Comfort and Joy ~ Luke 2:1-20 ~ The Nativity of Our Lord

On July 22 of this year, good news made headlines around the world: the British royal baby, Prince George Alexander Louis of Cambridge, was born. 

We can be certain that only the best doctors and medical professionals were on hand for his birth.  Security was tight—and only those of royal blood would be there to witness the event.  The rest of the world would have to wait until the following evening to meet the newborn-future-king, when Prince Charles and Princess Catherine emerged from the hospital, to take the child home to Kensington Palace. 

It is a fairy-tale come true for all the world to see.  But there was a royal birth 2,000 years ago that was definitely no fairy tale.

A violent-and bloodthirsty emperor, who ironically declares himself as “savior of the world,” decides to flex his political muscles by ordering a global census.  Multitudes of persons, most of whom were very poor, are forced to travel, at their own expense, to the town of their ancestry to register for taxes.  This included a teenage mother-to-be, betrothed to a man who wasn’t the father of her child.  With the child due at any time, they set out on the ninety-mile trip to Bethlehem that would have taken days. 

When they finally arrive, the time has come for the baby to be born.  What’s worse, there is no lodging available…

And then you have the shepherds.  Theirs was a miserable existence.  They lived outdoors, they worked around-the-clock, and they endured extreme poverty and isolation.

There was no comfort or joy to be had; just the dark and cold of night…

And then, in that dreadful night, God acts…  The Christ child is born; the savior of the world.   God’s gift of comfort and joy now sleeps on the hay in a manger. 

The circumstances of this birth have much to teach us about who this king will be for you and for me…  The fact that he’s a king does not mean that he’ll be living like one…

Surely, Jesus deserved to be born in the finest of castles; in the presence of the most skilled physicians.  But God chose the manger because so many of God’s people are poor.

Surely, Jesus deserved to be surrounded with the holiest of people at his birth.  But God chooses shepherds because Jesus is born to be the Savior of all persons—particularly those whom the rest of the world would count as unsuitable and unworthy of becoming God’s very own. 

We celebrate Jesus’ birth because God has personally joined us in the difficult realities of our human existence.  He’s here hear our cries and strengthen us by his presence.  He’s here to bear away the sin of the world by the power of the body and blood he gives to us.  And he’s here so that we may know the power of his resurrection as he delivers us through all the disappointments, heartbreaks, and fiery trials of life. 

Jesus is our comfort and joy because he is with us, whatever we’re going through.  He is our comfort and joy because his love for us is not based upon what we deserve.  He is our comfort and joy because he gives us a life we cannot get for ourselves what we cannot give ourselves—a relationship of peace with the Creator of the universe, and life that is ever-lasting. 

This is good news of great joy for all people.  But the news will not always be easy to believe or trust.

The peace and beauty of this night is soon to pass, and we’ll return to the struggles and challenges of daily life.  The comfort and joy we need from Jesus will not always come as easily or as quickly as we’d like.  The world and its evil ways will constantly give us reasons to doubt in the truth of God’s promises.  At the same time, we’ll be constantly tempted to believe that comfort and joy can be found in what we buy, what we do, the success we achieve, and the approval we try to gain from others. 

But true comfort and joy is found only in Christ.  That is why we must seize every opportunity that Jesus gives us to receive him and be with him.  When you pray and open the Scriptures, you meet him.  Every Sunday, you can meet him here in water, wine, word and bread.  You even meet Christ in the people you serve. 

You don’t have to be royalty to live a life of comfort and joy.  Jesus makes his home with us, amid the struggles and challenges of our lives.  He was born for you, so that you may know the power of his love and compassion and forgiveness, all the days of your life.  God’s gift of comfort and joy is living in relationship with God’s only Son.  You won’t find it presents and traditions; you can’t earn it with hard work of stumble upon it with good luck.  It is given to you by God.