Text: Isaiah 9:2-7
Readings - Isaiah 9:2-7, Titus 2:11-14, Luke 2:1-14 (ESV)
Facebook live: The Son of God brings Joy to the World!
6 For to us a child is born,
to us a son is given;
and the government shall be upon his shoulder,
and his name shall be called
Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
7 Of the increase of his government and of peace
there will be no end,
on the throne of David and over his kingdom,
to establish it and to uphold it
with justice and with righteousness
from this time forth and forevermore.
The zeal of the Lord of hosts will do this.
Joy to the world, the Lord is come! Let earth receive her King:
Let every heart prepare Him room; And heaven and nature sing,
Tonight we celebrate the eve of our Lord’s nativity. The coming of Jesus the Christ of God, born of Mary and born to set us free from the inherited nature we are all born into, born in sin, and born to die.
The people who walked in darkness
have seen a great light;
those who dwelt in a land of deep darkness,
on them has light shone.
The light of Christ has been brought to a world dead in darkness. For death came to all humanity and in Adam’s fall all die. The fall into sin condemns us as God’s enemies. No friend of God, we are all condemned to a life apart from God’s love and destined to live in time, daily, without faith, peace, or hope in the world.
You have multiplied the nation;
you have increased its joy;
they rejoice before you
as with joy at the harvest,
as they are glad when they divide the spoil.
For those in faith and those apart from faith the Lord’s abundance flows. Sun and moon, day and night, rains, fields, flocks and harvest all provided from the hand of the Lord, give life and sustenance to all those created in the image of God. We all live by God’s mercy with each and every breath we take. In fact, life is a gift from God. We know that whether a Christian or not all die and so death is given to all born in the natural way form the child in the womb to the aged needing around the clock care. With Life, death is the promised fulfillment in the world. Long life or short, rich or poor we all will be brought to the doors of death and death will win.
For to us a child is born,
to us a son is given;
and the government shall be upon his shoulder,
and his name shall be called
Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
This Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, and Prince of Peace is Jesus!
His peace comes in this manger and in this child but it is made known to you and me in Baptism.
In Baptism we are marked as his.
In Baptism we are given faith.
In Baptism we receive Jesus by the work of his Spirit.
In Baptism death is swallowed up in victory and …
In Baptism we are raised to newness of life!
In Him, in Jesus, God restores the broken.
Of the increase of his government and of peace
there will be no end,
on the throne of David and over his kingdom,
to establish it and to uphold it
with justice and with righteousness
from this time forth and forevermore.
The zeal of the Lord of hosts will do this.
By the Word of God and through his Holy Spirit our Lord calls and gathers his children. He sits on the throne of David forever and rules with justice and righteousness. His reign will never end and his love for the lost continues until his coming in power and glory to raise the dead in Christ and gather those who are longing for his reappearing.
6 For to us a child is born,
to us a son is given;
and the government shall be upon his shoulder,
and his name shall be called
Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
7 Of the increase of his government and of peace
there will be no end,
on the throne of David and over his kingdom,
to establish it and to uphold it
with justice and with righteousness
from this time forth and forevermore.
The zeal of the Lord of hosts will do this.
Joy to the world, the Lord is come! Let earth receive her King:
Let every heart prepare Him room; And heaven and nature sing,
Tonight we celebrate the eve of our Lord’s nativity. The coming of Jesus the Christ of God, born of Mary and born to set us free from the inherited nature we are all born into, born in sin, and born to die.
The people who walked in darkness
have seen a great light;
those who dwelt in a land of deep darkness,
on them has light shone.
The light of Christ has been brought to a world dead in darkness. For death came to all humanity and in Adam’s fall all die. The fall into sin condemns us as God’s enemies. No friend of God, we are all condemned to a life apart from God’s love and destined to live in time, daily, without faith, peace, or hope in the world.
You have multiplied the nation;
you have increased its joy;
they rejoice before you
as with joy at the harvest,
as they are glad when they divide the spoil.
For those in faith and those apart from faith the Lord’s abundance flows. Sun and moon, day and night, rains, fields, flocks and harvest all provided from the hand of the Lord, give life and sustenance to all those created in the image of God. We all live by God’s mercy with each and every breath we take. In fact, life is a gift from God. We know that whether a Christian or not all die and so death is given to all born in the natural way form the child in the womb to the aged needing around the clock care. With Life, death is the promised fulfillment in the world. Long life or short, rich or poor we all will be brought to the doors of death and death will win.
Joy to the earth, the Savior reigns! Let men their songs employ,
While fields and floods, rocks, hills, and plains; Repeat the sounding joy,
The joy tonight is not in our station in this life or what we have achieved. Our joy is in the savior who came in humility and reigns in glory. As Jesus himself said as his disciples cried out at his triumphal entry to Jerusalem on Palm Sunday.
38 … “Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the Lord! Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!” 39 And some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to him, “Teacher, rebuke your disciples.” 40 He answered, “I tell you, if these were silent, the very stones would cry out.”
The rocks themselves would cry out repeating the sounding joy of our Rock Jesus “Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the Lord!”
While fields and floods, rocks, hills, and plains; Repeat the sounding joy,
The joy tonight is not in our station in this life or what we have achieved. Our joy is in the savior who came in humility and reigns in glory. As Jesus himself said as his disciples cried out at his triumphal entry to Jerusalem on Palm Sunday.
38 … “Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the Lord! Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!” 39 And some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to him, “Teacher, rebuke your disciples.” 40 He answered, “I tell you, if these were silent, the very stones would cry out.”
The rocks themselves would cry out repeating the sounding joy of our Rock Jesus “Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the Lord!”
For the yoke of his burden,
and the staff for his shoulder,
the rod of his oppressor,
you have broken as on the day of Midian.
The yoke of those burdened by sin has been broken and the rod of the oppressor has been overcome. Just as in the days of the Judges when Gideon and 300 men overcame the much larger Midianite Army by the power and word of the Lord. So too the word made flesh in the incarnate son of God will vanquish sin, death, and the devil for you and me.
For every boot of the tramping warrior in battle tumult
and every garment rolled in blood
will be burned as fuel for the fire.
The wages of sin is overcome in the blood of the lamb. Where we daily battle sin and death, God has placed the work of Jesus, apprehended in faith and made sure by the Spirit, we who believe have overcome the fires of hell and an eternity separated from God receiving the promise of eternal life in Jesus.
No more let sins and sorrows grow; Nor thorns infest the ground;
He comes to make His blessings flow; Far as the curse is found,
The consequence of sin has been changed for you and me. To believe in Jesus, this Christ child gives us life. Life not to walk in sin – though we remain in the sinful tent of our flesh, but to walk in the Spirit, the promise of faith and belief in the one whom God has sent to redeem those born in sin and born to die.
and the staff for his shoulder,
the rod of his oppressor,
you have broken as on the day of Midian.
The yoke of those burdened by sin has been broken and the rod of the oppressor has been overcome. Just as in the days of the Judges when Gideon and 300 men overcame the much larger Midianite Army by the power and word of the Lord. So too the word made flesh in the incarnate son of God will vanquish sin, death, and the devil for you and me.
For every boot of the tramping warrior in battle tumult
and every garment rolled in blood
will be burned as fuel for the fire.
The wages of sin is overcome in the blood of the lamb. Where we daily battle sin and death, God has placed the work of Jesus, apprehended in faith and made sure by the Spirit, we who believe have overcome the fires of hell and an eternity separated from God receiving the promise of eternal life in Jesus.
No more let sins and sorrows grow; Nor thorns infest the ground;
He comes to make His blessings flow; Far as the curse is found,
The consequence of sin has been changed for you and me. To believe in Jesus, this Christ child gives us life. Life not to walk in sin – though we remain in the sinful tent of our flesh, but to walk in the Spirit, the promise of faith and belief in the one whom God has sent to redeem those born in sin and born to die.
For to us a child is born,
to us a son is given;
and the government shall be upon his shoulder,
and his name shall be called
Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
This Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, and Prince of Peace is Jesus!
His peace comes in this manger and in this child but it is made known to you and me in Baptism.
In Baptism we are marked as his.
In Baptism we are given faith.
In Baptism we receive Jesus by the work of his Spirit.
In Baptism death is swallowed up in victory and …
In Baptism we are raised to newness of life!
In Him, in Jesus, God restores the broken.
Of the increase of his government and of peace
there will be no end,
on the throne of David and over his kingdom,
to establish it and to uphold it
with justice and with righteousness
from this time forth and forevermore.
The zeal of the Lord of hosts will do this.
By the Word of God and through his Holy Spirit our Lord calls and gathers his children. He sits on the throne of David forever and rules with justice and righteousness. His reign will never end and his love for the lost continues until his coming in power and glory to raise the dead in Christ and gather those who are longing for his reappearing.
He rules the world with truth and grace; And makes the nations prove
The glories of His righteousness; And wonders of His love,
It is God’s desire and wonder’s of his love to rule your hearts and minds by his son the incarnate word of God. God who was made flesh in the person and work of Jesus for you and in him God gives hope and peace and true Joy to the world!
Our gospel today gives that same hope, promise, and joy with these concluding words.
11 For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. 12 And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.” 13 And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying,
14 “Glory to God in the highest,
and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!”
In the name of the Father, and of the Son + and of the Holy Spirit!
Amen
The glories of His righteousness; And wonders of His love,
It is God’s desire and wonder’s of his love to rule your hearts and minds by his son the incarnate word of God. God who was made flesh in the person and work of Jesus for you and in him God gives hope and peace and true Joy to the world!
Our gospel today gives that same hope, promise, and joy with these concluding words.
11 For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. 12 And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.” 13 And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying,
14 “Glory to God in the highest,
and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!”
In the name of the Father, and of the Son + and of the Holy Spirit!
Amen
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