Glory and Peace - Now!

In the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

“Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!” So called out the multitude of the heavenly host who appeared in the Bethlehem sky on the occasion of our Lord's birth. The glory of the Lord has broken out upon the earth. No longer is God merely an unseen force above the highest heavens.

What an odd juxtaposition we have on this night! In the same sitting, you sing “Away in a Manger” and “Hark! The Herald Angels Sing”. You are called upon to contemplate the baby born in a stable, and the words of the army of heaven who lit up the dark Judean wilderness. Fear not, proclaims the angel. Your savior is born this night in the City of David. And what a savior He is, indeed! Your savior is a baby. A child born of the flesh of a woman, born of natural means following the natural course of man. And yet that baby, so frail and feeble and dependent, is at once the Lord of Hosts, the King of the Universe, the Creator of all that is and all that ever shall have been. Consider this: the angels light up the sky and their song resounds through the cosmos to worship one who suckles at the breast of a virgin mother.

On this night the skies ring with the message of the angels: “Glory to God in the highest!” Glory be to God on high, for the Holy One who sits enthroned on high is now enthroned on a bed of hay. The Holy One of Israel is now surrounded not by the angels and archangels and the whole heavenly host, but by a human mother and father, by shepherds and farm animals, by hay and dirt and darkness.

What a difference between God's glory and man's glory! The glory of God is shown not in a miraculous coming in some sort of supernova or extraordinary phenomenon. Rather, the glory of God is made manifest in the face of a baby boy, born according to the natural course, although not of the natural origin of man. The glory of God is shown now, in this moment, in His setting aside His power and honor and dominion and taking up your flesh and blood.

The glory of God is indeed high and lifted up. The angels high above the wilderness lift up the glory of God in song as they proclaim to the whole world what has broken out in your midst. They proclaim the glory of God because God has become man.

But this is only the beginning. This is the beginning of the end. For the glory of God is proclaimed to all lands and all peoples by the angels, the messengers of the Lord. But the great glory of God is yet to be revealed. For the reason for this moment, the reason for the birth of Jesus on this wise, the reason for the season, is death. Jesus is born into death.

Jesus came not to be born into the lap of luxury. You do not find the Son of Man in kings' houses, clothed in fine garments and eating choice foods. You find the Son of Man in the midst of sinners. You find the Son of Man healing the sick. You find the Son of Man raising the dead. You find the Son of Man coming into your life.

He is not here to be served, although He certainly is worthy of it. He is not here to be cuddled or wrapped up or gawked at. He is not here to help those who can help themselves. He is not here simply to show the way or encourage or build up. He is here to die. He is here to take into Himself all your sin, all your misery, all your grief and pain. He is here to suffer for you what you could not bear. For this reason He is born into the flesh.

Birth is a bloody process. The Scriptures do not speak of the bloody details of Jesus' birth, but you can bet that there was no small amount of blood shed as our Lord was born.

However, there is no shortage of talk in the Scriptures about the bloody nature of the death of Jesus. And rightly so. While the shedding of blood that accompanied Jesus' birth was a matter of the natural progression of things, something that happens with the birth of every man, the shedding of His blood in death is something that can only happen once.

This is the glory of God on high. This is the great mystery which is plain for all to see. You may marvel at the incarnation of our Lord Jesus Christ according to the flesh, but His death is displayed for you to see. And this is what the herald angels sing this night. “Glory to God in the highest!” That is, the glory of God is lifted up on the highest heights. The glory of God is hoisted up upon the accursed tree. The glory of God is displayed in that He has sent His only-begotten Son into the flesh in order that He should die the death owed for your sins. The glory of God is shown not in the brilliant multitude, or even in the innocent baby, but in the bloody body of the Son of Man hanging on the cross. For the glory of God is shown chiefly in His pouring out His mercy and grace upon you.

The angels cry out on this holy night announcing that the glory of God has broken upon this benighted sphere. They announce the beginning of the end for sin, death, and the power of the devil. They proclaim this gladsome tidings, because the Lord has come into the flesh. There is now no stopping Him. He will accomplish the purpose for which He has come. He will die on the cross as required. And He will rise again to give you His forgiveness, life, and salvation.

Therefore, because this glorious death is already all-but-accomplished, the angels cry out to you: “And on earth peace among those with whom He is pleased!” Peace now is breaking out all over the world, because of the forgiveness of sins and the death of the Lamb. Jesus Christ has made peace by the blood of His cross. He has reconciled man to God, and brother to brother. He has become the emblem of peace, the foundation of reconciliation and hope and joy.

Therefore, rejoice and be glad on this most holy night. Rejoice and give thanks for the great glory of God. Rejoice for the light which has come into the world. Rejoice, rejoice; Immanuel has come to thee, O Israel!

Break forth, O beauteous heav'nly light,

And usher in the morning.

Ye shepherds, shrink not with affright,

The day of grace is dawning.

This Child, though weak in infancy,

Our confidence and joy shall be,

The pow'r of Satan breaking,

Our peace with God now making. (LSB 378.1).

In the Name of Jesus. Amen.