First Sunday of Christmas

Sermon
Location Faith Lutheran – Date 12/28/2008
First Sunday of Christmas – Year B
Primary Text: Gal 4:4-7


It’s Christmas morning and the Pastor of a small town church is opening up the church for Christmas Eve services and while walking past the ¾ size nativity set he notices that tiny baby Jesus is missing. He crawls through the whole church, tears the store room apart, calls all the leaders of the church, and finally decides that the unthinkable has happened, someone has stolen baby Jesus. He sits in the church office for an hour before service thinking about who could have done this, and during the service tells the congregation the news, thinking how could one of these people have potentially done this. He tells them that if it is returned by the end of the day no charges will be filed, and no one will tell who it was.

Later that day, while taking a walk to try and get his mind off of this tragedy he comes across little Billy, a member of his church. Little Billy is walking with a bright shiny new red wagon. The pastor thinking to talk to Billy to cheer himself up, picks up his pace, and catches up with Billy. As he pulled up to the child, about to ask how he likes his new wagon from Christmas, he sees tucked into a blanket sitting in the wagon, the tiny baby Jesus doll.

Upset that such a small child would take the doll, he kneels down to tell Billy that he did something he should not have done, and ask him to bring the doll back. Billy looked back at the pastor with tears forming in his eyes. “I was going to return Jesus, but I promised him that if I got a new red wagon for Christmas I would give him the first ride.”

During Christmas we celebrate the coming of our savior, first revealed to us as a small baby wrapped in clothes, placed into a manger. The child grows, and finally through his death and resurrection the true wonder of this revelation is completed. Jesus in his birth, death, and resurrection redeems us from the law and turns us into adopted children of God.

As children of God, we have been named as heirs, all through God.

Normally when we talk about children in the bible, it usually in reference to Jesus calling the children to him in the 18th chapter of Luke, “People were bringing even infants to him that he might touch them; and when the disciples saw it, they sternly ordered them not to do it. But Jesus called for them and said, ‘Let the little children come to me, and do not stop them; for it is to such as these that the kingdom of God belongs, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God as a little child will never enter it.’”

So we must be like children to receive the kingdom of God. Often this is interpreted as being innocent, having a child like innocence. Brennan Manning, a former Roman Catholic priest and now author, says in his book, “The Ragamuffin Gospel,” “Jesus’ point is, there is nothing that any of us can do to inherit the kingdom. We must simply receive it like little children. And little children haven’t done anything. … If they are close to God, it is because they are incompetent, not because they are innocent. If they receive anything, it can only be as a gift.”

The test comparing children and heirs in Galatians gives us another comparison, children and slaves. Both children and slaves can still break the law, but the child is forgiven freely, while the slave often suffers undue punishment. As slaves we cannot hope to fulfill the law, and so we would be slaved to this world. However, we are no longer slaves. We have been set free of the law and adopted as children, however this does not remove the law. Jesus says that he has not come to abolish the law, but fulfill it. As children of God we still cannot hope to fulfill the law, but through Christ, we are saved from it. Through Christ it has been fulfilled for us. As adopted Children we have received the fulfillment promised, however we are still under the law, we still go against God, break commandments and sin. We are still hurt by the sin, and the sin still hurts those around us. However, as children we are forgiven, not for our merits, but because we are loved.

As children we do nothing to receive what we has come to us. In fact we constantly go against God, but like a kind parent, we are guided and turned back, just to turn away again. And no matter how many times we turn away we are still children of God, we are still loved, and we are still forgiven.

As Children we will bump our heads, we will scrape our knees, we will do things that hurt others without our knowing it, the problems of this world will still affect us. But as our parent, God watches over us. When we are in trouble, and we cry Abba, Father, God hears our cry. God sent the Spirit to us, to protect us, and remind us of God’s love. And God came to us “born of a woman, born under the law.” God came to us as a child, as one who has gain nothing, to gain all.
Let us Pray,
Lord, you are most worthy of praise. For you come to us as a child. You have fulfilled the law that we could not, and made us adopted children and heirs of God. We struggle with the sin of this world, but you protect us and forgive us, guiding us back to your presence. Forgive us when we falter and strengthen us when we fear. For you are God, and you love us, send us your Spirit when we cry, Abba, Father, and protect us as your children.

Amen

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