Grieving The Holy Spirit

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’Twas the night before Christmas,  when all through the house   not a creature   was stirring,   not even a mouse;  the stockings were hung by the chimney with care,  in hopes that St. Nicholas  soon would be there;  the children were nestled all snug in their beds,  while visions of sugar-plums danced in their heads;  & mamma in her ’kerchief,  & I in my cap,  had just settled down  for a long   winter’s nap…[1] 
Those words evoke so many of the feelings that millions of people have surrounding their experience, & their anticipation,   of Christmas.     Silent Night,   O Little Town of Bethlehem,   Away in a Manger, those hymns & many more stir up feelings of the power of Luke’s Gospel message:
“And it came to pass in those days, that there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be taxed.    And Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judaea, unto the city of David, which is called Bethlehem; (because he was of the house & lineage of David).  
And so it was, that, while they were there, the days were accomplished that she should be delivered.  And she brought forth her firstborn son, & wrapped him in swaddling clothes, & laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn. 
And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night.  And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, & the glory of the Lord shone round about them: & they were sore afraid.  And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.  For unto you is born this day   in the city of David   a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.”  (Luke 2:1, 4, 6-11 KJV) 
Then the Gospel of Matthew chimes in: “Herod was furious when he realized that the wise men had outwitted him.  He sent soldiers to kill   all the boys in & around Bethlehem who were two years old & under…”  (Matthew 2:16 NLT) 
The Word of God is not nearly as enamored of human emotions & feelings as the secular culture is.   And if you & I are honest, we too are enamored with our feelings & emotions.  It’s probably the main reason why we sing Silent Night by candlelight on Christmas Eve.  ’Twas the Night Before Christmas is so memorable because it touches hearts.
Just as Herod interrupts our warm & fuzzy thoughts of sugar plum fairies, & refrains of Silent Night, so the prophet Isaiah interrupts his overview of the gifts that God Himself has bestowed upon His people:
“I will recount the steadfast love of the Lord… that He has granted them according to His compassion…  For He said, ‘Surely they are my people…’ & He became their Savior.    In all their affliction He was afflicted, & the angel of His presence saved them; in His love & in His pity He redeemed them; He lifted them up & carried them all the days of old.”  (63:7-9 ESV) 
“But   they rebelled   & grieved His Holy Spirit;   therefore   He turned to be their enemy, & Himself fought against them.”  (Isaiah 63:10 ESV)    The Lord of the universe rescued the people of Israel from slavery in Egypt: “Surely they are my people…”  (Isaiah 63:8 ESV)    However, being a child of God is not a walk in the park. 
By 700 years after their rescue from slavery, God’s people had become so lost that Yahweh Himself had turned against them.   It may sound harsh to our tolerant & sensitive American ears, but it’s no different than any parent who must finally resort to discipline when a child has utterly refused to listen.   In spite of all the blessings that Isaiah details in the OT reading, the sermon text describes how God’s hand was forced by their stubborn refusal to acknowledge Him alone as Lord & Creator.  If Yahweh did nothing the entire nation would have marched blissfully into eternal suffering.  Eventually, the ten northern tribes of Israel were conquered by the Assyrians as God fought against the very people He had rescued. 
Isaiah writes mainly to the two southern tribes that they might turn back to their rescuer.  But child sacrifice, along with many other abominations, had been adopted from their pagan neighbors.  Eventually, the southern tribes had to be overthrown as well.  The citizens of God’s earthly kingdom of Israel had failed to be the Son of God that they were called to be. 
A new Son was needed.  A new kingdom to be created.   The sinful powers of the world in which we live are well illustrated by Herod the king who “…sent soldiers to kill all the boys in & around Bethlehem who were two years old & under…”  (Matthew 2:16 NLT)   Herod could not tolerate competition, & any inkling of a new king in town had to be destroyed. 
Being a child of God is not a walk in the park, because the powers of this sinful world cannot tolerate competition even if you or I are never meant to be kings.  Once the Holy Spirit creates faith in us, we enter into the realm of God’s justice.  People only respond to that act of God’s creation in one of two ways – belief or unbelief. 
By the time of Isaiah, the people had: “…rebelled & grieved [God’s] Holy Spirit; therefore He turned to be their enemy, & Himself fought against them.”  (Isaiah 63:10 ESV)   Their land had been lost.  Jerusalem had been destroyed.  The temple lay in ruins.  God did all that, not out of a desire to destroy His people, but out of love in order to turn them away from evil.   
By the time of Jesus’ birth, Herod, the Romans & the Pharisees all   were grieving the Holy Spirit.  If we’re being honest, we admit that we grieve the Holy Spirit.  Occasionally our sin is so vile that we even grieve ourselves.  As you & I well know, giving up sin is not easy, nor is it completely possible.  Isaiah describes that in well-known words of the chapter after today’s OT reading, “Behold, You were angry, …in our sins we have been a long time, & shall we be saved?  We have all become like one who is unclean, & all our righteous deeds   are like a polluted garment.  (Isaiah 64:5b-6a ESV)   The citizens of God’s earthly kingdom of Israel had failed to be the Son of God that they were called to be.  
Is response, Yahweh sent His only begotten Son to create new human flesh & blood – not corrupted by sin.  We receive that in Holy Communion as a down payment until the resurrection.   Then our bodies will be raised in flesh & blood that can never again be corrupted.  We are now descendants of the New Adam – Jesus Christ, & citizens of a holy kingdom in heaven. 
On this earth, nothing is as over as Christmas when it’s over.  The empty boxes, the wrapping paper on the floor, the stray tinsel from the tree that the cat played with & left on the couch, the empty cartons of eggnog stuffed into the trash.  The ornaments & lights are packed away again along with the star or the angel from the top of the tree.  
And what is left?  A war in Ukraine, homeless people in every city, hungry people begging for food, worries about health, children that concern us, jobs that wear us down.  We’re right back to where we left off before Christmas.  As Isaiah wrote a few verses after the OT text:
“Oh that you would rend the heavens & come down, that the mountains might quake at Your presence.”  (64:1 ESV)    But now, we are the new Israel that Jesus came to earth to create.  Yahweh answered the prayer of Isaiah when the greatest deed of all begins the NT – Jesus Christ is born to suffer with us.  On Mt. Calvary, Herod’s business was finished.  
The baby is finally dead,    but He does not stay dead, & neither will we.  Amen.   


[1] https://www.lyricsondemand.com/christmascarols/t/twasthenightbeforechristmaslyrics.html