The Nativity Of Our Lord December 25, 2025
“Did You Get What You Wanted?” Isaiah 9:2-7
Rev. John R. Larson Ascension Lutheran Church Littleton, Colorado
In Chevy Chase’s movie “Christmas Vacation” it seems that Chevy Chase doesn’t get what he wanted for Christmas. His cousin, Eddie, and his family, arrive in their run-down RV unannounced, an Aunt and Uncle who aren’t ‘all there’ come on Christmas Day for the meal that turns into a disaster. Chevy Chase, also known as Clark Griswold in the movie, is waiting for his Christmas bonus from work. He had signed a contract to put a pool in the backyard in the spring and wrote a down payment check that had no backing to it without Christmas bonus money.
On Christmas Eve the courier came with the Christmas bonus. It was a year’s subscription to Jelly-of-the-Month Club. Chevy Chase was not too happy. At that moment he had not gotten what he wanted for Christmas.
How about you? Sometimes Christmas is the best of days. We get everything on our lists. But sometimes Christmas is the hardest of days. We are disappointed because the gifts of happiness, peace and joy have seemed to elude us for another year.
Did you get what you wanted? I hope that by the end of this message you will say, “Yes, I did!” God gave a promise to you and me spoken many years ago. “Nevertheless, there will be no more gloom for those who were in distress…The people walking in darkness have seen a great light, on those living in the land of the shadow of death a light has dawned.” (Isaiah 9:1-2)
Darkness can be so amazingly hopeless. Darkness can come in many forms. We can lose control of our life to gambling, pornography, sexual addictions, alcohol, drugs and a host of other things. We can lose control to envy, greed, jealousy, anger and selfishness. It is all darkness and none of those things will give us what we want in life.
But God will give us what we need. Light comes into darkness. He exposes the falsity of our addictions and brings the brilliance of His deliverance into our lives. Christmas is the account of light coming into darkness. The shepherds looked in the sky and saw the glory of the angels of God bringing news of grace to them. “A Savior has been born to you.” The magi followed the brilliance of light – a star- as they sought the King of the Jews.
When you face the death of being far less than what you should be – a child of God, or when you face the death to your body, then look to the light of God – Jesus Christ. His light is in control of our life, that is the light of His forgiveness and cleansing and the light of His guidance into our life. Jesus Christ, the light of the world, is greater than any darkness.
Did you get what you wanted at Christmas? I think so. God even gives us more than we could ever ask for, think of, or imagine. If you think your list was long and you could never get all that was listed, think again. Christmas is the statement of God’s extravagance.
Isaiah gives us a history lesson when speaking about this generous and strong God. “For as in the day of Midian’s defeat, you have shattered the yoke that burdens them, the bar across their shoulders, the rod of their oppressor.” (Isaiah 9:4) The account that Isaiah speaks of is found in the book of Judges, chapters 6-8. And the picture is one that says we have hope in God alone for our rescue and victory.
In the Book of Judges the people of Israel were in conflict with the people of Midian. Gideon is told to lead the people of Israel into battle. He has 32,000 troops loyal to him and ready to go to war. But God tells Gideon to reduce the army from 32,000 to 300. And their weapons for war are trumpets and some glass jars. They routed their enemies by blowing trumpets and breaking their jars! Gideon who earlier said that he came from the weakest clan in Israel and that he was the least in his family (Judges 6:15) led them to victory. If anything good was to come of all of this then it had to come from God.
We can’t solve life by ourselves, we cannot develop peace deep in our souls by ourselves and we cannot know that we will live forever with God in heaven by ourselves. All of these things are a gift from God won solely by His strong hand. The Bible tells us, “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith – and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God – not by works, so that no one can boast.” (Ephesians 2:8-9) Jesus is the gift that we need and want. The prophet says, “For to us a child is born, to us a son is given.” (Isaiah 9:6)
Did you get what you wanted for Christmas? Yes, and even more. Light has broken through into your darkness. God has come with His strength and might and His favor to do what you cannot do for yourselves – that is, to forgive, save and grant a full life. And He has come to bring peace to all of us.
A while ago I read about a family who took a Christmas vacation to Europe. The father writes this way about it – We advertised the trip to Europe with a ‘Christmas in Germany’ flyer. It would be a special family treat, for my wife and I were invited, along with our three married children and their spouses. It was the first week of December, and when we rode on the bus to Oberammergau, we enjoyed the perfect blanket of white snow that covered the earth and embroidered the tall evergreens. When we joined the hundreds at the public square in Munich for the tree lighting, we were thrilled. It was all so beautiful!
Then someone suggested that Dachau was only a few miles away. Would we want to spend a day visiting the infamous prison where so many Jews and other were incarcerated and so mistreated? We debated whether to include a concentration camp on our lovely Christmas holiday. We decided to do it. We would go. We would see Dachau.
What an unforgettable experience it was. It was a bitter cold day. The barbed wire above the stone walls, the guardhouses, the foundation outline of the barracks. And on down the long road, the furnace built to exterminate human lives.
I’m sure it was a Christmas that family would never forget. Singing carols in a Cathedral in Germany and seeing the place of great human terror and death. The two come together and God is present to speak His presence and His peace. We have a world where dismay and discouragement speak loudly and God speaks in a greater voice of His peace. Isaiah writes to people whose lives were broken. And he speaks these words, “Of the increase of His government and peace there will be no end.” (Isaiah 9:7a)
The reason the prophet could promise such great things even when life was not peaceful is because of what God would send to all people one day. “For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on His shoulders. And He will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.” (Isaiah 9:6) We speak of peace coming into our lives, lives sometimes troubled and hurting, because God has come to us as Immanuel, God with us, in the coming of Jesus on Christmas.
Did you get what you wanted? God certainly hopes so. Years ago the columnist Ann Landers printed this letter. “I wanted to tell readers about my most precious Christmas gift. It came from one of my third-graders when I taught in southern Wisconsin. As I was opening the present the little boy said, “Two came in a box. My brother gave his teacher the other one.” I was delighted. When I retired and moved to Florida, I brought his gift with me. I see the adorable little donkey saltshaker on my table every day, and it makes me smile.” She had one-half of a salt and pepper set. But the gift was given in love and that has made it so special for her.
Whatever gifts you received they are gifts given in love and it makes each and every gift absolutely perfect. God, on this Christmas, wants you to have everything you need. He wants to bring light into darkness. He has given grace and salvation abundantly and freely and He has brought the gift of peace into our world today. Truly we received everything we wanted. Amen!!
