Every warrior's sandal... (Late Worship Service December 24, 2009)
By Rev. Steve Bagnall

Since the local stations began playing Christmas songs about 9 months ago – I guess we have all heard that one that’s really a narrated poem. Santa Claus stops at a house where a deployed soldier is staying. It’s pretty powerful, as it reminds us of the men and women who are away from home tonight, away in dangerous lands. They’re away from us at Christmas because they’re soldiers and that’s their job.

Well, I thought of that song and those people when I studied tonight’s Old Testament. “Every warrior’s sandal from the noisy battle, and garments rolled in blood, will be used for burning and fuel of fire.” Just take a moment to wrap your mind and hearts around that image.

When soldiers come home today from Afghanistan, or Iraq, or any other place where they see and do things no person ever wants to see or do, when they come home with clothes stained with blood and hearts and memories stained by the unthinkable darkness they have walked through, they don’t burn their uniforms. Instead, they wash them and iron them and fold them neatly, because tomorrow is another day of duty and there may be another deployment, and another. No sooner do they and their families breathe that incomparable sigh of relief, and spend a moment or two just touching each other to make sure this is real, no sooner does the relief set in then the remembrance arises that it isn’t over, not completely. Not yet.

Only when war is ended forever can a soldier burn his sandals and uniform; only when there is no more danger to defend us from, only when no enemy can arise, only then can he set aside his vigilance, only then.

But Isaiah tells us about such a great day, a day when all wars will cease. The soldier’s uniforms will not be needed again. The memory of blood shed in anger can be purged away and it can all be burned in the fire.

Oh how we long for that day. But when will it finally arrive?

When the Child is born! “Unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given.” Dear friends who yearn for peace, that great day has already arrived. It came quietly, in a stable, in a small town in Israel, when a young mother gave birth and held in her arms that Child.

You see, that Baby, that poor Child sleeping in the manger is the promised One, the One whom God calls the Prince of Peace. With His birth, the day of peace commenced, and began to grow. Of course, the evil one doesn’t give up easily. Through Herod he tried to kill this Prince in His infancy.

And when this child, grown to be a Man, stepped forth in His mission to save, while the water of Baptism still dripped from his brow, the enemy attacked Him again. With lies and words of temptation he tried to derail this glorious Son, but at each step the Prince of Peace defeated the lawless one.

The deciding battle took place over three days. The traitor Judas was incited to sell this Virgin’s Son into the hands of Satan’s men. They called Him a liar, a blasphemer and a rebel. They accused this Man of Peace of stirring up war against the earthly rulers. This innocent Prince was silent as they led Him to the cross, as they pounded their nails of hatred into His flesh.

He spoke in anguish only when God poured on His soul all the pain that comes from our war against the LORD, all the suffering for our guilty sins. And then, when Jesus released the life we see in the manger this evening it looked as though violence and hatred and sin and death had won. The Prince of Peace had come and war and hell seemed to have defeated Him.

But on the third day Peace dawned again. From the grave walked the risen Jesus, bringing peace with Him. He breathed on His terrified disciples and said, “Peace be with you.” Their lives of war and separation from God were over and they lived in God’s peace.

And through those men Jesus delivered His peace, still delivers His peace through those who follow them. As the breath of Christ is breathed in the Word, fear-filled enemies of God are given peace and their battle boots of war against the King are burned forever. In the blood of Jesus, as the pastor declares, the peace of the Lord is with you always. Brothers and sisters, you can burn the camouflage gear stained with the blood of your sins, because Jesus Christ has fought and won the battle against your guilt. You are at peace with God.

Peace is here, real, lasting, eternal peace with God. And yet our soldiers are still in uniform, placing their bodies between us and the very real danger that still remains. And every day we walk though a world where we are attacked in our spirits by the devil’s lies and in our physical lives by crime and broken marriages and the separation that comes with them. We battle every day against crime and debt and need and sadness. We fight against our own bodies and minds, in addiction and sickness, even death.

Sometimes it’s enough to make us question Isaiah, to question God Who speaks through Him. “Where is this Prince of Peace? Lord, we want to burn our blood-stained uniforms. We want to put down our weapons and rest. How long, O Lord? How long?”

Brothers and sisters, don’t be fooled. The pains and troubles we face are not signs that Christ’s peace isn’t real. They’re just the final angry thrashings of the serpent Satan. The Prince has dealt the death blow to the devil; He has crushed his head. Yes, we still face the challenges and attacks of the world, but they cannot overcome our Lord.

The day of Peace is here and each moment brings us closer to perfect and complete peace. One day the Christian warrior will lay down this body, this clothing of warfare. It will be given proper, reverent care and laid to rest. And when Christ returns to put the final touch on His day of peace, these uniforms of war will be raised again, but not dirty and stained with blood any more. In fact, they won’t be uniforms of war at all. No they will be pure and holy – garments provided by God Himself for us, the guests at His eternal wedding banquet of peace.

Look into the eyes of the Bethlehem Baby and you will see all this and much more. Here on the hay, here in the breath of His messenger, here in His body and blood, the Prince of Peace has arrived.

Rejoice, for “unto you has been born in the City of David a Savior, who is Christ, the Lord.” And He is your Prince of Peace. Amen.