Christmas Eve

December 24^th, 2023

Jonah Albrecht

God’s Saving Love Frees Me

Isaiah 9:2-7

The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who dwelt in a land of deep darkness, on them has light shone. ³ You have multiplied the nation; you have increased its joy; they rejoice before you as with joy at the harvest, as they are glad when they divide the spoil. ⁴ For the yoke of his burden, and the staff for his shoulder, the rod of his oppressor, you have broken as on the day of Midian. ⁵ For every boot of the tramping warrior in battle tumult and every garment rolled in blood will be burned as fuel for the fire. ⁶ For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. ⁷ Of the increase of his government and of peace there will be no end, on the throne of David and over his kingdom, to establish it and to uphold it with justice and with righteousness from this time forth and forevermore. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will do this.  

June 6^th, 1944 marked the single most important invasion of World War 2. D-Day. The largest amphibious landing in history, that had been in the works for over a year, was finally set into motion. The time had come for the Allies to take the bold step forward and establish a Western Front. The Success of D-Day was essential to the Allied war-effort. For years the Axis powers had been rampaging across Europe, spreading its evil in their wake. For years the atrocities of the Nazi regime tightened its grip on the land and total victory seemed within its grasp. That is until June 6^th 1944. This day marked the beginning of the end of the war effort in Europe. The Allied armies pushed through the beaches of Normandy to establish a Western Front. After the success of D-Day, one by one the Nazi positions fell until the liberators of Europe were on Berlin’s doorstep with the final victory nigh.

2000 years ago came the first D-Day. That is when God’s plan was finally set into motion. His plan in order to destroy the powers of darkness, the ultimate form of evil. In 1944, the plan involved over 24,000 troops storming the beaches of Normandy, France. God’s D-Day involved just one, a Baby born in an unassuming manger in Bethlehem. This Baby would push back and overcome the power of Satan, Sin, and Death. The birth of this Baby marked the beginning of the end for Satan’s dominion over the souls of mankind. This Baby is the Christ: God who humbled Himself to suffer and die to save you; God who breaks the yoke of sin’s slavery; God who breaks the yoke of death’s reign; God who reigns as King forevermore in the hearts of the people He has set free. Our theme for today is: God’s Saving Love Frees Me. May the Holy Spirit bless our study of His Word.

The words of our text this morning was addressed to the people of Israel, specifically the land of Zebulun and Naphtali. Why these two tribes? Because they were at the northernmost land in the nation of Israel. They would be first in line to experience the acts of brutality that would be brought by the hand of the Assyrian army. The Nazis are regarded as the worst evil in our time. That was the case of the Assyrians in the Old Testament. The brought carnage wherever they went, massacring and deporting people from the lands they conquered. They were masters of psychological warfare, often impaling their victims to mock the rest of the country. This was the evil that was bearing down on the land of Israel, a judgment for their sin and rebellion against God.  You can see why Isaiah describes their condition as being in darkness. They who were once God’s people, sunk into a darkness unlike any other; a darkness that causes them to lose their identity as a nation.

But this darkness is indicative of more than just the destruction brought by the Assyrian army. It tells of the damning condition of the world since the dawn of sin. This terror that Zebulun and Naphtali, and the rest of Israel would experience was never supposed to happen. Carnage, murder, death, all these things were non-existent when God first created this world. What He made was perfect, without sin and without death. A world of peace and perfection is what God intended, but that did not last. The Devil rebelled against God and set it as his mission to bring evil and death to God’s precious creation. Satan invited his way into the heart of man and replaced God. Instead of a fear, love, and trust in God above all things, Satan brought enmity, hatred, disdain for God and all that is good. He brought darkness over heart and soul where there had been the light of God’s glorious image. Everything fell under this curse and has suffered its effects. Death reigned, not life.

This is the darkness that flooded over God’s chosen people Israel. They abandoned worship of the true God and sought after the desires of their own flesh. The people set themselves on the front lines of danger. Not just at the hands of the Assyrian conquerors, but more importantly, the danger of dying in their sin and rebellion against God. Being relocated by a nation is one thing, but to die in the darkness of unbelief means an eternal relocation apart from God in hell. This darkness is the ultimate enemy, the enemy that consumes anyone and everyone, no one is able to overcome it.

But this is where God’s plan comes into play, the perfect plan: A light to shine in the midst of the darkness and overcome it. This light, the Babe born in Bethlehem is the one who is able to overcome the darkness of sin, death, and the Devil. He who was born without sin, would be the one to destroy its eternally destructive power. That glorious night some two-thousand years ago, when the Babe drew His first breath, God’s D-Day had begun. The invasion started; God’s plan set into motion. The angels of God hurried into action proclaiming to unassuming shepherds, “For unto you is born this day, in the city of David, a Savior, who is Christ the LORD.”

Isaiah harkens the people’s memory to the days of Midian. Midian oppressed the people ferociously to the point that the Israelites had to hide their grain lest it be stolen or destroyed by the raiders. But God heard their cries of distress and raised up Gideon to lead 300 men and defeat an army of tens of thousands. Not because of the might of 300 men, nor the weakness of 10,000s of enemies, but because the LORD God gave them the victory. It is that same God who delivered His people from Midian that is now lying in an unassuming manger in Bethlehem. That same God who destroyed an army with the flick of a finger, is now wrapped in swaddling clothes, being worshipped and hailed as the light of the nations come.

The foothold was established at Bethlehem just as it was prophesied in Micah 5:2, But you, O Bethlehem Ephrathah, who are too little to be among the clans of Judah, from you shall come forth for me one who is to be ruler in Israel, whose coming forth is from of old, from ancient days. However, the joy would be multiplied among those who dwelt in darkness. Naphtali and Zebulun, the home of Nazareth, Capernaum, Cana, and Galilee. The operation center of Jesus’ ministry. Though this land was the first to experience the destruction and devastation of the Assyrians, they would be the first to behold the light of God’s salvation at work. They would be the first to see the Light that came to be the breaker of bondage, the deliverer of souls, the destroyer of evil. They would behold, that is look upon, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world, receive His message for salvation that comes through His blood, and they would be the first to receive the spoils of victory that had come into their midst.

4 For the yoke of his burden, and the staff for his shoulder, the rod of his oppressor, you have broken as on the day of Midian. 5 For every boot of the tramping warrior in battle tumult and every garment rolled in blood will be burned as fuel for the fire.

The burden of the Law that laid hold of the people was shattered by Jesus. He took their yoke upon His own shoulders. All the times the people failed to keep God’s Law perfectly, Jesus bore the totality of God’s wrath and punishment. He was chastised, He was wounded so that His people could go free; that their bondage of sin might be broken; that their destiny of eternal damnation would be taken away from them. The final battle came on Good Friday. The day Jesus gave up His life in the place of the world was the last victory to accomplish God’s D-Day plan. What began in a manger in Bethlehem ended with a stone rolled across a grave outside Calvary. Born a Servant to a humbled virgin; died as a sacrifice by the King of kings. This did not appear to be a victory. Surely the darkness had overcome the light as He lay silent in the tomb. The battle was over, but who had gained the victory? Three days later the dust settles, and the Victor is clear: He is the one who stands arisen from the tomb. Jesus gained the victory. He finished God’s D-Day plan with such perfection and completion, that not even death was able to hold Him.

The result of this victory? Endless joy and peace. Warriors’ boots worn in battle, garments soaked from the blood of the battlefield, these are burned as fuel for the fire, according to Isaiah. Why? Because the war is finished. Jesus has won the field, He has overcome His enemy, He has brought light and peace to a people who sat in darkness. He has broken the yoke of sin’s slavery, destroyed the yoke of death’s power, and made powerless the one who desired to keep people in darkness.

These words of Isaiah were written to the people of Israel. They were to be words of comfort to a nation that was about to endure great tribulation. That tribulation they faced at the hands of the Assyrians has passed, but here the words of Isaiah remain. Because these words of Isaiah were meant for all of God’s people. They are meant for you and me. That Baby in Bethlehem who begun God’s D-Day plan did so with your soul in mind. He saw your bondage to sin, your destination of eternal death, your soul in the hands of Satan, and His great love humbled Himself to the manger, humbled Himself to death on the cross in order to be your deliverer. He has broken your yoke of slavery to sin. He has destroyed the yoke of death’s power that looms over you, and He has delivered you from the slavery of Satan to a free child of God and joint-heir with Christ.

6 For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. 7 Of the increase of his government and of peace there will be no end, on the throne of David and over his kingdom, to establish it and to uphold it with justice and with righteousness from this time forth and forevermore. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will do this.

What greater gift can you ask for than what God has given to you in this Child. The government shall be upon His shoulder – He will rule over His people in their hearts. He does not rule as an oppressor, but a peace-giver, as a Father who dearly loves His children. He is the Wonderful Counselor. As trusted advisors would provide wise counsel to the King, your Jesus is that Wonderful Counselor in heaven. He is looking out for you with a wisdom governed by His love for you and His grace. He comes to you in His Word to give you counsel as you wade through this vale of tears.

He is Mighty God. The God who created the universe and all that is in it, has become your hero on the battlefield. He is your champion who did not lose, but singlehandedly won the victory against your greatest enemies.

He is Everlasting Father. Jesus rules as King over all His people. As a father begets children, He begets His children, you, through faith in His name. He consoles you as a Father, blesses you as a Father, and protects you as a Father whose love never falters or grows faint. From everlasting to everlasting His love endures over you as His dear child.

He is the Prince of Peace. Luther said, “In the kingdom of Christ there is grace, comfort, forgiveness of sins, joy, peace. He does not deal with the transgressor in sternness, but as a father. The forgiveness of sins is justification, and peace follows justification. This peace is not only peace of mind but also plenty and soundness of mind and good health of the body. Such is the reign of Christ: It is extended by killing; it is fertilized by the blood of the believers; and the more distress there is, the more peace grows in the heart” (LW 16:101)

These are the gifts that are given to you in the Child born at Bethlehem. They are the most precious gifts anyone could ever hope to receive and they belong to you as just that, a free gift. These gifts are more than just titles for God or nice things to think about. These are gifts of action. Each of these gifts come to you in God’s Word which is at your fingertips to stay the attacks of Satan and your sinful flesh. They are the perfect weapons because nothing can stand in their way. Satan is powerless against the Word of God.  Yes, we’re surrounded by troubles and heartbreaks, and Satan, sin, and selfishness relentlessly attack, but don’t just sit there—sing for joy! Your Savior is born! There is peace on earth for you, come for all, to set us free.

Thanks be to God, in Jesus’ name. Amen.