“THE PRESENCE OF BLOOD, CLEANSING, CLOTHING, EATING, FORGIVING, LOVING AND PEACE”
Saint Luke 2. 1-14
The Feast of The Nativity of Our Lord, The Christ-Mass:25 December Anno Domini 2005
Fr Watson
Today is a High Feast Day in the holy Church Catholic. Unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given. Despite what the retailers, humanists, mega-church "evangelicals," and your own sinful natures have been telling you, you are not the point of it all; your family, loved ones, cherished memories, and "the children," are not the point of it all. At least not in the way you would want to be.
The same way Holy Scripture begins with God, and not man, so too does the Augsburg Confession start with the Blessed Trinity and not with the creature. Today is the Christ-Mass , not the Man-Mass, though you wouldn't know that if you were a visitor from another planet.
God is the reason for goodness and love. He is both. Only man is the reason for badness and hate. So, in that sense, your sin, your sinful nature, the sin of your first parents, are indeed the "reason for the season." But by bringing death upon yourselves in the eating of the forbidden fruit; and now in the daily eating of sin, only an antidote which comes from outside of yourselves can save you from death and eternal burning. Hot chocolate, mistletoe, snowy country sides, reindeer, and giving gifts to your loved ones (and maybe a little bit to the poor) won't save you.
You need a savior. You do. Most times, during the waking hours of any particular day you try to convince yourselves that you don't need a savior. Your "old Adam" thinks that he needs, maybe, just a coach or a trainer, someone to urge you on and give you the right tips on ways to improve. You can't improve dead and rotting flesh. You don't need an example you need a Savior.
"For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord." That my friends is the only "good news" there is this morning, or any morning. Not a man in a red suit and "ho, ho, ho," but rather a God enfleshed, who in 33 years after His Incarnation would be drenched in His own "red suit" of blood, "hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah!"
This High Feast Day is all about Presence, Blood, Washing, Clothing, Eating, Drinking, Forgiving, Loving and Peace. It's a veritable banquet of saving, this Christ-Mass.
The fear caused by disobedience to God comes to an end in the Christ. Adam and Eve and all of us would run into the deepest caves to avoid the gaze of the all-perfect Righteous One. He was born in a cave, in a stable, so that you might live in a heavenly mansion. He was buried in a cave "crucified, dead, and buried" so that you might eternally reside in the place of Light, Life and Immortality.
How do you know all this? God the Holy Ghost has taught you and formed you through the sacred Scriptures. God the Holy Ghost has called you through the Sacraments of holy Mother Church. The babe Who was born 2000 years ago did not stay a babe. Jesus was in the manger no longer than your own children were in their bassinets. Jesus was an adorable toddler no longer than your own children could be kept forever infants.
God the Second Person of the Holy Trinity, the Eternally Begotten Son, was Incarnate of the Holy Spirit and born of the Blessed Virgin to grow up and be your Savior. He obeyed that you might be found righteous in His fulfillment of the Law. He suffered and died on the cross for your sins so that you might live in Him forever by Grace through faith.
How do you know all this? Not from fairy tales concocted by "Madison Avenue," Hollywood, or well meaning but overly indulgent loved ones. You know this by the real Christ-Mass.
"And this will be the sign to you: You will find the Babe wrapped in swaddling cloths..." How do you know this? The Christian Questions and Answers found in the Small Catechism also say it well: "From the holy Gospel and from the words of the Sacrament, and by His Body and Blood given as a pledge in the Sacrament."
The Savior isn't "God," the Savior is the God-Man, Jesus the Christ. He is not found for you on Burning Mountain tops shrouded in smoke and lightning; He is not found for you in earthly glory, triumph, success or numbers. He is most assuredly not found for you at the North Pole or the shops on the Plaza. As the baby was once found wrapped in swaddling cloths, so now the Crucified and Risen Savior God is found wrapped in the humble "cloths" of paper and ink; wrapped in the simple "cloths" of water and Word; wrapped in the bindings of Bread and Wine and Apostolic Absolution from pastors.
This day, is about the Savior God Who loved you enough to leave that "Glory to God in the highest place" and come to you here on this earthen vessel of mud, debris and death, so that you might have Peace. He gives you real peace and communion with His Father by redeeming your fallen body and polluted blood. He lives perfectly, suffers perfectly and dies perfectly in the Flesh for you. And now, He is here again this morning, in His Body and Blood, in His active ever-present Washing + and Drowning of your sins, in His words of forgiveness and love.
He wouldn't have come in the Flesh if it was not for you.
He wouldn't have said "Take Eat, Take Drink, this is My Body, This is My Blood of the New Testament" if it was not for you.
There's a reason it is called the Christ-Mass. It is really the Christ, the God in the Flesh, Immanuel. It is really the Mass, the Sacrament of the Altar to be eaten and drunk. For unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given.
Come forward to the communion rail and join in with the angel, with the multitude of the heavenly host. Praise Christ the God-Man; receive Jesus the God-Man. Blessed Christ-Mass.
In the Name of The Father and of The Son + and of The Holy Ghost