The picture on Christmas Eve is of God speaking to the person who is on the edge of giving up and God says, “You’re not on your own. You’re not forgotten. You’re not abandoned. In fact, I will send an army to seek you out and then I’ll rescue you.” We don’t just celebrate that this Promised Child is here. We celebrate that God’s rescue plan, that has reached you, has arrived.
This processional crucifix cross was blessed for use in our worship. It was purchased with the memorial funds from and in memory of Russ Cramm, Paul Erickson, Wayne Dunn and Val Dynes. This cross was also specifically made, upon request, for THIS congregation! It took a few months for us to receive it after ordering it because it was carved, by hand, for your eyes.
In the process of going through our worship today, I pray that we may answer a few question: 1) Why do we use a processional cross? To answer that, we use it on feast days, large festival days within the church year; Easter, Ascension, Pentecost, Trinity, Christmas, etc. The second question is this, “Why do we have a crucifix? Why not an empty cross?” For this question, I will allow the worship service itself to give the answers.
But, to be sure, we do not hold any superstitious fantasies about a piece of wood on which our Lord may or may not have actually been crucified – any more than we hold any superstitious thoughts about the cross on our altar or the cross I wear around my neck or the cross jewelry we wear. These are only 'symbols. And the purpose of 'symbols' is to point to something beyond themselves, and not to the thing itself.
It's not the cross itself that we worship and adore – but all that the cross points to – which is the indescribable love of the almighty God that He was poured out onto this fallen, corrupt and sinful world through His perfect, innocent, holy Son, who suffered the punishment that we deserve, by bearing them in His body unto death, even death on a cross.
English: Jesus Christ
Latin: IHCOYC XPICTOC
Greek: Ἰησοῦς Χριστός
The fingers of Jesus’ right hand spell out “IC XC”, a widely used four letter abbreviation of the Greek for Jesus Christ. It is by the name of Jesus that we are saved and receive blessings: “At the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth;” (Phil 2:10).
The fingers of Jesus’ left hand is an indication of the trinity. You see one finger extended while three are tucked, hidden or less prominent. All of this is simply to affirm the doctrine of the trinity that is found many places in Scripture, to which Jesus affirmed in our Gospel text from last week, “I and the Father are one.” John 10:30.
Without Easter, we have nothing to celebrate because we didn’t get the news!! Easter is that day that we know that God’s promise will come to us. That we get to live…in bodies…without that stuff that makes life difficult. So thank God for Easter, thank God for Jesus, and thank God for the resurrection—his, of course…but ours as well!
If these four people could be included in the significance of Jesus’ genealogy, you have value to God as well. This is what Christmas is all about, God’s good favor coming to outsiders…me and you! Had Matthew left out those four individuals, we might have missed the whole point! Merry Christmas!
The resurrection is real and King Jesus is in control.
We often focus on our confession of faith on Reformation Sunday, but this year we will focus on what Jesus calls us to do.
The striking question that the Gospel of Mark leaves you muddling over is this, “Jesus said he was going to be in Galilee on the third day after his death…would you, in faith, go to see him? Everything else happened, just as he said…”
It can be easy for a tree, a turkey, some toys and tinsel to become the focal point of gatherings at this time of year. If we do not see His glory it can be easy for this to happen. But seeing Him may be a little more than seeing the beauty of a rainbow.
If we're asking the wrong questions about Christmas we will undoubtedly come to the wrong answer. Genesis 3:15 is the first promise of the Gospel that God will send a savior to restore creation. But who is this person? And when will they come? And now you're ready to hear the Good News that comes at Christmas.
"Where is the best place to remember your family members who have died in the faith? As your going to communion. You are closer to them spiritually than you ever were in this life." The sacrament is the heart of our religion. Communion is an All Saints' benefit.
