Christmas Eve – Pr. Anderson Homilies
Isaiah 9:2-7
December 24, 2025 | Christ Lutheran Church
In Nomine Iesu
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Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Amen. (Rom. 1:7, etc.)
The Homilies text for today is taken from the 9th chapter of the Prophet Isaiah.
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. You have multiplied the nations; you have increased its joy; they rejoice before you as with joy at the harvest, as they are glad when they divide the spoil. 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. For every boot of the tramping warrior in battle tumult and every garment rolled in blood will be burned as fuel for the fire. 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. 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 righteousness from this time forth and forevermore. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will do this.
These are Your words, heavenly Father. Sanctify us by Your truth, Your Word is truth. Amen. (Joh. 17:17)
Here we are at the end of the year, waiting for the dawn of the new year. For some, this has been a year that was uneventful. For some, this was a year that had its ups and downs. As we search to find any nuance with the events that have taken place in our lives, on the whole, the world has reminded us that it isn’t getting any better, any safer, and perfection is far from being found. It is dark. Dark like it is now as we have gathered into the evening and the sun has set, taking away our light and warmth. Removing light and warmth, and the darkness can feel like a heavy weight and we know there are multiple reasons why. Thankfully, there is something that counters the darkness. We look back in history and we see light removing the gathered darkness. 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. While we see the light that will shine on a remnant of people waiting on a promise from long ago, this passage reveals more than that.
Isaiah was told to prophesy about an event that wouldn’t just affect his people, but it would affect the entire world. For the world was plunged in darkness and there is only one way for it to find its cure. God reveals many times to save His people from their doom; He must be the One to do it. So, He makes a promise and He keeps it. He sends the light to shine on His people. This light would be very visible as the light Himself would say for all to hear, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life” (John 8:12). And since God Himself is going to reveal His glory with this precious light, He makes an announcement when He arrives to be remembered throughout all ages. An announcement that was sung out by the angels.
#116 v. 1-3 – “Angels We Have Heard on High”
1. Angels we have heard on high,
Sweetly singing o’er the plains,
And the mountains in reply,
Echoing their joyous strains.
Refrain:
Gloria in excelsis Deo;
Gloria in excelsis Deo.
2. Shepherds why this jubilee?
Why your joyous strains prolong?
What the gladsome tidings be
Which inspire your heav’nly song?
(Refrain)
3. Come to Bethlehem and see
Him whose birth the angels sing;
Come, adore on bended knee
Christ the Lord, the newborn King.
(Refrain)
Two thousand years later from the great event that took place on this night, and here we are. By the grace of God, we are products of the light that has shone in the world. We have witnessed with our own eyes how this light has lit the way from generation to generation and it will continue. It will continue because there continue to be growing nations. As this happens in the world, the world tries to distract us with the darkness and noise. This doesn’t distract the Lord as He has everything under His control and His will dictates what will happen, and when this will all end. Until that end comes, He tells us that we can find joy in this life. As people who know and feel darkness, how can we find this joy all of the time? It is easy for our minds to focus on the darkness and how it makes us feel. Brought back by the light, we have joy because we will never face our trials alone. We have joy, because He came down to be and give you personally this joy.
And from this event, you truly see an increase in your joy. For this day marks when The Almighty God kept His promise to endure all of your problems and to take on all of your failings. Here at its beginning, we see light shining bright into the world in the evening on an animal stall. A humble beginning that really doesn’t look like the Almighty God. A small baby brings joy and healing to the nations of the world. Just like there is joy when the grass grows again, so there is great joy in your eternal growth. An eternal growth that can only come from your Savior God who dwells with you and causes you to sing and rejoice!
#135 v. 1-3 – “Now Sing We, Now Rejoice”
1. Now sing we, now rejoice,
Now raise to heav’n our voice;
Lo! He from whom joy streameth,
Poor in the manger lies;
Yet not so brightly beameth
The sun in yonder skies!
Thou my Savior art!
Thou my Savior art!
2. Giv’n from on high to me;
I cannot rise to Thee.
O cheer my wearied spirit:
O pure and holy Child,
Through all Thy grace and merit,
Blest Jesus, Lord most mild,
Draw me unto Thee!
Draw me unto Thee!
3. Now through His Son doth shine
The Father’s grace divine.
Death over us hath reigned
Through sin and vanity;
The Son for us obtained
Eternal joy on high.
May we praise Him there!
May we praise Him there!
“May we praise Him there.” To praise God from whom all blessings flow, including this great blessing of all, means we must understand where “there” is. It is the place we desire because it is where perfection dwells. The question has been asked to us many times, how great would be if we could be in heaven right now? As we try to hold onto this joy that we have in our promised final resting place, the darkness tries to overshadow it. It will fill our heads with thoughts like, we aren’t worthy of it, and maybe even get us to say, “well, I hope God will let me in.” Instead of certainty, we see our yokes of burden, the rods of oppressors, the boots of warriors, and think there is no way we will survive this. As we dive into what the Isaiah is saying, we see that the promise of what is to come is not found in the chaos, but a child conquers the chaos.
The joy of heaven which overcomes the chaos, came down from heaven. In the manger bed, the little child was born for this purpose. 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. For every boot of the tramping warrior in battle tumult and every garment rolled in blood will be burned as fuel for the fire. Your enemies of sin, the world, and the devil shudder with the baby in the manger. He comes not for His own salvation, but for yours, giving you a new yoke, His yoke. With Jesus carrying your burdens and beating your oppressors, tonight you rejoice with the joy of heaven on earth. Joy to the world, the Lord has come! Let earth receive her King!
#138 v. – “Joy to the World”
1. Joy to the world, the Lord is come!
Let earth receive her King;
Let ev’ry heart prepare Him room
And heav’n and nature sing, And heav’n, and nature sing,
And heav’n, and heav’n and nature sing.
2. Joy to the earth, the Savior reigns!
Let men their songs employ,
While fields and floods, rocks, hills, and plains
Repeat the sounding joy, Repeat the sounding joy,
Repeat, repeat the sounding joy.
3. No more let sins and sorrows grow
Nor thorns infest the ground;
He comes to make His blessings flow
Far as the curse is found, Far as the curse is found,
Far as, far as the curse is found.
4. He rules the world with truth and grace
And makes the nations prove
The glories of His righteousness
And wonders of His love, And wonders of His love,
And wonders, wonders of His love.
To have joy in the newborn King and to share why He is our great King, we must ourselves internalize what makes Him special to us. We have started off, hearing how He is the joy of heaven. The very thing we hope to see and He didn’t strand us in this place of suffering. Instead, He comes down, not as a king to rule here, but lower than even the lowest of us. Sometimes, even that might not be enough for us. Like the people of His day, maybe we want more. As we search deep within us, we see how truly unworthy we are to even have this hope. If it were on us, the answer to the previous question wouldn’t be “maybe I’ll make it to heaven,” but “I won’t make it.” God knows our unworthiness and says He is the only One worthy to do such a task to save His people. So, we internalize what our Savior does, by looking at this humble child in the manger and hearing what He is called.
The naming of this child is something special as He has many names. To know how special His name is, we can look back on our own name or the names of our children. Our name is specific, for one reason or another. And with the thought that goes into names, tonight, the new name bestowed on us is children of God. Children of God, because God came down as a child. 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. This precious child is special to us because He is true God, come down to take our suffering, and as the Prince of Peace, He brings us a peace that lasts forever. With a great sigh of relief in our life, we have true hope and certainty in the baby born of Mary who remains in our hearts with His glorious peace. And with that peace that carries us through, we join in singing tonight’s great lullaby.
#119 v. 1-2 – “Away in a Manger”
1. Away in a manger, no crib for a bed,
The little Lord Jesus lay down His sweet head.
The stars in the bright sky looked down where He lay,
The little Lord Jesus asleep on the hay.
2. The cattle are lowing, the baby awakes,
But little Lord Jesus, no crying He makes.
I love Thee, Lord Jesus! Look down from the sky,
And stay by my cradle till morning is nigh.
On this night of nights, we are celebrating one of the greatest events of history. The miracle of the incarnation is truly something we should marvel at in awe and wonder. How can all of the divine attributes of God be found in a baby? And even as we can’t fathom what has truly taken place for our salvation, an event like this should have been celebrated throughout the land. Yet, we have heard the words of the account. There was no grand parade. There were no great feasts and celebrations. The Son of God, the King of Kings and Lord of Lords, was born to a peasant family out where the animals were housed. Our conquering Lord from this lowly birth would be met with the most hostile of situations. He would face the sinful world that has devoured His people generation to generation. To bring the peace the world so desperately needs, He would have to suffer.
Our sins are centrally located in that little manger. We don’t want to even think about this most precious holy infant holding our pain and suffering we rightly deserve. In the proclamation for this great night, this is also the evidence of the cross He would grow up to carry. This is our joy this night. The only comfort we have in this life is found in the manger. The light of the world which continues to burn bright from generation to generation, and will finally eliminate our great enemies for good. Our faith is grounded in His great life He came to live for us which we see with His most holy names. And 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 righteousness from this time forth and forevermore. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will do this.
#125 v. 1-3 – “Hark! The Herald Angels Sing”
1. Hark! The herald angels sing,
“Glory to the newborn King!
Peace on earth and mercy mild,
God and sinners reconciled!”
Joyful, all ye nations rise,
Join the triumph of the skies;
With th’angelic host proclaim,
“Christ is born in Bethlehem!”
Refrain:
Hark! The herald angels sing,
“Glory to the newborn King!”
2. Christ, by highest heav’n adored,
Christ, the everlasting Lord,
Late in time behold Him come,
Offspring of a Virgin’s womb.
Veiled in flesh the Godhead see,
Hail th’incarnate Deity!
Pleased as Man with man to dwell;
Jesus, our Immanuel!
(Refrain)
3. Hail, the heav’nly Prince of Peace!
Hail, the Sun of Righteousness!
Light and life to all He brings,
Ris’n with healing in His wings.
Mild He leaves His throne on high,
Born that man no more may die;
Born to raise the sons of earth;
Born to give them second birth,
(Refrain)
Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Ghost; as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, forevermore. Amen.
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