Grace be unto you, and peace, from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.

           Text: Hebrews 2:14,15

           Since the children have flesh and blood, he too shared in their humanity so that by his death he might destroy him who holds the power of death – that is, the devil – and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by their fear of death.

In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Dear Friends in Christ Jesus:

           It just wouldn’t seem like Christmas without one. It’s always seen in a prominent place in our homes, it’s sometimes decorated a little too much, its shape a little less than perfect – and yet, it’s always beautiful just the same. Of course, I’m talking about a real Christmas tree. It has become one of the most popular, one of the most universally accepted and recognized symbols of Christmas. Therefore, we ought to let that tree show us exactly what it does symbolize. For if it’s only one of the many things we decorate and arrange for our celebration of Christmas – then we’ve actually missed the most important thing that tree has to show us.

           Just look at the tree! Stately, green, and beautiful – with its fragrance filling our homes, and with its top pointing to the heavens. And it’s been covered and decorated with the brightest and best we could possibly find. So that tree becomes a symbol of joy and life, of hope and happiness. It becomes the focal point of our Christmas celebration – at least for a while. But now, look more closely at the tree. The tree becomes dry and the needles start to fall, its trunk begins to decay, and it just won’t take water any longer. So, it’s served its purpose. No more than we can make our Christmas celebration last, no more than we can stop the new year from coming – are we able to put new life into that once beautiful, but now really dead Christmas tree.

           Oh sure, we could try more decorations, more ornaments, and more tinsel. We could even go as far as planting the tree outside. But, you see, it wouldn’t make any difference. Because the tree is dead. It’s really too bad, isn’t it? Dead already. For all of our choosing, decorating, and admiring – it will soon be a pile of bare branches in our yards, useless and thrown out for the garbage. And yet, the Christmas tree is the perfect symbol for this Sunday after Christmas – because it shows us what we all experience in the passing of another Christmas and another year – but don’t like to face. The tree clearly shows us the inevitable rush of time.

           You see, we try to make Christmas a time of remembering and doing. Every Christmas must be like the last one – only better. So, we bake, we buy, we plan, and we fix – everything has to be perfect. And Christmas finally comes! We enjoy ourselves, we laugh and sing – and suddenly, it’s over. There’s a certain letdown that hits us right after the celebration – the recognition that, for all of our activity, another Christmas is over. And we can’t bring it back or relive it. This is what the Christmas tree shows us! Christmas just past, another year on its way out, taking down the decorations, throwing out our trees – all of this shows us that as we live, we are surrounded by death.

           We want to be happy, we want to celebrate – so why all this talk about death? Because it’s the message of the text. The writer to the Hebrews says – “Since the children have flesh and blood, he too shared in their humanity so that by his death he might destroy him who holds the power of death – that is, the devil – and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by their fear of death.”

           And we’re the ones who faced death. We’re the ones who were held in slavery by our fear of death. Finally, we recognize that the Christmas tree is us! Born alive and beautiful, with the expectation of a long, happy, and successful life. And as we grow up, we decorate ourselves and our futures with plan, hopes, and dreams. But life hurries by. We see our branches, our plans drying up – and we see our needles, our hopes and dreams falling to the floor. We’d do almost anything to prevent the passing of time. But it’s clear, like the tree, our lives will also come to an end. And there’s really nothing we can do about it.

           If this were all we had to look forward to, then we wouldn’t have any reason to celebrate today. However, this isn’t all there is! We have so much more in the words and promises of our God. For in the face of our humanness, God has acted. St. Paul writes – “This grace was given us in Christ Jesus before the beginning of time, but it has now been revealed through the appearing of our Savior, Christ Jesus, who has destroyed death and has brought life and immortality to light through the gospel.”

           So Christmas does indeed speak very clearly to our living and dying. The text for today states that Jesus came to share in our humanity, so that by His death – He might give us life. Christ came – and in His suffering and death, He gains for us nothing less than complete victory. It is written – “He too shared in their humanity so that by his death he might destroy him who holds the power of death – that is, the devil.”

           On one hand, there was hopelessness and despair. But Christmas tells us that Jesus Christ has changed all that. He has destroyed death and the power of Satan. We no longer live in slavery and fear. Dr. Martin Luther wrote – “What more should the most merciful Savior have done but did not do? He took sin completely away. He left death, but He left it conquered. Besides, He made the fear of death harmless.”

           It’s as miraculous as the tree coming back to life. It’s as if the tree reroots itself and lives – so perfect is the gift we’re given by God in the Savior. And our gift of life is eternal. It’s a life that will never come to an end. You see, we’re not sent out on our own to struggle through life. We don’t just put in our time, deteriorate, and die. For the coming of Christ to us – suffering, dying, and rising for us – makes life ours now and eternally. And so, we can indeed live in hope.

           Because our Lord has destroyed the one who holds the power of death, that is, the devil – we’re now really free. St. Paul writes – “We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life.” So, we’re not rootless trees, watching the needles of our lives fall and trying to prevent our inevitable decay. We’re alive, really alive – in the victory that God’s Son has won for us.

           Also, because of His suffering, we’re not alone. Christ is our Brother and has been involved in our existence. Therefore, when we suffer, we don’t suffer alone. For Christ has been there. And when we face problems, worries, pain, or sickness – we’re not alone. He is there. Our Lord understands and shares our pain. He forgives us and accepts us as His own. He has won the victory. We are given the prize.

           It would be great if we could list as one of the gifts of Christmas – the removal of all pain, suffering, and fear. It would be tremendous if we could make the joy we try to create at Christmas – a permanent feature in our lives. However, we know that this won’t happen. We’ll still have pain. There will still be suffering and sadness, problems, sickness, and even death. And yet, our God is not a distant God. He has become one of us. He gives us the assurance of His continued care. He reaches down to us with His never-ending love and constant blessings.



           St. Paul writes – “In all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life…neither the present nor the future…nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” So, as we take down our Christmas tree this year, we might feel some of the recognition that comes with the passing of happy times – and we might be reminded that as we live, we’re surrounded by death. However, today, we have the assurance of God Himself, the kind of hope and assurance we really need. For in the midst of death, we have life – eternal life in Jesus Christ. And in this hope, our joy and our celebration of Christmas will never come to an end. Amen.

The peace of God, which passes all understanding, keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. Amen.