Christmas with Easter Eyes

We heard noises, saw lights, experienced the visit of angels, who were praising God and saying that “Jesus -- Joshua—Yehoshuah -- God saves” was born in Bethlehem.

We went and found the baby as the angels had said in the stable portion of one of the houses of Bethlehem.

I've had high hopes ever since that night.

I've heard things about that baby as he grew up.

I've heard him talk to the crowds; he speaks as one with true authority.

I thought that “God saves” might be a true name for him.

I thought that maybe what he was saying about the kingdom of God was true...but now he is dead, and we are left with nothing again.”

“But Grandfather,” said the boy, “I heard from the trader who just came from Jerusalem that Jesus rose from the dead, he is living.”

Grandfather said, ”What! Tell me more! I must talk with this trader.

What did he hear? What did he see?

With whom did he speak?

If what you say is true, then what I heard from the angels all those years ago is true.

The things that I heard him say as he walked around the land are more than words or nice stories, they are promises that are the truth about me about you, and everything that is!”

And Grandfather goes off quickly in order to find out more.

Grandfather had been doing as we all do:

--looking at only part of the story.

--He saw the tragedy,

--he remembered part of the promise,

--but he could not see how it all fit together.

One of our almost annual family rituals is that one New Years Eve and Day, we put together a jigsaw puzzle.

This year it was a 1,000 piece monster that took rotating crews of relatives to accomplish in the hours available.

We were so happy, until at the very end we discovered that one piece was missing; the whole picture was spoiled because one spot was missing.

We were lamenting its loss,

searching all around on the floor, under pillows, etc., speculating if we could have an art teacher fashion a substitute, knowing that any substitute would still stand out.

Then one of the relatives walked by and admitted to hiding the piece. We were not amused.

In the case of the Grandfather, the key piece that ties all of life together was missing, and that is the news of Easter.

Without that key, the reasons that we gather on this Sunday are distorted.

We could be gathering only because, well, that's what we have always done on Sunday,

or because it is such a beautiful place,

or we're hearing a nice story,

or we like special music and musicians,

or it is the place where we get to see folks that we don't run into during the rest of the week..... etc.

All of those things may be true, but they are not at the center of things:

God is come in the flesh for the sake of each one of us. The Word was made flesh and tented among us, and we beheld him, full of grace and truth.

We Christians look at things through Easter-colored glasses; we interpret everything about this season in the light of Easter.

The rest of the world can hear about the birth at Bethlehem and say, “That's a touching story that happened back there a long time ago,” and then turn away to other things without hearing the part of the message that says “for you.”

For example, years ago I remember a Christmas special with John Denver and the Muppets.

John read the story from St. Luke in KJV, and read it very well.

The story was acted out by the Muppets,

and it was done respectfully and tastefully.

But after the segment was over, a viewer could have the feeling, “Well that was nice, a cute entertainment, but it doesn't have anything to do with me. What's on next?”

Unless we have our Easter-colored glasses on, the promise of Christmas may seem to apply only to people of little consequence, long ago.

But with our Easter-glasses, we can recognize that the words For to us is born this day a Savior... and sing them with conviction.

God did not reveal himself only to a few people about whom we read in the Bible, but also he came for us today in the flesh and in Word and sacrament today and each time that we gather at his holy table.

Because Jesus lives, the promises that are tied up his his name and titles are true:

Emmanuel= God with us;

Jesus= God saves.

The Word became flesh – God condescends to take on flesh and blood in the Spirit...not an angel or some other magnificent creature, but man's flesh and blood.

This is the prime example of God's mercy.

The human heart can hardly understand it or grasp it, let alone express it,

however, we can learn to prize these words and hold onto them, for they are true.

We can look around us and see tragedy of all sorts:

--our own illnesses and infirmities,

--people struggling for survival in Sudan, Somalia, and dozens of other places,

--droughts in some places and floods in others,

--wars and rumors of wars,

--things political and financial in disarray,

--families broken apart, some deep in grief,

--the effects of drugs and addictions, etc.

The list goes on and on... but we know that the tragedy is not all that can be said.

Our anguish is overcome by joy, for beginning at Christmas, and continuing every day, now and in the future, we look at our lives and the whole world through Easter-colored glasses.

For God is come in the flesh to show us something much larger than our troubles.

Indeed, he intends to point out and become the goal of our living.

The challenge: keep our eye on that big picture:

Yehoshuah=God saves=Joshua=Jesus, God who was before everything and is also its goal, the Alpha and the Omega,

is born in Bethlehem of Judea, in a specific time and place, God come among us, to us, for us all.

Give to this Jesus

hymn and chant and high thanksgiving...

...evermore and evermore.

Amen.

Please note: The preceding sermon is provided as a resource for the thought, prayer, and meditation of the members and friends of St. Mark's. It is the residue of a verbal event, and thus it does not have academic footnotes and other details that would be expected in a written document. The writer gladly acknowledges the prior thought and work of many Christians before him.