Not a Christmas Sermon by Luther

I intended to have put up a Christmas sermon by Luther before now, but I haven’t been able to find the time to do such a thing.  Instead, I’m going to give you a little Christmas message from myself.

Click here for a very special Christmas message from the Weaver family.

Advent Sermon

Here’s the sermon I preached this past Sunday. 

Hearing Voices  Mark 1:1-11.

Where should I start?

In the days leading up to Christmas I’ll probably be posting a sermon by Martin Luther again.  You can read theLuther sermon from a couple of years ago here.

But in the meantime, and following that, I would like to get some of your suggestions on what you would like me to write about.  Any reasonable topic will be considered.

Tell me now!!!

Handel’s Messiah for the Hearing Impaired

Notice how at one point one of the nun’s wimples has been knocked over her head by the other nun and so she is now doing this with her face covered by her veil.

HT: Fred Butler

WHAT THE ANGELS ANNOUNCED AND PREACHED TO THE SHEPHERDS-Conclusion

By Martin Luther-Preached in the afternoon on Christmas Day at the parish Church, 1534.

27. Now it is impossible for us here on earth to fully understand and exhaust the meaning of this message. Life is too narrow really, Our heart to small, for us to be able to apprehend, let alone comprehend, this tremendous joy. For one’s heart really to be able to embrace it, would cause it to burst and die. Experience tells of how some people even die from fright and sorrow, some because of great joy. In like manner this gladness is so great that were the human heart fully able to assimilate it, body and soul would be torn apart and the person would expire.

28. Now even though we are unable fully to grasp and comprehend this joy, we should at least partake of its fruit by becoming kinder, gentler people who bear our neighbor no grudge, yes, do good even to our enemies, remembering the role model that God himself became man. But we see how feebly things go with us, also as regards the fruit that ought to follow, let alone that such gladness should fully reign in our heart and be fully understood. The greater part of mankind continues with the old Adam: envy, hatred, and other evil vices, a sure indication that the [angel's] message is not actually believed, or at best feebly, otherwise some minimal fruit would at least result, even though we did not fully appreciate it.

29. The stronger the faith is, however, the more joyous will be a person’s perception of this overwhelming grace. It is impossible for a human heart not to rejoice, if indeed it believes that it has a Saviour from sin, death, and all evil. Surely a person who has found a physician who can cure his fever, disease, and personal ailment, will rejoice; yes, with thanks he will promise the dear doctor that he will never forget his good help. He has heartfelt gratitude fro the wellbeing he feels in his body. Surely rejoicing must be even greater when from the heart he believes that a Saviour, who is Christ the Lord, has been born for him, to provide him genuine security against sin and everlasting death. The greatest number of people, however, seek after another kind of joy, one that provides tranquility, recreation, and pleasure here and now; but not for one moment are they free from anxiety. It illustrates how like a dream we receive this very joyous message and then snore away. The dear angels preach and sing indeed, but we godless people sleep on, with the treasure before our eyes and ears, but paying it no attention.

30. Now then the smart aleck who hears that word and finds no joy in it may in truth regard himself to be a lost individual. What after all will cause a heart to be joyful, if it cannot rejoice over the angel’s message, Unto you a Saviour is born? Whoever is not changed for the better by this word and made more godly, praising and thanking God; whoever does not relish this heavenly wine, nor have his heart warmed by this fire, to become kinder and gentler to his neighbor, him will the judge and hangman make more pious, for he’s beyond reprieve. The fact that he’s not set ablaze by this fire nor drawn by this heavenly wine–that Christ is our brother, yes, has become flesh and blood with us–plainly shows that he is a lost and condemned man. Accordingly, let it be a negative rebuff against our coldness and torpid resistance, causing us to pray from the heart for his grace, that by the Holy Ghost he might change our heart and help us.

31. The angel thereupon delineates further what sort of Saviour he is, namely, “Christ the Lord.” The sermon is short but it compresses the entire Holy Scripture in one bundle. Were a man to try to delineate it all, it would take him longer and he would need to cite the witness of the prophets about this child’s birth. In other words, when the angel says this Saviour born to you is “Christ the Lord,” he means that he is the Saviour whom the patriarchs and prophets foretold and whom with all their hearts they yearned to see. They well understood that he was to come, but they did not live to see his coming. But now the Saviour himself, Christ and Lord, has been born.

32. Christ himself states this fact to the Jews (John 8:56): “Your father Abraham rejoiced to see my day: and he saw it, and was glad.” What indeed would Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and all the fathers and prophets have done if they had lived long enough to see that Christ had been born? With longing they prophesied concerning him and rejoiced exceedingly about his coming. They were consumed with anticipation, while we are frozen stiff with ingratitude and disdain.

33. This very Christ and Lord has now been born, the angel tells the shepherds. He will put all things in order, freely bestowing the gift of righteousness, everlasting life, and salvation which were lost as a result of sin, and making heaven and earth new and at peace again. The Lord and everlasting Sovereign is born! Be comforted and undaunted, be brave and glad, renewed in courage by him, for it is not Joshua or David whom you have, but the one and only Saviour, who is Christ and Lord indeed. He will not cast you into hell, but rescue you: nor judge and condemn you because of sin but will forgive you your sins: nor be angry with you, but will greet you with friendly laughter. he is your brother and kinsman, and on top of it, your Saviour, King, and Lord; he dies for you, redeems you from sin, death, and the devil. Whoever finds no joy in his birth, nor thanks God for it, belongs to the devil.

34. So much in brief concerning the angel’s sermon. Let each one search his own heart whether he rejoices because of it and whether he loves his neighbor. if he finds no gladness is it, he should know that he is a lost and condemned man. Whoever rejoices over it and love his neighbor, let him thank God and pray that his joy might increase, becoming ever more complete. Amen.

WHAT THE ANGELS ANNOUNCED AND PREACHED TO THE SHEPHERDS-Part 3

By Martin Luther-Preached in the afternoon on Christmas Day at the parish Church, 1534.

18. Whoever rightly perceives this in his heart should, for the sake of the flesh and blood above at God’s right hand, hold dear all flesh and blood here on earth and be angry with none of his fellowmen. Simply looking at the manly nature of Christ, our God, should rightly make all hearts rejoice and spread kindness all around, so that no angry thought would evermore occur. By the same token, whoever has really grasped the picture in his heart that God’s Son became man can hardly have evil intentions in his heart towards the Lord Christ, but only good. For I know very well that I don’t relish being angry with myself or hurting myself. Now Christ is one with me, having flesh and blood like mine; so how could he possibly intend evil for himself, that is, towards us, who share his flesh and blood? That is why I do not fret over the devil’s vexing. When that picture reigns in the heart, then every instance of God’s avenging wrath, as with man’s fall into sin, or Sodom and Gomorrah, melts away. When we but think of this one man who is God and who has elevated our poor human nature by becoming man, God’s wrath vanishes.

19. As stated, are they not a derelict people who, though they hear this, nonetheless, willfully despise and disregard the treasure while they give attention to filling their pockets with money, building nice homes, and chasing after finery? It is, of course, the miserable devil who blinds their hearts so that they don’t even give a second thought to these glad tidings. You may be sure that wherever greed, grubbing, jealousy, and hatred are present, there is proof positive that the light of the angel’s message does not glow in their hearts but is extinguished.

20. For the present, as I have said, I am not speaking of the benefit and power of our redemption but only the birth of Christ itself, that he so honored our nature, our flesh and blood, by himself assuming it. By itself that should have melted our hearts and molded us into one cake as in the baker’s oven, igniting such ardor within us that we come to each other. But this is a message that goes in one ear and out the other, just as we go into church and come out again little changed. If we really embraced this picture with our eyes and hearts, a kinder, gentler person would result and we would say, How can I do hurt and wrong to that very nature which my God and Lord has so honored by himself becoming man? But the devil seeks to keep that from being preached, and where it already is being proclaimed, attempts to snatch it out of their hearts. The enthusiasts and the radical spirits dispute this with their arguments and ultimately lose the joy through their “wise” cogitations. And so the devil maintains his troops in the world, keeping the light from dawning, or quickly extinguishing it.

21. This is the one fact that ought to move us to great happiness and blessed self-esteem, that we have been so honored over all creatures, even the angels. We can truly boast: My flesh, my blood, sits at God’s right hand and rules over all things by his almighty hand. No other creature is so distinguished as is my flesh and blood, not even the angels. How can I, therefore, but love my neighbor and do good to him? Right there, however is where the devil works his spell, as we have said, spoiling our joy through other concerns, so that we don’t hold on to this picture in our hearts as we should. If we possessed nothing else than this privileged station, it would be cause to spring and dance.

22. But there’s more to this joy than that we are honored above the angels, for a Saviour is born for us. That really climaxes all. It goes far beyond the distinction and honor to our nature that the man Jesus also wants to be our Saviour. That is the chief point and greatest reason why we ought to be joyful. Those people are lost who neither know nor have heard this. But, as said earlier, much worse off are they who having heard and known still despise it. For these words melt heaven and earth together, make death into sugar, and turn all ills, of which there are plenty, into delectable wine. Where’s the man who could have conceived this, that a Saviour would be born to be our Redeemer? For that treasure was valid not only for the mother, the Virgin Mary, for her alone to possess in her motherhood, but for us all. “Unto you,” states the angel, “is born a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.”

23. The angle speaks to the shepherds; they were Jews and knew very well the meaning of “Saviour” in their language, that it signified Lord and King. But the greater part of the Jews erred on that point, thinking that Christ would be a Lord and King over a physical realm. That was not the meaning. The angle had something higher in mind, and so stated, “Unto you a Saviour is born.” In other words, till now you have been held captive by the devil in sin and death, plagued by him with water, fire, pestilence, and sword; indeed, who can tell all the evil? The whole of poor mankind lay under his tyranny, souls misled by idolatries and lies many more times than our bodies ravaged by the French disease (syphilis). Consequently, the poor, thirsty, weak body also had no rest from the devil; nor was eternal death far behind, with soul and body so afflicted. These are the devil’s arts and weapons. However, the angel says to you who now lie captive to this proud, shameless, evil, poisonous spirit, who is this world’s prince and god: A Saviour is born.

24. The little word “you” should make us glad. For to whom does the angel speak-to trees and stones? No, to people, and not to one or two, but to the whole human race. So what are we to conclude? Shall we continue to doubt the grace of God? and say, st. Peter and St. Paul might rejoice over the Saviour, but this noble, precious treasure does not belong to me, I will in turn ask, To whom does he then pertain? Did he come for the sake of geese, ducks, and cows? You forget who he is. Had he come for the sake of helping other creatures, he would have taken those creatures’ nature; but he became the Son of man exclusively.

25. Now then what are you? Who am I? Are we not all human beings? Yes, and who other than people are to receive this child? The angles have no need of him; the devil does not want him. We, however, need him, and for our sakes he became man. It behooves us, therefore, to welcome him with gladness, as the angel here says, For unto you a Saviour is born. Is it not a great wonder that an angel from heaven comes to bring this message to mankind, that many thousand angels thereupon also rejoice, urging and preaching to us people to rejoice over and embrace this graciousness with thanksgiving? We must write the words “unto you” with letters of fire into our hearts and welcome the Saviour’s birth most gladly.

26. The angel speaks with trenchant, passionate words, Unto you a Saviour is born, as though to say, I am not addressing wood or stone, but you people, you shepherds and people of earth for whom the Saviour is born. This birth is not meant for angels, nor for the sake of the mother’s motherhood, but for the sake of the poor, lost, and condemned mankind in the devil’s bondage, those subject to the devil’s derision and mockery. Should we not, therefore, embrace with thanksgiving this Saviour who was born for us? In him we not only have one united with us in nature, with our body and blood, but also a spiritual treasure far greater than physical glory, namely, our spiritual and eternal Saviour. Whoever perceives and believes this understands what it means to truly rejoice, yes, he virtually succumbs because of great joy.

Klug, Eugene F. A. Sermons of Martin Luther: The House Postils Vol 1. Grand Rapids: Baker Books, 1996.

Merry Christmas from the Nelson Family

From my family to yours Merry Christmas.
Pete Nelson

WHAT THE ANGELS ANNOUNCED AND PREACHED TO THE SHEPHERDS-Part 2

By Martin Luther-Preached in the afternoon on Christmas Day at the parish Church, 1534.

9. Whoever, therefore, desires to overcome and be safe from the devil’s poison and evil must rivet his attention on these wonderfully comforting words of the angel, “unto you is born a Saviour.” When this conviction reigns in our heart the victory is already won. We can now counter: Though the devil throttle me, deeply imbed sin in me, and inject me with his poison to bring me under God’s wrath and everlasting judgment, yet I will not be overcome with fear and terror to the point of despairing. For great though this evil is, it cannot in any way be compared with the treasure God has given us through Christ. It is far greater than the evil the devil has brought about in us. We don’t understand why God did not take charge over the human race in the same way the devil has dominion over people, but instead chose to become a true man himself. That near the devil cannot come to people, to become a human being, man remains man, and the devil remains the devil, two distinct persons and natures. The Son of God, on the other hand, assumed a human nature, so that I can now say in truth: This man is , and is called, true God; and conversely God is, and is called, true man in one person.

10. God thus has drawn much closer to us and entered more deeply into our condemned and troubled nature than the devil could. He can possess and torture a person but cannot personally become a human being, as, conversely, a human being cannot become a devil. The two natures remain distinct not only in essence but in person. But with the Son of God the two are one; he has our flesh and blood, born of the virgin Mary, true, natural man like you and me, except that he was conceived by the Holy Ghost without male semen, and did not partake of the devil’s poison, sin and death, but possessed a completely pure, guiltless body and blood. Except for that one fact, that our body and blood are impure and sinful, he is a man like you and me, needing to eat, drink, sleep, wake up, become tired, rest, and carry on as other people need to do because of their nature. As St. Paul says, habitu inventus ut homo, “in his appearance he was found in fashion as a man,” so that whoever saw or heard him would have to say, he is a true human being in nature, no apparition, for he possesses all the characteristics of human life.

11. This was the gladness of which the angel spoke. I speak now only of the glory over which we should rejoice, not yet about the fruit of his suffering and resurrection. My sermon now is only about the glory with which God honored our nature, that against all dishonor and shame brought upon us by the devil through sin, we came to blessedness in that God drew so near to us by himself becoming a man in his own person like you and me, except that he was without sin. Thereby he adorned the whole human race with this inexpressible honor. This is what the angel wanted the people to perceive with his words, “I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.”

12. The dear angels rejoice because of the birth of this Saviour, and they glow and spring happily, completely at peace with mankind. That is the essence of the angel’s joyous sermon, “I bring you glad tidings which shall be to all people.” His deep desire is that none of us in the human race be excluded from this rejoicing but that all would espouse these glad tidings from the heart, as the angels did, that by Christ the Lord’s birth our human nature has been greatly elevated, because the most sovereign Son of God himself, by whom all things were made, has become flesh and blood with us.

13. If there was nothing more for us in the newborn child than that our human nature had been highly honored in that God who created us is now our kinsman, our nearest friend, our flesh and blood, (I’ll omit for the present to speak of his suffering and resurrection), it would be little wonder, if we, believing it from the heart, would become so dear to each other that, as the saying goes, we would consume each other with love. If our hearts really perceived the greatness of this honor and we could say with firm faith, God is become man, would it be a wonder if we no longer were enemies with any man and surrendered our lives for each other? The fact is you could not even hate or harm anyone in effigy who has body and soul like your God and mine. Should we not, therefore, because of such glory with which God has elevated human nature above and beyond the angels, also love and do good to all people?

14. The angels are much more glorious creatures by nature than we human beings. But God did not consider that; he is not an angel, nor did he become an angel. The angels, moreover, are blameless and holy spirits who have never fallen, as the other angels and we poor humans did, and therefore they are also immortal. That seems to suggest that it would have cost the divine nature less, if God had become an angel. But he sets the course, chooses the lowly, poor human nature, lost in sin and subject under the devil’s rule and the power of death, plagued and troubled through and through by the devil and his ceaseless pressure. That meant sinking to the lowest depths. That fact alone ought to motivate us to ardor, love, kindness, ands service toward each other for the sake of this one man, Jesus Christ.

15. Some of the fathers, in particular Bernard, in reflecting on the matter have stated that when the devil, while still in heaven, saw that the Son of God would become man, he became so filled with envy against people and hatred toward God for not becoming an angel rather than man, that out of jealousy and arrogance he fell to his ruin. That may be a pious thought or an actual fact, but in any case the beloved fathers sought thereby to emphasize the great joy, glory, and overwhelming goodness that have come to us, because God took to himself not the angel’s nature, but through Abraham’s seed our flesh and blood, which had been corrupted by the devil and poisoned through sin and death.

16. People who know nothing of this glory are without hope of salvation, but much worse are those who hear the message of the angels or from the apostles-that God graciously embraces our human nature, honors and magnifies it so highly, that not even the angelic nature equals it in comparison, in fact no creature made by God. But they do not savor it, nor do they have comfort or joy from it. You may be sure they forfeit their salvation. They neither fathom nor possess it.

17. If my father were to become a great and wealthy lord, I would indeed be very happy. When one member of a large family of brothers is promoted they all share in the joy and satisfaction. How great was Israel’s joy when Joseph was elevated to prince in Egypt. it is a natural gladness. So how does it happen that we do not rejoice over this inexpressible honor and glory? Why doesn’t it grab us in our hearts? and why don’t we praise and thank God over the fact that he assumed our flesh and blood and now sits at the right hand of God, Lord over all creation?

Klug, Eugene F. A. Sermons of Martin Luther: The House Postils Vol 1. Grand Rapids: Baker Books, 1996.

The Holiday Season and History Channel

By Peter Nelson

Let me get on my soapbox here for just a minute of your time. I want to rant about something that is near and dear to my heart of hearts: The History Channel and Christianity.

Now most of the time when my daughters see I’m watching this channel and it has something about Jesus or Christianity on it they make me turn it to a different channel or just shut it off. ( My youngest girl calls the history channel the “all Hitler all the time” channel because it seems no matter the subject Hitler must appear in it.) Typically because when they are covering the subject of Jesus or Christianity rarely do they get some evangelical/conservative scholar on its usually some radical liberal or John Crossan. And I spend an hour yelling at the television. So in the interest of not watching dear old dad stroke out they take matters into their own hands.

However, since dear old dad has been having some bouts of insomnia lately the girls haven’t been up to keep me from watching the History Channel. And last night to my pleasure and surprise they had something on Jesus that I believe was Decoding the past: Resurrection. I don’t think that they actually made this I think this was a 20/20 special because it had Elizabeth Vargas on it. Anyway for once it had some conservative voices on it (William Lane Craig, Lee Strobel) who countered the claims of the liberals about Jesus’ resurrection. All in all a very well done piece.

Well I was puttering around and then turned on the idiot box and what was on but the Spear of Destiny. Now for those of you who may not know the Spear of Destiny or Lance of Longinus is the supposed spear that pierced Christ on the cross. (John 19:31-37) Because of this a myth has arisen around it that supposedly whomever wields this spear will be able to conquer the world. Constantine according to this show had the spear in hand when he conquered Rome. One supposed scholar had the temerity to say that without Constantine western Christianity wouldn’t exist today. Implying of course that it was the spear that helped this along.

Well of course when Constantine loses the Spear of Destiny that’s when the empire collapses into ruin. And then it goes through many different hands including you guessed it Hitler.

So what is my point here? Well its this:

I form light and create darkness, I make well-being and create calamity, I am the LORD, who does all these things.
(Isaiah 45:7 ESV)

It is the sovereign Lord that is in charge of history. He is the reason nations rise up or fall. Its not some lousy piece of metal. Here is what the bible says about what the Lord causes:

Let all the earth fear the LORD; let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of him! For he spoke, and it came to be; he commanded, and it stood firm. The LORD brings the counsel of the nations to nothing; he frustrates the plans of the peoples. The counsel of the LORD stands forever, the plans of his heart to all generations.
(Psalms 33:8-11 ESV)

God rules there is nothing that happens that hasn’t been according to His purpose and plan. Nothing. Including the saving of His people:

this Jesus, delivered up according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God, you crucified and killed by the hands of lawless men.
(Acts 2:23 ESV emphasis mine)

for truly in this city there were gathered together against your holy servant Jesus, whom you anointed, both Herod and Pontius Pilate, along with the Gentiles and the peoples of Israel, to do whatever your hand and your plan had predestined to take place.
(Acts 4:27-28 ESV emphasis mine)

So this Christmas remember it is because God sovereignty purposed all things that events happened and nothing occurred that God didn’t plan.

Merry Christmas.

WHAT THE ANGELS ANNOUNCED AND PREACHED TO THE SHEPHERDS-Part 1

By Martin Luther-Preached in the afternoon on Christmas Day at the parish Church, 1534.

1. Beloved, you have heard the story of this day, how Christ Jesus, God’s Son, was born into this world, and what we are to learn from this. Now while this occurred in Bethlehem, according to the Evangelist, the angel of the Lord, accompanied by many thousands of angels, appeared with extremely brilliant light to sing and proclaim this birth to the two or three shepherds in the fields tending their flocks nearby. This was the angel’s sermon:

And the angel said to them, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of a great joy that will be for all the people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.” (Luke 2:10-12)

2. This is the first sermon preached concerning this newborn child, our Lord Jesus. It was delivered for us on earth by the angels from heaven, and even though we deal with this sermon year after year, we still keep on treating it as though new. For even if it were preached and heard every year, yea every day, we could never exhaust its meaning till the end of time.

3. The angel’s sermon was indeed most necessary. Christ might have been born a hundred times over, but it would all have been in vain if it had not been preached and revealed to us. What profit would it be to a man to have a treasure and yet not know that he has it? It’s like the man who has an inkling about a treasure of gold buried int he cellar of his house but doesn’t know for sure how to get at it; what pleasure of joy does he have from it? That is true for everything in this world: A buried treasure is a useless treasure, as the proverb has it, ignotti nulla cupido, “what a person is unaware of doesn’t excite him”; there is neither delight nor disgust for what is not real nor likely to come to pass. This is especially true in spiritual matters. If the angels had not proclaimed this holy, wonderfully, joyous birth and revealed this treasure to people, no one would have yearned for this treasure, let alone relished it; none would have rejoiced. The bottom line is, as stated, what a man does not know cannot be dear to him.

4. That is why the truly preeminent point in today’s Gospel is that the angel’s proclamation made this birth known, to show us this treasure, so that we are not left unawares of having a treasure in hand, unable either to rejoice over it or be comforted by it. Hence the pronouncement: “Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy.”

5. These are truly key words, for the one speaking them is the angel of the Lord. The shepherds are terribly frightened by the great and dazzling light accompanying the angel’s appearance and encompassing them with the Lord’s brightness in a most unusual happening. In just a split second the dark night was lit up like a fire and everything, heaven and earth, fused together as one mass. The shepherds were hardly accustomed to such a light ands message, and consequently, they were terribly frightened. The angel observes this and, therefore, speaks gently to them, “Fear not,” as though to say, you have no reason to fear; but the fact that you do plainly shows that you are not yet aware of the very precious treasure God has given to you, otherwise you would not be afraid but would be of good spirit and happy at heart. That’s the reason for which I have come, to make this treasure known unto you. So, listen to me: I bring you joyful tidings, truly joyful, against all your sorrow, fear, and terror.

6. He does not merely say, I make known to you a great work and wonder, but, “I bring you tidings of great joy.” Now no one can rejoice over something he does not know about. The man who after being told and informed still refuses to rejoice over it is a fool. The world is full of such fools who have had God’s heavenly and eternal gifts proclaimed to them and yet do not rejoice over them, though they know about them. Accordingly the angel does not merely term the birth of our Lord Jesus Christ a wonder, but a joyous thing, for it is his sincere intention to bring a message that would be overpowering, not useless, but avail to make us rejoice over Christ’s birth, and not just a little bit but with exceeding joy. The wondrous work of God which I am making known to you, he states, is a birth that will cause you wondrous joy.

7. Here was the reason why: The devil had subjected all mankind under sin and caused terrible, incalculable grief beyond human comprehension. In the first place he precipitated us into original sin, including death with it, and not only death but also all manner of evil. Daily in this world we live with murder, lying, betrayal, stealing, robbing, and all manner of shameful evil, depravity, and vexation, so that literally no one’s life or property are safe for a moment, but everything is in terrible turmoil! But beyond such evil there is even a greater one, as God’s Word tells, in that the devil takes hold of people so totally that they become mad and foolish. As a result of this wickedness and sin, the human race has become little more that a stinking, shameful, disguised tool of the devil. So despicable has he made mankind through sin that we could not possibly become more base. Eternal death and God’s wrath take us by the throat; we are never at peace but constantly plagued in body and soul here on earth, making it an enormous, woeful, fear-ridden kingdom of the devil.

8. If we rightly think about it and weigh one against the other, such pitiful, and heartrending calamity in no way compares with the glory of this precious treasure and joy of a Saviour, who is Christ the Lord, born for us. And with his message the angel wants earnestly to divert our eyes and hearts from our devil-induced grief and sorry condition to this child, purposing thereby like a golden-tongued preacher to show us that the grief and sorrow brought upon us by the devil cannot in any way compare with the salvation and joy that is ours in this newborn child. It is a fact, when this joyous image reigns in a person’s heart, then the evil launched by the devil becomes as nothing, though indeed always still very real and damaging.

Klug, Eugene F. A. Sermons of Martin Luther: The House Postils Vol 1. Grand Rapids: Baker Books, 1996.