2020-12-24 – Year B – Christmas Eve – The Rev. Christopher M. Klukas
Isaiah 62:6-12; Psalm 97; Titus 3:4-7; Luke 2:1-20
- Narnia – always winter and never Christmas. (p. 16)
The Weary World Rejoices
- The world is not the way it is supposed to be, and it can feel hopeless at times.
- In the lesson we read from Isaiah we hear of a time when Jerusalem lay in desolation. The food and wine they had labored for became the possession of their enemies!
- There have been many seasons of hopelessness throughout history. Maybe this is such a season for you right now.
- “Blue Christmas”
- Perhaps you have lost someone this year due to death
- Maybe you are struggling with your health.
- Coronavirus has certainly taken its toll this year!
- Maybe your loved ones are far away and you haven’t been able to see them.
- Many this year have lost their jobs or their regular work hours, and are struggling financially, you might be one of them.
- When things feel hopeless, we need a source of hope.
- Not “I wish things were better”
- Something that makes us say “things will be better.”
- Father Christmas visits Narnia (pp. 102-103) – winter is not over yet, but Aslan is coming.
- We can find this hope in something that has happened which points to something that will happen.
- One night, more than 2,000 years ago, hope entered the world in the form of a baby.
- “A thrill of hope, the weary world rejoices / for yonder breaks a new and glorious morn!” (Placide Cappeau, 1847, tr. John S. Dwight)
The Hope of Christmas
- The hope that Jesus brings attacks the root issue of all that is wrong in the world: sin.
- “Long lay the world in sin and error pining, / Till he appeared and the soul felt its worth.”
- Sin blinds us and brings darkness – Isaiah 59:9
- Sin separates us from God but a redeemer is coming – Isaiah 59:2
- God himself was coming as a redeemer – Isaiah 59:20
- This baby was born to poor parents, his birth took place far away from the comfort of his home, his first few years were spent even further away as a refugee in Egypt.
- He experienced the hopelessness of the world so that he could redeem it.
- He became like us so he could save us.
- Titus 3:4-5 – “But when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared…”
- This is good news! It is the beginning of things getting better.
- All is not well yet, but this first coming of Jesus promises that he is coming again.
Let Every Heart Prepare Him Room
- Jesus brings hope for all of humanity. He brings light to the darkness of this world. But the gift that he offers is not automatic, it has to be accepted.
- “Joy to the world, the Lord is come! / Let earth receive its king; / let ev’ry heart prepare him room…” (Isaac Watts, 1719)
- Have you prepared room in your heart for Jesus?
- Have you opened the door to let him in?
- Revelation 3:20-21 – “Behold, I stand at the door and knock…”
- To accept this gift you need to:
- Recognize that you are a sinner, that you are a part of the problem.
- Repent, tell Jesus you are sorry and that you want to live differently
- Thank him for coming into the world and dying on the cross for your sin.
- Ask him to forgive you and come into your heart so that he can give you the strength to change.
- All the things of this world will ultimately disappoint us.
- All the people of this world will eventually let us down in one way or another.
- Jesus is the only hope that will never fail us.
- “Romans 15:13 “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.”
