Christmas Midnight, 2024

Text: Luke 2:1-20

Title: The Lord Comes at Night 

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The Lord comes at night.

Night is a time of fear and loneliness.  Night is a time of danger and doubt.

But the Lord comes at night.

It was night in Israel, and I don’t just mean the time of day.  These were dark times for the nation.

Caesar Augustus was their sovereign, and Herod was his puppet king.  Gone were the glory days of King David and King Solomon.  Gone were the legendary days of Moses, Aaron, and Joshua.  Gone were the times when they had defeated their enemies and enjoyed peace and prosperity.  Gone were the days that they had freedom and independence.

Caesar was a foreign emperor who thought he was a god. His will was law.  When Caesar said “Go,” you went.  When Caesar said, “It’s time for a census, it’s time to make sure that taxes are paid, it’s time to go to your homeland,” you went.  No excuses.  Not even if you were heavily pregnant.  Caesar would not take a doctor’s note.

The darkness in Israel was much deeper than simply political oppression.  The darkness was spiritual as well.

It had been 400 years since Malachi, the last prophet had spoken.  In that time, the religious life of Israel had been in a downward spiral.

The Pharisees held sway in the synagogues. They taught people to keep themselves pure and avoid anything, any person who would defile them.  They taught that certain sinners and outsiders were beyond help and were to be avoided at all costs.  Theirs was a religion of law and judgment without any mercy or grace.

The Sadducees held sway in the temple.  They were more about power and control than serving the Lord.  They sought personal enrichment and glory above all else and took advantage of the pilgrims who came to worship there.  The temple had become a business, and no matter how many animals were sacrificed, the people’s guilt remained.

They needed, they longed for a Savior, one who would make things right.  They were walking in darkness.  They were dwelling in a land of deep darkness.

And so, one dark night, our Lord came.

He was born as a baby, wrapped in swaddling cloths, and placed in a manger.  He didn’t come with power and might, He didn’t ride into town as a conquering general with an army behind Him.

He was born as a helpless baby to an unknown girl in a tiny village.

By all appearances, Jesus was just another baby boy born in poverty in some remote part of the world.

And yet, that child, that baby was God Himself.

That was the message the angel told the shepherds that dark night, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of a great joy that will be for all the people. 11For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.”

God came in Jesus Christ to save His people, to rescue them from all their enemies.  Not just from Caesar.  Not just from the corrupt religious leaders of the day.

Jesus came to defeat the powers of darkness itself.

Jesus came to defeat the darkness of sin. 

Sin darkens your heart. 

Because of sin’s darkness, you cannot see God for who He truly is.  You imagine Him to be a cruel tyrant who creates impossible rules for you to follow. You imagine Him to be distant and uncaring when bad things happen to you.

Because of sin’s darkness, you cannot see your neighbors for who they truly are.  You see them as your rivals and your enemies.  You ascribe the worst motives to them and see them as irredeemable, beyond your ability to love.

Because of sin’s darkness, you cannot see yourself for who you truly are.  You believe your own lies, you think that you’re always right, and you don’t recognize your fatal flaws.  Or, you see yourself as beyond the love of God, that you are so broken, you could never be fixed.

It is night.  But our Lord comes at night.

The light of God in Christ shines through the darkness of sin.

In Christ, you see God for who He truly is. He is your loving Creator, who comes to earth to be with you, to suffer with you, and to bring you through this valley of the shadow of death to the light and beauty of your heavenly home.

In Christ, you see your neighbors for who they truly are.  They are created in the image of God.  They are redeemed by the blood of Christ.  They are valuable to Him and therefore valuable to you.

In Christ, you see yourself for who you truly are. You are utterly corrupted and unable to save yourself.  And yet, you are loved by God to the point of His giving up His only Son so that you would have eternal life.  If you question your value, look to the manger, look to the cross, and see Jesus there for you.

Jesus was there for you.  And Jesus is here for you.

You are here tonight looking for light.  Not just the light of a few tiny candles that burn for a few minutes and are quickly extinguished.  Not just the lights strung on trees that twinkle for a few weeks each year and then are put away.

You are here tonight looking for light that will last, light that endure.

Are you in the darkness of fear?  Does the future seem scary and uncertain?  Know that the future is in the Lord’s hands. He has a plan for you.  It may be hard to know and trust that sometimes, but that’s where faith comes in.  Jesus’ light is stronger than the darkness of sin, death, and the devil.  He will not let any of your enemies overcome you. 

Are you in the darkness of loneliness?  Are you missing loved ones who have died? Are you estranged from your family? Do you have a hard time making friends? Know that Jesus is always with you. He came from heaven to earth so that you would never be alone.  Even if everyone in your life abandons you, Jesus will never leave you.  He put His name on you in Holy Baptism and you belong to Him.

Are you in the darkness of guilt?  Are there certain sins that continually bother you? Know that Jesus died for those sins, too.  Know that it is all forgiven and your debt has been paid.  Know that you don’t have to earn God’s love, but it is yours fully and freely in Jesus Christ.

Wherever there is darkness, Jesus comes to bring light. And this is the place where that light shines for you.

When you hear the word of God read, proclaimed, confessed, and sung, the light of Christ shines.

When Jesus Christ, the light of the world, the risen and ascended king of creation comes here to this altar, the light of Christ shines.

When it is night, when darkness threatens to overtake you, come here to this place of light, where Jesus comes to you.

No matter how dark your night becomes, do not be afraid.  The Lord comes at night.

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