The Nativity of our Lord – December 25, 2025

Grace to you and peace from God our Father, from our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Amen.

Our text for this morning is from our Holy Gospel, this morning from John chapter

John 1 · chapter mention

1. Let me read a few verses.

In him was life, and the life was the light of men.

The true light, which gives light to everyone, was coming into the world.

Here ends our text. In the beginning was the Word.

The Word was the eternal Son of God, the second person of the Trinity.

He has no beginning. He existed from eternity.

He was with God the Father. He was fully God, and he participated in the creation

of the entire universe, along with the Father and the Holy Spirit.

Just moments ago, we confess in the Nicene Creed that the eternal Son of God

is God of God, light of light, very God of very God, begotten, not made,

being of one substance with a Father, through whom all things were made.

In the beginning, darkness covered the face of the deep. And God said,

let there be light, and there was light.

God's creation was very good.

The darkness did not overcome the light.

God's creation gave life, life to the plants and animals, life even to Adam and Eve.

It was perfect in every way, no sin, no death. His creation was beautiful.

God had given you life from the womb of your mother.

You were created in the image of God, and he sustains you with daily bread.

He cares about you. He loves you. You have a purpose in life.

But Satan tempted Adam and Eve to eat the forbidden fruits.

They ate, and sin and darkness and death then entered our world.

Their fault had affected each and every one of us. The good that we're supposed

to do, we don't find ourselves doing.

The bad that we are not supposed to do, we find ourselves doing.

We live in the darkness of sin, and someday all of us will die.

We cannot win favor with God. We cannot pay for our sin.

We cannot prevent death. We need a Savior.

We need a savior who will be like us To

shed blood as a payment for our sin Yet he should

be without sin We need a savior who will fulfill the law that we cannot fulfill

We need a savior who will defeat our enemies of death and the devil We need

a savior who will bring light and life to our world of sin and darkness and death.

Galatians chapter 4 reads, But when the fullness of the time had come,

Galatians 4 · chapter mention

God sent forth his Son, born of a woman,

born under the law, to redeem those who are under the law, so that we might

receive the adoption of as sons.

So at the right time in history, God sent his only begotten Son to be our Savior.

He was born of the Virgin Mary. He became flesh and dwelt among us.

The Creator took upon creation, yet remained the Lord of all creation.

God became a man, yet remained as God. The infinite entered the finite.

The eternal broke into time. The fullness of the deity dwelt among us in a body.

The heart of Christmas is this. The Word had taken upon human flesh and was

born of the Virgin Mary, and they called him Jesus.

He was born in a dark and silent night, yet he was the true light,

and the darkness did not overcome him.

Many Christmas cards depict the baby Jesus as shining forth a bright light,

and rightly so, because Jesus is the true light.

God and man are now one in Jesus Christ.

He is like us in every way, bone of our bones and flesh of our flesh, yet without sin.

Where is God? He has come down to us in Jesus.

We cannot ascend to God, but God has come down to us.

What we cannot do, Jesus did in our place. He fulfilled the law,

yet Jesus fulfilled it perfectly.

We do not seek God, rather God sought us and he found us.

When we cry out, where are you, God? Jesus answers, I am with you always.

I have come to give you comfort in the midst of trial and tribulation.

I've come to give you peace and forgiveness. I've come to give you light and life.

Jesus' public ministry began when he was baptized by John in the Jordan River.

And at that time, the father said of Jesus, This is my beloved son,

in whom I am well pleased.

And then the Holy Spirit anointed him by means of a dove.

Our holy gospel for today tells us that John the Baptist identified Jesus as the promised Savior.

He is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.

John was not the light, but he bore witness to Jesus, who is the light.

Jesus is the word made flesh. And during his ministry, his word was powerful.

He spoke and things came to be. By the power of his word, he stilled the storm,

and he even raised Lazarus from the dead.

When Jesus taught and preached, his word accomplished its mission.

Faith was created in the hearts of people, and the people were even amazed by

the authority of which Jesus spoke.

Where did he get this, they asked?

Well, he is God in human flesh.

Isaiah chapter 9 speaks of Jesus. Quote, the people who walked in darkness have seen a great light.

Isaiah 9 · chapter mention

Those who dwelt in the land of deep darkness, on them has light shone.

The people during the time of

Jesus walked in darkness, but they looked to Jesus as their great light.

They dwelt in the land of deep darkness, but Jesus was their true light.

Just as the light of creation shone in the darkness, and the darkness did not

overcome the light, so also Jesus shines in the darkness of our fallen world,

and the darkness of our fallen world did not overcome Jesus.

As light broke into the darkness at creation, so Christ entered our world of sin and death.

Our gospel says that Jesus came to his own, but his own did not receive him.

Instead, they cried out, crucify him, crucify him.

When Pilate asked Jesus, who are you and where have you come from?

Listen how Jesus responded.

He said, quote, for this purpose, I was born.

For this purpose, I was born. And for this purpose, I have come into the world

to bear witness to the truth.

Notice that in the context of Jesus' upcoming death on the cross,

he speaks about his birth.

He was born so that he could die on the cross and rise from the dead.

He was born to save us from sin, death, and the devil.

Christmas and Good Friday go together.

On Good Friday, darkness covered the land from noon until three in the afternoon,

and that darkness symbolized the darkness of our sin and the wrath of God.

And Jesus bore our sin there on the cross, and he also bore the wrath of God in our place.

Good Friday and Easter also go together.

And so three days later, Jesus rose from the dead.

The darkness of sin and death could not hold Jesus in the tomb.

It could not overcome him Easter is

a season of light and light as our gospel says in him was light and he was the

light of the world the life of the world Jesus is the true light who gives light

and life to you and me through faith in Christ.

Was a day when you were born, you were born from your mother and you celebrate

your birthday and praise God for that, but your greater birth took place in your baptism.

There you were born from above by water and the word.

You were born of God.

You are now a child of God. God is your father and Jesus is your brother.

You're loved by God. You have a purpose in life. He cares for you.

Verse 9 says that the true light gives light to everyone.

Jesus has given to you his life and light.

Verse 17 says that the law was given through Moses.

God's law is good for us. It teaches us how to love God and how to love the neighbor.

It teaches us what to do and what not to do. It protects us.

It guides us. It's a blessing to us.

However, the law also shows us our sin because we are sinful by nature.

And so we confess our sins and we receive forgiveness in Christ.

But verse 17 goes on to say that grace and truth comes through Jesus Christ, our Lord.

And because of the cross and the open tomb, God is gracious and merciful to

you. He gives you grace upon grace.

In other words, God's grace to you is abundant because of Jesus.

Us and you hear this wonderful

news and you say in faith

thank you in our holy

gospel for today it says jesus came to his own his own did not receive him but

to all who did receive him who believed in his name he gave the right to become

the children of god god came to you jesus came to you he gave you his light

and life you believe in him you look to him in faith you are a child of God.

Jesus is the word made flesh, but you now hear his written word and his word

that is now being preached.

They both point to Jesus, the written word and the preached word.

They point to Jesus, your one and only Savior.

God's word is your light and your lamp unto your feet. It guides you. It comforts you.

It reminds you of God's promises toward you.

Hear God's word on a regular basis.

When you will walk through the valley of the shadow of death, you will fear no evil.

The darkness of eternal life will not overcome you because Christ is your life

and your source of eternal life.

Today we celebrate the birth of our Savior.

Today the word dwells among us. Today is a day of light and life.

Today we behold God's glory, not with a physical eye, but with the eyes of faith.

Today is a day filled with hope and joy.

Today our Savior comes to us

in bread and wine, giving us his body and blood. Thanks be to God. Amen.