Christmas Day
Christmas is finally here! All the planning, all the hustle and bustle of the “holiday season” are for the most part done. And if they haven’t been so already, soon it will be time for all the presents, which have been wrapped with care, to be opened. And, yes, egged on by society and Madison Avenue, sadly, for many, Christmas has become an orgy of materialism and consumerism. For many, it will in large part be judged to be either a memorable or a “good” Christmas or a “bad” Christmas by what gifts are received. But when it comes down to it, the presents that we give and the presents that we receive are a vital and essential part of Christmas. That’s not because of what they are but because of what they reflect/ what they point to—Jesus, the gift given to the world that first Christmas. Every gift that we give and/or receive is a reflection—however faint it may be—of that greatest gift given that first Christmas: Jesus the Son of God. Each gift that we give and/ or receive is a proclamation of what Christmas is all about: God’s gift to us of His Son. And yes, it is all horribly corrupted in our materialistic society today, but whether they like it or not—even unbelievers and enemies of Christ and His Church—with each gift they give or receive they are, however remotely and faintly, preaching the true meaning of Christmas—a gift given, God’s gift of His Son to this world of sinners to save us from sin, death, devil and hell. Instead of getting worked up and frustrated at all the commercialism and corruption, sit back and laugh at the secularists and enemies of Jesus and His Church. Unbeknownst to them and against their will, they are, even if faintly, proclaiming the heart and core of Christmas: For unto us a Child is born, Unto us a Son is given.
That’s what the OT prophet St. Isaiah prophesied about Christmas 700 years before that first Christmas. He wasn’t there in the manger at Bethlehem, but looking into the future with eyes opened by the Holy Spirit He saw Mary and Joseph and that Baby who was lying in a manger. And He knew precisely who that Baby was and what that Baby would do. Earlier [7.14] St. Isaiah said by the Holy Spirit: Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a Son, and shall call His name Immanuel because He is the “God-with-us”; and now, looking into the manger of Bethlehem he says: For unto us a Child is born, Unto us a Son is given. Right away here with these words: For unto us a Child is born, Isaiah brings us back to and reminds us of the announcement of the virgin birth: the virgin shall conceive and bear a Son. That is a real, true human baby in that manger, the Son of the virgin. Jesus is true, 100% man. But He is also more! Lying in that manger is not just a human baby boy but also the very God Himself, the Immanuel, the “God-with-us.” And that’s where in our text St. Isaiah comes to the heart and core of the Christmas Gospel, that great gift given that first Christmas: Unto us a Son is given. Jesus is not just a Child that is born, but He is a Gift that is given to us, and that for our good! And notice: Unto us a Son is given. A Son! That points to Jesus’ divine nature—He is the very God Himself, the Son, the Second Person of the Holy Trinity. And He is given, as a gift, to us/ for us! For unto us a Child is born, Unto us a Son is given. Here St. Isaiah looks into the manger as it were and announces the great Christmas miracle, the mystery of the Incarnation—that the true God—the Son—has taken on human flesh and blood and has also become true man to be our Savior. He sees that the Father has sent the Son/ given Him to us so that He might save/ rescue us from our sin. The divine and human meet and are united in Jesus. He was born for us/ given to us so that He might go to the cross and die for our sins and reconcile us sinners to God.
And by the Holy Spirit, peering into that manger and seeing that newborn Baby boy, Isaiah doesn’t just see the outward; he sees that Baby for who He really is and he says: And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Here St. Isaiah sees the Divine; that Jesus, the Baby who was born for us and given to us is the very God Himself. That newborn Baby who is so defenseless and dependent on His mother for life, is actually the very God Himself! Is it a great surprise, then, that this Baby is called Wonderful? He is truly a Wonder. Not just this or that is wonderful or amazing about Him but Jesus Himself is a Wonder! After all, here is the God-man; He is the one who is both God and man. Here is the almighty God Himself who made heaven and earth and who is still ruling, guiding and preserving all things but He is helpless in the manger relying on His Mother for everything. But Jesus is a wonder—His Person is a wonder—He is that Child who was born for us, and that Son Who was given for us, that glorious union of the divine and human to be our Savior. Of course He is a wonder! So as the OT saint peers into the manger 700 years before he doesn’t just see/ he isn’t offended by that lowly Baby there. He sees the Wonder—the God-man, his Savior. So also us today! Let us look into that manger of over 2000 years ago and there see Jesus the God-man. Let us marvel at that Christmas miracle—God became man to be my Savior.
Isaiah continues: And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor… With Counselor we see more of Jesus’ divinity shining through the darkness of that stable that night. Here is Jesus’ divine wisdom and intelligence. He is holy Wisdom itself. Jesus, our Counselor knows all of the thoughts and decrees of God—because why? He is God! And knowing God’s eternal thoughts and decrees, Jesus in His divine wisdom determines and carries out a plan of action. For unto us a Child is born, Unto us a Son is given. He is here to be our Savior and to reconcile the whole of sinful humanity to the holy God. In His divine wisdom, He will actually bring it about. And He did so in the cross. After all, how else could God’s justice—that He must punish sin—be satisfied, as well as His mercy toward the sinner? –In the cross, where Jesus suffers and dies for the sin of the world, thus God’s justice is satisfied; and where He can exercise mercy toward the sinner, as it is Jesus, His Son, the God-man on the cross suffering and dying for the sins of the world in place of the sinner.
Jesus is the Counselor and for us that is a great comfort. He is the divine Wisdom and He, dear Christian, is our Counselor and Helper in need. He knows how to help us in our greatest distress and can help and rescue us. If He came and helped us out of our greatest need—sin, death and damnation—certainly He can help us out of our lesser needs and our daily troubles. Let us, with Isaiah, look at that Baby in the manger and there see our Counselor, full of divine wisdom and power.
And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God... Now here there is no mistaking the fact that the one born that first Christmas is the very God Himself. He is called, after all, Mighty God. A more literal way that this is translated is: God who is a mighty man. The word mighty man is a military term. It refers to the one who goes out to fight and wins the battle; mighty men of valor, a warrior. Here we come to the significance of what Christmas is. It is Jesus, that mighty Man of God, that warrior, who by His birth of the Virgin in Bethlehem now visibly enters the battle to fight against the devil and his allies and who will conquer him by His holy life and His suffering and death—Jesus’ glorious victory proclaimed on Easter Sunday. By peering into the stable and seeing Jesus in the manger and calling Him Mighty God / God who is a warrior, Isaiah sees the works that Jesus would do. He would fight and defeat the devil, sin, death all for us and our salvation. Jesus, the Mighty God, powerfully carried out the divine counsel/ the divine wisdom for our salvation and now He gives us the fruit and the blessing of His work in His holy word and Sacrament. Just like that newborn babe in the manger didn’t look like the Mighty God, so too how He gives us the benefit and result of His work doesn’t look like much—some words, water of holy baptism, bread and wine of the Holy Communion—but in them He gives us the forgiveness of sin and eternal life; in them He comes to us and unites Himself with us.
And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father... Again, another fascinating name/ description of who it was who was born that first Christmas: Everlasting Father. Literally it reads “Father of eternity.” Isaiah isn’t here confusing the Persons of the Trinity and calling the Son the Father. Instead, this is a Hebrew way of speaking: if Jesus is the “Father of eternity” that means that He is the “author of eternity.” So what Isaiah is pointing out is that the Baby who was born on that first Christmas is also eternal. [Gn.1.1; Jn. 1.1,14] In the beginning God/ in the beginning was the Word… and the word became flesh and dwelt among us. When time began, the eternal God was already there. And He is the one who was born—unto us a Son [the Son, the Second Person of the Holy Trinity] is given to be our Savior.
Jesus, though born in time, is the eternal God, the Son. And so what is He? –The Everlasting Father or “the Father/ the Author of eternity”. And He is the One who produces for us/ gives us eternal life, as Jesus says in the Gospel [Jn 10.28]: And I give [My sheep/ Christians] eternal life. To give eternal life is something only the eternal God can do! And Jesus can do it because He is the eternal God and Father/ the Author of eternity. And His reign is eternal.
And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. As Isaiah looks in and sees that gift of God, that Son who was born for us and given to us, he sees the Ruler who brings true peace to the world. Jesus told His disciples that first Maundy Thursday evening [Jn 14.27]: Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you…Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid. In Jesus we sinners have been reconciled to the holy God. By His holy work, His life, suffering and death we now have peace with God. Our sins that once separated us from God, Jesus has dealt with once for all on the cross. He now gives us in His holy word and sacraments the forgiveness of sins; and where sin is forgiven we have peace with God and heaven stands open to us. In His glorious kingdom—the Church—Jesus gives us that peace that is beyond our understanding. Hear it in the Christmas Gospel and receive it once again this Christmas. With St. Isaiah, look into the manger and there see the Prince of Peace, who brought about our peace with God, that peace that our sin first destroyed. Let this Christmas be one of peace for each of us—receiving that peace/ that forgiveness of sin that Jesus won for us all fully and freely; and as subjects of His kingdom of peace/ members of His Church let us show that same peace/ forgiveness to those who sinned against us—forgiving others as God has forgiven us. That’s what it means to be a Christian, a subject of Prince of Peace’s kingdom, the Church. As Isaiah looks into the manger, as we look into the manger today and there see the Baby Jesus there we see the Prince of Peace. He is our peace; He gives us peace and He calls us into His Church, His kingdom of peace, where keeps giving us that peace—the forgiveness of sin and every heavenly blessing—in His holy word and sacraments and we live in that peace.
What a glorious gift we all received that first Christmas: For unto us a Child is born, Unto us a Son is given…And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. INJ