"Falling Down"
#75-17Presented on The Lutheran Hour on January 6, 2008
By Rev. Dr. Ken Klaus, Speaker of The Lutheran Hour
(Q&A Topic:What's the difference between a cross and a crucifix?)
Copyright 2025 Lutheran Hour Ministries
Q&A MP3
Text: Matthew 2:11b
Christ is risen! He is risen, indeed! By God's grace we have been led to this day on which the Holy Spirit calls us to come and see our Savior. May we, like the Wise Men of the East, fall down and worship our great and gracious Lord. Amen.
A number of years ago, on America's Thanksgiving Day, Pam and I were in Hong Kong. I was there on official business, visiting with Asian missionaries, educators, and volunteers; and on Sunday, speaking with the people of the city's Lutheran Churches. Even so, we did manage to do the tourist thing. In our wanderings we found ourselves in one of Hong Kong's brand-new multi-level shopping malls. Perusing the long list of stores we came across a McDonalds and a Starbucks, and a whole host of other names North American listeners might recognize. In fact we felt so much at home we actually thought we might stumble into a restaurant which could serve us a "traditional Thanksgiving turkey dinner with all the trimmings." That never happened. The closest we could get to turkey was a duck dinner which had the cooked duck looking back at us.
Sorry, I'm wandering. While we meandered that mall we came across a swarm of activity. When I mean a swarm, I'm not exaggerating. There were TV-station reporters with their sound and camera crews. There must have been 50, 75 photographers, all jostling each other to get the best angle for their pictures. Pam and I thought we had stumbled across Jackie Chan attending the premier of one of his new movies. As we wondered, one lady who had been listening to our conversation, gently shared, "No, they are welcoming a bigger star than Jackie Chan." "Who is bigger in Hong Kong than Jackie Chan?" we asked. She told us, "Santa Claus." And sure enough she was right. Santa showed up with elves, with reindeer, with beautiful models in swim suits Now, I confess, my memory isn't what it used to be, but I don't recall Santa ever having had beautiful models in swim-suits at the North Pole. Well, over in Hong Kong, he's got about a dozen of them. Later, I talked to some of my missionary friends. They told me, "Yes, Santa is very popular over here. He is very, very big." And when I asked, "How about Jesus? What about Jesus? How do people over here celebrate the Savior's birth?" They told me, "Most of the people don't know who Jesus is. They haven't connected Christmas with the Christ; and Santa, not the Savior, is the center of the season."
You know, if there was ever a time when I wanted to preach a "Let's keep Christ In Christmas" sermon, that was the day. Many of you have heard those kinds of sermons at your parish. "Let's Keep Christ In Christmas," is what a pastor says when he is preaching against extravagant Christmas presents and reminding people of Jesus, God's great Gift of grace. "Keep Christ in Christmas" is what pastors say when they see courts and legal groups trying to legislate the Savior out of the celebration which carries His name. A "Keep Christ In Christmas" sermon may be preached condemning the excesses of parties which have little, if any, connection to the Christ and His story of salvation. A "Keep Christ in Christmas" sermon may even be preached when a minister wants to remind people that the Christ Child, not their child, is the real reason for the season. Such a sermon can take many forms, but it always reminds people to worship the Savior.
Sadly, we preachers often forget we have a perfectly good Christmas day which the world has pretty much left alone. The name of our Christmas day is Epiphany. That's right, Epiphany. For those of you who don't know the term, let me explain. Epiphany is the day when the church celebrates the coming of the Wise Men, the Magi, who traveled from the East to worship the newborn King of the Jews. Epiphany is also known as the "Gentile Christmas." It's called that because, up to the time when these fine fellows arrived in Jerusalem, the Christmas narrative is pretty much populated by Jewish folk. The priest Zacharias and his wife Elizabeth (the parents who gave birth to the forerunner of the Messiah) were both Jewish. Mary, the mother of Jesus was Jewish. Joseph, the Lord's foster father was Jewish; the shepherds who responded to the angels announcement of good news of great joy were Jewish. Everybody was Jewish. In fact, looking at the cast of characters in the Gospels, a person might easily conclude that Jesus' coming might be meaningful only for that nation and people.
But the appearance of the Wise Men changes all that. With their arrival, God is going on record and telling us His Son, our Savior, has come to give Himself as the Sacrifice for all people. God is letting us know that the Christ has come to win freedom, forgiveness, and salvation for all peoples and in all places. Epiphany is the world's Christmas day. Epiphany is the Christmas festival which has always been, and, I believe will always remain, the unique property of believing hearts.
If you doubt me, I would encourage you to look around. Look in your newspapers; do you see any little box on the front page reminding you there are only so many shopping days left until Epiphany? Look in your mailbox. Is it stuffed with countless catalogues from merchants advertising the tremendous bargains which can be had at their Epiphany sales? Have you received a carload of Epiphany cards from people you don't remember ever meeting? Look at the Church schedules in your community. Do you see any announcements for the children's Epiphany services? At work have you had any Epiphany parties? Are the school children getting an Epiphany vacation? Look through the television schedule listings. You'll have to search pretty hard to find a broadcast of a Charlie Brown Epiphany; there is no Grinch who stole Epiphany; there are no Epiphany specials; nor did Charles Dickens ever invent characters like Scrooge, Bob Cratchit, and Tiny Tim to populate a short story called: "An Epiphany Carol."
No, Epiphany is that special festival day for which pastors long; it is that unique and holy day wherein Christ is kept in Christmas. The only problem is most people don't seem to know, or care. Our decorations have been taken down and our Christmas trees are already out at the curb waiting to be picked up and recycled. The Wise Men who, at least according to our stable scenes which we put out on display, have already been placed back in their boxes and stored away in our attics or basements for the rest of the year.
And although our actions are understandable, they are also sad. That we shut away the Wise Men is understandable because we know so little about them. Tradition says they were named Gaspar, Melchior, and Balthassar, but we don't know. Tradition says, because of their three gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh, there were three of them, but we don't know. Tradition says they were aged 20, 40 and 60, but we don't know that either. Tradition says they came from different races and different countries but we don't know. We don't know a whole lot about these fellows and so it's understandable when we shut them away with the Christmas stable and shepherds.
Even so, it's sad. It's sad because these Wise Men from the East still have a message to share with anyone who will listen. Now there are some preachers who have smilingly said the lesson of the Wise Men is that they weren't wise women. These pastors explain, if they had been wise women they would have started out asking for directions; they would have shown up on time, and assisted with Jesus' delivery; they would have swept and sanitized the stable; and they would have given gifts a family with a newborn baby could really use. These commentators may have a point, but I don't think theirs is hardly the best interpretation of this part of the nativity narrative.
For those of you who don't know what happened at Epiphany, let me explain. Around the time Jesus was born, God placed a special and miraculous star in the heavens. This star was noticed by some Magi, astrologers who believed heavenly happenings reflected earthly events. Intrigued, some of these Wise Men set out to follow the star and see where it would go. Traveling by night they eventually ended up at the palace of Herod, the ruthless King of the Jews. Wishing to pay their respects to the newborn Prince, the Magi requested, and received, an audience with the reigning King. Their question was a simple one; they said something like, "We've been following the star of the person who has been born to be King of the Jews. We'd like to meet Him, if that's not too much trouble." Now, Herod, knowing the Wise Men weren't talking about him, consulted with his scholars, sages, and Scriptural interpreters. They eventually agreed the ancient prophets had said the newborn king would be born in Bethlehem. Herod, making a promise to follow later, gave the Wise Men directions to that little village. Herod's directions were confirmed by the star which brought the Wise Men to the place where the Christ Child was living with His parents. There, at the end of their journey, the Wise Men fell down, worshiped Jesus, and gave Him their threefold gifts. They accorded honors to the Savior which they never offered to anyone else, not even the most powerful and threatening of kings.
Now, I said the Wise Men teach a lesson, and so they do. One of those lessons is this: they followed where God took them. When that star first appeared, they might have noted its presence in their journals and, having done so, decided to stay at home. "After all," they might have thought, "why should we put ourselves out; why should we set out on a dangerous journey which might lead to who knows where?" But these Wise Men saw God's special star and they followed its leading to their Savior. On this Epiphany day, the question is, "Will you do the same?" "Will you, like the Wise Men, follow God's directions to Bethlehem?"
Don't assume this is an easy question. All too often we read the Biblical narrative and say, "If I had been there way back in those days, I would have acted more faithfully and believed more completely than did the folks whose stories have been recorded." Maybe, but I'm not so sure. When Jesus was born, Herod the Great didn't follow Jesus to Bethlehem. When Jesus was born, the scribes who knew the entire list of Old Testament prophecies didn't follow Jesus to Bethlehem. The people of Jerusalem who heard of the Wise Men's arrival, who were told of their wish to worship the newborn King, decided not to make the six mile trip. Only the Magi, the sages from the East went to the town which was the place of the manger, the place of humility, the place where God became flesh and began His years of dwelling among us so our sinful souls might be saved.
Only the Wise Men went to the house where Jesus was staying. Only they endured the difficulties, put up with the inconveniences to go and see this one-of-a-kind Son of God and man. Only they were wiling to be led by the God-sent star; only they were willing to bow down and worship Him; only they presented Him their gifts of gold, frankincense, myrrh, and themselves. Which is why, on this Epiphany day, I ask, "Will you follow Jesus? Will you follow Jesus to Galilee where He preached the Gospel? Will you walk with the rest of the Savior's disciples; will you walk along the dusty and rocky roads? Will you watch and see how the Son of God was touched by the cries of a widow who mourned the death of her son; or the lonesome and isolated lepers who have been cut off from the presence of their families? Will you go and see how Jesus, with a few loaves and fishes, fed the physical hunger of thousands and, at the same time, gave forgiveness and peace to satisfy the spiritual hunger of discouraged and damned souls? Will you be led to see the Savior who never turned away from any person who was turned to Him for help? Will you come and see the Christ who was never too busy or too tired to meet the needs of suffering souls around Him; to hear the cries of the needy; who did all that was necessary to alleviate the sadness and sorrow of the heartbroken?
On this Epiphany, I encourage you to be men and women of faith who will not say "no" to the directions given by the Holy Spirit. Do not turn from the Lord who calls you to follow Jesus to Gethsemane; the place where our Savior prayed and surrendered Himself to the Father's will, the place where He began to drink deeply from the cup of our sin and suffering? If you follow in faith, you will see your Savior driven to His knees by the weight of our sins; you will see Him sweat, as it were, great drops of blood at the burden of our guilt which was placed upon Him. If you follow, you will see Him in His anguish and agony; you will see Him obediently, reverently, lovingly pray, "Father remove this cup from Me; nevertheless, not My will, but Yours be done." If you are faithful in following, you will see Him rise up with His face resolutely set to suffer for our salvation; to be the heaven-sent Sacrifice for our redemption.
On this Epiphany, will you follow Jesus to His trials where the world tried to distort and deform His life and His love? Will you follow Him as He carries His cross to Calvary, the mountain of lonely sacrifice and death? Will you follow Him? The journey begins when, in faith, some shepherds left their flocks to see Jesus, God's good news of great joy; it continued when some wise men left that which was familiar and, in faith, were brought to that spot where they worshiped the newborn King. Those who follow the Savior on His journey of grace will see His tragic betrayal, His unfair trial, His condemnation by a hate-crazed crowd, and His place of execution on a cross lifted up along the road on a skull-shaped hill.
Today is Epiphany, the Christmas for all nations and of all humanity. Today there are no Santas or sleighs, no Rudolphs or reindeer, no toys, tinsel, or trees to cloud your vision or block your view of the Christ. There are no shopping days remaining, no sales, no store specials, to stop you from worshiping the Christ who remained committed to saving the souls of all humanity. There are no parties or presents to keep you from bowing down to worship Him who died to forgive your sins and save your soul from hell. Come and see the Babe of Bethlehem, most certainly. But do not stop there. Let the Holy Spirit lead you to see the Savior as He reaches out to the lost and lonely. Come see the Christ of the cross who forgave those who crucified Him. Stand in awe and admiration of Him who gave up His life so your life, so your eternity, might be filled with hope and happiness.
Today is Epiphany and the Christ remains in Christmas. But on this Epiphany day I remind you there is one place He did not, could not, remain. The Savior did not stay in His borrowed sepulcher. If you have followed the Wise Men to Bethlehem, it is right you should also follow the ladies of Easter Sunday to Jesus' tomb. There, resurrection has turned a place of human mourning into a monument of living grace. At the empty tomb, by the power which God alone can summon, Jesus destroyed the permanency of death, even as He has shattered the shackles of sin and the slavery of Satan. At the empty tomb you will see Christ, the risen and ever-living king. At the empty tomb you will see the Lord who once created life, now restoring eternal life to all who believe on Him as their heaven-sent substitute. At the empty tomb you will be led, like the Wise Men, to fall down and worship Him who has saved you. At the empty tomb give the Savior your gifts: a thankful heart for sins forgiven; a joyful soul for life eternal; a hymn of praise for fears the Christ has erased.
Today is Epiphany. What will you do? Once, Napoleon, the great French emperor, stood before a map of Europe on which the British Isles were colored in a bright red. The Emperor, speaking to no one in particular, mused, "If it were not for those little spots of red, I should have conquered the whole world." I believe it must not be much different for the devil. Standing before a map of this world, the devil's eyes must be drawn to a few spots colored in red: Bethlehem where the Savior was born; the mountain where Jesus resisted temptation; Calvary where Jesus gave up His life; Easter's empty tomb from which the living Lord arose. Looking at that map, Satan must think, "If it were not for these little spots of red, I should have conquered all mankind."
Today is Epiphany. If my words come to you early enough on this Christmas Epiphany day, be led by the Spirit to church so you might worship the Christ who has saved you; if this message reaches you after the hour of worship has past, do not refuse the Spirit who will continue to invite you to see the Savior in the Sundays, which, God-willing, He will grant you. And if this Sunday sermon finds you doubting, wondering, worrying, all I can say is this: go and see the King. With open arms, and nail-pierced hands, He awaits your coming, the day when you, like the Wise Men, will fall down and worship Him who has saved you. And, if you need directions on how to find Him, please, call us at The Lutheran Hour. Amen.
LUTHERAN HOUR MAILBOX (Questions & Answers) for January 6, 2008
TOPIC: A Cross or a Crucifix?
ANNOUNCER: What's the difference between a cross and a crucifix? Pastor Ken Klaus responds to a listener's question. I'm Mark Eischer.
KLAUS: Hello, Mark.
ANNOUNCER: Here's a question; this concerns you personally.
KLAUS: That sounds ominous.
ANNOUNCER: Not really. This person saw a photo of you and noticed that you were wearing a crucifix. Our listener said he was taught in Confirmation class that Lutherans don't wear crucifixes. They also don't put a crucifix on their altars because a crucifix, according to our listener, suggests that Jesus is still on the cross; or is still suffering for our sins.
KLAUS: Wow, I do like that. A person actually came to me and asked a question I can really answer. Well, first let me assure everybody that I am a Lutheran.
ANNOUNCER: I'm glad we established that.
KLAUS: Yes, me, too. The second thing we ought to do is explain the differences between a cross and a crucifix.
ANNOUNCER: A crucifix depicts the body of Jesus hanging on the cross.
KLAUS: Yes, when I was in Turkey the last time, somebody who was not a Christian came up and said, "Do you want a plain cross or do you want a cross with a little body hanging on it? " Well, I am a Lutheran and I do occasionally wear a crucifix which is the cross with the Savior still depicted upon it.
ANNOUNCER: Now, are you familiar with what our listener said he learned in Confirmation class?
KLAUS: Actually, yes. That's what my pastor taught me way back in ancient days when I was in Confirmation. He said we were letting everyone know that Jesus only had to die once. That is, of course, true. Scripture very clearly teaches about this one-time offering of Jesus in the book of Hebrews, chapter 9. It says, "Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of many people."
ANNOUNCER: And many, certainly not all, but many Lutheran Churches have just the simple cross hanging above their altars. But let me ask; Pastor, why do you sometimes wear a crucifix?
KLAUS: I can give any number of reasons for that, Mark. First, a cross is not necessarily a Christian statement anymore. By that I mean, there are a whole lot of people who have no faith at all, who are wearing crosses.
ANNOUNCER: That's right. It's often worn exclusively as jewelry by various celebrities.
KLAUS: Yes, so much so, that it has for some lost some of it's impact and witness power.
ANNOUNCER: So, is that why you wear a crucifix?
KLAUS: Partly. Sometimes I wear a crucifix when I travel by air.
ANNOUNCER: What's that, some kind of superstition or a good luck charm?
KLAUS: No. The crucifix I wear was made by a master wood carver in Germany. It used to be that when I flew, I would forget to take off my cross, and I would set off about six or seven metal detectors. With my wooden crucifix it goes right through security without any problem.
ANNOUNCER: Is that the only reason?
KLAUS: No, if that was the whole story, I probably wouldn't wear the crucifix. There is more. This crucifix is really a beautiful work of art. As such, every time I put it on, I found that people were commenting about it. That gave me a chance to share about the artist, where I got it, and especially the person who is depicted on that cross.
ANNOUNCER: In other words, it gives you the opportunity to share your faith in Christ.
KLAUS: It gives me the opportunity to tell about the Savior's passion, His suffering, and His sacrifice. It's an opportunity to give witness that I probably wouldn't be making if I was just wearing a piece of jewelry.
ANNOUNCER: So, should all Christians switch to wearing crucifixes?
KLAUS: Oh, no, no, no. We would never make up any kind of rule for other people like that. When the Bible speaks, we have to say so; but when the Bible is silent, we can't make up any extra rules.
ANNOUNCER: So, what are we saying here?
KLAUS: We're saying that the empty cross makes a wonderful witness. It says Jesus Christ is not dead, He is risen from the dead. He sacrificed Himself once for us. Now, all who believe on Him as Savior are forgiven of their sins and they are saved. But a crucifix can also make a wonderful witness. It says Jesus Christ suffered and died for me. He could have gotten off that cross, but He stayed and by His death we are redeemed.
ANNOUNCER: So both crucifix and cross teach a story.
KLAUS: Exactly. They are tools for proclaiming a particular part of what the Savior has done for us. Both parts of that story are necessary and need to be shared with everyone in the world.
ANNOUNCER: Thank you Pastor Klaus. This has been a presentation of Lutheran Hour Ministries.
Music selections for this program
“A Mighty Fortress” arranged by John Leavitt. Concordia Publishing House/SESAC
“O Morning Star, How Fair and Bright” From Bach for All Seasons by the Holy Trinity Bach Choir (© 1999 Augsburg Fortress)
“O Morning Star, How Fair and Bright” arranged by Don Busarow. From Hymns for All Saints: Advent, Christmas, Epiphany (© 2005 Concordia Publishing House)
“Herr Christ, der einge Gottes Sohn, BWV 601” by J.S. Bach. From Orgelbüchlein & More Works by J.S. Bach by Robert Clark & John David Peterson (© 1997 Calcante Recordings, Ltd.)
