The signs of Christmas

Luke 2:10-12 But the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. 11 Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord. 12 This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger."

Back in the early 1700s, when the United States wasn't, and what was, was known as "the colonies," the settlers in Williamsburg, Virginia, celebrated Christmas. But they did their festivities without many of the customs you and I take for granted. So, what were some of the things they were missing?

First, there was no Santa, sleigh, reindeer, or elves. That's because Santa was primarily and, note I say, primarily, a Dutch tradition.

The settlers didn't decorate their Christmas trees because they didn't have them. Christmas trees, a German custom, hadn't yet shown up in that community.

The colonists set out no nativity manger scene -- a tradition that originates in Italy -- and the idea of hanging your stockings by the chimney with care -- well, that's an American idea that would come much later.

So what did those settlers from long ago do to celebrate Christmas? Simple, they set off fireworks and shot off cannons. Their Christmas may not have looked like your Christmas, but nobody -- and I mean nobody -- would have been able to miss the celebration.

For this past month, you have seen signs that Christmas was coming. Stores replaced their Halloween paraphernalia with Christmas decorations. Santa was at the mall. Christmas music filled the radio. Christmas cards arrived daily in the mailbox. Your neighbors tried to outdo each other with their Christmas displays.

Nowhere did we find fireworks or cannons as part of the Christmas celebrations. I’m sure we would have heard of it if there had been.

There are plenty of signs that Christmas is coming, but 2000 years ago when Jesus was born, there were no big signs to announce that it was going to happen. There were no ads on the radio or TV saying, “Coming soon! A Savior will be born in a stable near you!” When Jesus was born, many people were surprised. But as the word of His birth spread, some people remembered that signs had been there for a long time, but they maybe had faded a bit with time. The signs of the Serpent-Crusher; the Root of Jesse; the virgin birth; named Immanuel; David’s royal city. To these ancient signs were added new signs: “This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.” Angels, a manger and a star.

By the end of the month or at least shortly after Epiphany on January 6, most of the signs of Christmas will be gone. The decorations packed in boxes until next year. The wrapping paper and cardboard boxes filling the garbage can. The Christmas tree set out by the curb.

But not for you. For the signs of Scripture that the children are presenting to you this evening do not get packed away until next Christmas. They are real signs, real signatures of God’s love for you, directing you to joy, salvation and heavenly glory.

Adam and Eve never got to eat from the Tree of Life because they had instead chosen to eat from the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. Because of Jesus’ birth and His subsequent death on the tree of the cross, we who believe in Him will eat from the Tree of Life which has been removed from Eden and placed in heaven.

The angels announced the birth of the Christ Child. They ministered to Jesus during the desert temptation and His Gethsemane prayer. They rolled away the tombstone. They announced His resurrection and heralded His ascension. Through faith in our born, crucified, resurrected and ascended Savior, now we will join with the angels in heralding Christ’s praises for all eternity.

When the Son of God decided to also become the Son of Man, He did not arrive on Planet earth in a magnificent mansion or a palatial palace. He landed in a barn – place for animals, not people. His first cradle was a manger – a feeding trough. His parents had no booties or blankie. Joseph apparently had to tear up his shirt to wrap up their newborn child. The humility of Jesus’ birth, born at precisely the right time – “when the time had fully come” – was no accident. It sends a powerful message of what Jesus came to do. He came to experience our humanity in the lowest form of humility – manger, barn, swaddling clothes; later scourge, beating, crown of thorns, purple robe and criminal’s cross. He came to suffer for us and with us. He was born in a barn so that we could live forever in His mansion.

In the vastness of space, two thousand years ago, God used the biggest thing in the universe – a star, which appears tiny to us – to announce the birth of a tiny baby, the biggest even the earth has ever known. This special star was so rare, so different, that it announced to astronomers – some wise men in particular – that something very special, something incredible, something out of this world was happening. It was the birth of a baby, the arrival of a King, the Son of God in human flesh, the long-promised Messiah was here, the signs had found their fulfillment on this night – Christmas Eve – in the baby named Jesus.

Tonight we celebrate the birth of Jesus with voices, songs, children, candles, prayers and praise. For by God’s grace, we have seen and heard the signs. But even though you may be putting your own Christmas decorations, your signs of the Christmas season, do not put away your faith in these signs. You don’t have to celebrate with fireworks and cannons (I don’t think the police or your neighbors would like that very much). But do continue to celebrate, worship, and give thanks for the birth of the Babe of Bethlehem, the Christ of the cross and the Savior of the empty tomb. Follow the signs from the humble manger, to the bloody cross, to the open grave and all the way to heaven. So we may be with the Christ Child for an eternity of Christmases. Amen.

Christmas Eve at Epiphany on December 24, 2010