+ The Nativity of Our Lord – Christmas Day, December 25th, 2025 +
Series A: Isaiah 52:7-10; Hebrews 1:1-6; John 1:1-14
Beautiful Savior Lutheran Church
Milton, WA
In the Name of the Father and of the + Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
The hallway of Holy Scripture begins and ends with a promise. Even in the ruins of Eden, YHWH’s promise rang out: A word. A woman. A wild child will be born to crush the serpent under his feet. For that happen…the dwelling place of God has to be with man.
At the other end of the hall, in the renewed Eden of the new creation, the same promise echoes again in a joyous refrain:
“Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.”
And he who was seated on the throne said, “Behold, I am making all things new.”
Holy Scripture begins and ends with this promise. And every word, person, place, time, and event in between is the working out of this promise. The dwelling place[ of God is with man
This is the story of Christmas. The God who descends and dwells with you. And dies for you.
And yet, long before God made his bed in Bethlehem. Before the Son of God became the Son of Mary. Before the Almighty Lord was laid in a manger. Before the One who makes all things new did something new in his incarnation, our Lord proves that He is no stranger to strolling into his creation and making himself at home.
The God who kicked his infant legs in Mary’s womb and upon her lap had once walked in the cool of the garden with his great-many-times-over grandparents, Adam and Eve.
The God who held in Simeon’s arms at forty days old paid a visit to the tents of Abraham and Sarah.
The God who is born in Bethlehem dwelled with Moses in the burning bush.
The God who has teeth and toes and tiny fingers once made his dwelling in the tabernacle.
The God who bounced upon Joseph’s knees in the woodshop once sat enthroned between the cherubim.
This is the wonder and mystery and holy awe of Christmas. The Architect becomes part of his blueprints. The Author enters his own story. The Playwright takes center stage. God is made man. The Word became flesh and dwelt among us. The word there is “tabernacled”. Jesus is the tabernacle and temple in human flesh. No longer is God’s holy presence hidden behind a veil confined to a sacred space. Jesus is our sacred space. Jesus is the meeting place of heaven and earth. The dwelling place of God is with man and is most clearly seen in the God who is made man for you.
At Christmas, the Almighty becomes approachable. The great Adonai has an address. The infinite makes himself and infant. The God of Sinai steps forth into the manger. The fire that once burned upon that mountain top now flickers in the eyes of a newborn Child. The Lord that Jacob saw at the bottom of his ladder has come down to dwell with us.
Christ’s incarnation is one small step for God. And one giant leap for mankind.
There in the manger, divine majesty stoops down in mercy.
Jesus’ flesh and blood and bone, is our flesh and blood and bone. The Babe of Bethlehem is our brother in the flesh. This little diapered divinity is also the Son of David, Son of Mary, Son of God. Born to make you and me – sons of Adam and daughters of Eve – into his beloved, baptized, children of God.
For in his descending you are hoisted out of your grave.
In his incarnation is your redemption.
In his humility is your holiness.
In his death is your life.
In his resurrection is your rescue and restoration.
In his dwelling with us and for us, our eternal dwelling with him is already prepared.
For the dwelling place of God is with man. But not just back then in Bethlehem. And not only in the resurrection of the body yet to come.
The dwelling place of God is with man today. On Christmas. God still descends to dwell with us and deliver to us his divine gifts.
The God who was washed in Nazareth as an infant and baptized in the Jordan River abides with you in the water and word of your Baptism.
The God who made the Torah and Psalms and Prophets his holy homestead still makes his holy habitation among us in his holy word.
The God who ate and drank in the homes of Pharisees, tax collectors, and sinners still dwells among us as we eat and drink food that forgives all sin.
This Christmas, the God who dwells with man. became man. died and rose and ascended as God and Man still loves to dwell with us.
(Author, G.K. Chesterton captures this well in his poem, The House of Christmas)
A Child in a foul stable,
Where the beasts feed and foam;
Only where He was homeless
Are you and I at home;
We have hands that fashion and heads that know,
But our hearts we lost - how long ago!
In a place no chart nor ship can show
Under the sky's dome.
This world is wild as an old wives' tale,
And strange the plain things are,
The earth is enough and the air is enough
For our wonder and our war;
But our rest is as far as the fire-drake swings
And our peace is put in impossible things
Where clashed and thundered unthinkable wings
Round an incredible star.
To an open house in the evening
Home shall men come,
To an older place than Eden
And a taller town than Rome.
To the end of the way of the wandering star,
To the things that cannot be and that are,
To the place where God was homeless
And all men are at home.
God descends to dwell with you. Dies for you. Delivers you. This is the story of Christmas. The dwelling place of God is with man. And because of Christmas, your dwelling place is with Christ.
The Word became flesh and dwelt among us. And still does. Jesus, Emmanuel, God with us. He is your life. Your salvation. And in Him is your home. Now and forever.
A blessed Christmas to each of you…
In the Name of the Father and of the + Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
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