Worship > Sermon Archive

Deacon Russ Oechsel

December 25, 2007
This day has always been very special to me. The fact that it is the day we celebrate the birth of our Lord makes it very special, but also, it's my birthday. And so, when I was a child, I experienced that special things happened on Christmas Day. I got to stay up late the night before, I got to see my grandparents and other family members I hadn't seen in long periods of time, I got to go to Church and hear and sing beautiful music, smell incense, and think about Jesus and also get wished happy birthday. Pretty special. So, the connection to Jesus was unmistakable for me and that connection grew as I grew up.

As an adult, I've thought about my mother and the fact that she labored for me and with me and gave birth to me on Christmas. It wasn't an easy birth (she was in labor for a day). I've wondered about how Mary experienced Jesus' birth. We're not told about that in the Gospel.

I remember when I became a father the first time. It was a difficult birth for Mary, my first wife. She was in labor for 17 or 18 hours before the doctors decided to do a Caesarean. I was excluded from the operating room. I remember the nervous anticipation. I don't know if Joseph was excluded from being present when Mary gave birth to Jesus. I know she didn't have any surgical option or any medication for that matter.

I do know that in Luke we are told about the angel Gabriel visiting Mary. We're told that the angel tells Mary, first, not to be afraid. The same things angels always tell humans, right? The angel tells her that she will conceive a son and name him Jesus.

So, we can assume from this account that Mary would have had this knowledge about the child that she was laboring for and with. That she would have recalled the visit from the angel Gabriel. That she might have wondered in the pain of labor if it were true.

In answer to that, we're told about the shepherds keeping watch over their flock by night. We're told that an angel comes and that the glory of the Lord shines around them. The shepherds are afraid and the angel says what angels always say, ……………..Don't be afraid. The angel tells them of the Savior's birth, and where to find him. Well, what's the shepherd's response? They go in haste to Bethlehem to see for themselves. Then for me a wonderful thing happens next in the account. The shepherds tell their story of how this birth had been revealed to them and what the birth meant. Luke tells us that all were amazed, but not Mary. She treasured these words and pondered them in her heart. She knew what the angel Gabriel had told her. But here she has shepherds telling her about their visitation by an angel. Shepherds telling her about the infant that she'd just given birth to. Shepherds confirming for her what she knew in her heart. In my experience, it isn't often that our knowledge of God's work in our lives is confirmed by others, but it does happen. It should happen more, we should tell others when we see God working in or through them. It is confirmation, it is encouragement, and it furthers the building of the Kingdom here on Earth.

Recently, I had an experience of being used for a good purpose that I had no prior knowledge about. Sort of like the shepherds. I wouldn't say that I was visited by an angel, but I certainly was in the right place and the right time. I was visiting a ship (as I do in my Human Resources job) in the Pacific Northwest. It was late one evening. I was sitting in a guard house with seven other employees waiting on this ship. We were all telling stories to pass the time. Finally the ship was secured and we drove to the dock to meet her. I had driven a rental car through the security gate (it took awhile to get the clearance to do that) because we were helping an employee carry Christmas presents she had brought along for the crew who would be onboard through Christmas. We learned shortly after boarding the ship that a crewmember had fallen on some stairs earlier in the day. All of a sudden I was on a mission of mercy. She needed to go to an emergency room to have her back X-rayed to ensure nothing was broken. The ship was only going to be docked early the next morning. Everyone else was busy unloading cargo and so if I hadn't been there, and had the rental car at the dock, a trip to the ER would have been very difficult at best. The dock is several miles within the refinery property and getting an ambulance, or a taxicab for that matter, through the security gate is certainly a problem. The hospital is some 20 miles away. So, I took her to the ER, waited with her-her X-rays were negative-and took her back to the ship. While she was gone for X-rays, I pondered in my heart why I had been in that particular place at that particular time. I decided that it was God's purpose for me that night. While I hadn't seen an angel, I knew that I'd seen Jesus' face in that young woman who needed help right then and there. She remarked numerous times how fortuitous it was that I was there and thanked me over and over again while I was there. Others listened, but I pondered it in my heart.

Here's my prayer for all of us this Christmas season. I pray that you'll allow the Lord Jesus to be born again, anew, in your heart. I pray that you'll say in response to Him, here I am. Use me Lord, use me this day, use me this year, and use me how you wish.
AMEN

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