25 Dec We trust in the Christmas child – 12/25/2020

We just sang the hymn “What Child Is This?” written by William Chatterton Dix in the 19^th century. Dix asks the question in song that without faith in who that baby becomes cannot be answered. What child, after all, would be announced by angels, watched over by shepherds, gifted with gold, incense, myrrh? No other child than this,

The author of Hebrews says this child is the one who, in these latter days, speaks to us. We hear His voice in scripture, of course. We hear His voice in the sacraments as in them He comes directly to us. We hear His voice in the still, small quiet in our hearts, some call it conscience, that if listened to will guide us in His way. I pray that in your lives are those who love you so much that in their words you hear His voice.

On this lovely morning we ask the same question: what child can this possibly be? Who could the child be that lived a life of such purity that when He gave it up, He imputed His righteousness to us. That’s the miracle of Christmas, really: we are given heaven, through faith in Him, even though we cannot live a life so pure as His. When you make a list of the miracles of scripture, remember that one: the child this is loves and forgives and gives gifts not of earthly value but of heavenly permanence. We trust in the Christmas child.

Pastor Phill