Sunday, December 28, 2025

First Sunday after Christmas
Isaiah 63:7-14
Psalm 111
Galatians 4:4-7
Matthew 2:13-23

Praise Yah! I will give thanks to Yahweh with my whole heart, in the council of the upright, and in the congregation.

On Christmas morning, the packages are beautifully wrapped and stacked under the brightly lit and twinkling Christmas tree. Everything is pristine at the break of dawn. It does not take very long, however, for the perfect scene to become a mess of chaos and clutter. Paper gets strewn all over the floor as new treasures are unpacked from boxes and bags. Empty boxes litter the pathways and bows get stuck on everything. Stockings are tossed aside as the chocolate hidden within is gobbled up, leaving only traces on cheeks and fingertips.

And then it is over. We spend a month or more preparing. We carefully choose and wrap the gifts only to have the whole thing over in a matter of minutes. Some presents will barely be a memory, especially foodstuffs which are enjoyed so quickly and then gone forever. We spend the month putting up decorations, but by December 26th many people are done with Christmas. They want it all to be over. They want to take the tree down and put all those decorations away.

But for the church, Christmas begins on December 25th. The twelve days proceed from that moment, not culminate on that day. Our celebration begins with the birth, but there's so much more to the story.

Yet, we find that the birth of Christ is followed immediately by chaos. Our scriptures tell the story of what happened after Jesus was born, after the wise men came to visit. On the day they left, Joseph was told in a dream to go to Egypt: Jesus was in danger. Herod was not thrilled to hear from the wise men that a new king was born. He told them that he wanted to go worship the newborn, too, and asked that they return to tell him where to go. In reality, he wanted to rid the world of his competition.

The wise men were told to go home another way, and they avoided King Herod, but it wouldn't take long for Herod to figure out what was happening. After all, the shepherds were telling their story all over the countryside. They may not have had the internet, but word of mouth is amazingly fast and Herod was bound to hear it sooner or later. Besides, the priests knew the prophecy: the babe would be born in Bethlehem. Herod sent soldiers to take care of the problem, and the innocent babies in Bethlehem were slaughtered. How can we go from the idyllic stable scene to his picture of blood and destruction in so short a time?

But isn't that how life is? We don't become poor slowly. Although it often happens slowly for a long time, we don't know it until that final moment when our world crashes around us. The same is true of drugs or alcohol. Relationships can last a long time, but one small moment or one tiny offense can shatter a lifetime of love. Goodness often becomes chaotic in a heartbeat. And that's what happened around Jesus.

We are reminded right from the beginning that the story of Jesus is not one of idyllic peace and joy. He came to die, but He would not die at the will of men, but according to the will of God. That moment was not the right time. Jesus had a lifetime to live first.

The Old Testament lesson for today is a prayer by Isaiah asking God to bring the salvation He promised. Isaiah knew that God loves His people and that He is faithful. Whatever they do, right or wrong, God is working out their salvation. He is in control.

I like the words of Isaiah in this prayer, “In all their affliction he was afflicted, and the angel of his presence saved them. In his love and in his pity he redeemed them. He bore them, and carried them all the days of old.” God joined in their suffering. If they cried, He cried. And He listened. He worked salvation for a people who constantly turned from Him, not because they deserved to be saved but because He loved them. It was love and mercy that provided for them.

God knew the plans of Herod. He knew the dangers that Joseph, Mary, and Jesus faced. He knew what risks He had taken by sending His Son into the world as a baby. By dreams and visions, God laid the plan to protect the child. He sent the wise men on another road. He sent Joseph to Egypt with Mary and Jesus. He called them home again when everything was safe. Joseph was still concerned about Herod’s family, so he took Mary and Jesus to Nazareth to live.

The Gospel lesson shows us that God knew all along the dangers that Jesus would face. We can look back to the Old Testament and see how God was working His plan all along. The New Testament writers certainly did. In today’s lesson, Matthew quoted the prophet Hosea, “Out of Egypt did I call my son.” The prophet Jeremiah prophesied the weeping mothers, the mourning of Rachel for her children. Isn’t it interesting that even when God did not specifically tell Joseph to take Jesus to Nazareth that is where they went to live? In these words, Matthew made yet another connection between Old Testament prophecy and the story of Christ. We can see other connections, like how Jesus was like Moses, escaping the slaughter of innocents. This just shows us how God has carefully woven His story from the beginning, to bring us to the moment of salvation.

Jesus was surrounded by promises that God had giving to His people throughout their history. God promised Abraham that he would be the father of many nations, which came true in Jesus. David was promised that his throne would last forever, which came true in Jesus. The book of Isaiah the prophet is filled with promises fulfilled in the birth, life, death, and resurrection of Jesus. Jesus is the culmination of all God’s promises. God spoke much more specific promises to the family of Jesus. Elizabeth and Zechariah were given John, the one who would make way for Jesus. Mary and Joseph were promised the incredible gift of a baby who truly changed the world.

We are skeptical about promises. Every ten minutes on our television sets we are bombarded by promises. “Buy our product and you will have the happiest kids, the whitest teeth, or the cleanest clothing. Our product provides the fastest connection, the most reliable service or the cheapest price. With our product, you will be more popular, more beautiful or more intelligent.” A promise is defined in Webster’s as “an assurance that one will or will not do something.” Companies around the world recognize the incredible power of a promise to today’s consumers. They spend billions of dollars producing and airing commercials that will attract the greatest number of people to their product. Unfortunately, these promises are often unfulfilled.

We even break personal promises, like those we make to our children. Unfortunately, there will be some little ones disappointed tomorrow when the toy they wanted is not under the tree. On more than one occasion I promised my children that we would do something, but life got in the way. We break a promise every time we drive our cars over the speed limit or run a red light. We have all broken New Year’s resolutions. Our own broken promises make us skeptical of other promises.

Despite our doubt, we know that God is faithful to fulfill all His promises. We trust God, but we often struggle with trusting ourselves. We wonder if we heard the promise or understood it correctly. We worry that it was all a dream or something from our imagination. It surely can't be real, we think. Mary may have had the same doubts.

Mary is among the most faithful of God’s chosen people, and yet I have to wonder if she ever questioned what was happening. Joseph, too, despite the dreams and his obedience. The whole thing was too extraordinary; it couldn’t possibly be real. Who were they? They were nobodies. Why them? Why were they chosen? What will become of their most miraculous child? I don’t know about you, but when something really spectacular happens to me, I often wonder how I could be so lucky. “Why me?” is a question we ask not only when something bad happens, but also when something good comes along. Why am I the one blessed with this good thing?

Faith in God does not mean that we never question or doubt; it is about acting on God’s promises even when we aren’t so sure. Mary and Joseph treasured every sign from God that validated their trust. The amazing things that were said about their boy strengthened their faith that this was exactly what God said it would be.

Even as we share in the joy and the miracle of Christmas, we have to face the lingering doubts of our own relationship with God, and Paul's letter brings these doubts to light. How affectionate is your relationship with God? Is He like a family member with whom you might sit around the dinner table sharing memories of your childhood? Or is the relationship strained and uncomfortable? It is interesting that the scripture for today looks at this relationship through the eyes of slavery. We were once slaves to sin, but now are set free to be sons of God. Yet, we tend to hold on to our sins. We are slaves to those things that keep us from knowing and loving God fully and freely.

Christ came, born of a woman: as human as you and I. But He is something much more. He is the Son of the Living God, as fully divine as He is human. He came to make us sons, setting free those who are burdened by the Law and opening the door so that we might also be adopted. The Kingdom of God belongs to us, we are His heirs. And as heirs we are called to be more than children. We have been adopted to live and laugh and love in that Kingdom for God’s glory. We live in an incredible promise.

We try too hard to fit God’s promises into our ideas and expectations. The whole Christmas story is ridiculous; no writer would have created a story with so many miraculous moments because they make it seem unbelievable. We want God to fit in a box we’ve created. It was no different for those in the days of Jesus. They were looking for a king, not a man from Nazareth. They were looking for a warrior who would defeat their enemies, not an itinerant preacher who would defeat their self-righteousness. They were looking for David.

The Jews didn’t see Jesus as the Messiah for whom they waited because He didn’t fit their expectations. Why didn’t they believe the shepherds? Or Simeon and Anna? They shared the good news. Perhaps people have not changed that much over these many years. Though we are inundated by promises, I wonder if we are all that different from them when we doubt a promise will be fulfilled. People are people, after all, and we don’t believe much without proof. We put our own expectations on those promises from God. Jesus didn’t seem like much of a Messiah even though everything about Him fulfilled the Old Testament prophecies, but we know about Him because someone had enough faith to share their story. Those who saw Jesus die on the cross could not believe any stories that might have been passed from those who were there after Jesus was born. Those stories did not make sense in the context of their expectations. Jesus didn’t fit. How can the Savior die a horrific death? Why was that the plan of God?

Sometimes we doubt because we have a hard time believing that a loving God would allow such things to happen. Why do children have to die? Why should innocents suffer while Jesus survived? What kind of God is this and why would we worship such a God? We see in this story and others like it, that God is with us in the midst of tragedy. He doesn’t abandon us to the risks we face; He goes with us. Despite the chaos in these stories, we are called to join in the voices of upright, and in the congregation. He sent Jesus, our Savior, and through Him all will be well.

Will everything be perfect? Will our life be like that idyllic scene of wrapped presents under the tree? No, sometimes it will be like the chaotic moments after with pieces of our lives strewn everywhere. But all will be well because God is there, and He knows what He is doing.

In the story of Christ, we learn that Jesus experienced the same sort of struggles that we face. He didn’t have an idyllic life. He suffered. He went hungry. He traveled great distances and lived in unfamiliar places. He got dusty on the road and wet when it rained. He lost family and friends to sickness and death. He lived with nothing. Yet He had everything. He was the Son of God, sent from heaven above to be like us. He came to die, but before He died, He came to live with us, to walk in our shoes, to experience temptation and pain.

Many Christians would prefer to go from the manger to the empty tomb. We see them only at Christmas and Easter. They don’t want to experience these stories of tragedy. To them it doesn’t make sense to worship a God that would play out His story in such a sad manner. They doubt His promises because they don’t understand His way. Trusting in God means believing His story fully as it is, to see that His plan had a purpose and that His way is right. Without the messy in-betweens, the manger and the cross are meaningless.

And because of those messy in-betweens, we are His brothers and sisters. Isn’t that extraordinary?

David knew that the promise would have to be bigger than our expectations; he had hope that the Messiah would be all that God promised. When considering the work of God, we might want to reduce it to a few important tasks like giving daily bread and providing deliverance for those who seek His mighty hand. Yet, David saw that God’s work goes even farther than just what we can see happening in the world. He made His wonderful works to be remembered, passing the message of mercy and grace from generation to generation through faith. God remembers His promises, and if you are a parent, you know how difficult a task that can be. He not only remembers but He is faithful. He provides justice and displays His power for the sake of those He loves. It might seem unbelievable, but it is to be believed, for God always keeps His promises.

Those who were with Mary and Joseph after Jesus was born - the shepherds, wisemen, Simeon and Anna - were sent by God to strengthen their faith. The life of their child would be extraordinary but not always pleasant. Jesus would be rejected, persecuted, beaten, and crucified, a promise fulfilled that no parent would want to hear. Yet they treasured every word and sign; they pondered them, but they trusted God’s faithfulness even through any uncertainty. We can do the same. Our praise is our witness to the greatness of the God who has kept His promises for His people.

The lesson for us this first Sunday after Christmas, and every day, is that God remains faithful even when we are not. He does not desert us because we have doubts, He doesn’t reject us when we wonder. He fulfills His promises and He even reminds us over and over again that He has spoken. He tells us in the most incredible ways, through the most unexpected people. He reveals Himself to us so that we can see that it wasn’t a dream or our imagination. He really has promised these things to us. At Christmas we see the fulfillment of the greatest gift, our Lord Jesus Christ, and the stories of those who were there help us to know that it is real. This gives us reason to rejoice and to praise God today, tomorrow and always.