Christmas Eve RCL B 2021

Christmas Eve RCL B 2021

St. Matthew’s Lutheran Church

Post Tenebras Lux

Isaiah 9:2-7, Titus 2:11-14, Luke 2:1-20

When we look at Christmas after the long season of Advent, what do we see? When we see Christmas coming, (remember it’s still technically not here yet, it’s tomorrow) just over the dusk and in the breaking of dawn what is it that stands before us? What is it confronting us? Who?

As the Christ candle is lit, we welcome Him into the world, the great light, the light which is the light of men, the light who caused all flesh to keep its silence, the light who took our darkness, the light that breaks the dawn open upon us... the light who is our life, the light who is our Christ, our Christ Jesus our Messiah, the eternal flame, the uncreated light, the divine fire.

And who are we? Are we not those who sit in darkness and the shadow of the valley of death? Are we not those enslaved? We were. The people who walked in darkness, Those living in the land of deep darkness, Isaiah 9:2 calls us. Wewere under the yoke of burden, a heavy burden was laid upon us, beat down bythe rod of ouroppressor, says Isaiah.

But we have seen a Great light, on us a great light has shined. That yoke, the shackles, the bonds that held us captive and enslaved have been loosed, the burden has been lifted, our oppressors weapon has been snatched away, For unto us a child is born, unto US a Son is given. And that Son is he Son of God, God made flesh, God with us. Emmanuel. The Word that was with God, the Word that was God (John 1) became flesh and dwelt among us, and in Him was life, in fact, He was the way, the truth and the life, and that life was the light of men, and that light shined in the darkness and overcame the darkness, it CHANGED the darkness into light.

But has this light changed us? Has He changed our realities? What does this light make of us. What do we become, when He comes tous?

I ask, in part, because for so long we have waited for this Messiah, for this King. So long have we foretold of His coming. I speak just as much about the move from Advent to Christmas in this past monthas I do about the movement from the first to the second coming over the past 2000 years. I speak just as much about the liturgical seasons as I do about our whole lives. I speak just as much about the long term as I do about our every day experience. I am speaking about about our continual dailyencounter with the God who is that light. So long have we preached and foretold and waited and looked – stayed up late hoping, praying,longing. so long have we struggled and wrestled to hope to believe to carry on, that we, the people of God from times old and times newhave become the people who wait for what is to come. But I ask you,

Who will you BE - “IN” (union with) the light (Christ)of God.

Who will the slave be when He is made free? Who will the dead and dry bones be when they are resurrected? Who will the exiled be when they are brought home?! Who will we be when our sin is burned away in the purifying heat of God’sglorious presence?

Like the little boy, who fantasizes in the mysterious possibility of the darkness of night as to who he will be tomorrow when the light comes. Perhaps he thinks of the day, of going to see his friends, of completing his homework finally on time. Perhaps he thinks of the future beyond. Of who he wants to one day be; a policeman, the prime minister, a scientific genius, or a professional athlete. He has the freedom in the night to think, to plan, to hope, to decide what he wants, but when the light comes, when the dawn breaks, he must take up his identity and live as something, as someone.When the dawn breaks upon us. It demands that you be what you will. But more than this. When the light comes, when the dawn breaks. It demands that you be what you are.

Turn your eyes to the Shepherds of the Christmas story, the “wise men” as some call them, the “3 kings” as others call them, the Magi, as those living at the time would have called them. These were pagan priests, Zoroastrian priests specifically. They worshipped a false pagan god whose name sounds like a brand of car (Ahura Mazda, zoom zoom), and whose religious practice included studying the stars and the planets for what we would now deem superstitious occultic magical purposes, or perhaps, we might just call them ancient horoscopes.Their fanciful pagan beliefs ended up dragging them, roping them into the greatest story ever told, the brightest revelation that would ever unfold. They came as pagans. But when they sawthe King they left glorifying and praising God for what they had heard and seen. The light had come, the darkness was undone, to these pagans INDEED new life in Christ had come. Truly I tell you, when light breaks upon you, there is no telling what you might become.

At one time we were those who dwelt in darkness. We were those living in the hope of the promise, we were those who were yet afar off. But salvation unto us has come. In the darkness we hide from what the light shows us to be. Is that as sinner? Is that as forgiven? What are we trying to hide from in our dark cloak of secrecy? In the darkness we fantasize and dream about we can become – is that as holy and righteous in our own right? Is that as worthy of God’s salvation and His love? but in the light we must bear to live as what we are. Loved unconditionally, justified by His grace.

Who will you be when darkness ends, and the light, finally, has come?

You will be who He says you are. You will be Baptized. You will be justified, forgiven, saved, alive, - you will be beloved, you will be adopted, for you will be IN Christ, the untreated light of God – eternal flame, everlasting father, prince of peace. Titus 2: 11 For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all; the manifestation of the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ. 14 He it is who gave himself for us that he might redeem us from all iniquity and purify a people of His own.

The Darkness is gone, the light has come. You must now face the God who stands before you. Be Baptized. Be forgiven. Be redeemed. Be purified. Be saved. Be loved. Be His. Merry Christmas.