02 Christmas Christmas Eve
My friends, I greet you in the name of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. A four year old Nancy was excited about Christmas. Her family, determined to explain to her the true meaning of Christmas, and why they celebrated it, spent a good amount of time talking with her about Mary and Joseph and the baby Jesus. That December 25, Nancy had received a lot of toys and she had a lot of fun. A few days latter her father overheard Nancy reviewing that Christmas with her older sister. It was at that point that he heard little Nancy say, “I sure hope Mary and Joseph have another baby!”
With all the hustle and bustle of the holiday season it becomes easy to loose sight of what and why we are celebrating. There are presents to buy and wrap. There are cards to send. There is food to cook. There is traveling to be done and hospitality to be given. There are extra church services to attend and … well, you get the idea.
With all that is going on this season, with all the things that demand our attention, it is all too easy to forget what Christmas is all about. But then that is why we take the time to attend these services isn’t it? I mean we come here to be reminded of what Christmas is all about and why we go through all the hustle and bustle that we go through. Christmas is all about presence. Christmas is all about gifts. That’s it. That is the true meaning.
Well, maybe I should explain myself a bit. Did you notice anything unusual about the sanctuary when you walked in today? Did you notice the box underneath the tree? There is not been anything other than the nativity set underneath the trees since they have been set up, but now there is a box? Perhaps it would be a good idea to check it out. The tag says “true meaning of Christmas
Galatians 4:4-7”
Christmas is all about gifts. Not the gifts that we give to one another. Although those aren’t bad, but Christmas is about God’s gifts to you and me. The first gift that we celebrate is the birth of Jesus. This seems rather obvious. But we should be careful that it doesn’t become too common to us. We should be on our guard that we don’t loose sight of just how awesome this event is. Galatians 4:4 reads, “when the fullness of time had come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under the law.” Jesus, the son of God, the second person of the trinity became a human being. The baby that lay in the manger is the one through whom the entire universe was created. The one who sustains all things is now dependant upon the care of Mary and Joseph. The newborn infant wrapped in those swaddling clothes is a few minutes old and yet, at the same time, he is older than time itself. Jesus is true God and true man, and this is a mystery that we could spend lifetimes marveling over. But in this event one thing is sure, God’s great love for you, and for me, and for the entire world. For Jesus was born for your benefit and for mine.
“[he was born] in order to redeem those who were under the law,” Jesus’ coming into our world had a purpose. He came to live the perfect and sinless life that God requires, but which you and I are unable to live. He came to live the perfect life in our place. And he also came to suffer and die on the cross for our sins. To buy us back. To pay off the debt. To pay for our freedom from sin, death and the devil. And so he gave up his life so that you and I and all who believe might have life everlasting.
“[he was born] in order to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as children.” Through the waters of baptism our God has washed us clean. His word joined with the water has joined us to the death and resurrection of Jesus. In this washing our God has adopted us, he has made you and me members of his family. We are not just members of his household, as a butler or maid would be. But we are sons and daughters. His own dear and precious children. This is a gift from God. You and I have done nothing to deserve it. We cannot earn by being good enough, or smart enough or by being popular. But we have because our God loves you and me so very much.
Another gift we thank God for this Christmas is the gift of Holy Communion. This is the gift of Christ’s body and blood in with and under the bread and wine. Through this gift we receive strength, we receive forgiveness of sins, everlasting life and salvation. We know that these gifts are for you and me because our Lord said, “take, eat, this is my body given for you. This is my blood shed for you.”
He has also given to us his word. In this book we find the story of God’s interaction with his creation. We are reminded of his great love for you and me and indeed the entire world. We are reminded of how he sees us. That we have a great amount of worth and value to him. We hear these words or we read them and the Holy Spirit uses them to strengthen our faith and to give us faith.
And last, but certainly not least we have the gift of one another. What a blessing to be a member of this community of faith. We are not perfect, and we don’t have to hide it. But we walk together under the forgiveness of our God. Together we carry one another’s burdens. We weep together. We laugh together. We rejoice and celebrate together. When there is a problem we pull together. The gifts that God has given us are not just given to us as individuals, but they are also given to us as a community. They bring us together. They make us members of the same family. We work together, live together, worship together. Together we carry out the Good News of God’s love in Jesus. Together we tell about, and show all the gifts that God has given to the world. So that the world may benefit from them as you and I have benefited from them.
With all this in mind, I don’t think it is too much of a stretch to say that indeed Christmas is about gifts. The gifts that our God pours out into our lives day after day. It is truly awesome. Christmas is about presence. Maybe I should have clarified that a little earlier, I don’t mean P-R-E-S-E-N-T-S, but I mean P-R-E-S-E-N-C-E. All these gifts are indeed good in and of themselves. But what makes them even more special, even more wonderful, is that in them we also find the presence of our God. He dwells in our midst as a community of faith. His Spirit is present working through his word. His body and blood are in with and under the bread and wine. He is at work as his word is joined with the water of baptism. It was his death on the cross that brought us life, and it was him who lay in the manger on that first Christmas.
Christmas is all about presence. God’s presence in our lives. It is a real and true presence. It comes into our lives and it fills them, it saturates them, so that they are overflowing. God’s presence in our lives is a changing presence. It changes how we live, how we see the world and the people in it. God’s presence in our lives moves us to conform our lives to his. His presence in our lives leads us to live in service and love to others. So that in the way we live, the people in our lives will see the presence of God.
So in the midst of all the activity this season. Be reminded of the real meaning and why we celebrate this special day. And now when you are asked what Christmas is about, or why we go through the hustle and bustle that we do, you can proudly say. Christmas is all about gifts. It is all about presence. You might want to be sure to explain that a little bit. God bless you this Christmas with the gifts of his presence. Amen.