Human and Divine: "No Crying He Makes" 12-24-25

Overview

Human and Divine: "No Crying He Makes"

The beloved carol "Away in a Manger" gives us the tender line, "but little Lord Jesus, no crying He makes." It is a lovely image, but it is artistic license—Scripture nowhere tells us the infant Jesus was silent in the manger. And there is real comfort in imagining otherwise. A crying baby is the most human of things, and the cry of the newborn Christ is the first audible sign of His true humanity. Laid in a feeding trough, wrapped in bands of cloth Luke 2:16, this child is the Savior, Messiah, and Lord whom the angels announced Luke 2:11—and He is also a real baby in a real world.

Scripture gives us the inside track the shepherds did not yet have: that Jesus is fully divine and fully human, yet without sin. Through Him all things were made John 1:3, and yet He entered into every weakness we know. He wept at the tomb of Lazarus John 11:35. He wept over Jerusalem Luke 19:41. In the days of His flesh He offered prayers "with loud cries and tears" Hebrews 5:7. He is the High Priest who is able to sympathize with our weakness, tested in every respect as we are, yet without sin Hebrews 4:15. He knew disappointment, betrayal, grief, anguish, joy, and love. He felt. He cried.

There is another cry, too. The infant's "still small voice" would one day grow into the loud cry from the cross: "It is finished" (John 19:30; Mark 15:37). What was finished was the payment for our sins, the shedding of His blood, and our reconciliation with God. The steps of the child of Bethlehem were fixed toward Jerusalem and the cross, where He bore the sin of the world and won for us a forgiveness we could never earn. The empty tomb declares the sacrifice accepted.

So like the shepherds, who returned glorifying and praising God Luke 2:20, we go back to homes, families, and workplaces with a cry of our own to share—a cry of joy at what Christ has done, a cry of peace because God has reconciled the world to Himself, and a cry of confidence because in Baptism He has claimed us as His own and will not let go. The world needs this cry. It comforts. Cry, church. Cry.

Transcript

What you open your Bible's please for a time in God's Word to the second chapter of the gospel of Luke. 3s

If you're using a Pew edition of Holy Scripture, you'll find in the Pew rack in front of you or underneath you. 9s

The second chapter of the gospel of Luke is found on page 50. 17s

Luke the second chapter. 21s

Christmuse Eve and the church bursts into song. 26s

There are marvelous, marvelous hymns, carols that we sing on Christmuse Eve. 35s

We're doing a few tonight. 40s

Joy to the world, the Lord has come, let earth receive its king. 44s

Oh, come, all ye faithful, joyful in triumphant. 48s

I am so glad this Christmas Eve, the night of Jesus' birth. 57s

And of course, that great carol that we will conclude this service this afternoon, 65s

Silent night, holy, holy night. 71s

There are hymns angels we have heard on high, the first Noel. 80s

On and on, they go, and some of them are allowed and bold, and some of them are sweet and soft. 86s

A sweet and soft one, like a way in the manger. 96s

A way in the manger, no crib for his bed, the little Lord Jesus laid down his sweet head. 102s

That hymn was written in 1885. 110s

It actually was first published in a Lutheran church Sunday school, Little Booklet, 113s

for children and families. 120s

It's a glorious, it's a wonderful hymn, isn't it? 123s

And that second verse of that hymn, the cattle are lowing, the baby awakes, 128s

but little Lord Jesus, no crying, he makes. 138s

Really? 160s

Really? 168s

Really? 172s

I think you can't find anything in Scripture. 173s

There's not one verse that tells us that the cattle were lowing, that Jesus was awakened, 176s

but he didn't cry. 184s

Now, if Scripture would tell us, if Scripture would tell us, that the cattle were lowing, 186s

that Jesus was awakened, and that he didn't cry, well then, what would we say? 193s

The cattle were lowing, Jesus was awakened, and he did cry, right? 200s

But there's not one verse that tells us that, what we have here is artistic license, 205s

that is being taken, artistic license. 213s

It's a lovely, lovely hymn, but think about this from moment with me. 217s

One of the most choreographed moments for families, 225s

is the laying down of a baby to sleep, right? 232s

Where the tiny little clink of a glass being taken out of a dishwasher, 240s

or the quietest of squeaks in the door, is like lighting of views that leads to this explosion of crying. 247s

It is one of the most choreographed events for families. 261s

Jesus was laid in a feeding trough. 268s

It's translated manger. 273s

You want to get real technical about it. 275s

The word is actually feeding trough. 278s

And according to the second verse of a way in the manger, the cattle were lowing. 283s

Did you know that lowing is different than moving? 289s

It is. I checked it out. 294s

Lowing is different than a move. 299s

You'd rather have a move than a low because lowing is a deep, 302s

dilowing of cattle that's oftentimes associated with trouble or harm or distress. 311s

The cattle are lowing the baby awakes, but little large Jesus, no crying. 324s

He makes. 337s

Really? 341s

What I find much more relatable, what I find much more relatable is a flimish him. 346s

Now don't get me wrong. 355s

A way in the manger is a gorgeous him. 356s

It is stood a test of time and we will sing it until the Lord comes again. 358s

But what I find more relatable is this flimish him. 362s

Listen to a verse of this him. 368s

It goes like this. 371s

There is a young and gentle maiden with a charm, so full of grace. 374s

Look, see how she cradles the Christ child. 382s

As the tears flow down, his face. 387s

There is Jesus Christ a weeping, while his vigil they are keeping. 396s

Hush, hush, hush dear child. 403s

See she crying, now go to sleep. 409s

I find that not only more relatable, but I also find it comforting. 419s

I find it comforting. 426s

For what parent is not comforted by the cry of the newborn. 429s

And I am comforted by the thought of baby Jesus crying, that expression of his humanity. 436s

Look with me please, at verse 16 of our text. 454s

So they went with haste, found Mary and Joseph and the child lying in the manger. 457s

When they saw this, they made known what had been told them about this child and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds told them. 463s

What was the message that they had to communicate? 474s

Well, jump back up into verse 11. 478s

The angel says to you, is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is the Messiah, the Lord. 480s

This will be a sign for you. 488s

You will find a child wrapped in bands of cloth and lying in a manger. 490s

And suddenly there was with the angel, a multitude of the heavenly hosts, praising God and saying, 496s

Glory to God and the highest heaven and on earth peace among those whom he favors. 502s

That was the message that the shepherds could bring back to Mary and to Joseph. 510s

But we've got the inside track. 517s

We've got the inside track because we have the scriptures placed in our hand, the inside track that tells us of the two natures of the Lord Jesus. 520s

That he was absolutely divine and that he was absolutely human, but without sin. 533s

We've got the inside track from scripture that Jesus truly God and truly human. 544s

I am comforted by a cry, the expression of His humanity. 556s

We don't know what the first words of Jesus were. 566s

I'm not recorded in Holy Scripture, but the cry, the cry is the expression of words unformed. 569s

And I'm comforted by the thought of the baby Jesus crying, that expression of humanity. 576s

I am comforted by the cry and cry. 587s

Cry He would cry He would. 601s

I think of John the 11th chapter, the story of the raising of Lazarus. 609s

Mary and Martha sisters, their brother Lazarus, Jesus was close to all three. 618s

He was friends with them. 623s

Lazarus dies and Jesus goes to the tomb. 626s

And the scripture says this, Jesus began to weep, to weep, and cry He would. 631s

Luke tells us in the 19th chapter that Jesus came and saw Jerusalem. 647s

And Jesus prophesied over Jerusalem because of the leaders' rejection of Him. 654s

And most of the people's rejection of Him. 660s

And He prophesied of the events that would occur 40 times from when He was looking at Jerusalem. 663s

He prophesied of what would happen in 87 and it was exactly what happened when those 40 years passed. 671s

And Luke records in verse 41 of the 19th chapter. 679s

It says, as He, Jesus came near and saw the city, He wept over it. 682s

And cry He would. 692s

Hebrews the 5th chapter says, 699s

In the days of His flesh Jesus offered up prayers and supplications with loud cries and tears. 702s

John tells us in the 1st chapter that everything that was made was made through the second member of the Trinity, the Lord Jesus Christ. 715s

So not only was everything made through Him, but He also experienced what it means to be human. 726s

Hebrews the 4th chapter, it says, 739s

for we do not have a high priest speaking of Jesus who is unable to sympathize with our weakness, but we have one who in every respect has been tested as we are yet without sin. 741s

Jesus experienced disappointment and betrayal and being misunderstood. 758s

Jesus experienced grief. He experienced anguish. He experienced joy. 764s

He experienced love. He experienced and felt and cried and cried. 771s

That's why the words to the Him once a royal David city resonate with me. 788s

That Him goes like this day by day like us He grew. 800s

He was little weak and helpless. Tears and smiles like us. He knew. 807s

And He feeleth for our sadness. 816s

And He shareeth in our gladness. 821s

It's that flimish Him. 828s

Look, see how He cradles the Christ child as the tears flow down His face. 831s

Cry He would. 839s

And not only tears with a cry, not only that type of cry. 845s

But a different cry also, a different cry. 856s

As we gather on Christmassy, as we burst into song, as we're blessed by the singers and musicians, as they play the beautiful music and the music that communicates, 865s

I think what Martin Luther said about music. He said this. 881s

Next to theology, music deserves the highest praise. He also said, quote, it's a divine gift. 888s

He also said, a person who does not regard music as a marvelous creation of God must be a cloth hopper. 901s

And then he went on to say, and does not deserve to be called a human being. 912s

He should be permitted to hear nothing but the grunting of hogs. 916s

So there it is, right? 922s

But did you hear the lyric that the choir just sang? 926s

It went like this. 933s

Look, see how she cradles the Christ child. 941s

The lyric that in that unlikely place, I find him as they said, sweet newborn, babe, how frail. 946s

And in a manger bed, a still small voice to cry one day for me. 963s

A still small voice to cry one day for me. 978s

And Jesus grew, and He took His first steps, and He got older, and the steps became fixed in the direction of Jerusalem. 989s

And He went to a cross, and bore your sin, and my sin, and the sin of the whole world upon Him. 1010s

To win for us forgiveness, to redeem us, to reconcile us with God, that sin that had separated us from God, 1024s

with no ability for us to restore the relationship. 1035s

There's no one good things you can do to make yourself worthy of heaven. 1038s

The Father sent the second member of the Trinity to the cross, to pay the sin that we could never pay. 1045s

The punishment for our sin was laid upon Jesus. 1054s

And Mark the 15th chapter says, when Jesus was on the cross, it says, then Jesus gave a loud cry and breathed His last. 1058s

And what was the cry? 1073s

What was the cry from the cross? 1076s

But John records it. 1080s

John records the very words of the cry in John 19, where Jesus says from the cross, it is finished. 1083s

And what was finished? 1097s

But the payment for our sins, the shedding of His blood, the reconciliation with us and God. 1102s

Jesus raised out of the tomb the sacrifice for sin accepted. 1112s

Jesus cried from the cross a different cry. 1121s

It was the cry. 1127s

It is finished. 1131s

It is finished. 1135s

And that cry comforts. 1140s

It comforts. 1150s

There's 20 says the shepherds returned glorifying and praising God for all that they had heard and seen. 1156s

And it had been told them. 1164s

And we returned. 1169s

We returned to our homes and families and workplaces. 1171s

We returned. 1176s

We returned with a cry. 1178s

It's the cry of joy of what the Lord Jesus Christ has done to the cross and the empty tomb. 1182s

It's the cry of peace that God has made peace between himself and the world through Jesus Christ. 1190s

It's the cry of confidence that in our baptism God took the victory of the cross and empty tomb and he washes us in it. 1201s

And God says, you're mine and I'm not letting go. 1213s

We leave this place and we return and we go in haste because we have a cry to share that cry of joy and peace and confidence. 1218s

And the world needs this cry because this cry. 1235s

It comforts. 1255s

It comforts. 1259s

Cry church. 1262s

Cry. 1267s

And cry. 1270s

We will. 1272s