Dear Christian friends:

Again this Christmas we hear and sing the wonderful story that happened in Bethlehem almost 2,000 years ago. That story tells of many things we cannot understand or explain: God's Son is born of a virgin. Who every heard of a virgin having a baby?

The angel comes to tell shepherds the news. Have you ever seen an angel? Do you believe in angels? Can you prove that there are angels? No, we cannot prove it. This story is a mystery and the greatest mystery is that God became Man and remained God.

Jesus is Mary's Son and God's Son. We cannot understand it but we can with God's help believe it and find great joy and comfort in it. It has much meaning for our life.


He is Mary's Son and we often forget this. The Bible calls Him the Son of Abraham, Rod of Jesse, Son of David, Son of Mary and He often referred to Himself as the Son of Man. Our text tells us that He was born of Mary. (verse 7) Mary came with Joseph to Bethlehem, "great with child." She was truly pregnant as any women and when Jesus was born she laid him in a manger a real, live, human baby like any other baby.

By this God wants to impress upon us that He likes His world and man whom He made. Human nature and the things of this world are God's idea as is also sex. Too often we Christians think that all earthly things are bad. They are not bad. God made them and His own Son became one. We should use our nature and earth as God intended and enjoy it and give glory to Him.

By His Son becoming a baby, a true man, God also wants to impress upon us that He is concerned about mans problems, troubles and needs. Jesus became a man to serve His fellow men.

This reminds us Christians of our duty to love men and serve one another even if this costs us much. We, His Church should preach the good news of God's love, not only by what we say but also by what we do. Often our kind deeds will impress people more than our kind talk. Kind talk without kind deeds impresses nobody.

By His Son becoming a true man God also wants to impress upon us that Jesus our Brother is really our Savior. He became one of us to be our Substitute under the Law. As a true man He could take our place and obey God's holy law for us. Paul says, "When the exact time came God sent forth His Son, made of a woman, made under the Law to redeem them that were under the law that we might become His adopted sons." (Galatians 4:4-7) What we sinful humans could not do Jesus the sinless Human did, did perfectly for us and satisfied our holy and perfect God.

Jesus is also our Substitute in paying the punishment of our sins. He became a true man, also, so that He could suffer the terrible punishment of our sins upon the cross. When God's law is broken someone must pay the punishment. God's holiness and justice demands this. We could not pay the terrible cost. So God pitied us and gave up His only beloved Son to pay for us.

And Jesus could pay because while He is also man He is also true God. He was always God with the Father and the Holy Spirit. And when He became man through the Virgin Mary He did not stop being God. The choir just sang: "A Great And Mighty Wonder" the second verse says.

"The Word becomes incarnate and yet remains on high."

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. (John 1:1) The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth. (John 1:14)

So we have a perfect, wonderful Savior born of Mary in Bethlehem. He cannot fail us in our need. He is God's perfect offering for sin. That is why, after Jesus was born, the angel of the Lord could say to the sinful shepherds as they stood trembling before His holy glory, "Fear not, for behold I bring you glad tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people for unto you is born this day in the city of David, a Savior, which is Christ the Lord." (Luke 2:10-11)

This good news of great joy is also for you 2,000 years later, if you like the shepherds tremble before God's glory and confess your sins and believe the words of the Christmas angel.

Then you will have in your heart great joy and peace that will not die or fade away with the Christmas decorations.

Amen.