1. The incarnation of the Son of God.

John 1:1-18

The prologue to the Gospel of John is at the same time a fitting introduction to the gospel story in general, and to the life of Jesus. It testifies to where Jesus came from and why he came into the world. From the outset it places the person of Christ, his true divinity and his true humanity, and the purpose of the incarnation of the Son of God in a clear light.

Christ is called the Word here. He is the personal Word. He is the Word “which God has spoken from eternity, which God has given birth to.” (Brenz) Just as the thoughts of the heart are expressed in the word of a person, so this Word has come from the inner being of God. “God in eternity, in his majesty and divine nature, has a word, speech, conversation or thought in his divine heart with himself, unknown to all angels and men.” (Luther) This Word was already in the beginning. In the beginning, when all things were created, it was already there. It is from eternity. And the Word was with God. There are two separate persons, the Word and God, the Son and the Father. But these persons are in the closest fellowship with one another. And God was the Word. The Word was himself God by nature, essential, whole, full God. It came forth, was born, from the nature of God. All things are made through him. The Word is the creator of all things. In him was Life, the fullness of life. Everything that lives has life from him. And the Life was also the Light, the salvation of mankind. It is already testified to as such in the Old Testament. The Light, the salvation shines in the darkness, in this wretched, sinful, lost and damned world. And the darkness has not understood it, has not grasped it. That is the nature of this evil world: it rejects salvation, it is an unbelieving world.

John, the man, the prophet, sent by God, testified of the Light, of the salvation in Christ, so that all through him, through his testimony to faith. Christ, the Light, is known to men only through the Word, through testimony and preaching, and is grasped only through faith. The true Light, which enlightens and blesses every human being who becomes light and blessed, was already coming when John bore witness, ready to show itself to men. It was already in the world, although the world that came into being through it did not recognize it. The world no longer knows its Creator. He then came into his own, appeared among his people Israel, and his own did not receive him. But some received him, and to them he gave power, the high privilege of being and being called children of God.

Those who believe in the name of Jesus Christ are children of God, children who are not born according to the flesh but spiritually, of God. Through faith in Christ, man is born again.

The holy Evangelist points out right from the start the different attitudes of men towards Christ, the great contrast between faith and unbelief.

Now it is said in plain, clear words what is meant by the entry of light into the world. The eternal Word became flesh, a man, like all men, only without sin. The apostles, his contemporaries, saw his glory, a glory as of the only begotten Son of the Father. Christ, the Word, is now called the only begotten Son of the Father. God has many children, but only one Son, who was born of him, of his being, and is thus himself God by nature.

The only begotten Son of God has the glory that belongs to God. God’s glory, which the Old Testament already speaks of, includes all the divine attributes in which the divine nature is revealed, e.g. omnipotence, omnipresence, omniscience. People have seen the glory of the only begotten Son of God. They had the man Jesus before their eyes. But it was precisely through the flesh, through the human nature of Christ, that the divine glory shone through. When the eternal Word became flesh, it imparted its divine glory and majesty to its human nature. “The Word became flesh and dwelt among us.” The incarnate Son of God lived and walked among men in a humble form. And the people who saw this humble Jesus walking on earth saw his glory. The Son of God, when he became man and took on the form of a servant, did not give up or surrender anything of his divine glory. This man Jesus, who walks on earth in humility, is the all-knowing, all-powerful God, and an all-knowing, all-powerful man. Of course, he did not always show and use his divine glory, but kept it hidden behind the form of a servant. But when he performed miracles, spoke, and taught, he revealed his glory to men. John had already testified of this very Word made flesh, and said that the one who was to come and appear after him had preceded him, had a higher rank, greater dignity, because he was before John, because he is the eternal God.

But here, at the beginning of his Gospel, the Evangelist also recalls the purpose of the incarnation of the Son of God. The Word made flesh was full of grace and truth. The Bible was given through Moses, grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. In Christ, the saving grace of God appeared to mankind. Through his incarnation, through his human life, suffering and death, the Son of God acquired God’s grace, favor and pleasure for sinful mankind. And this grace is the truth, the true good, which alone satisfies and blesses mankind. The only begotten Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, who also, when he became man, was and remained in the bosom of the Father, has declared to us what he has seen and heard from God above, what the Father has decided within himself, what God’s mind is toward men, that God is merciful to sinners. From the fullness of Christ we all, all believers, have received grace upon grace. And precisely by receiving grace and becoming believers, we have become blessed children of God.

 10. The Wise Men from the East  Mt 2:1–12

When Jesus was born in Bethlehem in the land of Judah, after Joseph and Mary had returned from Jerusalem to Bethlehem with their child, the wise men from the East came to worship the newborn King of the Jews. The East from which these men came was probably the land of Babylonia, the homeland of Balaam, where Judah had been taken into captivity, and where many Jews still lived at that time. The wise men or Magi of Babylonia formed the caste of scholars and were particularly interested in astronomy. The wise men, of whom we are reporting here, had already heard of the hope of Israel in their place and also heard that the Gentiles would have a share in the kingdom of the Messiah of Israel. While they were searching and investigating in the sky, a wonderful star suddenly appeared, which showed them that Israel’s hope had now been fulfilled and that the star of Jacob, of which Balaam had spoken, had risen. God had placed this star in the sky for them and also revealed its meaning to them. So they set out to do their part to pay homage to the King and Savior of the Jews and Gentiles. God had put this in their hearts. That is the beginning of faith, that a poor sinful person becomes aware of Jesus, longs for salvation in Christ, seeks Christ, comes to Christ. Such longing for Christ, the salvation of the world, is a work of God in the hearts of men.

The wise men first sought Christ in Jerusalem, the capital of the Jewish land. But they did not find what they were looking for there and were bitterly disappointed. At that time, King Herod, an Edomite by birth and a pagan in spirit, resided in Jerusalem. He had only outwardly adopted the Jewish religion out of love for the Jews. He was frightened when he heard the news of the birth of Christ. He feared that this King Christ could push him from the throne. He did not know that Christ’s kingdom was not of this world. Because he was afraid of him, he immediately became angry and hostile towards the child Jesus. He feigned friendship, pretending that he too would come and worship the child if the wise men had found it and told him about it. But in his heart he had already decided to kill the child. That is why he was so anxious to find out the time when the star had appeared. The entire population of Jerusalem, who shared the king’s views, was frightened along with Herod. Herod called the high priests, that is, the heads of the 24 priestly classes, and the scribes to consult to find out where Christ would be born. These spiritual leaders of Israel had an external knowledge of the Scriptures, but the content of the Scriptures, the Christ of whom the Scriptures testified, left them cold. They also felt no desire or inclination to worship the newborn King of the Jews. Christ came unto his own, but his own did not receive him. Christ is not received well in this world. The powerful, wise, learned of this world, even those who have the appearance and name of virtue and piety, are enemies of Christ. They love darkness more than light. And often the hostility to Christ stems from a secret fear of the Son of God and his judgment. There are also hypocrites everywhere, like Herod, who speak sweet and beautiful words about the child Jesus, but hate Christ in the depths of their hearts.

But the wise men did find one thing in Jerusalem: the word of prophecy. They heard from the mouth of the scribes the word of Micah about Bethlehem Ephratha, where Christ, the prince of Israel, was to be born (Mic 5:1). Micah had said of Bethlehem Ephratha: “You are little among the thousands—that is, the clans—of Judah.” Bethlehem, the city of David, had become so small that its population barely contained one family. It says: “You are by no means least among the princes—that is, heads of families—of Judah.” The great son of David, whose origin is from eternity, brings honor to little Bethlehem. Micah’s prophecy thus directed the wise men to Bethlehem, where they were to find Christ. Yes, it is the Scripture that points to Christ and leads to Christ.

The wise men were not put off by the bad example that Jerusalem gave them, but continued on and, guided by the friendly star, came to Bethlehem and there found the one they were looking for. They fell down and worshipped the child as their Lord and God, gave him gold, frankincense and myrrh. And then, with peace and joy in their hearts, they returned home to their country without turning back to Herod. These are the first fruits of the Gentiles. This is a wonderful example of faith. Anyone who has the right faith does not allow himself to be challenged by the fact that this Christ is contradicted everywhere. His heart is set straight on Christ. He bows in reverence before Christ, the Son of God. He serves his Lord and King with joy. He also willingly brings his gifts and sacrifices to promote the kingdom of Christ.

11. The Flight into Egypt Matt. 2:13-23

 The child Jesus did not stay long in Bethlehem, the city of David. The cross was immediately laid upon his cradle. God warned Joseph through his angel about the ambush by King Herod, and Joseph took the child and his mother at God’s command and went up to Egypt. This also fulfilled a prophecy, the words of the prophet Hosea 11:1: “Out of Egypt I called my son.” This meant that the Son of God, like the people from whom he came, was to remain a stranger in Egypt for a while. Thus God held his protective hand over the chosen child, over the holy family. Thus God, the faithful Father, protects his children on earth, who are pleasing to him through Christ, his only Son, against the threats and rage of the hostile world, and gives them his holy angels as guardians and watchmen. With motherly hands he constantly guides his people to and fro.

Instead of the infant Jesus, the wrath and sword of King Herod fell on the poor children in Bethlehem who were two years old and under. Then the lamentations, weeping and wailing of the mothers could be heard in the fields of Bethlehem, as had been foretold by the prophet Jeremiah (31:15). Rachel, one of the foremothers of Israel, who was buried near Bethlehem, wept as it were with her daughters for the bitter woe that had befallen them. The children of Bethlehem are rightly regarded as the first martyrs who had to give up their lives for Christ’s sake, but now live and soar with Christ in eternal joy and bliss. And from the outset it is hereby indicated that Christ brings no earthly happiness to his people, that rather cross, misery and heartache are a gift from this King Christ. Christ has reserved a better portion for his people in the other world.

When the cruel King Herod died—as we know—a terrible, painful death, Joseph returned to the land of Israel with the child and his mother as a result of a revealing dream But he did not return again to Bethlehem in Judea, where Herod’s son Archelaus, who was of the same mind as his father, ruled. Instead, at God’s command, he went to the land of Galilee and settled in his former place of residence, in the small, despised town of Nazareth. It was to come to pass as the prophets had predicted (Is 11:1,5; 2 Zec 6:12): Christ was to be and be called a Nazarene. He was to grow up as a lowly little shoot, as a despised rootling. Anyone who stands with Christ can expect nothing but disgrace and contempt in this world.

In Nazareth the child Jesus grew into a boy. The evangelist Luke reports this: “But the child grew and became strong in spirit, full of wisdom, and the grace of God was with him” (2:40). “He walked and was brought up like any other child, without being, as some children are more skilled than others, so Christ was also a more skilled child than others.” “And although he was always full of the spirit and grace, the spirit did not always move him, but awakened him to this, according to how things happened. So also, although he was in him from the beginning of his conception; But as his body grew and his reason increased naturally, as in other people, so the spirit also sank more and more into him and moved him more and more the longer he got.” “Thus it also happened in the simplest way that he truly became, the older he got, the greater, and the greater the more rational, and the more rational he became, the stronger in spirit and full of wisdom before God and in himself and before people” (Luther). In all of this, “the humanity of Christ was a tool and house of the Godhead.”

 12. The twelve-year-old Jesus boy in the temple

Luke 2:41–52

As pious Israelites, Jesus’ parents made an annual pilgrimage to Jerusalem for Passover. The Law of Moses required the men of Israel to appear before the Lord in the sanctuary on the three great feasts, Passover, Pentecost and Tabernacles (Ex 23:17; Dt 16:16). Accordingly, those who lived far away made a pilgrimage to Jerusalem at least once a year, at Passover. The women voluntarily accompanied the men. Parents took their sons with them when they had reached the age of twelve. At the age of twelve, the boys began to be taught the law and become accustomed to it. So Jesus, when he was twelve years old, went to the festival in Jerusalem with his parents. From his youth, Christ, in our place, fulfilled the law in all respects. The boy Jesus remained in Jerusalem even after the feast was over, without his parents knowing.

After the parents had become aware of this and had searched for their son in vain for three days among the traveling party and then in Jerusalem, they finally found him in the temple. There he sat among the teachers of Israel, listened to them as they explained the law, demonstrated his attentiveness in all kinds of questions and his understanding and wisdom in the answers he gave, so that all those present were amazed. This boy Jesus is a true, genuine human child. He has become like his brothers in all things, has submitted himself to the teaching and instruction of the divine word for our sake, and has set a good example for our children and students in listening and learning. And yet in this child was hidden all the fullness of the Godhead, also all the fullness of divine wisdom, which shone through his answers.

The mother Mary reproached her son for having caused his parents such heartache and for having abandoned them. Despite her belief, she was still quite foolish. There is still a lot of foolishness among believers. Jesus replied: “Why have you sought me?” “He wants to be unpunished by his mother.” (Luther) And now we hear from his mouth the great, significant word: “Did you not know that I must be in my Father’s house?” He calls God his Father. God is his Father in the unique sense of the word. The awareness of being the Son of God first slumbered as a blessed mystery in the tender boy’s breast. As he then grew in understanding and wisdom, he also became ever more clearly aware of his heavenly origin as a human being. And as he was in his father’s house and heard God’s Word and spoke of it, this awareness broke forth with power. We can observe something similar in the development of our children, our Christian children. Our whole journey through life is sanctified by Christ’s example. A Christian child has already become a child of God through baptism. When the child then grows up in age and in reasoning, he learns to understand the grace of baptism and to recognize God his Father. And when he has entered the years of spiritual maturity, around the time of confirmation, the feeling and awareness: “I am God's child” becomes particularly active and lively. The boy Jesus testified to his parents that he must be in that which is the Father’s, that is, not only in his Father’s house, but in the Word, will and work of God. He had come to carry out God’s counsel and work on earth. And in this, people, including father and mother, were not allowed to disturb or hinder him. With this, Jesus has given Christian children and all Christians their proper place with God and with man. God should rightly be our supreme, our first and our closest. We should put aside all consideration for people, including our parents, when we are dealing with God’s things, God's Word and will. “Here in this case it is: Dear father, dear mother, I have another Father, I should look to him more than to you.” (Luther) At that time, Jesus’ parents did not yet fully understand the words he spoke to them. Believers often have a very weak understanding of the mystery of the person of Christ and must learn from it throughout their lives.

This same son of the heavenly Father then went down to Nazareth with his earthly parents and was subject to them. “He did everything in the house that he was told to do, picked up shavings, fetched food and drink, and did not let anything annoy him.” (Luther) He then helped his father with his carpentry and became a carpenter himself (Mk 6:3). “The youth should take note of this example, that the Lord, who is the God of us all, did such things in his childhood... even though they were small, insignificant works, so that they may do the same and learn to behave in such obedience and humility.” (Luther) And at the same time, this childlike obedience of Jesus, which he performed as our Savior and representative, is a great comfort to us when we remember the sins of our youth. By such a small work, Jesus continued to grow in age, wisdom, grace, and favor with God and man.