Christmas Eve - Luke 2:1-14

 

Christmas Eve 2021

Luke 2:1-14

In Rome sat Caesar Augustus.  Rome was the capital city of the great Roman Empire.  A world power with no equal, whose citizens enjoyed all the benefits it offered.  A life of luxury and decadence, many owning slaves. They sat at the top of the heap of the nations, had for many years, and would continue to for many more.

In Bethlehem, things were different.  The little town, small among the clans of Judah, had one claim to fame.  It was the hometown of David, Israel’s greatest king.  But that was a thousand years ago.  And nothing like it had happened since.  They were far overshadowed by nearby Jerusalem, and Jerusalem itself had nowhere near the glory of Rome.

And Caesar Augustus – himself a figure of history.  The grand-nephew and successor of Julius Caesar.  Augustus was a title given him by the senate, it meant “Illustrious One”.  We sometimes refer to a grand gathering today as an “august body”.  He was also called, “Priceps” Which means: first in time or order; the first, foremost, chief, the most eminent, distinguished, or noble; the first man, first person.  It’s the word from which we derive the term, “prince”.

Ah, but down there in lowly Bethlehem is born a baby with no title, no senate, no armies at his command.  At least, so it would appear.  The contrast couldn’t be sharper.  This child has no palace or throne, only a stable and a manger.  No kingly robes, only swaddling clothes.

But there’s more than what appears.  This little child of Mary is the true ruler of all.  He is more august than Augustus.  He is the first in time and first in order, the chief, most eminent, noble.  He is eternal.  And he has a heavenly council of his own, and armies upon armies of angels at his command.  Some of whom announce his birth, but not to Caesars and Kings, rather to poor shepherds in the field at night.

Oh, and though few would know it for a while, Jesus does bear more and better titles than Caesar.  He is the true Prince – the Prince of Peace, the Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, and much, much more.

Caesar decreed a tax and a census.  He wanted the people counted, and what a good time to extract some coin while he was at it?  Caesar’s decree was to control and command and take from the people.

But the Christ child, though by rights, as God, he could command and control,  yet he comes in the way of the Gospel.  His decrees run the way of, “It is finished!”, “Your sins are forgiven!”, “If anyone lives and believes in me, he will never die!”

He comes not demanding, but giving and inviting.  He comes humble and lowly.  He comes not to conquer men, but death and devil.  He is born to die, and that death will be for all people. 

Noticed Caesar decreed that “All the world” should be taxed.  But as powerful as he was, Caesar didn’t really rule “all the world”.  Ah, but there is one who does – and who came to rule in a very different way.  A kingdom not like the kingdoms of this world.  And his birth is “good news of great joy that will be for all the people.”

In such a small way God begins the work of his kingdom – with a birth. 

There’s good reason we celebrate the birth of Christ and not the birth of Caesar Augustus.  For all the glory of Rome it faded into history – just like every other human institution and achievement.  But Christ and his church remain.  And the gates of Hell cannot prevail. 

Caesar was, by human measure a great man.  Christ, however, is the God-man.  He is divine.  The Caesars claimed to be gods.  Jesus Christ proved his divinity.  For the Caesars are all dead.  But Christ conquered death, lives now, and will never die.

Our old sinful nature is more of the ilk of Caesar.  We like to think we’re more than we are.  We, by nature, operate in a world of power and control, lording what little we have over whoever has less.  We think in terms of what we can extract from others, more than what we can give.  We are impressed with worldly things, worldly grandeur, worldly riches.  We find it hard to see the value in the unseen, the hidden, the spiritual.  We want to be regarded by the world, and forget how much more important it is to be regarded by our creator.

And with sin comes death.  Just as Caesar and all men great and small one day face the great leveler of the grave – we too will die as the wages of sin come due.  In many ways, we are not very different than Caesar.

But this child born in Bethlehem is a stranger and an alien among us.  Like us in every way, and yet unlike us in one very important way – he is without sin.  And that makes all the difference.

Jesus takes his time and slowly unfolds his saving work, step by step, over the course of years.  When the time came, Mary gave birth.  And in time, Jesus lives a human life to redeem all of human life.  He is conceived and born of a woman to bring salvation to all who are conceived and born of women.  He then submits to every aspect of our human life – he eats and sleeps, he learns to walk, he makes friends, grows and learns.  He lives in a family, and is obedient to his parents.  He grieves and weeps and loves and laughs. He does all things we do – but he does them all well, without sin.  And he does them for us – a representative of us all – before God – earning righteousness through his perfect, sinless life.  And bestowing that righteousness on us sinners.  We couldn’t do it ourselves.  So he does it all for us.

And when the time came for his public ministry to begin, he again identifies with us – though he doesn’t need to – in a baptism.  John was right, he’s the one who should be doing the baptizing, the cleansing, but now to fulfill all righteousness, Jesus who is without sin becomes like a sinner.  Even more, he shoulders up our sins and carries them to his death on the cross.  Yes, he who was without sin was made to BE sin for us.  And there, in his body, sin is destroyed.

And so Jesus does it all.  He redeems and sanctifies all of human life – from cradle to grave, from when he was laid in the manger to when he was laid in the tomb, Jesus does it all for us.

But his time in the grave would be short.  Just three days.  Long enough to fulfill his words.  Long enough to confirm he was truly dead, and not a minute longer than necessary.  Mary’s firstborn now becomes the firstborn of the dead.  Again, only Jesus can do it, but he does it for us.  And just as his perfect life paved the way for us, so his resurrection guarantees our own.  Just as he identified with us as sinners in his earthly life, now we are identified with him, and have a share in his victory over death.  United with Christ in baptism, buried and raised, we need not fear death.  Eternal life is ours!

As any parent will tell you – when a child is born – everything changes.  And sometimes it takes us parents years to understand the full ramifications of such a change.  How much more with the birth of the Christ child? 

Thanks be to God for this great good news.  Thanks be to God for the birth of the Savior, Christ our Lord!  A king greater than any Caesar.  The Son of God in human flesh.  We rejoice that he has come, and that his life and death and resurrection are for us! 

God bless you this Christmas and always, in Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.