Sermon - Christmas I 2019 - Luke 2:22-40

Merry Christmas!

“And Simeon blessed them and said to Mary his mother, “Behold, this child is appointed for the fall and rising of many in Israel, and for a sign that is opposed, so that thoughts from many hearts may be revealed.”” Saints Peter and Paul both refer to Jesus as the stone of stumbling and the rock of offense. St. Paul also says that Jesus is not just the stone of stumbling, but indeed the chief cornerstone of the holy temple of the Lord. And so, Christ is both the rock of stumbling, and the cornerstone upon which the whole church is raised up.

What an incredible thing, that the very first Sunday after Christmas, we don’t meditate on a cute little baby, but we’re marveling with Joseph and Mary that Jesus is the stone of stumbling and that many will fall because of Him. 

It’s a standard Hallmark movie notion that the holidays bring us closer to one another, that Christmas is a time for families to set aside their differences in order to put on a smile. But how does that work out? Does Jesus make everyone friendly towards one another because of His birth? Does He make everyone smile and be happy all of a sudden? Does He magically make broken families get together and make everyone forget all of their past arguments and fights? No, He doesn’t. He’s a stone of stumbling, a sign that is opposed. He reveals the thoughts of everyone’s hearts. He was destined for the fall of many.

Jesus says of Himself: “Do not think that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I have not come to bring peace, but a sword. For I have come to set a man against his father, and a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law. And a person's enemies will be those of his own household.” Jesus is the Prince of Peace, who brings a sword.

But just as a stone is not the cause for stumbling, but rather man’s carelessness, so also Jesus is not the one who brings about strife, but rather it’s because of our own hearts and unbelief. Jesus comes as the light of the world, a light for revelation. Because of Him we can see clearly! He doesn’t make people fall because He tricks and trips them, but we fall because we are blind to Him.

When Jesus was born into this world by the Virgin Mary, He made everything clear. Consider what happened with the Israelites and the Jewish people. Before the Christ was born the Israelites were “under guardians and managers” they were under the Old Testament ceremonial laws of cleanliness, they followed around a tent in the desert, they built a temple for the Lord, and they made regular and frequent pilgrimages to that temple to make sacrifices. They were wandering about in the dark following shadows!

“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.” When Christ was born He fulfilled all of the ceremonial laws by cleansing us with His blood at the cross, foreshadowed by the shedding of blood at His circumcision. The people no longer flocked to the temple in Jerusalem, but they flocked to the true temple of the Lord, they followed Jesus. No longer did they offer sacrifices, because Christ our high priest went to Jerusalem to offer the last and greatest sacrifice of the spotless Lamb of God on the cross. No longer did the Israelites wander about in the darkness, but they lived in the light of Christ!

Yet, many Jews stumbled and tripped over Jesus. During Jesus’ earthly ministry many in Israel rejected Him outright. After He ascended to heaven, even those Israelites who came to believe in Him still stumbled over Him as they returned to their old ways of purity laws and circumcision. Great strife and division arose even between Saints Paul and Peter regarding this, such that the church held a council to resolve the dispute.

Jesus brought about division then just as He does today. Not because He’s the cause of our fall, but because so many are blind to Him and trip over Him. Since Jesus is the light of the world and His teaching is plain and clear, He makes it painfully obvious when people fall away. 

In our day many are blind to Christ and His Word. We have many divisions on earth today. It’s rejected that He is the way, the truth, and the life and that no one comes to the Father except through Him. It’s rejected that Jesus died for all the world and that we can still deny His salvation if we so choose. It’s rejected that Jesus chooses us and that we don’t choose Him. It’s rejected that Baptism saves you. It’s rejected the Lord’s Supper is Jesus’ true body and blood which saves you. It’s rejected that Jesus died to forgive us our sins. It’s rejected that there is a heaven and a hell. It’s rejected that sex is to be between one man and one woman in marriage for life. It’s rejected that only men are to be pastors. It’s rejected that babies in the womb are human. Its rejected that there are things such as sins. It’s rejected that Jesus ever rose from the dead. 

All of these things are clear from the scriptures. Yet because of our blind hearts, we trip over the plain word of God, and fall into sin. When Jesus makes clear what has been obscured, we are offended and oppose Him. Because Jesus speaks so clearly, He makes it so that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed. He reveals our own hearts. The teachings of Jesus are offensive to our hearts that like living in the darkness. God in the light of Christ reveals our own depraved hearts for what they are, and makes it known to everyone that the sins we enjoy are condemned by God.

Because of Jesus and His birth for us, we can plainly see what is false and opposed to God. But just as Jesus reveals errors, so too does He reveal the truth! Jesus isn’t just a stone for us to stumble over, but He’s the cornerstone of our foundation, the rock upon which the whole church is built! Not only is Jesus destined for the fall of many, but for the rising and resurrection of many!

We are “built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone, in whom the whole structure, being joined together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord. In him you also are being built together into a dwelling place for God by the Spirit.” If we’ve tripped over the cornerstone and have fallen, then so too does this cornerstone rise us up with Christ! Jesus in the manger, in the river, at the table, on the cross, comforts us not with words of affirmation, but with forgiveness for having fallen!

If we’ve tripped over the stone of stumbling, then even more so does He “heal the brokenhearted and bind up their wounds.” If it’s bruised your ego and offended your senses to have your heart and desires shown for what they are, then Christ shows you His own heart which is filled with love and compassion for you. Be at peace, not because of some pretend niceness, but because Jesus has replaced what is evil in you with what is good.

If you’re afraid of being despised by family and friends for boldly and confidently standing by the Word of God, be unafraid! Don’t be afraid of talking religion at the dinner table! Would you rather have a moment of peace with your family on earth if it means that they don’t hear the truth and they wind up in hell forever? Rather speak out because you love them. And if they despise you, so what? You’re in good company with Christ who was despised for you so that you might be glorified with Him!

If you’re worried about losing earthly riches and treasures by offending someone more powerful than you, be courageous! Don’t be afraid of letting the light of Christ shine through you in all of your words and actions! Would you rather gain all of earth’s riches if it means losing your eternal inheritance? If you’re poor, so what? You’re in good company with Christ who had no place to lay His head, and was in poverty for you, so you might inherit the eternal riches He’s prepared for you.

Don’t be afraid of people hurting you in body or shedding your blood. It would be better to enter life crippled than to go to hell intact. Don’t you know that in Christ’s wounds we find our salvation, and that in His blood we find the cleansing from our sin! If they take your head, so be it, God will give you a new and better one in the resurrection. If they take your life, fear not, for in the death of Christ we receive our life!

You’re built upon Christ, my friends! He is the cornerstone of our salvation. We are established on a solid rock. If you’re built upon Him, then you will neither falter nor fall. Not the world nor hell’s satanic crew against you shall prevail, if they try to knock you down they will but stumble over Christ, the rock of offense. Together we are built up as the living temple of God, in us Christ dwells bodily with us as He feeds us His holy body and blood. You might have once fallen but no more; now you shall stand forever, not stumbling but walking in the light of Christ, in the temple of God, the new Jerusalem, the city of peace, because your redemption has come.

Merry Christmas!