you’re just a drop in the big pool of
primordial ooze.

Another view is that you’re defined by what you acquire, namely, your
possessions and wealth.

“Shop ’til you drop” or “He who dies with the most toys wins” captures this
sentiment.

Yet another voice suggests understanding yourself in terms of entertainment
and pleasure.

“Whatever makes you happyà do it”

Finally, some people are drawn to power and prestige as the heart and soul
of their lives.

*B. Who of us hasn**’**t felt the influence of some of these answers to the
question, *

Who are you?

*C. What these questions have in common is that God is not the answer!*

To the extent that we adopt one of those answers, we are imitating and
following Adam and Eve in their effort to become their own masters and be “like
God” (see Genesis 3:5–6).

Luther called this foundational sin *incurvatus se*, that is, “turning in
upon one’s self.”

D. All of those answers are not only false; they are also reduce and view
humans as mere material,

“Here today and gone tomorrow.”

“Death is the next logical step in the cycle of life.”

*2. Here is the wonderful truth about who you are.*

*“**God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him;
male and female he created them**”** (Genesis 1:27). *

*“**The Lord God formed the man of dust from the ground and breathed into
his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living creature**”**
(Genesis 2:7).*

*Without any merit or worthiness on our part, God created us in his image
and positioned us as the very peak of his creative labors.*

*Your identity is a gift! *

*You are made for fellowship with God**—**the Blessed and Holy Trinity! *

*The next time you look at your driver**’**s license, think about this for
a moment:*

It has your personal information on it.

Your picture (mug shot) is there.

The seal of the state that issued the license is imprinted.

Imagine if God had put this on your license these words: You are blessed.
You are loved. You are mine and I am yours.

* 1. And this priceless gift of identity is restored to us by the one who
is **“**the one to come**”** (verse 19).*

*John the Baptist**’**s question about Jesus**’** identity, **“**Are you
the one?**”** is crucial for every human being.*

Jesus points to his actions as proof of his identity.

“Go and tell John what you have seen and heard: the blind receive their
sight, the lame walk, lepers are cleansed, and the deaf hear, the dead are
raised up, the poor have good news preached to them” (verse 22).

These actions fulfilled what Isaiah prophesied concerning God’s future
deliverance in the Messiah. (29:18; 35:5–6)

Jesus’ identity fulfilled the promises of a saving deliverer—the seed of
the woman (Genesis 3:15),

the seed of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob,

the seed of David (Matthew 1:1) dying, rising, crushing Satan.

* God gives you your new and wonderful identity in the identity of Jesus.
As Jesus says: **“**Blessed is the one who is not offended by me**”**
(verse 23).*

You are who you are, through Christ, in the gift of your Baptism (Romans 6:3
–4).

You know who you are, because of Christ, by the gift of his living voice
through his prophets and apostles (John 8:31–32).

You taste who you are, with Christ, in the gift of his true body and blood
in his Supper (Matthew 26:26–28; Mark 14:22–24; Luke 22:19–20; 1
Corinthians 11:23–25).

You live who you are, in Christ, as the gift of eternal life in him (John
6:40; 10:27–28).

*By Faith in Jesus, Trusting Him in His True Identity, We Receive Our True
Identity as God**’**s Forgiven Children.*

*Conclusion*

*When the disciples of John the Baptist come to Jesus asking, “Are you the
one who is to come, or shall we look for another?” (Luke 7:20), Jesus could
have answered with one simple word: *

“Yes.”

Or, “Absolutely!”

Or, “You bet I am!”

Or he could preach a sermon.

Instead, he declared: “In that hour he healed many people of diseases and
plagues and evil spirits, and on many who were blind he bestowed sight.”
Then he answered them, “Go and tell John what you have seen and heard”
(7:21–22).

*We need to be careful not to ask for Jesus to show us who he is with
miracles on demand; our time now is, in God’s perfect wisdom, the time for
words—and sacraments. *

*But the words Jesus gives us come from one who did indeed first show us by
actions of love—including the greatest action of love, dying for our sins
on a cross. *

*Who are you? You are God**’**s child joined to Jesus**’** atoning, saving
death and his resurrection life. Amen.*

*Prayer*

*Let us pray:*

*Come, Thou long expected Jesus, *

*Born to set Thy people free;*

*From our fears and sins release us; *

*Let us find our rest in Thee.*

*Israel’s strength and consolation,*

*Hope of all then earth Thou art,*

*Dear desire of every nation,*

*Joy of every longing heart. Amen.*

*2 Corinthians 13:14* * The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the love of
God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.*

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

*In the Name of the Father**…**Amen.*