The Lutheran Hour
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"Christmas Lights"
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Text: John 1:5
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Christ is born! The Savior is born, indeed! God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world; but so that the world through him might be saved.
It was only a few days ago that a grandfather told me a story about his son, his son’s wife and their 8-year-old daughter. The family had ventured forth, as many of you have, to their community’s mega-mall. Armed with credit card and checkbook, they were prepared to run the gauntlet of harried clerks and engage in hand-to-hand combat with harassed customers in the annual life-and-death struggle known as Christmas shopping. Steady sleet began to fall as they drove around-and-around the giant parking lot looking for a place, any space where they could leave their vehicle. They eventually did find a spot, about six miles away from the great, glass doors of the shopping center.
The parents made a point of memorizing the section, aisle number and spot where they parked. Last year they forgot. They knew, in a few very-long hours from now, their brains would be numb from the hearing of holiday jingles; their sides sore from the shoving of elbows; their toes throbbing from being trod upon by the gaggle of gift-givers.
The little girl knew none of these things. She was simply satisfied to be surrounded by the sights, and sounds, and settings of the season. All went as expected. At the end of the day, they returned home. The parents were frazzled and fatigued by the traffic, the lists, and the long lines, while their daughter was humming Christmas carols. Mom and dad argued and aggravated each other while their girl floated on a fog of fabulous feelings through the entire evening. Around 10 o’clock, Dad told his daughter to stop singing and go to bed.
Eventually mom and dad went up their daughter’s room for prayers. They found her window wide open – not an especially wise move for a Wisconsin family in December. Dad asked, “Why is your window open? Are you trying to help global warming?” The little girl replied, “I thought I heard the angels singing.” Dad popped his cork. “I don’t hear any angels singing, and you don’, either. I’m going to shut the window.” As he moved across the room, his little girl said, “Daddy, if you want to hear the angels sing, you have to listen with your heart.”And if you want to catch sight of the Christmas Savior, you have to see with eyes of faith. If you want to see your Savior in His Bethlehem bed, you need to be moved from the darkness into the light. It’s a simple fact, you can’t see what Christmas really looks like when you’re standing in the dark. Ninety-nine percent of the people in Japan are not Christian. Still, Japan celebrates Christmas; but most do so in the dark. Go and see. See how they decorate and pass out presents; see how they send cards, decorate trees, eat special foods, and sing seasonal songs. Rudolph, Frosty and the Grinch are all there; Santa shows up as a Samurai. Japan has copied our country’s Christmas, and as a result, in Japan, the Savior is seldom seen. If she and other countries like her, are to see the Savior in His Bethlehem bed, then the Holy Spirit will have to move them from darkness into the light.
If you want to hear the Christmas angels, you need to hear with your heart; if you wish to see the Savior, you need to be moved into the light. Too many of my listeners today are still seeing Christmas and the Christ, from a deep darkness. From the darkness, a young working wife tries to prepare a proper Christmas. She spends weeks cleaning, shopping, and on Christmas day, plays hostess for a family feast of 23 people. She is cooking before the crack of dawn, and by twilight is sobbing with tears of exhaustion. Her hopes were so high. But without Jesus, she sees Christmas from the dark.
A husband is sent out shopping with the official Christmas list, clutched like the Holy Grail in his hand. His wife has impressed him with the importance of the list. She has instructed him not to vary from the list. At the end of his pilgrimage to purchase presents, he has completed the list. He has the sundries, he has the stuff. As he inspects the back seat of his car and the overflowing trunk, he finds himself battling the suspicion he shouldn’t be able to stuff Christmas into a small sports utility vehicle. He is seeing Christmas from the dark.
Two young boys, amazed at all the activity in their household, discuss the meaning of Christmas. With the wisdom that comes from having observed the routine for 10 whole years, the older philosophically says to the younger, “Money can’t buy happiness.” The younger, conceding the fine point to his more learned friend, nods in agreement. Then the older repeats himself, “No, money can’t buy happiness. To be truly happy, you have to go to the store and convert the money into toys.” And they, too, are seeing Christmas from the darkness.How could they not? Without Christ, advertisers say that the true meaning of Christmas is giving. Without Christ, counselors say the true meaning of Christmas is forgiving yourself and others. Without Christ, TV shows say the true meaning of Christmas is family and getting together for the holidays. Without Christ, non-profit organizations say the true meaning of Christmas is feeding those who are less fortunate. Without Christ, businessmen say the true meaning of Christmas is consumer purchasing and moving the tally sheet of their company from the red into the black, before the books are closed at midnight on December 31. Little wonder without Christ, one of the leaders of one of America’s biggest department stores recently said, “I pray that 2004 will be the best Christmas ever.” Really? I thought the first Christmas was the best Christmas ever.
All too many of us see Christmas from the dark. We are like the boy who was featured in a home video taken by his parents on Christmas morning. He ran into the living room of his house, spotted a large present with his name on it. He tore into that package with a vengeance. Bows, ribbons, paper went flying everywhere. The packing floated around his feet as he saw his gift for the first time. In delight he danced. With emotion he screamed, “Wow. Just what I wanted. I really love it.” He wandered back and took a longer, lingering look. Then he raised his face, and looking into the camera asked, “What is it?”Are you like that boy, confused by Christmas? Do you still see it from the dark? If your heart is telling you that there is something special to this holy day but you don’t know what, won’t you allow the Lord, in the next few minutes to move you from darkness into light? Come with me and see, perhaps for the first time, the Savior, your Savior and Lord. To see His coming we need to journey back in time, more than 20 centuries. The time is during the reign of Caesar Augustus, the first of Rome’s emperors. Calling for a census, he has sent the citizens of the countries under his control to be counted. This command of a Roman emperor has brought a man Joseph, with his very pregnant wife Mary, to the little Judean town of Bethlehem. Mary is pregnant when she arrives in town, but before that first night is over, she delivers her Child, wraps Him in swaddling clothes, and places Him in the warmest and safest place she can find – a trough filled with fodder for the animals. She has given birth in a stable. No, the inn had no room for them; distant relatives made no place for them. A simple stable, filled with all the sights and smells that go along with such a place, is where Mary’s Baby is born. In a stable, far off the beaten path, unnoticed by the world, the first Christmas came. In a simple stable another name was added to Caesar’s census and in that simple stable you can see your Savior.
Come in for a moment. Yes, I know that I said I was going to take you into the light. I am. But to see God’s light, you will have to step into the stable’s darkness and stand by Mary. Look into the Baby’s cradle, I mean the manger and see Jesus Christ, the Defeater of the devil; the Destroyer of death; the Savior from sin. Impressive titles to tack onto such a little Tyke, aren’t they? I know He doesn’t look like much. The surroundings don’t indicate He is anything but a carpenter’s Son. But this Baby is special. Go ahead, take a look. Look into the face of this Baby, and know that you are looking at the Light of the world; you are looking upon the face of the Son of God.
Of course, you don’t have to take my word that this Baby is special. The shepherds have arrived to pay their respects. Yes, I imagine they can get into serious trouble if their sheep are attacked by wild beasts or stolen by some thief. But I think the shepherds couldn’t help themselves. They had to see this thing which has come to pass, which the Lord has told them about.
Yes, that’s right. They’ve come to see Jesus. That is what the Lord, or more specifically His messengers, His angels, said to the shepherds. Remember that deep darkness you didn’t want to go and wander around in? Well, the shepherds spend their nights in such total darkness. Little wonder, when the sky lit up like the Fourth of July, these shepherds were terrified. A voice came from above. It began, “Fear not.” Well, the shepherds didn’t stop fearing, not then, not right away. The voice continued, “I bring you good tidings of great joy. For unto you is born this day, in the city of David, a Savior, Christ the Lord.” Then the angel gave directions on how to find the Baby. But before the shepherds could leave, a great company of the heavenly host were with there with the solo angel, praising God and saying, “Glory to God in the highest….”
With those words, the shepherds were moved from darkness into light. At the beginning of the night, they had been outcasts, the poorest of laborers; now they had a Savior. Look at their faces! They’re not rushing back to their flocks. They’re going to tell others about what they’ve seen and heard. That is the reaction people have when they are moved from darkness into the light. Talking about the Savior, just as I’m doing with you, is what people do when they’ve seen Jesus. We can’t help ourselves. You see, the good news of great joy the angels talked about is not just for shepherds. It is for all people. It is for you. It’s for me. Jesus is everybody’s Savior.
Hard to understand when you’re looking at a Baby, but it’s true. This Baby is God’s great present of grace to a sinful world. Of course, He doesn’t stay a Baby. His mother Mary, might have wanted Him to stay that way. Most mothers want their babies to stay babies. But in the case of Mary’s Child, there is another reason, a special reason why she, if she were given her druthers, might have wanted to see Him not grow up. You see, she knows that her Son will have to pay a very great price to be the world’s Savior. She knows, or she will soon know, that she is going to survive her Baby. She will live to see Him die. That’s a terrible thing for a mother to carry. She will carry it. She will watch her Boy grow up, always doing the Father’s business. No, I don’t mean the carpentry business of His stepfather, Joseph. Jesus will do the heavenly Father’s business of saving us.
Come closer. Look into the face of the Son of God. You may not see it now, but you are holding the answer to the problems of the world. Would you like me to tell you His future? No, I didn’t think so. We do like to keep babies safe. Well this Baby will never be safe. In a short time, the king of this country will send his soldiers to kill this Child. The Child will escape. The sun will rise and set more than 12,000 times before His work is finished. During that time, He will give healing to the blind; hearing to the deaf; strength to the legs of those who cannot walk. He will feed thousands with a few loaves and fish, and speak of love, show love in a way that the world has never seen before and will never see again.
He will call people from that which they have done wrong, and forgive them. He, Himself, will avoid all the sins which we commit so readily, so faithfully, and sometimes, I’m sad to say it, so eagerly. He will fend off temptation and send Satan scampering into the darkness. This He will do for you and me. And as a reward for all He has done, His hometown will try to kill Him; He will be called a “Devil,” a “Madman,” a “Sinner.” One of His best friends will sell Him for the price of a cheap slave; another will deny knowing Him; and the rest will desert Him. His religious leaders will lie about Him; His government will betray Him, and He will be beaten, spit upon, and this beautiful Baby’s brow, will as a Man, be torn by a crown of thorns.
And that is not the worst. No, of course you don’t want to hear the worst of His story. Who would? But in what follows, God’s plan of salvation finds its finish. As the prophets foretold, Jesus will be nailed to a cross, and there hanging, suspended between heaven and earth, He will die. For you. For me. For everyone. He will die as our Substitute. He will die to rebuild the bridge that sin had torn down between heaven and earth, between God and man. He will pay the price for our salvation, and because He does, all who believe in Him will be saved.
That’s the worst. Here is the best. The Savior’s story does not end in death and defeat. His story continued with resurrection victory. Jesus defeated death to become our Ruler and Redeemer; to give life to all who believe on Him; for all who are moved from darkness into light. No, I cannot understand why God would do such a thing, but He did, and because He did, I am saved. That is what I celebrate at Christmas. It is what everyone should celebrate. You cannot help yourself after you have seen the Savior in the light; after you have seen Him with eyes of faith.
But our time is up. I wish I could tell you more. I cannot. Time won’t allow it. But I do have friends who are ready, eager to tell you of the Savior; who will help you be moved into the Light of the Lord’s love; who will help you see Jesus. Please call and let us tell you more. Amen.
LUTHERAN HOUR MAILBOX (Questions & Answers) for December 19, 2004
Topic: Using the Term “Xmas”ANNOUNCER: Is “Xmas” an appropriate abbreviation for Christmas? We’ll talk about that next with Pastor Ken Klaus; I’m Mark Eischer. But first, on behalf of the International Lutheran Laymen’s League and all of us here at Lutheran Hour Ministries, we wish our listeners a blessed Christmas, and may God’s gift of a Savior, bring you peace and joy this week, and throughout the year.
KLAUS: Well said, Mark. So we have a Christmas question, do we?
ANNOUNCER: Yes, we do, and it concerns the use of the term Xmas as an abbreviation for Christmas. Now you know in math, “X” represents something that’s unknown. We most definitely know that Jesus is our Savior who was born to take away our sins. So does Xmas take Christ out of Christmas?
KLAUS: I think we ought to begin by telling our listeners that they don’t commit a sin by using the word Xmas in their Christmas newsletter. As far as I know, there is nothing in the Bible that speaks for or against the word Xmas. Xmas doesn’t even appear in the Bible. For that matter, neither does the word Christmas.
ANNOUNCER: I was once told that Xmas was a way for some people to avoid using the name of Christ.
KLAUS: Let me try to answer. When I was touring the ancient city of Ephesus, our guide took us down the main drag. There carved into the stones, centuries old, we saw a sort of Hollywood “walk of fame.” The people of Ephesus had inscribed information and directions for visitors. Some told where visiting sailors might find prostitutes. Others showed where people could find the baker or some other trades. Of particular interest to me, though, was an inscription with two letters. It looked like a capital “P” superimposed over an “X.” At least that’s what those letters would look like if you were writing in English or Latin. But the people who put those symbols there almost 2000 years ago, were not writing Latin. They were using the universal language of that time, which was Greek. In Greek, these symbols, these letters, the Chi and the Rho, are ancient abbreviations for Christ. When somebody didn’t want, perhaps because of possible persecution, to say, “Hey, a Christian lives here and you’re welcome to stop by for Sunday services,” they might send a secret sign like carving a Chi Rho into the pavement that ran in front of their house.
ANNOUNCER: So this Greek symbol, the Chi, which to us looks like an X, was actually a secret symbol for Christ?
KLAUS: Exactly.
ANNOUNCER: And so, then, if we write Xmas, that’s like Christmas in shorthand?
KLAUS: Right again. I could also add that Xmas is not the only way in which the X or the Chi, was used as an abbreviation. It’s not unusual if you read Christian writings, to see the word “Xtian,” meaning “Christian.” The use of Xmas or more properly, “X’temmas” for “Christmas,” can be found as early as the 16th century. Xmas is used in the 18th century. And as we’ve said, the X or the Chi, meaning Jesus, is far older.
ANNOUNCER: So I gather what we’re saying is, there’s really no problem if someone uses the letter X for Jesus?
KLAUS: That’s right. There’s no theological argument against using the Chi for Christ or the Xmas in Christmas. That doesn’t mean however, that people should always use it.
ANNOUNCER: Why do you say that?
KLAUS: If it bothered somebody, if they used the term Xmas and felt badly about doing so, or maybe they had a pretty good idea that their listeners or readers might interpret Xmas as a betrayal or denial of Jesus, then I’d certainly encourage them to refrain from using it.
ANNOUNCER: Now, is there any other time when a believer might want to refrain from using that abbreviation?
KLAUS: You can’t forget the advertising world often uses the word Xmas as a way of getting around being religious. That’s why we see Xmas in the newspapers and magazines at this time of the year. For some, it has taken on a non-religious meaning and we certainly wouldn’t want to align ourselves with that kind of non-theology.
ANNOUNCER: Let’s try this question also from the other direction. Is there any reason that a person might want to use the term?
KLAUS: If the Holy Spirit places you where you have an opportunity to explain; you’re sitting down with somebody, and there’s an X in a magazine for Xmas, it gives you an opportunity to talk about the cross where Christ died to redeem us. It can lead to a conversation about the Savior, His birth, death, and resurrection. To use Xmas in that way, I think would be a good thing.
ANNOUNCER: Then in closing, this is Mark Eischer…
KLAUS: …and Pastor Ken Klaus…
ANNOUNCER: …wishing you a most blessed Xmas…
KLAUS: …Christmas.
ANNOUNCER: This has been a presentation of Lutheran Hour Ministries