CHRISTMAS PASTORAL MESSAGES: Joyful and Triumphant

By TRAVIS LAUTERBACH
Prince of Peace Lutheran Church

A well-known Christmas carol describes the “faithful” who come to adore Jesus at His birth.
“O come all ye faithful, Joyful and triumphant!”
They come in joy and triumph.

Christmas is a season of joy.The word appears all over the place on decorations, on cards, in messages. It’s in many of the Bible readings in the days leading up to and even after Christmas. It’s found in hymns such as “Joy to the World.” It’s heard in Christmas movies and TV shows.

There is great joy because the one promised to “save His people from their sins” (Matthew 1:21) has finally come.

The long-awaited Savior has been born into the world in the flesh, fully God and fully man.
He comes to win forgiveness, life, and salvation for all who call upon His name.

This is reason for great joy, tremendous joy. And so there is a great celebration of Jesus’ birth- with much joy.
The faithful also come to adore Jesus with a triumphant attitude.

The Christ-child didn’t come simply to be a cute and cuddly baby pictured on Christmas cards.He’s actually the only person ever born into this world with the purpose of dying.

That sounds so sad that it might dampen the joy of the faithful, but instead the faithful are ever triumphant.
Jesus was born to win the victory that only He could win!

Jesus came to crush the head of the serpent (Genesis 3:15). He came to defeat sin, death, and hell. He came to rescue humanity, lost and condemned in sin, from judgment.
Jesus did this through an act of sacrifice, His own death on the cross.
With Jesus’ birth into the world, the plan of salvation was as good as done.

Jesus wouldn’t be deterred from His objective. He would get to the cross, He would die in the place of all people, He would win salvation glorious, and He would rise again in triumph.

With the birth of Jesus there is every reason to adore Him both joyfully and triumphantly.