Midweek Advent Two – Pr. Anderson sermon
Luke 2:1-7, Galatians 4:4-5 “The Manger and the Cross”
December 11, 2024 | Christ Lutheran Church
In Nomine Iesu
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Heavenly Father, we thank you for keeping all your promises. You know exactly what we need when we need it, and you help us in our times of trial and suffering. As we gather together to hear about two trees which were needed for your perfect plan, we ask that you would give us the courage and strength to stand up for these two trees. If we lacked the manger or the cross, we would certainly have no hope. Be with us in our witness and always remind us to see these trees and know of the hope we have which is in you. We ask this in Jesus’ name. Amen.
Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Amen. (Rom. 1:7, etc.)
How do you feel when everything goes according to plan? Maybe the plan is something simple like following the recipe for supper. It could be the time that was set for decorating around the house for the holidays and nothing came in and sidelined those plans. When everything goes according to plan, there is often a sigh of relief. Now as this can happen, there are things that can throw a wrench on the plan from it to not run to perfection. If only there was a way to see into the future and thwart the problems before they wreck our plans? Sadly, there isn’t, and we just go through life, make a plan, and we try to expect the unexpected. Instead of dwelling on how our plans tend to not go our way, our theme looks at how God’s plans always go to perfection. This plan was there even when it looked like all was lost. We see a plan of perfection when we look at the two trees for today. God’s great plan involved a manger for animals, and the Roman execution in the form of a cross.
The cross and the manger seem to be on complete opposite sides of the spectrum. They shouldn’t be able to coincide with one another. This is the art of God’s plan. He begins it by using a wooden feeding trough for animals. He puts His plan into action, getting Mary and Joseph to the place they need to be. “In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered. This was the first registration when Quirinius was governor of Syria. And all went to be registered, each to his own town. And Joseph also went up from Galilee, from the town of Nazareth, to Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David, to be registered with Mary, his betrothed, who was with child.” It looks like the line of David had seen better times. It doesn’t seem like promises and plans are being kept at all for a great king on the throne as this poor family make a one-hundred-mile trek to Bethlehem.
No fame, no fortune, and no notoriety as this family makes it into Bethlehem and they can’t find any room. So, what are they to do now? The family is put up in a place where animals are kept. In the lowly of states for this family, in the most lowly of states for the family line, and in the most lowly of states for the world under the prince of darkness, a tree was cut down and part of it was used for a manger. “And while they were there, the time came for her to give birth. And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in swaddling cloths and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn.” Not in a royal crib, but in a manger the baby was laid. You would think there would be more to the plan for this royal baby to be born. Wouldn’t it be better if the world could have seen then how important He was. Maybe things wouldn’t have been and be so bad. We know how this story goes. It wouldn’t have made a difference if Jesus would have been born in a castle with an earthly kingdom.
With only one prophecy to go from, the current king went after the baby who was born in the manger. So, it wouldn’t have mattered if God would have done things different. We can see how bad we are when we hear of the great new born king and judge. Our sinful nature loves to go against His rule in rebellion. We can join the crowds in wanting Him to be simply a bread king, but in the end, we will want Him deposed, just as Israel had deposed God when they told Samuel to give them a king like the other nations. So, this tree of Christmas tells us a lot about God’s plan, revealing to us that He does know what is best. He knows Jesus would have been rejected even if the world would have seen Him coming with a spotlight. Seeing our rejection, it is with greater love, far greater than what we could ever have, that God stayed the course and true to His plan. He lined up history, moving all of the pieces, so His one and only Son could be born and laid in the manger bed. A defenseless child sleeping in the very box used to feed animals. He didn’t come with great grandeur. He came with the plan of salvation.
As St. Luke records, this plan was able to take place because of the fullness of time. We hear again how simple it was. “And while they were there, the time came for her to give birth. And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in swaddling cloths and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn.” The time came and in this lowly moment there laid the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords in a manger. The wood of a tree kept Him warm and protected in this humble state. While this piece of furniture carved out of a tree would be used for the beginning of His life, another instrument would be carved out of the wood for the end of His life. The forces of evil would try to kill the baby in the manger, and they would succeed later with the cross. This was the plan. These two trees brought God’s plan to completion.
This is hard for us to see. Our beautiful king of creation starts off His life instead of in glory, in a stable and when He finally is well known, He is raised up for the world to see. He is raised up on the cross. This tree towered over the people revealing to the world a man who most would think would give up hope. As He is breathing His last high on the cross, it is on this tree the world sees the great plan of God as St. Paul records, “But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons.” While the first tree held Him and kept Him safe, this tree reveals how He kept the law of God in all humbleness and meekness. Hanging from this tree as the law says, He became a curse. And as He was cursed to the point His own Father couldn’t look at Him, it is this curse who following the Word and plan and with His power as God, He carries, suffers, and dies for the sins of the world, redeeming all people.
It is hard for us to see this as a great plan. When we look at it through our human lens, we can’t help but wonder, why the plan had to go this way? Couldn’t He have used the trees to create a mighty throne for all to see? He very well could have, but if He did, there would have been no reason for Him to come down and give up His life. There also would be no reason for us to dwell on God’s plan. If He sat on His throne all we would see is the Great King. Instead of redeeming us He would be judging us. In a worldly sense, these trees did not improve His or our status with them. These trees reveal a humility only a God of love could have. This love would encompass the faults of those who want to depose the king. And while He can’t be deposed and could bring complete condemnation, He instead left His throne for a manger and was raised up high on a cross. Now with a completed plan of salvation, the world is redeemed and in these trees of Christmas, they can see there is hope for what is to come.
The only reason the world has hope is because of these two trees of Christmas. The world finds God’s plan for them and His love for them in the manger and the cross. The manger reveals to them how He came down and put on our flesh. He lived every instance of our life. These trees are needed because if they didn’t exist, then there would be no hope. Finding our Lord in the manger and seeing Him raised up high for the forgiveness of our sins, gives us strength to carry on. We see our God in history as Joseph and Mary make the journey to Bethlehem. He lived His life for us, even though He didn’t have to. With His fulfillment of the law completed, the Lord of Glory died. And through His death on the tree, we find ourselves marked as His. The devil will try to get us to think we aren’t His. He will point us to our rebellion, and he wants us to think God’s time is up. As he hurls accusations, it is in the manger and the cross you see God operates on His time and in His time, His plan of salvation was perfect. So, with this perfectly executed plan, we see why the manger and the cross are much needed trees of Christmas. Amen.
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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