With the birth of Jesus, light displaces darkness. Jesus has broken our bondage to sin; He has conquered death; He has crushed the devil; and He has won the victory over hell. With the birth of Jesus, the glory of the Lord has dawned upon humankind. Today we hear of joy in the salvation inaugurated with Christ’s birth. “Joy, joy, for Christ is born, the babe, the Son of Mary.” Brothers and sisters in Christ,

THE BIRTH OF THE SAVIOR GIVES REASON TO REJOICE

Notice the way salvation and Christ’s birth are proclaimed in Holy Scripture. At the Lord’s birth, salvation is pictured as a done deal. Take Luke’s Gospel account we heard last night, for example. On the evening of Christ’s birth, the angel declared, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!” That peace only comes through the cross, but with Christ’s birth it’s as good as done.

That’s also how Isaiah prophesies the coming of the Lord Jesus. His salvation is a done deal. “How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him who brings good news, who publishes peace, who bring good news of happiness, who publishes salvation, who says to Zion, ‘Your God reigns.’”

How does salvation happen? Isaiah hasn’t prophesied it yet, but he proclaims it as being as good as done. So, it is with the birth of Christ. How this little infant works salvation hadn’t been fully revealed, but with His birth “the Good News of great joy” is already proclaimed.

Martin Luther wrote in the second stanza of his Christmas hymn From Heaven Above to Earth I Come: “To you this night is born a child Of Mary, chosen virgin mild; This little child of lowly birth Shall be the joy of all the earth.” The Good News of Christ’s birth brings joy to a world broken by sin; a people hurting under the oppression of suffering, sickness, and death; a people assaulted by the temptations of the devil, the world, and our sinful natures. With the birth of Jesus, salvation will happen. The babe of Bethlehem is named Jesus, because He will save His people from their sins. It’s a promise for you to remember as much as it’s a name, because it’s as good as done—even at His birth. The Lord’s zeal (His intense focus) will bring salvation to fulfillment.

In today’s Old Testament reading, Isaiah proclaims the salvation of Christ Jesus as having taken place, but he hasn’t revealed “the how” yet. “The how” comes in the next chapter—53. We usually hear that chapter around Holy Week. Isaiah prophesies in vivid, poetic detail the suffering of our Lord for the sins of the world. The climax of the passage is Isaiah 53:5, “But he was wounded for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his stripes we are healed.” So, Isaiah proclaims the Good News of great joy as done; then he prophesies how it happens.

A blessing is promised for anyone who shares the Good News of the Savior’s birth. Isaiah says, “Beautiful are the feet of him who… brings good news of happiness.” God, who seeks the salvation of the world, has caused this message of salvation to be spread throughout the entirety of human history. The Lord Himself has declared it; He has sent His holy angels to declare it; and by His glorious grace He enlists sinful (yet forgiven) people to share this Good News of salvation with others. The Good News of salvation (the message that “Our God reigns”) is Good News for everyone to hear, receive, and believe.

Upon hearing this Good News, God’s people sing for joy in the birth of the Savior. Isaiah proclaims, “The voice of your watchmen—they lift up their voice; together they sing for joy; for eye to eye they see the return of the Lord to Zion.” Who are these watchmen? The Old Testament prophets, the New Testament apostles, and called pastors throughout the Church’s history. These watchmen faithfully tend to the flock of the Good Shepherd as under-shepherds. They lift up their voices, they sing for joy, they preach the Good News of Christ crucified and raised for the sins of the world. The watchmen announce the joyous news that God has given us His Son that “whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.”

Through God’s revealed Word, the watchmen know that the Lord has returned to Zion. Jesus entered Jerusalem (the holy city) to suffer and die in atonement for the world’s sin. Nothing more can be done. There’s nothing you need to do to earn God’s favor. What joyous news! We who were saddled with a tremendous debt of sin have been unburdened by our Lord. God speaks through Isaiah in such a way that salvation is presented as a done deal several hundred years before it happens. God sees right into the eyes of His Son at His birth. What joy!

Watchmen declare this Good News to you—God’s people. So, today we sing for joy at the news of Christ’s birth, because it means our salvation. Isaiah urges all of God’s children (both God’s watchmen and God’s people) to “break forth together into singing, you waste places of Jerusalem, for the Lord has comforted his people; he has redeemed Jerusalem.” This is an amazing passage, when we consider the earthly and spiritual historical implications. We heard last week, that the people of Judah would receive punishment from the Lord as a result of their idolatry. We heard last Sunday, Isaiah declared that the Lord would allow His people to brutally suffer at the hands of the Assyrians as a wake-up call to them.

Yet, Isaiah also declares that the Lord comforts His people and redeems His people from their sins. Salvation is imminent. This is cause for all of God’s people to rejoice. God has promised a Savior (Emmanuel) God with His people to save His people.

Therefore, you are the recipients of great comfort. In the eyes of the Lord, you aren’t any better than God’s Old Testament people when it comes to sinfulness. You also struggle with idolatry. You break all of God’s commandments on a daily basis. You often selfishly serve yourselves. You often love money or pleasure more than the Lord. Yet, despite your sins the Lord declared salvation is a done deal. Then, Jesus accomplished it! “While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” Salvation is a done deal for you who believe.

You see, the birth of Christ has far-reaching implications. Christ the eternal “Word became flesh and dwelt among us.” The birth, life, suffering, death, resurrection, and ascension of Jesus extend far beyond the little blip of our lifetime. The same sacrifice for sin that Jesus made on the cross paid the sin debt of Adam and Eve, it paid our sin debt, and it paid the sin debt of the sinners on the very Last Day.

During the ministry of Isaiah, God’s people saw pain and suffering. We, also, experience pain and suffering. And yet… and yet, the reality that we see by faith is that Jesus has accomplished victory. We don’t see the fulness of it right now with our eyes, but we have heard the Good News of the Lord’s messengers who did see it. We can take Christ at His Word: “It is finished.” This gives us such great joy in Jesus’ birth, for He is our light, life, and salvation.

Receiving this joyful news, the whole congregation of God’s people come together joyfully singing salvation. As you sing, the world listens.

As you sing, the joy of Jesus’ victory is proclaimed to all the ends of the earth. Isaiah prophesies: “The Lord has bared his holy arm before the eyes of all the nations, and all the ends of the earth shall see the salvation of our God.” God’s holy arm is a terror to those who reject the Good News of Jesus’ birth. However, for you who receive it and believe it, God’s holy arm means the salvation of your souls. It means forgiveness, life, and salvation. It means comfort, peace, and hope. It is your joy. The Good News of salvation from sin, death, the devil, and hell spreads to the ends of the earth. We bring this “Good News of great joy” to all the world as we share the Gospel and sing the salvation of Jesus’ birth and redeeming work on the cross.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, Christmas is a great time of rejoicing in our Redeemer. God our Father has given the greatest gift He could give. Jesus (our God and our Lord) has come in the flesh, taken away our sin, and gives us eternal life in His name. One day we will be with Him in the paradise of His unending kingdom. So, “Rejoice, rejoice, this happy morn!” Amen.