December 2, 2012
Advent I
Luke 19:38.

There is a lot of Christmas art. The art tells the Christmas story and proclaims the Gospel of Salvation. Art often uses symbols to tell the meaning of a story. Often the symbols tell a deeper meaning and bring out faith in our hearts. Let me give two examples today.

The first symbol is the star. The Wisemen saw a star. They interpreted it to mean that a great person had been born in Israel. So they went to pay homage to the newborn king. Their three gifts are symbols of who Jesus was: gold for a king, frankincense for a priest, and myrrh for a suffering prophet. But back to the star, in most religious paintings, the Star of Bethlehem has a special shape. It is not the ordinary 5 pointed star ☆, but a 4 pointed star with the bottom point elongated so that it looks like a cross, a radiant cross. And the bottom point of the star leads the Wisemen to the place where Jesus lay. In this work of art, we see the Wisemen going, not just to a little baby, but to the Messiah who would die on the cross to forgive our sins. In this cross-shaped star we see the Gospel of Salvation. We see the meaning of the Birth of Christ. We are reminded that there is no salvation without the death of Christ. There is no salvation without dealing with the suffering caused by sin. This is the meaning of the Birth of Christ.

For many years I have been fascinated by the cross-shaped star.

This last week for the first time I saw another symbol in Christmas art that I think points to the suffering and death of our Lord. That symbol is the donkey.

In many Christmas paintings and Christmas pageants, we see Mary sitting on a donkey. Mary and Joseph are heading toward Bethlehem where Jesus will be born. Then later, in artwork depicting the flight into Egypt, again Joseph leads a donkey, on which Mary is sitting holding the infant Jesus in her arms. In the Bible, there is no mention of a donkey in the Christmas story. I think that artists and Christmas pageant directors have felt compassion for Mary. From Nazareth to Bethlehem it is at least 80 miles. That is a long way for a pregnant woman to walk. And artists have always paid special respect for Mary because she is the Mother of our Lord. And so in Mary, Jesus rode on donkey on the way to Bethlehem, the City of King David. In the midst of the joy of Christmas, I always thought the pictures of the Holy Family traveling to Bethlehem rather sad.

The Bible relates that Jesus later rode another donkey when he entered Jerusalem on Palm Sunday. He did not go there to be born, but rather to die. On Good Friday Jesus would be crucified. On Sunday there were cheers but on Friday there were jeers. Shouts of “Hosanna” became shouts of “Crucify him!” In the Palm Sunday Gospel there are echoes of Christmas. The heavenly choir of angels becomes the joyful voices of the crowd.

The angels sang, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests” Luke 2:14.

The crowd in Jerusalem praises God in loud voices and say, “Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord!” “Peace in heaven and glory in the highest” Luke 19:38.

Both sing of peace and glory in the highest. Jesus was born in Bethlehem in order to die in Jerusalem. Jesus was born and died in order to bring true peace and glory. That is why the Palm Sunday Gospel is the Gospel for the First Sunday in Advent. Christmas is not just about babies and gifts and Santa Claus. Christmas is about our sin and our need for salvation.

I love Christian art. “A picture is worth a thousand words.” A Christian work of art is worth a sermon that proclaims the Gospel of Salvation. Keep your eyes open this Advent season for Gospel of Salvation.

Amen.

Michael Nearhood, Pastor
Okinawa Lutheran Church

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