Children Christmas Service
Luke 2:14
In the name of Jesus, dear friends in Christ,
Our bodies have this amazing ability to adapt, don’t they? For example, in the fall, when the temperature changes for 60s-70s to 30s-40s we’re freezing, ready for the winter coats. But then in the spring when the weather changes from -20s—30s to 30-40 degrees, we’re ready for shorts and short sleeves, right? Our bodies have a way of adapting, don’t they?
But we can also adapt in such a way that something that at one time gave us such joy and excitement over time perhaps we lose some of our amazement. You might really enjoy a certain movie the first time you watch it, but then, watching it a 2nd or 3rd time, it’s not quite the same.
Does that happen to us about the Christmas account? May it never be so! What we have before us once again this morning is a truth so simple that children can explain it to us and yet so profound and glorious that it will take eternity to fully enjoy.
This year we’ve done some special things to focus our celebration on the 500th anniversary of the Lutheran Reformation. 500 years ago this year Martin Luther began what would later be called a Reformation. He sought to restore the church back on the right foundation of God’s Word. There were certain phrases that became known through the Reformation and each of them starting with the Latin word “sola.” Sola literally means “alone.”
And what we’re going to look at this morning is the truth that was rediscovered through the Reformation that we are saved, rescued, redeemed by God alone. God alone gets all the credit for our salvation. And that’s wonderful good news! For if it were up to us -even in the slightest bit- we could never have peace, we could never have certainty, we could never rest at night knowing that we are going to heaven when we die. Why not? Because if salvation was up to us, we would always wonder: “Have I done enough? Did I do it right? Have I done it well enough? Will God accept me?” We would never have peace.
But then comes Christmas. Then comes the truth of Christmas that little children can explain to you. Christmas happened because we couldn’t save ourselves. Christmas happened because it takes none other than God Himself to take on our human flesh, to become one of us, in order to rescue us. And He did.
This little baby that we’re going to hear about this morning. This baby Jesus was born for the sole purpose of dying. Jesus was born for the sole purpose of living 33 years and then going to the cross to die for the sins of the world, for your sins, and mine. This little baby was born so that after dying he might rise from the dead and defeat sin and death forever.
In short this little baby was born because we couldn’t save ourselves, but God in incredible grace, wants nothing less than for you and I to spend eternity in heaven with him! And what does knowing that bring? Exactly what the angels announced: “Peace to people on whom His favor rests.” Amen.