“And It All Started with a Whisper”

Scripture: Luke 2:1-20

Christmas Eve sermons tend to focus on the events and meanings of the day we celebrate. I have preached on topics such as the holy couple, the shepherds, the inn keeper, the message that the angels brought, the glory of the birth, the reason for the birth, and many others. I think that all of these thoughts have been important, but have you ever wondered about the divine events that lead up to that miraculous and wonderful night? Well, for some reason, I have, and tonight I’d like to share some thoughts that I’ve had regarding what happened in heaven in the eons leading up to the Holy Birth, and what they mean for us. Now this doesn’t mean that tonight’s message has any deep and previously unexplored theological significance, there is no recently discovered scriptural context involved, and as far as I know, there are no scholarly works surrounding these words – they are just some thoughtful reflections that have spoken to me, and hopefully, they will speak to you, too.

Read Luke 2:1-20

This is why we come together tonight – to rejoice in the birth of the Savior. But before we begin to consider the Holy Birth, let’s go back a few years – just a few - to the moment of creation.
Genesis 1 – “In the beginning, God created .. and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters.” This was the first “birth”, of sorts, and while it was a glorious undertaking, it was filled with as much throbbing and groaning as the second glorious birth would. There was nothing but formless matter, emptiness from eternity to eternity, and a darkness that was so deep that sight could never penetrate it.
But then, slowly, it all began to come together. First the glory of God began to shine in the darkness, and the blindness was overthrown. Then chaos was separated from the creative expanse, and within it forms began to take shape. Water and dry land were gathered into their proper places and vegetation began to thrive on the land and in the “glory light”. Sun and stars and moons came to be, living creatures were created in the waters and on the land and in the air, and humanity, the guardian and caretaker of creation was placed in the midst of it all.
There was blessing, and breath, and life, and the Creator God proclaimed it to be VERY good. Creation was a glorious shout that pushed back the darkness with its wonderful light; that brought form out of chaos; that brought life and breath to replace the emptiness of the deathly silence. The booming cry of Almighty God was heard throughout creation in both the physical realm and the spiritual. Splendor and wonder had been spoken.

But then something incredible began to happen – the Lord turned his attention away from the heavens and toward this new created order. The heaven and its beings would stand in amazement that the Father would apparently love this new place and new beings as much as he loved his Glory!
And then it began to happen – word began to spread among the angels that this wasn’t the end of the Father’s plan. It seemed that he had intentionally made the humans in an imperfect way and had given them a will of their own! They thought that this “will” thing had ended when so many had left to follow the bright and shining Lucifer! Why would God bring this idea back? None of them could fathom any reason for this, but slowly, the full plan began to be revealed and it filled their spirits, and whispered conversations began to take place all across the Glory.

“Did you hear what the Father is going to do for them?

“Well, I heard something, but it didn’t make much sense to me. What did you hear?”

“I heard that He is letting them decide for themselves whether they want to follow him or the other! And He knows that they are going to mess up all the time, but he’s going to forgive them, simply if they ask him for it honestly! Can you imagine?”

“It is odd, I have to admit!”

“And that’s not the strangest part – he knows that they will never be able to gain entry into the Glory – their perfection will be too far gone – so he is going to send the Son to be a way for them!”

“Why didn’t he just make them complete and perfect to begin with?”

‘Lord only knows!”

“So what’s this about the Son making a way for them. How is that going to happen? What’s he going to do?”

“You are NOT going to believe this – He’s going to leave his glory behind and take on a form that resembles theirs! Have you ever heard of such a thing? And then, when he begins to tell them that all they have to do is believe in him as the Godly way, they are going to kill him!”

“Oh no!” Not that! Why would he let them do that to him? Why would he suffer so for the likes of them?”

“I asked myself the same question, and the only thing I can think of is that he loves his creation so much he can’t bear to see any more of it die and leave him.”

And I think the whispering would have continued for millennia, and as the great day approached when the Almighty would set the plan into motion, the whispering increased.

“It’s almost time! Did you hear that Elohim is deciding on his new name and his new form, and I have to tell you - it is simply horrible! He’s going to look just like one of them! He should keep his glory!”

And so, Almighty God began to give them all reassurance that this was the only way to bring salvation to the world. He handed out assignments to all of his heavenly host, for there was much to do – the woman who would carry him had to be chosen, and she needed to have a man with her because the Son would not only be the Son of God, he would also have to be part of a human family – the Son of Man. Those who would be willing to honor him would have to be told, and a human must be chosen to remind others of the prophesy, that he would “make a new way in the wilderness”. And there would be countless other minute details that had to be cared for, and all of the heavenly host were to be involved. And from the grand archangel down to the smallest cherubim, heaven fell silent. This was their Lord’s will, and this is how it had to be.

Silence filled all of creation as heaven waited for the day, figuratively holding its collective breath,. And then the day arrived, and silence was thrown to the wind.
Glory would again shine on the earth, and the voices of heaven would thunder in jubilant praise! People from every walk of life would be told that the incredible plan of God’s had come to be – that salvation was now theirs by faith and faith alone!

The angel would tell the least of these “I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord.” And a heavenly host appeared and joyfully began to proclaim “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to all upon whom his favor rests!”

No more whispering, no more wondering, no more planning, no more preparation – the Savior had come to show us the way to Glory! And the plan would play out just the way the Master said it would – the message would, indeed, be hated, the Messenger would, indeed, be abused and killed, but no matter what the hatred of earth would do to him, he would not stay buried and neither will his message!

The whispering of heaven has ended, and the angelic host is singing the glory of Father, Son and Spirit. The message of hope and the promise of life has been delivered and proven, and now our whispering must end, too. Humanity has only heard bits and pieces of the truth of Jesus, and they don’t know his fullness. It is up to his faithful to begin singing our own praises of Glory. No more shrinking from intimidation; no more limiting our sharing with only those who already understand; no more of our going quietly into the night to avoid the animosity of the world; no more whispering behind turned backs.

It’s time that we stood up in the blessed name of Jesus and told others who he is and why he wants to be their Lord. Humble? Yes, but silent no longer. Gentle? Yes, but bold in our love of Christ.

It all started with the whispers of heaven, but it continues with our joyful praise of the Living Lord, Redeemer and Savior, the culmination and perfection of glory, the Way, and the Truth, and the Life, the Holy Light that dispels the darkness and heals our blindness, the blessed form that brings order to our chaotic lives, the Breath of Life that is breathed into lifeless souls, and it is all given for any who will believe and follow.

“Glory to God in the highest, and on earth, peace.” Glory once again shines on creation. Do you really want to keep that truth quiet?