The Lutheran Hour
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"A Name to Live Up To"
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Text: Luke 1:30-31
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Christ is risen! He is risen, indeed! This year, if you are hoping to receive the perfect Christmas gift, look no further than the Christ’s empty tomb of resurrection. The Heavenly Father has given you that which you need the most: a Savior who has been born, lived, died, and rose to save you from your sins.
With your hectic schedule, you can be forgiven if you missed the important news blurb which came out in April of this year: the ivory-billed woodpecker, last seen in Louisiana in 1944, has been found alive and well in the Cache River National Wildlife Refuge of Arkansas. That’s right, the ivory-billed woodpecker lives! Now this might not be a big deal to many of my listeners, but to bird lovers, it is a very big deal indeed. The artist and ornithologist, John J. Audubon called the bird, with its 30-inch wingspan and massive bill, “the great chieftain of the woodpecker tribe.” Some have called the woodpecker “the grail bird” because the search for it reminded them of King Arthur’s knights who searched in vain for the Holy Grail. For over 60 years the experts thought the ivory-billed woodpecker was extinct; for 60 years diehard believers prayed the experts were wrong. And now the truth has been confirmed, the ivory-billed woodpecker lives!
To that piece of news you might rightly ask, “Pastor, I’m as glad as the next guy that the ivory-billed woodpecker is not extinct, but what does that bird have to do with getting ready for the Savior’s birth?” Well… actually… the bird doesn’t have anything to do with Christmas. But the fact that some searchers have spent their lives looking for this bird does. They slogged through swamp and bayou to try to get a glimpse of this wonder of the woodpecker world. Tenacity, the tenacity of these folks made me sit up and take notice. I’m amazed when I see people searching for that which seemingly can’t be found. You know the kind of people I’m talking about, the folks who spend fortunes and decades looking for the Loch Ness monster, Bigfoot, Elvis, Jimmy Hoffa, Amelia Earhart… and the “perfect” man-made Christmas.
That’s right, in the list of elusives I include “the perfect man-made Christmas.” Understand, I’m not talking about an “almost perfect Christmas;” or a “pretty close to being perfect” Christmas. I’m talking about the perfect Christmas that whole packs of people pursue; the perfect Christmas that millions think they can build themselves. It’s not that they’ve ever seen or experienced a perfect Christmas, but they’re convinced… if they look hard enough, work hard enough, are patient enough, they will eventually, some year, be able to make their very own perfect Christmas.
Now, I can’t say exactly how you and yours would build your perfect Christmas. The materials for construction are different for each of us. Still, most of us have, in the back of our brains, a Norman Rockwellian image of how our perfect Christmas would look. Maybe it would begin with you driving up a long lane to the family farmhouse. You know the place. The big, white, two-story homestead which has a rocker on the front porch, white lace curtains in all the windows, and has been in the family for generations. No snow is falling, but there’s enough of it on the ground for the children to make a snowman. They don’t have to wear their heavy coats; the temperature is just right. After you’ve been warmly greeted by silver-haired, but perfectly healthy parents, the morning passes with the arrival of others.
There is a feeling of great joy as each one arrives, and hugs are shared all around. Everyone is there-no loved one has been kept away by work or war, difficulty or distance. Even the child who lives many miles away, the one that all were sure couldn’t make it, arrives at the last minute. Gladness and goodwill are almost tangible. Although nobody has been stuck in the kitchen, somehow a great feast materializes on the dining room table. Good-natured discussion occurs among some of the older children as they wonder how old they have to be before they get to leave the kiddies table in the living room and claim their seat among the grownups.
At your perfect Christmas, someone offers the blessing and everyone is truly thankful. The food is wonderful. The children are well behaved-they don’t play with their food, no one spills cranberries on the carpet. There’s no fighting-not among the children or the adults. No insults or harsh words are exchanged. No feelings are hurt. There are no dirty looks and nobody gets kicked under the table for an uncouth, uncaring, or uncalled-for remark. As the meal continues, everyone offers a sincere word of appreciation to the cook, and when all are comfortably full, they pitch in to clear the table and do the dishes. Nobody asks to turn on the TV so they can check the football scores. In the perfect Christmas, watching television is unthinkable. Everyone eventually migrates to the living room for the opening of presents. But present opening comes only after everyone has sung a few, familiar Christmas carols.
And when, in the perfect Christmas, the time comes for opening the small mountain of perfectly wrapped presents, each with its perfectly matching bow, everyone waits their turn. No one is impatient because everyone is genuinely interested to see what the others are getting. None of the nametags have fallen off the packages, so we know to whom each gift must be given. In this perfect Christmas, it’s not surprising to find every gift is perfect. All the gifts are just the right size, the right color, the right style. Not a single one is going to be returned.
After the presents are opened, the well-behaved children pick up the wrapping paper, all of which is untorn and can be used again next year. Without a word, everyone moves to sit by the fire, and all listen to the stories of grandma and grandpa who reminisce about what Christmas was like when they were young. Some of the children wander off to play with their new toys. But in this perfect Christmas, none of the toys are broken in the first five minutes. All of them came with batteries and none of them have missing parts, or need to be assembled following directions that are written only in Chinese. That, with a few minor modifications is probably the perfect Christmas for which many people long. It is the perfect Christmas that we would like to build for ourselves. It is the perfect Christmas for which many of us continue to search, strive, and struggle. And, if I can be forgiven for saying so: we have about as much chance of finding that perfect Christmas as we do discovering a flock of ivory-billed woodpeckers perching in our Christmas tree.
Now, there is a reason why we can’t build a perfect Christmas for ourselves. In this world the materials we are given are always imperfect, inadequate, and insufficient. The components we are compelled to employ in building our perfect Christmases are defective, deficient, and damaged. Death, Satan, and the world have managed to mess things up. Even worse, we are hampered and handicapped by our own sinful shortcomings. We are incompetent craftsmen whose every attempt at building a perfect Christmas, or a perfect anything, will always be flawed by our own faults and failings. That’s why the struggle to build the perfect Christmas is so exhausting. That’s why, the day after Christmas, most people collapse into their easy chairs and promise, “I’m not going to do that again.” They promise it, but it’s a resolution they won’t keep.
If you’re among the millions who have tried to build a perfect man-made Christmas but still have felt that the finished product was unsatisfactory, might I suggest that you consult with a real Christmas expert? No, I’m not suggesting you turn to those magazines which publish 101 recipes for holiday cookies; nor am I thinking about the television talk hosts who hawk the latest gizmo you have to buy for those who are near and dear to you. No, I’m talking about a real Christmas expert here. I’m talking about God. After all, who should know more about the Christmas than He? He started planning the first Christmas when He made a promise to Adam and Eve in Eden. After their sin of disobedience, God came to them and promised that someday there would be a perfect Christmas.
The planning of God’s perfect Christmas took time – thousands of years, actually. During those centuries, God kept telling His people: “Christmas is coming.” He had to keep reminding them because they kept forgetting. They, like many of us, got distracted as they chased after the world’s glitter and glitz, it tinsel and its toys. They, like us, kept pursuing a multitude of things which never kept the promises they had made. And, as a result, they, like many of us, kept forgetting God’s promise that Christmas was coming.
Now you can’t blame the Lord for humanity’s forgetfulness. During those years that God was preparing and planning, He kept dropping hints to His people that the perfect Christmas was coming. He said where Christmas would begin: in Bethlehem. He said how Christmas would happen: a virgin will conceive. There were so many hints that you think everybody would have been ready for the perfect Christmas when it came. They weren’t. But that didn’t stop God from promising, “Christmas is coming.”
After thousands of years of planning, in the fullness of time, God kept that promise. Scripture tells us how the perfect Christmas began: “And it came to pass in those days there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be taxed.” That imperial proclamation put a carpenter, Joseph of Nazareth, and his intended bride, Mary, on the road to Bethlehem. No doubt Joseph would have preferred to leave his very pregnant bride at home. By then, she would have been waddling more than walking and a man doesn’t have to be a rocket scientist to know that any trip which includes riding a donkey over rough roads, walking for scores of miles, sleeping on the ground, and running the risk of encountering robbers is undesirable. Still, they went. Those two knew God’s perfect Christmas was coming.
Now if you tried to build the perfect Christmas, it would probably include quality time with family and friends. But this is God’s perfect Christmas and His ways are not ours. God’s perfect Christmas took Mary and Joseph away from all that was familiar to them. And when they reached their destination there was no white farmhouse with lace curtains and a fireplace. What there was, was a lot of “No Vacancy” signs. The community was crowded with other travelers and no one, not one of those folks, was willing to help this woman who was “great with child.” They ended up in the stable at the local inn. It was there that night, Mary gave birth to God’s Son, the Savior of the world. God’s perfect Christmas had come.
Shocking isn’t it? I mean God’s perfect Christmas happened without so many of the things which we feel are necessary for a successful festive season. Shopping? I suppose Joseph’s unsuccessful search to find shelter could be called shopping. There were no Christmas cards. There were no trees, lights, tinsel, ribbons, bows, packages, or parties. What there was, was a barn with all of the sights, smells, and sanitation problems that go with a barn. There was no spray disinfectant, there was no pain medication, there were no helping hands, there wasn’t even a bed. God’s perfect Christmas had come and Mary’s baby was placed into the prickly and itchy hay that filled the animals’ feeding trough. The Lord of life entered this world as He would leave it, unwanted and rejected by the very people He had come to save.
No one could blame you if you were to think that God’s perfect Christmas seems to have had some serious shortcomings. Nobody would be surprised if you commented: “It took thousands of years to prepare for this? Where are the presents? Where’s the music? Where’s the party?” At first glance, God’s perfect Christmas could easily appear to be a mixture of terrible timing, terrible traveling, terrible circumstances, and a terrible situation. At first glance. But I encourage you to take another look. Not everything is as it seems.
You asked, “Where is the music?” God’s perfect Christmas did have music. Just a short distance away, in some shepherd’s fields there was music. There was a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying in tones never before heard on this earth: “Glory to God in the highest.” The chorus of the angels must have thought God’s perfect Christmas was pretty special. You asked, “Where was the party?” There was one. The invitation to that party was powerful enough to take faithful men away from their work and leave their livelihood unattended. The shepherds who had heard the angelic choir said to themselves, “Let’s go to Bethlehem and see this thing which the Lord has told us about.”
Yes, there was an earthly party at God’s perfect Christmas. And there was, I imagine, a heavenly party as well. If God’s people had forgotten God’s promise to send the world a perfect Christmas, the angels of heaven had not. They knew what had happened in that stable was going to transform the world and the eternity of millions. They knew that the birth of the baby in Bethlehem was good news of great joy for all of humanity. They knew God’s perfect Christmas had come.
Oh, if I remember rightly, you also asked, “Where’s the present?” Well at God’s perfect Christmas there was a present. Yes, that’s right, only one present… but what a present! Here, come closer. Look into the manger. See that baby? He is God’s present. That little baby is what makes God’s Christmas perfect. In truth, if you have this baby in your heart, even though all the other trappings of Christmas might be missing, you will have that one thing which is needful. Without this baby, nothing you can do, nothing you can buy or bake will make your Christmas more than second rate. Why? Because this baby is God’s Son. This baby, as the angel instructed months before, has been named Jesus. The name means Savior. That’s a pretty big name to live up to, but He will. He will, through His life, His death, His resurrection, save His people from their sins.
Shhhhh… don’t disturb Him. Just spend a moment and look at your Savior, God’s perfect Christmas present. Yes, I know He looks like a baby. He is. He was born a human baby like each of us. But He is also the Son of God, a divine present from the Lord who is keeping His ancient promise to save us from ourselves, from sin, from death and devil. Jesus is God’s perfect present who brings forgiveness and life, and peace to all who believe on Him. How will that happen? It will happen because He will take your place, and suffer the punishment that you have coming here. Look at Baby Jesus as He sleeps. See those little hands curling and uncurling? Those hands will, years from now, be pierced with nails and He will be hung upon a cross. Those nails should have been yours; they are His now. See His face; that face will be beaten and spit upon; His head-it will be crowned with thorns. Those torments should have been yours; but they are also His now. Watch His chest rising and falling in peaceful rhythm. The day will come when that heart will stop beating; when it will be pierced with a spear, and He will die. He will do that for you. Not because you’ve earned it, not because you deserve it. No, He will die because God wants you to live. He will rise again to show you that everything that I have said, that the Bible has said, is true. Do you want a perfect Christmas? Look at the baby. Look at Jesus who will save you from your sins. Look at Jesus, God’s perfect present to you. Look at Jesus, God’s gift that we at The Lutheran Hour are proud to share with you this day. If you want to know more about this perfect present, call us at The Lutheran Hour. Amen.
LUTHERAN HOUR MAILBOX (Questions & Answers) for December 18, 2005
ANNOUNCER: Stay with us now, as Pastor Ken Klaus answers questions from listeners.
KLAUS: At least we give it our best.
ANNOUNCER: I’m Mark Eischer. Well, we seem to have a pattern going here. Today we have another question that deals with the worship life of a congregation. One of our listeners wants to know, “What’s the purpose of passing the peace” during a church service?
KLAUS: Before we go any farther, Mark, we ought to explain what that means. “Passing the peace” is that time in the divine service when the worshipers turn to each other and share the Lord’s blessing with those around them.
ANNOUNCER: At my church, this takes place right after the Words of Institution for the sacrament. The pastor consecrates the bread and the wine and then he says, “The Peace of the Lord be with you.” We reply, “And also with you.” And then the pastor says, “Let us share a sign of that peace with one another.” And then we all shake hands with the people who are around us.
KLAUS: Now, Mark, beyond offering a simple definition, does our listener have a problem of some kind with that?
ANNOUNCER: Well, maybe. Regarding this custom, our listener writes, “We didn’t do that in church when I was young, and it makes me feel uncomfortable now. I know the Lord has forgiven us, so why do we have to say something like that to someone we may not even know? Still, if I don’t go along with it, it looks like I’m being proud and standoffish. So, what’s the purpose of passing the peace?”
KLAUS: Wow, for just about the first time, I don’t think I have to ask for more information.
ANNOUNCER: You’re entirely welcome.
KLAUS: I think I understand where the person’s coming from. This passing of the peace might seem to be a practice that has only recently been introduced into the church.
ANNOUNCER: But it’s not a new thing?
KLAUS: Well, the origins of passing the peace aren’t new at all. They go back to the earliest days of the church. As you read through Scripture you’ll find believers encouraged to “greet each other with a holy kiss.” (1 Corinthians 16:20; 2 Corinthians 13:12; 1 Thessalonians 5:26) The purpose of the “holy kiss” was to let people know that even as God had forgiven them, they forgive each other.
ANNOUNCER: In fact, Dr. Norman Nagel has said that this peace is God’s gift to us, and it’s not something we set in motion.
KLAUS: He’s right. Jesus said, “If you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled to your brother; then come and offer your gift.” Jesus was saying, “Your worship is going to have a deeper meaning if your heart is right with God and with each other.”
ANNOUNCER: Didn’t Jesus also say something about what might happen if we didn’t forgive each other?
KLAUS: He did. The passage you’re referring to is found in Matthew 6. There, Jesus said, “For if you forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.”
ANNOUNCER: So, in the early church, in order to show that there were no unresolved sins or disagreements, they greeted each other with a holy kiss before receiving the sacrament of Christ’s body and blood. But that’s not the kind of kiss we see in the movies, is it?
KLAUS: No, no. It’s far more like what you would see exchanged between friends in some European countries. It’s not a romantic thing. It’s a respectful, brotherly thing.
ANNOUNCER: Why aren’t churches nowadays encouraging holy kisses?
KLAUS: Well, I’m afraid there would be some difficulties doing that in a culture where a kiss often means something quite different than brotherly respect.
ANNOUNCER: So, getting back to our listener’s question. Should they be forced to pass the peace to those around them?
KLAUS: Absolutely not. Nobody should be forced to fake being nice or forgiving.
ANNOUNCER: So it’s OK then if they don’t?
KLAUS: It would be OK. But let me ask you, who is the passing of the peace for? Who benefits from passing the peace?
ANNOUNCER: So, really our listener is saying, “Passing the peace makes me feel uncomfortable. They really ought to be asking, “How might it make someone else feel? ”
KLAUS: Good. If you don’t pass the peace, what effect will it have on those around you? Will they think you have a grudge, or bad feelings about them? If they are new in the church, won’t they think the church is a pretty cold place?
ANNOUNCER: I imagine they would.
KLAUS: And, in reality, all the church is asking that person to do is to publicly express what should already be privately in their hearts. We’ve been forgiven of all our sins by God, right?
ANNOUNCER: Right, on account of Christ.
KLAUS: Big sins, little sins, a whole lot of sins?
ANNOUNCER: Absolutely.
KLAUS: Now, as forgiven children of God, shouldn’t we do all we can to assure our fellow worshippers and believers that they, too, are forgiven… by God, and by each other?
ANNOUNCER: That would make sense.
KLAUS: I think so, too. So, nobody should be forced to pass the peace… but I can’t think of many reasons not to do so. It’s a kind and gentle thing to do that doesn’t cost us very much.
ANNOUNCER: Thank you, Pastor Klaus. This has been a presentation of Lutheran Hour Ministries.
Music selections for this program:
“A Mighty Fortress” arranged by John Leavitt. Concordia Publishing House/SESAC
“The Angel Gabriel” arranged by Henry Gerike. From Gentle Stranger by the Concordia Seminary Chorus (© 2004 Concordia Seminary Chorus)
“O Jesus Christ, Thy Manger Is” by Paul Gerhardt and Kenneth Kosche. Used by permission
“The King Shall Come” by Charles Ore. From From My Perspective, vol. 2 by Charles Ore (© 1995 Organ Works Corporation) Concordia Publishing House/SESAC
“Lift Up Your Heads, You Mighty Gates” by John Behnke. From For All Seasons, vol. 3 by John Behnke (© 2004 John A. Behnke) Concordia Publishing House/SESAC