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The Second day of Christmas is also known as the Feast of St. Stephen in our church year calendar. In many European countries it is a national holiday with big celebrations. Who is it we are honoring and why?

The answer is in Acts 6 and 7. Take time to read through those chapters and then come back to this.

At the beginning of Acts 6 we read that some of the widows were being overlooked and slighted in the distribution of food. The Apostle’s thought it best to select others to remedy this situation so that they could concentrate on sharing the Good News of Jesus. Among the seven men they chose for this was a fellow named Stephen, described as “a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit.”  (Acts 6:5).

Stephen did more than just “wait on tables.”  He was a powerful witness to Jesus as well. So much so that opposition arose among the members of the local synagogue. They brought false charges against him in a effort to silence him. They brought him before the same tribunal that found Jesus worthy of the death, the Sanhedrin. When Stephen stood before them, he gave an eloquent testimony of how God dealt graciously with His people down through the ages, even though they constantly refused to listen to His prophets. And then he accused them of rejecting the Messiah that God had sent, putting Him to death.

That was all they needed to hear. They drug him out of the city and stoned him to death. Saul, later known as Paul, was there watching the whole thing. And Stephen, described as full of the Holy Spirit, prayed that God would not hold this sin against these men. He was praying that they would come to faith in Jesus as the Messiah.

The reason we honor Stephen is because of His faithfulness to God. He firmly believed Jesus was the one God promised, the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world, the one whose life and death made it possible for anyone and everyone to be forgiven and go to heaven. He gives us an example to follow.

As we continue to celebrate the birth of our Lord, let us strive to live a life like He did, and live like Stephen did as well.

Paul Harvey had a wonderful ability to share stories. What follows is one that he shared for many years on his radio broadcast at Christmastime.

Now the man to whom I’m going to introduce you was not a scrooge, he was a kind, decent, mostly good man. Generous to his family, upright in his dealings with other men. But he just didn’t believe all that incarnation stuff which the churches proclaim at Christmas Time. It just didn’t make sense and he was too honest to pretend otherwise. He just couldn’t swallow the Jesus Story, about God coming to Earth as a man. “I’m truly sorry to distress you,” he told his wife, “but I’m not going with you to church this Christmas Eve.” He said he’d feel like a hypocrite. That he’d much rather just stay at home, but that he would wait up for them. And so he stayed and they went to the midnight service.

Shortly after the family drove away in the car, snow began to fall. He went to the window to watch the flurries getting heavier and heavier and then went back to his fireside chair and began to read his newspaper. Minutes later he was startled by a thudding sound. Then another, and then another. Sort of a thump or a thud. At first he thought someone must be throwing snowballs against his living room window. But when he went to the front door to investigate he found a flock of birds huddled miserably in the snow. They’d been caught in the storm and, in a desperate search for shelter, had tried to fly through his large landscape window.

Well, he couldn’t let the poor creatures lie there and freeze, so he remembered the barn where his children stabled their pony. That would provide a warm shelter, if he could direct the birds to it. Quickly he put on a coat, galoshes, tramped through the deepening snow to the barn. He opened the doors wide and turned on a light, but the birds did not come in. He figured food would entice them in. So he hurried back to the house, fetched bread crumbs, sprinkled them on the snow, making a trail to the yellow-lighted wide open doorway of the stable. But to his dismay, the birds ignored the bread crumbs, and continued to flap around helplessly in the snow. He tried catching them. He tried shooing them into the barn by walking around them waving his arms. Instead, they scattered in every direction, except into the warm, lighted barn.

And then, he realized, that they were afraid of him. To them, he reasoned, I am a strange and terrifying creature. If only I could think of some way to let them know that they can trust me. That I am not trying to hurt them, but to help them. But how? Because any move he made tended to frighten them, confuse them. They just would not follow. They would not be led or shooed because they feared him. “If only I could be a bird,” he thought to himself, “and mingle with them and speak their language. Then I could tell them not to be afraid. Then I could show them the way to the safe warm barn. But I would have to be one of them so they could see, and hear and understand.”

At that moment the church bells began to ring. The sound reached his ears above the sounds of the wind. And he stood there listening to the bells – Adeste Fidelis – listening to the bells pealing the glad tidings of Christmas. And he sank to his knees in the snow.

What will it take for the Good News of God become man, the Word made flesh, to get through to people? Has it gotten through to you? Is it in your heart? How will it be communicated to others? Will you be one who shares it?

John 1:9-14  The true light that gives light to every man was coming into the world. He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him. He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him. Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God– children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God. The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us.

Immanuel. God with us. Born as one of us to be our Savior, our Redeemer, the one who would pay the price for all sin. God wants you to know that. He wants everyone to know that.

Matthew 25:40 ‘I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.’

As we close out this last week of Advent 2023, I want to remind you of some more things you should open before Christmas. Part of the holidays is having company. Friends and relatives come to our homes. We open our homes to them and welcome them with open arms. In fact, many of us have a hard time not hugging people when we greet them. We should strive to have open arms and homes, especially at this time of year.

Open arms of welcome were not found that first Christmas. Mary and Joseph and the soon-to-be-born Savior faced closed doors and a lack of welcome on their arrival in Bethlehem. There was no room at the inn.

Often times over the years we would invite people to our homes over the holidays who had no family or relatives in the area. We wanted them to be able to celebrate the good news of our Savior’s birth with others in the body of Christ. Not everyone took us up on the invitations, but we wanted them to feel welcomed.

When you have open arms and open doors you reflect how God has opened the doors of heaven to you. Let that remind you to keep opening your arms and homes to others.

But don’t just wait for those who come to visit you. With open arms make it a point to visit those who wait for company, those who sit at home lonely, those whose lives will be empty and less joyful if no one visits. Make an unexpected visit to someone who will be enriched and uplifted just because you took the time to stop by. This is something more of us need to do ALL YEAR LONG!

The good news that was for all people, first announced to shepherds in Jerusalem and repeated down through the centuries needs to still be shared today. People need to know who Jesus is and what He has done for them so that they can join us in the confidence of forgiveness and eternal life. One way to share this good news is with open arms and open homes.

This last week of Advent I’ve been encouraging you to think about the things you should Open Before Christmas. I got the idea from some devotions I read almost thirty years ago. So far I have encouraged you to Open your Ears, your Eyes, and your Bible. Today I want you to think about how you should Open Your Hearts.

Advertisers try to convince you that to open your heart you have to buy just the right diamond or car or phone or the latest gadget and give it to your loved ones. While giving gifts is a way to open your heart, you should not be fooled into believing that simply spending a lot of money on someone or something means you have opened your heart the way God wants.

2 Thessalonians 3:5 May the Lord direct your hearts into God’s love

Christmas is to be a time of giving, but part of the message of Advent is for you to receive. Open your heart to receive what God gives. At the heart of the Gospel we find the open heart of a generous God who so loved the world that He gave His only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have everlasting life. We need to give to others with the same kind of open heart. Share the kind of love God has shown you.

In the midst of all the excitement of this season, part of opening your heart is taking some time for silence and solitude. We are reminded that Mary kept all these things and pondered them in her heart. In Advent, open your heart for a time of pondering. And as you ponder on past memories, present blessings, ongoing conflicts, busy schedules, future hopes, let all these things overflow in prayer to the one who is in control of  everything. Take it to the Lord in prayer.

With an open heart, Advent can be a time for healing, forgiving, and reconciling. That is not easy to do, especially if you think others don’t deserve your forgiveness. God knows all about that. Peace on earth came because God sent His Son to earth as an act of good will to people undeserving of the peace He came to bring. But God opened His heart and let His love overflow to you. In Advent, open Your heart so that God’s love flows into you, and let His love flow through you to others.

During the last week of Advent I am asking you to consider things your should Open Before Christmas. I have already encouraged you to open your eyes and your ears. Today I remind you to Open Your Bibles.

A man was walking in the desert when a voice said to him, “Pick up some pebbles, put them in your pocket, and tomorrow you will be both sorry and glad.” The man obeyed, stooped down, picked up a handful of pebbles, and put them in his pocket. The next morning, he reached into his pocket and found diamonds and rubies and emeralds. And he was both glad and sorry. Glad he had taken some, sorry he had not taken more.

So it is with God’s Word. It makes us glad when we see how the Holy Spirit works through the Word to strengthen us in our faith toward God and in our love toward one another. Yet there is also an element of sadness when we recognize that our response to that Word is so hesitant and incomplete.

During Advent, we think of how the people of the Old Testament heard God’s promise of a Messiah and waited for him to come. We wait for the celebration of His first coming. We also know that He is coming again, at a time we do not know, and we wait in faith for that coming.

Here are some passages to get you started. They speak of His first coming as well as His second coming. I’m just giving you the references so you will look them up yourselves.

Genesis 3:15
Genesis 12:3
Numbers 21:6-9
Isaiah 7:14
Isaiah 9:6-7
Isaiah 60:1-2
Micah 5:2
John 14:1–3
Acts 1:10-11
Philippians 3:20–21
1 Thessalonians 4:16–17
Revelation 22:20

You don’t have to read them all at once. But take the time to Open Your Bible this Advent.

This final week of Advent I want you to think about things you should Open Before Christmas. Today I want to encourage you to Open Your Eyes.

When you open your eyes and see the decorations around town in all their glory, maybe they can remind you of how the glory of God was revealed when He sent His Son down here to us. And when you see the decorations in your own home, no doubt many of then bring back memories, reminding you of past blessings. Remember that God saw all of those things, too. As you open your eyes to the decorations all around you, take notice of the ones that are there to honor Jesus Christ and what He has done for the world. Many of them may not say anything about Jesus, but they all, even Santa Claus, have their origins in what happened in that stable at Bethlehem. When you see them, remember what God has done.

Many of those decorations have to do with LIGHT! Candles are used in decorations more at this time of year than any other, as they are in the Advent Wreath. It is time for flames to flicker, and we look forward to the Candlelight Service on Christmas Eve. But there are all kinds of lights being used, from incandescent to leds and everything in between, including those strands on the prelit Christmas trees that cause so much frustration when they don’t work after the first year! If you can move beyond your frustrations, let all those candles and lights remind you of the stars twinkling over Bethlehem, one brighter that all the rest, marking the arrival of God’s Son, the Light of the world.

“Be Watchful” is an Advent Theme, and to do that you must open your eyes. With your eyes open, look forward to what God has promised: heaven. One Advent Hymn begins “Jesus, Thy Church with Longing Eyes for Thine expected coming waits.” The salvation God gives is seen in Christ. He was the one who came to accomplish forgiveness and salvation for everyone. Keep that in focus during Advent.

Jesus said there would be signs that the kingdom of God is near, that your redemption is drawing near.

Luke 21:25–28 “There will be signs in the sun, moon and stars. On the earth, nations will be in anguish and perplexity at the roaring and tossing of the sea. Men will faint from terror, apprehensive of what is coming on the world, for the heavenly bodies will be shaken. At that time they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. When these things begin to take place, stand up and lift up your heads, because your redemption is drawing near.”

That is to be our posture during this season of Advent. Keep your eyes open as you wait to celebrate the birth of our Lord and we wait for His return to take us all to be with Him.

Do you remember those little tags on presents that said “Do not open before Christmas?” It is hard to wait, isn’t it? Waiting can be difficult, even though it is a virtue to be patient. Part of our Advent preparation is to patiently wait for our Lord’s second coming to this earth. We are also waiting to celebrate His birth. Maybe it would help if instead of saying “Do not open before Christmas” we thought about things we should Open Before Christmas. As we make our final countdown to Christmas, what should we open?  Let’s start today with “Open Your Ears.”

Advent is a time of listening. We expect God to listen to us, don’t we?

Psalm 130:2 O Lord, hear my voice. Let your ears be attentive to my cry for mercy.

And God does listen. He listened to the cries of His people down through the ages, even as He still listens to us today. He answered the prayers of His Old Testament people with the gift of Jesus, and we can be confident He hears our prayers for Jesus’ sake. God has His ears open. He listens. He hears you. But He wants you to do the same. He wants you to listen to Him.

Isaiah 55:3 Give ear and come to me; hear me, that your soul may live.

This season is a time to open your ears to the chances to hear God’s Word. You hear it proclaimed in church in words and songs. Open your ears and listen to the music – you’ve heard lots of Christmas music by now. Some of those songs speak of Jesus while other Christmas songs have nothing to do with him. What message are you hearing?

Have you thought about why you are able to hear the good tidings of great joy? It is because the message was told to others who listened …

• to Zechariah and Elisabeth
• to Mary and Joseph
• to shepherds

And those who heard it told it to all who would listen. This message has been passed down through the centuries … spoken, written, sung, chanted, performed, broadcast, bounced off satellites, beamed through Bluetooth and whatever other technology is out there so that you could hear it. Open your EARS to the message of Jesus Christ.

You will be reminded of your sin, your need for redemption and the great mystery of God providing that redemption in the wrapping of swaddling clothes. This Advent, ask God to help you prepare yourself for Christmas.

Malachi 4:1–6 “Surely the day is coming; it will burn like a furnace. All the arrogant and every evildoer will be stubble, and that day that is coming will set them on fire,” says the Lord Almighty. “Not a root or a branch will be left to them. But for you who revere my name, the sun of righteousness will rise with healing in its wings. And you will go out and leap like calves released from the stall. Then you will trample down the wicked; they will be ashes under the soles of your feet on the day when I do these things,” says the Lord Almighty. “Remember the law of my servant Moses, the decrees and laws I gave him at Horeb for all Israel. “See, I will send you the prophet Elijah before that great and dreadful day of the Lord comes. He will turn the hearts of the fathers to their children, and the hearts of the children to their fathers; or else I will come and strike the land with a curse.”

In the previous chapter, Malachi said a messenger would come to prepare the way for the Lord. We know that messenger was John the Baptizer. And now in the final chapter of his prophecy he speaks of the destruction coming for those who do evil and the healing that will come to those who revere the name of the Lord. We also hear that God will send “the prophet Elijah” to turn the hearts of the people. This was also fulfilled by John.

Luke 1:17 And he will go on before the Lord, in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the fathers to their children and the disobedient to the wisdom of the righteous—to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.”

Jesus affirmed that John was the one who fulfilled this prophecy.

Matthew 11:14 And if you are willing to accept it, he is the Elijah who was to come.

We still need to heed John and Elijah and the prophets who tell us to turn – repent – so that we will enjoy God’s favor in Christ. This is our preparation, seeing Jesus for the blessing He is, the Messiah, the Prince of Peace, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. This is why we will celebrate His birth again this year. He came to free us from the judgment we deserve and give us forgiveness and life instead.

Hark the glad sound, the Savior comes, The Savior promised long;
Let ev’ry heart prepare a throne And ev’ry voice a song.

He comes the pris’ners to release, In Satan’s bondage held.
The gates of brass before Him burst, The iron fetters yield.

 He comes, from thickest films of vice To clear the mental ray
And on the eyeballs of the blind To pour celestial day.

He comes the broken heart to bind, The bleeding soul to cure,
And with the treasures of His grace T’enrich the humble poor.

Our glad hosannas, Prince of Peace, Thy welcome shall proclaim
And heaven’s eternal arches ring With Thy beloved name.

(The Lutheran Hymnal #66)