Grace Lutheran Church

A Decree with the Power to Make a Difference – Christmas Eve 11pm Sermon

+ In Nomine Jesu +
The Rev. Evan Gaertner
Christmas Eve 11pm
December 24, 2007

“This those days a DECREE went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be enrolled.”

This opening statement from the second chapter of the Gospel of Luke establishes for us the conflict of power that Jesus is born into.

Caesar Augustus sought to establish himself as the ruler of his empire. Now certainly those areas that were not strongly under his control would try not to participate in the census taking. But Caesar made a point. You are mine.
Picture an adult counting a row of children. One of the children seeks to duck and hide to avoid being counted, but the adult persists and counts that child. The adults establishes to that child, “I have the authority and power to count you.”
Sources suggest that the chief purpose of a Roman census was to assemble property records, for taxation purposes. Caesar wanted to count you, to know how much stuff you could give back to him.
In contrast to the character and purpose of the Roman decree, God sent out his own decree. God did not send this message through a powerful Roman Centurion. God delivered his decree through that first angel that spoke to the angels, “To you this day is born a Savior.”
Savior was one of Caesar’s titles. The title savior can be found on coins of Roman times with a picture of the Caesar. Even while Caesar Augustus attempted to demonstrate his rule over the people, God announced the truth. A savior has been born to you this day in the city of David and he is (not Caesar) he is Christ the Lord.
The Lord God encourages me by delivering his decree to the property-less, the shepherds.
Caesar sent out his decree to count the entire world because he was concerned with our stuff. Power is stuff. If you have stuff, you have the power. Do you have the right clothes, the cool phone, the hot new car, the perfect landscaping? Do you think you have power in this world to make a difference? Many people feel powerless to make their families happy. Disappointment fills people with guilt as they try make themselves happy by getting stuff.
The Lord God sent out his decree because he is focused on you, his aim at last is to use his gracious hands to wipe away every tear from your eyes. God saves you by delivering you from the judgment against sin. Many people may look to God to deliver them happiness by having the big brown truck of UPS deliver them a big box from Amazon. God delivers you to eternal life. The world may try to deliver you to stuff-mart, but the Lord your God gives you the promise of his love and mercy.
While Caesar thought it grand to send his decree out to his household of power, our magnificent God in his goodness makes his decree universal. God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son so that all those that believe in him may not perish but have eternal life.
The shepherds when to find the evidence of what the Lord had made known to them.
The innkeeper made sure there was hay in that manger for his stubborn donkey to eat. The Lord God put the baby in that manger so that us stubborn sinful human beings would be delivered from sin, death, and the devil. In Christ we are given life and power in the world.
You do not need to look with Caesar to stuff to give you power. We will never find power in what rots or wears away, but our treasure is in the grace filled mercy of Jesus Christ.
Put your heart in Christ and you will have the very power of heaven in your hands.
This Christmas time trust in Jesus Christ, born in a manger, to be the one who gives you the power of sin, death and the devil. The donkey fed on the hay, please feed your life with plenty of helpings of glad tidings of comfort and joy.