Jesus, the Son of God was born so that you would be born again. The Son of God shows up on Christmas, born as a little baby from the womb of the Virgin. From the womb of the church, in which the waters of the holy font slosh around, you are born again. Born from above. Born as a child of God. Born anew by water and the Spirit. Dearly beloved in Jesus, the Son of God took on flesh and was born from the Virgin's womb so that He might, in His flesh, wipe out your sins and everything that stands between you and God and between you and the people around you. He came to be your light. And your life. To make you a child of God and show you your heavenly Father. St. Paul writes to Titus that the kindness and love of God appeared: where and how? In the stable, in a manger. For you.
If you asked anyone from Old Testament Israel where God was, they knew! In the wilderness they made a Tabernacle. A big pretty tent they carried and set up. It was in that tent that the Lord came and dwelt. With glory and smoke and fire, the Lord filled that Tabernacle so people always knew, THAT is where the Lord was. It was pretty scary, too! That's a God you can fear! That's a God you can hope will kill all your enemies and blast the people you don't like very much too! But wait. Any Lord that can smoke your enemies can smoke you! John writes that the Law was given through Moses. The Law was given to show you your sins. The Law proves that God is God and you aren't. It proves that He is right and you are wrong. The Law shows what is perfect and that you are not. It promises life to those who can keep it and death to those who break it. Do you really want a God who is an all consuming fire? He might sound cool, but go ahead and get up close. He's so terrifying that you can't even see His face! But He doesn't show Himself that way to get you to straighten up and fly right! Just read the Old Testament. Everything the Lord did for His people, all the enemies He wiped out. And they STILL went and worshiped other gods anyway! No. The Lord comes in flame and terror to remind His people they need the Savior He had promised from the beginning. In fact, the Lord came to them in fire and smoke to in the Tabernacle to remind them that outside the Tabernacle, He is a God who kills and destroys. But in the Tabernacle, He is the God of His people. In the Tabernacle, He is THEIR God. Because He has chosen them.
When St. John writes that the Word became flesh and "dwelt" among us, he's really saying the Word "tabernacled" among us." But this time He didn't come in a scary fire and smoke way. This time He came in a way that we can receive without fear: as a baby. That is, God Himself came dressed in the flesh. The angels pointed Him out. The Savior. The one wrapped in swaddling clothes and lying in a manger. No doubt where the Lord was that night: in that stinky manger in the stable in Bethlehem. When the angels spoke to the shepherds, they say the glory of the Lord and they were sore afraid. But the angel says, "Do not fear." A Savior is born. You don't have to be afraid any more. God is here but He's not here to kill you. He's here to save you! He's not here to burn you to a crisp but to snatch you from the fires of hell. The Lord isn't here to punish but to be punished. Not to cause you to suffer but to suffer for you. Here is a God who now shows His love by coming in the flesh to take our place and die for our sins. You can't be afraid of THAT God. He's not coming to cause you to fear but to take away your fear by turning the Father from being your enemy back to being your Father. When the little Tabernacle is born on Christmas day, He is born to save sinners. Why would God come to us? Why does God dwell among us? What is the reason that the Lord would even get near us? To save us. Plain and simple. To rescue from our sins. God the Son is not afraid to be born of a woman and to suffer all, even death, to rescue you from your sins.
And He does it to give you new birth. How does God save us? Paul tells Titus: Through the washing of rebirth and renewal. Washing? That's Baptism! How does God give us new birth? How are we born again? By this washing of Holy Baptism. Christmas isn't just about Jesus being a little baby. It's about YOU becoming a little baby again. Not back into Mom's tummy. No, this time the womb from which you are born is the church's womb: the holy font. The water that the Spirit overshadows now is not the water of Mary's womb but of the font. But just as Mary gives birth to the Son of God, so the church, at the font, by water and the Word, from the Holy Spirit, gives birth to you, the child of God. For, says St. John, to those who believed in Him He have the right to become the children of God. Mary gives birth to the Father's Son. The font gives birth to you, a child of God. Are you a child of God? Are you baptized? The answer is yes. You are a child of God because Jesus is the Son of God. So, just like in the Old Testament when the Lord was in the Tabernacle, and just like in the Gospel when the Word-made-flesh was in the manger, so now there is no doubt where God is: He's at the font. And in His Word and in His body and blood! The world searches high and low and everywhere in between to try to figure out where God is. But He's come to us in the flesh. And He comes to us in His church. No doubt where He is! Right here with us! Emmanuel!
And now the Lord dwells in you through your Baptism. And just as He hasn't come into His own flesh to harm you but to save you, so He doesn't dwell in you for the purpose of making others' lives miserable. Rather, Christ now dwells in you so that others may rejoice and be helped in their lives. When others look at you, what do they see? The smoke and fire of an unforgiving, threatening person? Or do they see the gentleness and kindness and love of God which has been given you in Christ passed on to them? When others see you, do they see a God they should fear or should put their hope in. A Jesus who judges them or who forgives them? Dear, beloved, baptized children of God: The world which the Word made did not receive Him. His own people didn't even want Him. Let it be, by your good works, that others will receive you with joy. And if they don't? If you try hard to be patient and loving and helpful to others and they still despise you and want nothing to do with you? Well, do as Jesus did: come to them anyway to give them whatever help they need. That is Christ at work in your. Who knows? Perhaps by your helping and befriending and serving others, they will see Christ in you and then in the church and then face to face.
Jesus, the Son of God was born so that you would be born again. You are not what you were. You are the Lord's. Once you were orphans. Now you are God's children. You didn't choose it. It wasn't yours by being born the first time. But it's yours now in the new birth given to you by the Spirit with the water of the font. Now, in this holy Divine Service you can see Jesus. He is here. Just as surely as He was in the Tabernacle. Just as surely as He lay in a manger and hung on a cross. Just as surely as His own words make holy the water the wine and the bread. Don't ever doubt where Jesus is to save you. He's right here in His church with His gifts. Jesus your Light and your Life. Merry Christmas! Amen.