Unto Us Is Born a Savior

Christmas Eve| Luke 2:1-20| Pastor James Preus| Trinity Lutheran Church| December 24, 2025

About six-hundred years before Christ was born in Bethlehem, Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon had a dream. He saw a figure with a head of gold, chest and arms of silver, middle and thighs of bronze, and legs of iron with feet partly of iron and partly of clay. Then he saw a rock cut out without human hands, which smashed the figure on its feet and the entire image crumbled to dust, and the wind carried it away. The rock then became a great mountain and filled the earth. The prophet Daniel, who was a captive from Judea, interpreted the dream for King Nebuchadnezzar. He told King Nebuchadnezzar that he was the head of gold. And the silver, bronze, and iron mixed with clay were three kingdoms which would arise after him. Finally, the rock which crushed the figure and became a mountain would be the kingdom which God would establish forever. So, we recognize the gold, silver, bronze, and iron to be the Babylonian Empire, which then fell to the Persian Empire, which then fell to the Greek Empire, which then fell to the Roman Empire in which Christ, the rock, was born, who has established His Holy Christian Church, the Kingdom of God, which shall never end.

Although God has revealed these mysteries in Holy Scripture, few pay attention to them. The Babylonian, Persian, and Greek Empires were not thinking of God’s plan to establish His own kingdom, but rather gloried in their own power and riches until they lost them. Likewise, Caesar Augustus in Rome and Quirinius in Syria and King Herod in Jerusalem busy holding onto their earthly power and prestige, paid no attention to the rock cut out by God, which was born in poverty in Bethlehem. Yet the Roman Empire passed away like chaff in the wind just as every other earthly kingdom does. But Christ’s heavenly kingdom remains.

And so, we learn that what is highly esteemed among men is of no value to God. While Caesar Augustus schemed how he could hold onto power, God used his census to arrange the birth of His Son in Bethlehem. While the kings of the nations which would pass away slept on silk and soft linen, the King of an eternal Kingdom was wrapped in swaddling clothes and laid in a rough manger on straw. While people praised the kings of nations that would turn to dust, angels from heaven sang praise to God for the birth of His Son. And so, it is still today. People are captivated by the doings of the rich and powerful on earth, what is happening in government buildings, mansions of the rich and famous, in football stadiums, enamored by things that will pass away. Yet, they do not recognize God’s Kingdom which is among them, nor Christ who promised to be with us always even to the end of the age (Matthew 28:20).

And this is because God’s Kingdom can only be received through faith. And faith can only come through the Word of God. Faith trusts in God’s Word, even when it seems lowly. But human eyes look only to what appears to be grand, even though it will soon pass away. This is why flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, but that which is born of Spirit does (1 Corinthians 15:50; John 3:3-8).

Christmas is about the birth of our Savior, Jesus Christ. Although He is the King of Heaven, God Himself, He comes to us in poverty and meekness. He comes in poverty to give us the riches of heaven. He comes in meekness, so that we may receive Him through faith. He is born in human flesh, so that we might be born again of the Spirit. Those who are perishing ignored Him. But to those whom God grants eternal life, He is our true treasure.

The first Christmas sermon was preached by an angel from heaven. Angel means messenger. God sent His messenger not to Caesar Augustus nor Governor Quirinius nor King Herod, but to poor shepherds, kinsmen of His friends Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and David, to whom He had promised the Savior. The Angel preaches the Gospel to the shepherds. “Unto you is born this day in the city of David, a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.” And since the angel says that this Gospel of great joy was for all people, you can be assured that you are included in that pronoun, you. This is essential to faith, because for faith to grasp the promise, it must know that it is for you. But if it is left in doubt whether the promise is for you, then faith does not know whether to grasp on to it. But the angel makes clear that this baby Savior is born for you.

Many thousands of babies are born every day. Yet, when a baby is born to husband and wife, that birth fills them with immense joy. That baby is theirs! Their hearts overflow with love for the newborn child. Nothing else matters in the world when they are holding that little baby. And the angel from heaven tells you that this baby Savior is for you. “Unto us a child is born. Unto us a Son is given!” Even if you do not have any biological children, this baby Jesus is yours. He was born for you. To be yours and for you to be His just as any child is born into a family.

Yet, much more. While He is born a human being and is truly all our brother according to the flesh, His birth is much different than ours. While we must confess with King David that we were brought forth in iniquity and in sin did our mothers conceive us (Psalm 51:5), Jesus was born of the Virgin Mary and did not inherit original sin from any father. And so, Jesus is perfectly human, yet without sin. And while He is indeed fully human, He is also true God, begotten of the Father before all words, as the angel Gabriel said to Mary, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore, the child to be born will be called holy—the Son of God.” (Luke 1:35)

This is why this child is the rock cut out without human hands. His birth is truly a miracle, so that He may be born to you a Savior. But what does that mean, Savior? It means that He will rescue you. But how will this little baby rescue you? As the angel said to His foster father Joseph, “You shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins.” (Matthew 1:21) This little baby is born without sin, unlike every other child born in the history of the world. And He continues to live without sin His entire life. Yet, upon Jesus God lays the iniquity of us all, so that He bears our guilt. Those cute little dimpled hands balled up in a fist will one day be pierced through with nails. Upon that sweet head with wispy hair and new-baby smell, will be pressed the crown of thorns. Being born in a stable is not the greatest humiliation this Son of God will bear on this earth, but rather He suffers for the sins of all people.

This does not happen by accident. This is why Jesus was born. He was born to be your Savior, to rescue you from sin, death, and hell by dying and rising for you. And this eternal plan should give you great comfort, for just as God knew what nations would rise and fall leading to the birth of His Son, and just as God raised up the Roman Empire to be the setting into which His Son would be born, so God is aware of all things. Before you were ever born, God knew you, and He sent Christ to die for you. Nothing has happened since the birth of Christ that could make God regret sending His Son to be your Savior. God knew every sin you have ever committed or will commit before Christ was born in Bethlehem, and He still sent Christ to be born to be your Savior. So, when you contemplate this past year and your sins against your God, whether pride, laziness, lust, hatred, neglecting God’s Word and Worship, and any other sin, you rightly feel ashamed and unworthy of Christ. And you should. But that does not mean that Christ regrets being your Savior. He became your brother fully aware of all your sin. And He came to rescue you from it, to rescue you from guilt, from shame, from death, and hell. No, you are not worthy of Christ, but He did not come because you are worthy, but because He loves you and He desires to save you. That is what it means that unto you is born a Savior.

After proclaiming the Gospel to the shepherds, the angel told the them where to find this Savior. Not in a palace on a bed of silk, but wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger. And the shepherds, because they believed the Good News the angel told them, went and found the Savior child. Jesus is no longer wrapped in swaddling clothes and lying in a manger, but this Savior born for you still has signs where you can find Him. Jesus says the Scriptures bear witness of Him (John 5:39) and grant eternal life. And so, Holy Scripture is the Swaddling Clothes in which we find Jesus wrapped today. So, Christians read and listen to Holy Scripture, so that they may find their Savior Jesus, as the Shepherds did. Likewise, Scripture tells us that as many as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ (Galatians 3:27). And so, we find our Savior Jesus in our Baptism. On the night in which He was betrayed, Jesus instituted the Supper of His Last Will and Testament, saying, “This is my body given for you,” “This is my blood, shed for you for the forgiveness of sins.” And so, while we cannot find Jesus in a lowly manger in Bethlehem, we find Him in the lowly forms of bread and wine, trusting His almighty Word that He truly is with us there to forgive and save us.

Jesus gave a sure promise to His Church before He ascended into heaven, saying, “Lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” And from His Word, we know that He is always with His Christians, wherever two or three are gathered in His name. He is found wrapped in His Word and Sacraments, which are received through faith.

Just as the world carried on without paying any attention to the Savior of the world born in Bethlehem, so the world continues to praise things that will turn into dust while Christians worship the same Savior today. Yet, we believe that the same angels who sang for the shepherds that first Christmas night are singing with us today. And they sing with us every time we gather to worship the Savior, who was born to us. The kingdoms of this world will pass away, even the United States of America. Yet, of Christ’s Kingdom there will be no end. Christ was born to save you from that which is perishing, so that you may live with Him in His eternal Kingdom. May you all believe this message as those blessed Shepherds did.

The world may hold

Her wealth and gold;

But thou, my heart, keep Christ as thy true Treasure.

To Him hold fast

Until at last

A crown be thine and honor in full measure.

Amen.