Tidings of Great Joy For You Luke 2 1 20
December 25, 2025
Rev. Nathan J. Rusert
Christmas Dawn The Nativity Of Our Lord 25-December-2025 Sermon Text: Luke 2:1-20 Sermon Theme: Tidings Of Great Joy For You! I. The King of Creation Humbled Himself FOR YOU! (Vs.1-7) II. The Shepherd King Came Saving You! (8-13). III. The Preacher King Came Speaking You Alive! (Vs.14-20) by Rev. Nathan J.Rusert
Episode Notes
Christmas Dawn The Nativity Of Our Lord 25-December-2025
Sermon Text: Luke 2:1-20
Sermon Theme: Tidings Of Great Joy For You! I. The King of Creation Humbled Himself FOR YOU! (Vs.1-7) II. The Shepherd King Came Saving You! (8-13). III. The Preacher King Came Speaking You Alive! (Vs.14-20) by Rev. Nathan J.Rusert
I.N.R.I. If you knew this was the last Christmas, what would you give the ones you love? A billion dollars? The newest iphone? How about your presence? Your attention? Your ears to listen. Your eyes to see them. Your arms to embrace them. Your loving kindness to brighten their dark days. Your heart.
Truth is we don’t know when our last Christmas comes until it is too late. We face the awful reality of sin and the death it pays out for wages. Scripture testifies, Rom 5:12 Therefore, just as through one man sin entered the world, and death through sin, and thus death spread to all men, because all sinned— Isaiah the prophet’s word to King Hezekiah rings true to us, Isa 38:1 ... "Thus says the LORD: 'Set your house in order, for you shall die and not live.' "
Facing the dark reality of death, grief, isolation rooted in our own sinfulness. What gift can we give? Is all just vanity of vanities, a chasing after the wind? Our gifts fade away. Wear out. Go out of style. Break.
We need the one lasting Gift which will never fade away. The Gift that brings us back to our God and Father. The Gift that will forever reunite us with fellow brothers and sisters. The Gift is Jesus. Preached to you by God’s heavenly messenger daily bringing - Tidings Of Great Joy For You! I. The King of Creation Humbled Himself FOR YOU! (Vs.1-7) II. The Shepherd King Came Saving You! (8-13). III. The Preacher King Came Speaking You Alive! (Vs.14-20)
I. “Who is like Yahweh” is what the prophet Micah’s name means. Called and sent to preach in the days of Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, kings of Judah, things which he saw concerning Samaria and Jerusalem. Micah’s prophesy wouldn’t make a hallmark Christmas movie. The shepherds - the kings, the prophets, the priests - of Judah and Israel were unfaithful to their calling. They exploited people for their own gain. They mislead those entrusted to their care. Turned them from trusting in the Lord God to idols, money, power, and possessions. Micah preaches devastation, destruction, and deportation. The city of Samaria will be destroyed and the northen tribes of Israel will be taken captive by the Assyrian empire and decimated. The nation of Judah and it’s capital city of Jerusalem will be judged. Solomon’s once grand temple will be leveled to the ground, the walls of Jerusalem broken down, become a plowed field, and its citizens taken captive to Babylon. There will be no last minute rescue for God’s children.
Rescue will come - seven centuries in the future. The Lord God will restore Zion. The King of Creation will be born in David’s city. He will come the true Shepherd of humanity.
The King of Creation rules the world from the womb of the Virgin Mary. (Vs.1-2) Luke gives us a time stamp to mark Jesus’ birth. We know from Roman historical documents that Ceaser Augustus ruled from 27 B.C. to 14 A.D. and the evil King Herod the Great died in 4 B.C., so that would put Jesus’ birth around 6 B.C. to 4 B.C.. Further we know Quirinius governed Syria at this time so it was the first census during his governmental service. In order for the King of Creation to be born in David’s city of Bethlehem, as He has promised through the prophet Micah. He stirs up Augustus to take a census of his entire empire. A census not only gives a count of the people, but allows taxes to be set to fund the work of Rome. Jesus the King of Creation who moved Augustus to move the world while He was a developing embryo in the Virgin’s womb, now rules as our Brother and Lord in the highest heavens at the right hand of the Father filling all things. He still raises up rulers and nations for the sake of His Church and her spreading the Gospel.
Behold how the King of Creation humbles Himself. (Vs.3-7) From the day of our rebellion against our Creator and His Word. We are enslaved to the fallen angel the devil. Puffed up with pride the devil rebelled against his Creator. He wanted to call the shots, have the power, and seize the glory for himself. Satan, our sinful world, and our fallen spiritually dead flesh still lusts for power, prestige, and control. We want to call the shots. When we don’t get our way, we are no different from a child throwing a tantrum at Christmas because they didn’t get the gift they wanted.
The King of Creation takes on our flesh in the womb of the young virgin engaged to be married to a humble carpenter of Nazareth. His incarnation is a miracle as the Angel Gabriel preaches to Mary the promise that the Messiah will be born of her by the power of the Holy Spirit. She trusts God’s promise saying, “Let it be to me according to your Word.” New life is conceived in her womb by the power of the Holy Spirit in God’s Word. Humbly with no fan fare Jesus begins His journey to the cross. Coming to Bethlehem there is no room for Joseph and Mary. Not even among their relatives. No doubt gossip had reached them of their illegitimate child. The King of Creation humbles Himself to be born in a cave stable. His parents wrap Him in rags and lay Him in a stone feeding trough. From His birth Jesus’ Words are true: Luk 9:58 ..., "Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay His head."
The King of Creation - the Word of God by which all things were creation - comes in poverty FOR YOU! 2Co 8:9 For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sakes He became poor, that you through His poverty might become rich.II. The King of Creation is born shouldn’t priests, scholars, and kings be the first to receive a birth announcement? God’s grace seeks out the meek and lowly. History records: (vs.8) Shepherds had to stay with their flocks through the cold dark nights, protecting the sheep from wolves and their own foolish wandering away from the flock. Shepherding is labor intensive, tiring, and dirty job. Shepherds will smell like their sheep - they have to handle them in their filth and their greasy lanolin rubs off on the shepherd’s skin and clothing. They may become nose blind to their distinctive odor, but others scowl at their smell.
David was a shepherd on the hills around Bethlehem before he was anointed Israel’s king a millennia before Jesus’ nativity. Bethlehem is only about five miles outside of Jerusalem. It could be that these sheep protected by these shepherds were destined to be sacrificed in Jerusalem as the two daily sin offerings, or reserved for the Passover sacrifice and meal.
To these lowly shepherds an heavenly preacher appears. (Vs 9) The darkness is shattered by one of God’s holy angels. It is a fearful thing to stand in the presence of God’s Holy Messenger. (Vs.10) Fear Not! The Shepherd King has come to reclaim His creation. Satan the wolf stole it from the Creator by his dark lies. Now heaven and earth are reunited as the Shepherd King draws His first infant breath in Bethlehem. This good news is for all people - every human being created by God even after the fall into sin. No one is excluded - no matter how stinky with sin you are!
Behold our Shepherd King! (Vs.11) He is born FOR YOU! He is the Son of David - truly your flesh and blood Brother. He has clothed Himself with your skin to be your Savior! Salvation begins with His incarnation and birth into our world. St. John’s Christmas story is only one verse - Joh 1:14 And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth. There is no other Christ, no other Messiah but Jesus. He is the eternally only begotten Son of the Father by Whom the worlds were spoken into existence. The Shepherd King takes on our skin to live among us. Our stench of sin will be fully laid on Him. Thirty years later, the baptizing priest would point to Jesus and testify, Joh 1:29 ..., "Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world! Jesus doesn’t come to destroy, but to rescue you. He is the Good Shepherd who laid down His life for you - beginning at His conception - to save you. You who must testify with the King David the shepherd, Psa 51:5 Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, And in sin my mother conceived me.
Where is the Good Shepherd to be found? (Vs.12) In a stone feeding trough, in one of the many grotto stables in Bethlehem, wrapped in cloths to keep Him warm. The Shepherd King still draws near to you in humble means. His Word spoken in baptism, absolution, Gospel preaching, praying, and over bread and wine. He promises you: Joh 10:27-30 My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me. (28) And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand. (29) My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of My Father's hand. (30) I and My Father are one."
III. “I love that hymn we sing at church,” the little girl said to her daddy. “Which one?” he asked. “The one we sing every Sunday, you know..”The Lamb of God hymn”....”Glory be to God on high: and on earth peace good will toward men.”... a four year old girl loved to sing the song of the angels - the “Gloria in Excelsis” which we haven’t sung for the past four weeks. Do you love it like her? Like heaven loves to sing it? (Vs.13-14) The Holy Angel army cannot contain their joy!
The Savior of the World is born! Satan will be defeated by the One God/Man born of the Virgin Mary - by Jesus alone! The devil will be defeated by the song of triumph which echos forth from eternity reaching it’s crescendo at Jesus’ sinless birth, perfect life, pure preaching, sacrificial death, and glorious resurrection. Glory to God in the Highest. Peace is here - His name is Jesus! The Preacher King is present now in His Gospel preached to us sinners! (Vs15-16) The shepherds won’t rest until they see their Savior and hear His infant cries. A congregation is formed around it’s Savior’s flesh and blood. The shepherds tell Joseph and Mary of the angel’s sermon. Paul’s Christmas sermon t o Titus leads us to baptism. The Kindness and love of God appears to us - He finds us - He speaks His Holy Spirit filled Word to save us - Jesus is the Preacher King - He finds you today now as His Word is spoken to you! He breathes forth the Holy Spirit to comfort, forgive, and fill you with hope in His Word! Jesus is found in His Church - His mouth house -for He is the Preacher King!
What should we do after seeing Jesus with our ears in His Church? (Vs.17-20) Go tell your neighbor the good news. Jesus is born for them! God is present reclaiming broken sinners with His cross won - empty tomb certified forgiveness. He births us again at the font swaddling us in His righteousness rescuing us from death and the devil. He feeds us the food of immortality His living body and blood in consecrated bread and wine - we are eternally saved in Him. Be like Mary treasure up His Word preached to you. Then like the shepherds joyfully return to glorify God in your calling serving your neighbor in love.
If this is your last Christmas what gift would you give your loved ones? Jesus. The King of Creation! Jesus! The Good Shepherd King! Jesus! The Preacher King! Amen.
Sermon Text: Luke 2:1-20
Sermon Theme: Tidings Of Great Joy For You! I. The King of Creation Humbled Himself FOR YOU! (Vs.1-7) II. The Shepherd King Came Saving You! (8-13). III. The Preacher King Came Speaking You Alive! (Vs.14-20) by Rev. Nathan J.Rusert
I.N.R.I. If you knew this was the last Christmas, what would you give the ones you love? A billion dollars? The newest iphone? How about your presence? Your attention? Your ears to listen. Your eyes to see them. Your arms to embrace them. Your loving kindness to brighten their dark days. Your heart.
Truth is we don’t know when our last Christmas comes until it is too late. We face the awful reality of sin and the death it pays out for wages. Scripture testifies, Rom 5:12 Therefore, just as through one man sin entered the world, and death through sin, and thus death spread to all men, because all sinned— Isaiah the prophet’s word to King Hezekiah rings true to us, Isa 38:1 ... "Thus says the LORD: 'Set your house in order, for you shall die and not live.' "
Facing the dark reality of death, grief, isolation rooted in our own sinfulness. What gift can we give? Is all just vanity of vanities, a chasing after the wind? Our gifts fade away. Wear out. Go out of style. Break.
We need the one lasting Gift which will never fade away. The Gift that brings us back to our God and Father. The Gift that will forever reunite us with fellow brothers and sisters. The Gift is Jesus. Preached to you by God’s heavenly messenger daily bringing - Tidings Of Great Joy For You! I. The King of Creation Humbled Himself FOR YOU! (Vs.1-7) II. The Shepherd King Came Saving You! (8-13). III. The Preacher King Came Speaking You Alive! (Vs.14-20)
I. “Who is like Yahweh” is what the prophet Micah’s name means. Called and sent to preach in the days of Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, kings of Judah, things which he saw concerning Samaria and Jerusalem. Micah’s prophesy wouldn’t make a hallmark Christmas movie. The shepherds - the kings, the prophets, the priests - of Judah and Israel were unfaithful to their calling. They exploited people for their own gain. They mislead those entrusted to their care. Turned them from trusting in the Lord God to idols, money, power, and possessions. Micah preaches devastation, destruction, and deportation. The city of Samaria will be destroyed and the northen tribes of Israel will be taken captive by the Assyrian empire and decimated. The nation of Judah and it’s capital city of Jerusalem will be judged. Solomon’s once grand temple will be leveled to the ground, the walls of Jerusalem broken down, become a plowed field, and its citizens taken captive to Babylon. There will be no last minute rescue for God’s children.
Rescue will come - seven centuries in the future. The Lord God will restore Zion. The King of Creation will be born in David’s city. He will come the true Shepherd of humanity.
The King of Creation rules the world from the womb of the Virgin Mary. (Vs.1-2) Luke gives us a time stamp to mark Jesus’ birth. We know from Roman historical documents that Ceaser Augustus ruled from 27 B.C. to 14 A.D. and the evil King Herod the Great died in 4 B.C., so that would put Jesus’ birth around 6 B.C. to 4 B.C.. Further we know Quirinius governed Syria at this time so it was the first census during his governmental service. In order for the King of Creation to be born in David’s city of Bethlehem, as He has promised through the prophet Micah. He stirs up Augustus to take a census of his entire empire. A census not only gives a count of the people, but allows taxes to be set to fund the work of Rome. Jesus the King of Creation who moved Augustus to move the world while He was a developing embryo in the Virgin’s womb, now rules as our Brother and Lord in the highest heavens at the right hand of the Father filling all things. He still raises up rulers and nations for the sake of His Church and her spreading the Gospel.
Behold how the King of Creation humbles Himself. (Vs.3-7) From the day of our rebellion against our Creator and His Word. We are enslaved to the fallen angel the devil. Puffed up with pride the devil rebelled against his Creator. He wanted to call the shots, have the power, and seize the glory for himself. Satan, our sinful world, and our fallen spiritually dead flesh still lusts for power, prestige, and control. We want to call the shots. When we don’t get our way, we are no different from a child throwing a tantrum at Christmas because they didn’t get the gift they wanted.
The King of Creation takes on our flesh in the womb of the young virgin engaged to be married to a humble carpenter of Nazareth. His incarnation is a miracle as the Angel Gabriel preaches to Mary the promise that the Messiah will be born of her by the power of the Holy Spirit. She trusts God’s promise saying, “Let it be to me according to your Word.” New life is conceived in her womb by the power of the Holy Spirit in God’s Word. Humbly with no fan fare Jesus begins His journey to the cross. Coming to Bethlehem there is no room for Joseph and Mary. Not even among their relatives. No doubt gossip had reached them of their illegitimate child. The King of Creation humbles Himself to be born in a cave stable. His parents wrap Him in rags and lay Him in a stone feeding trough. From His birth Jesus’ Words are true: Luk 9:58 ..., "Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay His head."
The King of Creation - the Word of God by which all things were creation - comes in poverty FOR YOU! 2Co 8:9 For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sakes He became poor, that you through His poverty might become rich.II. The King of Creation is born shouldn’t priests, scholars, and kings be the first to receive a birth announcement? God’s grace seeks out the meek and lowly. History records: (vs.8) Shepherds had to stay with their flocks through the cold dark nights, protecting the sheep from wolves and their own foolish wandering away from the flock. Shepherding is labor intensive, tiring, and dirty job. Shepherds will smell like their sheep - they have to handle them in their filth and their greasy lanolin rubs off on the shepherd’s skin and clothing. They may become nose blind to their distinctive odor, but others scowl at their smell.
David was a shepherd on the hills around Bethlehem before he was anointed Israel’s king a millennia before Jesus’ nativity. Bethlehem is only about five miles outside of Jerusalem. It could be that these sheep protected by these shepherds were destined to be sacrificed in Jerusalem as the two daily sin offerings, or reserved for the Passover sacrifice and meal.
To these lowly shepherds an heavenly preacher appears. (Vs 9) The darkness is shattered by one of God’s holy angels. It is a fearful thing to stand in the presence of God’s Holy Messenger. (Vs.10) Fear Not! The Shepherd King has come to reclaim His creation. Satan the wolf stole it from the Creator by his dark lies. Now heaven and earth are reunited as the Shepherd King draws His first infant breath in Bethlehem. This good news is for all people - every human being created by God even after the fall into sin. No one is excluded - no matter how stinky with sin you are!
Behold our Shepherd King! (Vs.11) He is born FOR YOU! He is the Son of David - truly your flesh and blood Brother. He has clothed Himself with your skin to be your Savior! Salvation begins with His incarnation and birth into our world. St. John’s Christmas story is only one verse - Joh 1:14 And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth. There is no other Christ, no other Messiah but Jesus. He is the eternally only begotten Son of the Father by Whom the worlds were spoken into existence. The Shepherd King takes on our skin to live among us. Our stench of sin will be fully laid on Him. Thirty years later, the baptizing priest would point to Jesus and testify, Joh 1:29 ..., "Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world! Jesus doesn’t come to destroy, but to rescue you. He is the Good Shepherd who laid down His life for you - beginning at His conception - to save you. You who must testify with the King David the shepherd, Psa 51:5 Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, And in sin my mother conceived me.
Where is the Good Shepherd to be found? (Vs.12) In a stone feeding trough, in one of the many grotto stables in Bethlehem, wrapped in cloths to keep Him warm. The Shepherd King still draws near to you in humble means. His Word spoken in baptism, absolution, Gospel preaching, praying, and over bread and wine. He promises you: Joh 10:27-30 My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me. (28) And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand. (29) My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of My Father's hand. (30) I and My Father are one."
III. “I love that hymn we sing at church,” the little girl said to her daddy. “Which one?” he asked. “The one we sing every Sunday, you know..”The Lamb of God hymn”....”Glory be to God on high: and on earth peace good will toward men.”... a four year old girl loved to sing the song of the angels - the “Gloria in Excelsis” which we haven’t sung for the past four weeks. Do you love it like her? Like heaven loves to sing it? (Vs.13-14) The Holy Angel army cannot contain their joy!
The Savior of the World is born! Satan will be defeated by the One God/Man born of the Virgin Mary - by Jesus alone! The devil will be defeated by the song of triumph which echos forth from eternity reaching it’s crescendo at Jesus’ sinless birth, perfect life, pure preaching, sacrificial death, and glorious resurrection. Glory to God in the Highest. Peace is here - His name is Jesus! The Preacher King is present now in His Gospel preached to us sinners! (Vs15-16) The shepherds won’t rest until they see their Savior and hear His infant cries. A congregation is formed around it’s Savior’s flesh and blood. The shepherds tell Joseph and Mary of the angel’s sermon. Paul’s Christmas sermon t o Titus leads us to baptism. The Kindness and love of God appears to us - He finds us - He speaks His Holy Spirit filled Word to save us - Jesus is the Preacher King - He finds you today now as His Word is spoken to you! He breathes forth the Holy Spirit to comfort, forgive, and fill you with hope in His Word! Jesus is found in His Church - His mouth house -for He is the Preacher King!
What should we do after seeing Jesus with our ears in His Church? (Vs.17-20) Go tell your neighbor the good news. Jesus is born for them! God is present reclaiming broken sinners with His cross won - empty tomb certified forgiveness. He births us again at the font swaddling us in His righteousness rescuing us from death and the devil. He feeds us the food of immortality His living body and blood in consecrated bread and wine - we are eternally saved in Him. Be like Mary treasure up His Word preached to you. Then like the shepherds joyfully return to glorify God in your calling serving your neighbor in love.
If this is your last Christmas what gift would you give your loved ones? Jesus. The King of Creation! Jesus! The Good Shepherd King! Jesus! The Preacher King! Amen.
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