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And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, as it was told unto them.

᛭ INI ᛭

What the LORD says and does are one thing. They LORD does what He says. The LORD says what He does. The LORD keeps His promises. Our salvation is founded on His promises. Our salvation is founded on His speaking. Our salvation is founded upon His doing.

The LORD is faithful—always faithful, always true. There’s no reason to worry. No reason to be afraid. Look at the manger! The LORD’s ancient promise kept. “I will put enmity between her Seed and your seed. He shall crush your head, and you shall bruise His heel.” (Gen 3) In fact, the LORD keeps all His promises. They’re all “yes” in Jesus. Whatever He says He does, will do. It’s all true, comes true.

EVERYTHING THE LORD SAYS IS TRUE AND COMES TRUE.

((I. That’s how it’s always been.))

The Lord’s words through Micah ring true! That’s what Christmas is all about. The Lord keeps His Old Testament promises “to show His faithfulness.” (Rom 9) The Messiah, the true King, was born in Bethlehem. That King is LORD: His “coming forth is from of old, from ancient days,” from forever. The eternal God, “Christ the LORD,” was born in “Bethlehem, Ephrathah.”

But the Lord’s word rings true in the fields nearby, too! What the angel said was true. “Unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.” The shepherds new that was true because they saw what they angel said they would see. (Though it really wasn’t the angel. It was the Lord through the angel, as the Shepherds rightly noted.) “And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.” And that’s what they saw! So they “returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, as it was told unto them.”

All these words are true for you today! They come to you today. It’s all Mary’s Words. “Mary kept all these things, and pondered them in her heart.” Mary told Luke, and Luke was inspired by the Holy Spirit to write them just so. These things happened. When “Cyrenius was governor of Syria,” they did. They are true for you. From Micah to the Angel, from Mary to Luke, all the Lord’s Word for you, to hear over and over again that EVERYTHING THE LORD SAYS IS TRUE AND COMES TRUE.

((Transition.))

But’s it’s not just a “back then” sort of thing. This isn’t just how it was in Bethlehem. Not “was”—that’s how it is for you, too! The very fact that these things are written down for you in Luke or Micah or even Titus is proof positive that the Lord has something to say to right here, right now. And whatever it is He wants to tell you, promise you is and will be true, for EVERYTHING THE LORD SAYS IS TRUE AND COMES TRUE.

((II. That’s how it is for you, too!))

Let’s listen to the angel’s words again: “I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.” See, what the Lord had the angel tell the shepherds wasn’t just for the shepherds. It’s “to all people.” That includes you. That includes me. That includes everyone. So the shepherds “made known abroad the saying which was told them concerning this child.” It’s for all, FOR YOU, as their testimony being written by Luke shows.

But what message is for you? What good tidings are yours? ”For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.” So, it’s not just a message about the Savior that’s for you. It’s the Savior Himself! He’s for you! “Unto you,” and you and you and you and everyone! Jesus was born “for all people.” EVERYTHING THE LORD SAYS IS TRUE AND COMES TRUE.

He is Savior for you. Christ the LORD was born to save you, give “on earth peace, good will toward men,” toward you, toward me. “For us men and for our salvation [He] came down from heaven and was incarnate by the Holy Spirit of the virgin Mary and was made man.” He “was crucified also for us under Pontius Pilate.” He was “in the manger” for you. He was on His cross for you. He came out of His grave for you. Full manger means a full cross and an empty tomb—all for you.

But the LORD is faithful and true to what He says to you now. In the grind of life, the holidays maybe give a respite of peace—a distraction. Maybe they don’t… Maybe they’re a reminder of what’s wrong. Maybe you know the worry and fear of what Mary and Jospeh and Jesus experienced: “their was no room for them in the inn.”

But “the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior [has] appeared” for you. He saved you, not because of anything you’ve done. And the LORD’s Word is true for you: “He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit.” You’re now justified—“you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the Name of our Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God” (1 Cor 1) in the waters of Holy Baptism. “You’re an heir, having the hope of eternal life.”

The Word of Holy Baptism is true, its benefits are true, its promises are true, and they will come true. “It works forgiveness of sins, rescues from death and the devil, and gives eternal salvation.” “Peace on earth, good will toward men.” You’re always and forever baptized—each day, every day.

But the LORD’s Word is also true for you today: true in the true “inn,” the upper guest room. There is room here for you. The Lord’s Word is true and comes true: “Take, eat; this is My body, which is given for you. Drink of it all of you; this Cup is the New Testament in My blood, which is shed FOR YOU for the forgiveness of sins.” “Peace on earth, good will toward men.”

((Conclusion.))

What the LORD says and does are one thing. They LORD does what He says. The LORD says what He does. The LORD keeps His promises. Our salvation is founded on His promises. Our salvation is founded on His speaking. Our salvation is founded upon His doing.

The LORD is faithful—always faithful, always true. There’s no reason to worry. No reason to be afraid. Look at the manger! Look at the cross! Look at the empty tomb! Whatever He says He does, will do. It’s all true, comes true.

EVERYTHING THE LORD SAYS IS TRUE AND COMES TRUE.

It’s not just His ancient Word—His Micah, His Luke. All that was true, is true, but it’s also the Word He delivers to you now. “The peace on earth, good will toward” you. In His true and “comes true” Word. The Word of the font. The Word of the Supper—“the main thing” “along with the bodily eating and drinking.” Those words, the Lord’s words, give what they say. They have to.

EVERYTHING THE LORD SAYS IS TRUE AND COMES TRUE.

The Word of Micah, the Word of the Angel, the Word of the Manger, the Word of the Cross, the Word of the Font, the Word of the Supper—it’s all true, comes true FOR YOU.

Merry Christmas!

᛭ INI ᛭