Lessons and Carols: "For You"

+ Christmas Eve – Lessons and Carols – December 24^th, 2017 +

Redeemer Lutheran, HB

“For You”

In the Name of the Father and of the + Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

As the mailman makes his afternoon rounds, he delivers an endless stream of Christmas door by door.

Mom and Dad or Grandma and Grandpa place a large, lovingly wrapped present under the tree.

A co-worker walks into the office with a shimmering, glittery bag stuffed to the gills with homemade delicacies.

But all these things – the beautiful Christmas cards and family letters; the toy that’s been on your Christmas list since June; or the delicious, melt-in-your mouth cookies – we would have none of it without two words written on a card or a sticker:

For you.

This gift is yours. It belongs to you. It is your very own.

These same two words are the very the heart of this God’s love for you in Jesus; at the heart of this holy day; and at the heart of the Good News we hear and sing tonight:

 “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people.  For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. 

Jesus is God in human flesh for you.

Jesus is born for you.

Jesus is the promised Savior for you.

God’s gift of His Son is yours. Christ belongs to you, and through his birth, life, and death on our behalf, you belong to him. Jesus becomes our very own brother to unite us to God our Father.

This is the way God has always worked. God is the consummate cheerful, joyous, gracious, abundant giver. Those two gracious words: for you – are written on every page across the entire Scripture. We’ve heard some of them tonight:

The Lord made all of creation and declared it “very good”, for you. Even after the fall of sin, God promised a Child, who would be born of a woman, and would crush the serpent…for you.

The Lord promised Abraham that his Offspring would bless all nations; God spared Isaac so that one day on a different hill many years later He would offer up his Son, his only Son for you.

The Lord promised to send a great light to us who dwell in the land of deep darkness; and in Bethlehem, the Light of the World shines forth in the night…for you.

The Lord promised that the root of Jesse would be lifted up as an ensign for all people; and the resting place of his manger and the cross is glorious for you.

The Lord sent the angel Gabriel to the Virgin Mary, declaring that her womb was to be the royal palace for an everlasting King whose kingdom comes…for you.

The Lord sent this same angel to Joseph as well; “Do not fear to take Mary as your wife; for that which is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. ²¹ She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins. It is just as Isaiah foretold. Emmanuel is born for you.

The Lord sent his angels again, this time to shepherds, pictures of us all in their lowliness and outcastedness. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. 

Not in Jerusalem, but Bethlehem, the magi found the star pointing to the Child that was born as the King of all creation…for you.

In the fullness of time, the eternal Word of the Father, became flesh and dwelt among us…for you.

There is no greater gift given to mankind than this, that Christ became man, a child, a babe playing in the lap of his mother. Jesus is born for you, given for you, made man for you.

Jesus comes to take all our sorrow, suffering, and sin upon himself; he makes our disease, despair, and death his own. For us, who are unholy, unlovable, and unworthy, Jesus is born for you. To give you his life; to call you his own; you belong to him because he was born for you and died for you.

These two little words – “For you” - separate Christianity from everything and everyone else we worship; for every other religion of man requires us to give to a fleshless god to receive something in return. But not this God; this God gives himself for you and asks for nothing in return: Jesus is given freely for you. This God comes down for you; He is laid in the manger for you, cried for you, felt pain and sorrow for you, grew up and lived a perfect life for you; was tempted, hungered, and thirsted for you, suffered for you, was betrayed for you, laid down his life for you; entered the grave and came out again three days later for you; even now he lives and intercedes for you; and promises to return again for you.

God places before us a baby in whom we take refuge. There is nothing to fear in this Child, for with him and in him and through him all fear is cast out. All our earthly gifts – as good and fun as they are – are merely a glimpse of this greatest Christmas gift of all:

For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. 

A blessed Christmas to each of you…

In the Name of the Father and of the + Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.