Come, celebrate Christmas with us at Mount Lebanon.
This has been a hard year, to say the least. It has been marked by separation, by uncertainty, by anxiety, by tension.
We need hope. We need peace. We want joy.
Our God does not leave us wanting. He desperately wants to assure us of his presence, his peace, and his love. He eagerly wants to restore our joy, so he gave us a sign. Isaiah tells us, “The Lord himself will give you a sign. Look. The virgin will be with child and give birth to a Son and they will call Immanuel.”
We want to invite you to come and see this sign that God gave 2000 years ago when his Son was born. We invite you to come and see how God gives us peace and joy in the present and hope for a new tomorrow.
Christmas Eve at 4:45 pm and 6:30 pm
Christmas Day at 9:30 am
We will stream our service on Christmas Eve at 6:30 pm and on Christmas Day at 9:30 am.
The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth. John 1:14
Emmanuel
There is no other time of the year like this. I really enjoy the season of Advent and all of the Christmas services. Most people do. It is a special time of year.
It wasn’t quite so special for the shepherds, not at first. All of a sudden the night sky was lit up with angels and with God and his glory. They were scared. And they should have been. God had come. God’s glory was all around them. They were exposed
That’s what light does: It exposes. It uncovers all the ugly and sin. That’s the part that we hate. We hate the mess that the light uncovers and exposes. The glory of God and the light of his Word shines in the deepest corner of your hearts to expose the dark thoughts of your heart. The light of his Word exposes what sins have owned and controlled you this past year. You know what he’ll find and it’s dark.
And God does not withhold the truth. In fact, Jesus is full of truth. He tells us things just the way they are. God doesn’t withhold the truth. God doesn’t hide the truth or cover it up.
No, instead of covering up the truth, God covered himself up. God clothed himself. Yes, to save us and to spare us from his blazing glory, God clothed himself in flesh. That’s what John is saying to us: “The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us.” God clothed himself. How does the hymn go? “Veiled in flesh the Godhead see; hail the incarnate deity… pleased is God with man to dwell, Jesus, our Emmanuel.”
God clothed himself in flesh. He hid himself in the flesh of baby Jesus; he was wrapped in swaddling clothes and placed in a manger. He hid himself behind the frailty and weakness of a human being. Yet, right there, in the flesh, in Jesus, all the fullness of the Deity lived in bodily form.
And here he comes at Christmas, but not to consume us with his anger. That’s why the angels spoke up quickly when the shepherds were so scared. The angel said, “Don’t be afraid! I have good news for you! A Savior has been born for you, he is Christ the Lord.” God had come to help his people. God clothed himself in flesh to cover you with blood. Don’t be afraid! God is with us – Emmanuel! – to save us.
Prayer:
Lord God, you clothed yourself in the flesh and came to this earth not to condemn, but to save the world. Help me to marvel at the majesty clothed in flesh; you are Emmanuel! Help me to rejoice that you have clothed me with your blood; I am forgiven. Amen.