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Grace, mercy, and peace be to you from God our Father and from our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Amen.
Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, the text comes from the Gospel reading of St. John. You may be seated. The verse in the hymn that we just finished singing that really captures the concept: “…the light eternal, breaking through, made the world to gleam anew. His beams have pierced the core of night.” He makes us children of the light. Hallelujah. Fear not little flock. You, like Bowen, are a child of God.
In the midst of this world groaning as it is under the pains of sin. In the midst of this world where you groan under the pains of your sins. In the midst did the Word become flesh. Emmanuel was born for you. Fear not little flock. Though the world does not receive Him who comes to the world, you’ve been given the gift of adoption. You have been called to faith in spite of yourself. Your God has come among you as the Word made flesh, and you are His possession. He owns you.
“In the beginning” is how God began the Scriptures. In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. And He did it by speaking the world into existence. Just as you saw before your very eyes, Bowen be born again and be raised from the dead through words spoken by a sinner to other sinners. From an enemy to a beloved child is what you saw happen in Bowen and what has happened in your life. What wondrous love is this, oh my Lord. What wondrous love is this.
Though born of flesh of Adam’s descendant, you, like Bowen, have been born again. Born again by the Word, made flesh for you. That Greek word on the front of the bulletin cover is pronounced ha-lagos. It means the Word in Greek. And there in that manger, this is the Word made flesh. Though death and the grave and hell were your inheritance when you were conceived in your mother’s womb, the Word made flesh took your grave. The Word made flesh took your death, and the Word made flesh took your hell. And what did He give you? The kingdom of heaven, prepared from the foundation of the world. Amen. For all who believe and are baptized shall be saved.
Fear not, little flock, for though the devil is now your arch enemy, and though you suffer and struggle, and you appear accursed at times, in your own eyes and in the eyes of others, you are a child of God, born of God, not of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but born of God. Born of God by the Word made flesh and born for you.
It is very true that daily we see in ourselves and in our loved ones the consequences of being Adam’s descendants. As we look at pictures of past Christmases, and then we look at ourselves in the mirror. As we look at pictures of our loved ones of past Christmases, and look at them now. We see the consequences of being Adam’s sons and daughters. And yet, and yet you hear from your Emmanuel, Him imparting life and forgiveness and salvation in His name, which is not received by sight, but by faith, hearing the word.
Fear not, little flock, for His flesh redeems your flesh, and His blood redeems your blood, that you may call God, not God, but Father. And that Christ may not just be Savior, but also be called your brother. For you share, or rather He shares in your flesh and blood, that you may share in His flesh and blood. How noble of a gift God gives to us in the face of such an ignoble sacrifice, this is a great and glorious exchange.
Fear not, little flock, for the Word of God made flesh is working in you. Working in you to do the things that He will accomplish in you. And the best part of it is in spite of you. He who sees us afar off draws us near to Him. And we are brought near to Him not by anything other than His flesh and His blood. Such a mystery shines as light into your world of darkness inside of you and me, shattering it, overcoming it, enveloping it, and swallowing it whole, and enlightening you with life eternal.
Fear not, little flock, for He who is eternal has brought eternal life to you. He who is life and cannot die has chosen to die that we might not die eternally. This world and Satan have no claim on you and have no claim on your flesh and blood, for it will be raised incorruptible as God has promised. You belong to the Word made flesh for you. And such a proclamation is not heard on the streets. It’s heard here in the holy ark of the Christian church today. It is heard here at the very table that you have been invited to participate in.
This Word made flesh’s body and this Word made flesh’s blood. But to all who received Him, who believed in His name, He has given power to become the children of God. Such an honor. Come and see where the Lord lays for you on that altar, in that bread and in that cup. Where He lays for you to be eaten and drank as He has proclaimed and testified to you that you may participate in His eternal body and His eternal blood. This table was prepared for no one else but you.
Fear not, little flock. The word has condescended and became flesh that he might raise you to glory. And he has anointed you not with the oil of sadness, but with the oil of gladness. Your sins are forgiven. You’ve been set free. Free to be God’s child and an heir of eternal life in Christ. And Christ is the Word made flesh for you. O come, let us adore Him. O come, let us adore Him. Christ, the Word made flesh for you.
In the name of Jesus, Amen. The peace of God which passes all understanding keep your hearts and minds on Christ Jesus to life everlasting. Amen.