Welcome, dear friends, to a Christmas worship service held, in the words of the hymn writer, "at deepest midnight hour."  It is a special wonder to be in church so late at night, and I pray your presence here will be blessed with the peace of God.

          It's always fun when the UPS or another express truck comes into our cul de sac.  The neighbors all wonder who will get the package, and Carol is always sure it is for us.  I enjoy getting those Special Delivery packages, the ones that require special handling and make you wonder what's inside.  Those delivery drivers deserve our grateful thanks for their long hours and hard work making our Christmas better with their Special Deliveries, especially in this cold weather.

          I've recently become acquainted with an older gentleman who once became very confused by events of Christmas.  He was a God-fearing man with a small family.  His brother-in-law was an old preacher who, like most preachers, had an opinion about everything and had incredibly long mealtime prayers.  Some of the old man's children had married, moved away and started families of their own.  His youngest daughter, however, was still at home and such a blessing to him.  She was a wonderful help since his wife had died.  She was engaged and often he wondered what he would ever do without her.

          Then one day this wonderful daughter told him some amazing news -- his sister, the preacher's wife, was going to have a baby.  At her age?  She's in her 50's!  How could it be possible?  But his daughter was certain and wanted to go visit her.  Now, instead of having her with him, he'd be all alone.  "Go ahead," the old man told her.  "I'll be okay, but don't stay too long."

          Sometimes we parents feel so out of control with our kids, don't we?  They're so precious and fragile as infants.  When they cry they can't tell us where it hurts.  For a few years we are the center of their life.  We're so proud when they start school but soon they come home acting as if we know nothing at all.

          About the time we think we have them trained, they turn into teenagers.  About the time they get through the teen years and become enjoyable adults with some promise, they leave home and get married.  I'm not sure there's ever a time when we parents are in control of our families.

          Well, about three months later, the old man's daughter returned, but something was very, very wrong!  She was pregnant!  His sweet precious young daughter pregnant!  And she was already showing!  What happened?  As parents, few things ever shake us like this!  The old man flew into a rage and immediately confronted the man she was engaged to.  He said he knew nothing about it!  Oh yeah, I'm sure he knows nothing!  Oh, what had he done wrong that his daughter should turn this way?

          This old man's name was Heli of Nazareth, the father of Mary.  Heli may have been the brother of Elizabeth, wife of Zechariah the priest.  News of Mary's pregnancy was a terrible shock.  First the embarrassment of his old sister and now the humiliation of his young daughter.  One was amazing, but the other was just cruel.

          Heli must have felt his world crumbling around him.  Life is busy and difficult enough during the holidays without bad news.  If any of you have had bad news recently, or if life has delivered you a bad message, you're not alone.  If events in our nation confound you, you're in good company.

          About six months later in Bethlehem, "...the days were accomplished that she should be delivered."  On a quiet night in a stable, God had a Special Delivery package to the whole world, and it came wrapped in swaddling clothes.

          In the midst of a lot of bad news, there is good news.  In the midst of the muck and muddle of life, there is salvation.  We are not in this all alone.  There is a flip side to the troubles of life.  And it's not of our own making, but of God's grace and mercy.

          God's angel had a message -- "I bring you good tidings of great joy for ALL the people."  Not just for the church people, or good people or for white American people or even for Christian people -- for ALL people.  "For unto you is born this day in the city of David, a Savior, who is Christ the Lord."  The baby was Jesus, son of Mary, the grandson of Heli of Nazareth.  What started as bad news for a few people turned to good news of great joy for all people.

          But the news of the angels hadn't yet reached Heli.  The angel had come to Mary and Joseph.  A whole choir of angels came to the shepherds, but not to Heli.  He was left to trust what his daughter told him, and that's not always easy for parents when it's bad news.  If you've had some troubled times, God's probably not sent you an angel with a message.  But perhaps He has, and it's the same angel who came long ago and said, "Fear Not, for behold I bring you good tidings of great joy."

          Angels have been getting a lot of attention lately.  Hollywood and our jewelry stores have "discovered" angels and are trying to make money off their discovery.  Most of what you hear about angels is a wish and a guess.

          Angels aren't just good people gone to heaven.  They aren't beautiful women with wings, or men named Clarence trying to earn their wings.  They are God's eternal messengers doing His will.  If you read the Bible carefully, you'll always find angels talking to people about God.  And wherever God's plan of salvation takes a major step forward, there an angel appears with a message from God.

          God promised Abraham a son and repeated that promise through an angel.  When Israel was delivered from bondage, it was through the angel of death.  When God announced the birth of His Son, it was through a choir of angels.  When that Son died and rose again, it was announced by angels at the open grave.  When Jesus returned to heaven, the angels spoke another message from God.

          Angels are also our protectors.  Some only watch over God's children.  I have no doubt that angels have often kept me from disaster.  They've been with my children, and they've been with yours.

          But their best gift is the Christmas message.  "Fear Not, for behold I bring you good tidings of great joy, for unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, Christ the Lord."  A Special Delivery from God.  What great news for parents and for children, great news for people of ages past and for us today, for you and me.

          We actually don't know much about Heli, except that he was Mary's father.  She must have told him what the angel said, but we don't know if he believed her.  But who of us could believe a daughter with a story like Mary's?  Who could ever accept such a message, even from angels?  Thanks be to God Mary did.

          Thanks be to God you and I know she did.  Thanks be to God for the angels who give us God's message.  Thanks be to God for the child of Mary, our Savior.  And thanks be to God for our families.  It may not be perfect, but it's our family.

          And thanks be to God for this Christmas season.  It isn't a perfect Christmas, but it's here and has great blessings for all.  One of the best things about any Christmas is that soon things will get back to normal.  The rush will be over, the company will go home and the house will get back in order.  There's something wonderful about things being "normal."

          You and I aren't perfect people, but we are forgiven and we belong to the Lord.  Thanks be to God that the baby Jesus grew up.  We don't worship an infant in a manger, but a Savior, the Son of God who died that we might live.  You and I don't worship a dead hero, but a living Savior who accepts us in spite of our sins.

          Thanks be to God for faith to trust this Special Delivery from heaven.  Thanks be to God He saves us from all that would harm us.  And thanks be to God Jesus came into this world, not as twins or triplets, but the single Son of God, ready to do His will.

          God becoming a human being is a true mystery.  St. Augustine tried to capture the mystery of the incarnation some 15 centuries ago.  I leave you with his words:

Maker of the sun, He is made under the sun.
In the Father He remains, from His mother forth He goes.
Creator of heaven and earth, He was born under heaven on the earth.
Unspeakably wise, He is wisely speechless.
Filling the whole world, He lies in a manger.  Ruler of the stars,
He nurses at His mother's bosom.
He is both great in the nature of God,  And small in the form of a servant.

Merry Christmas!

Copyright © 2002 by Pastor Bob Tasler.  All rights reserved.