Christmas Eve Service

Now in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph... And he came in to her and said, "Hail, you are highly favored, the Lord is with you." ... "Fear not, Mary, for you have found favor with God. And behold, you shall conceive in your womb and bring forth a son, and shall call his name Jesus." ... Mary said to the angel, "How shall this be, seeing I know no man?" ... "For nothing shall be impossible with God." (Luke 1:26–37)

The story that draws us together every Christmas: the King of Kings has come, and with Him, life has come.

Gathering to Remember the Story

It is a blessing to gather together at a different time than we normally come together, to sing praise and to rejoice in the good things that God has done as we celebrate this season. The decorations are up here at our church and surely at your homes, and in just a couple of days we will be celebrating and rejoicing in what this holiday represents: the birth of our King, the one who announces joy as He comes into the world.

When my family arrived this evening, my youngest son Elliot, who is three and a half, walked up to me and asked, "What is that?" I told him it was a tie. He asked, "Why do you have it on?" I thought that was a good question. I will say this was the first time I didn't have to watch a YouTube video to tie it, so I felt very accomplished.

Tonight, as we gather on Christmas Eve eve, I want us to consider and remember the story that draws us together this time of year. So let us read from the Gospel of Luke, where Luke gives us the story of what this event is really all about.

"Nothing Shall Be Impossible With God"

I love that great statement. As Mary asks, "How can this thing be?" the angel answers, "Nothing shall be impossible with God." From there the story moves forward:

Now it came to pass in those days, there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus that all the inhabited world should be enrolled... And Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judea, to the City of David, which is called Bethlehem... to enroll himself with Mary, who was betrothed to him, being great with child. And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn. (Luke 2:1–7)

And the angel said to them, "Be not afraid; for behold, I proclaim good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For there is born to you this day, in the City of David, a Savior, who is Christ the Lord." ... And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host, praising God, and saying, "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among men, goodwill." (Luke 2:10–14)

The Light Promised by the Prophets

All of this fulfilled the word spoken to the people of Israel for many hundreds of years through the prophets. Whether it was Isaiah, Jeremiah, Zechariah, or Malachi, every one of them announced that there would come one who would shine in darkness and bring peace and goodwill to men—joy to the world.

When you consider what we find in the world, both through practical observation and through what is revealed in the Scriptures, the world is full of darkness and brokenness. So the Lord would send forth His light. Isaiah announced it this way:

The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who dwelt in the land of the shadow of death, upon them a light has shined. You have multiplied the nation and increased its joy; they rejoice before you according to the joy of the harvest... For unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given; and the government will be upon his shoulder. And his name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. (Isaiah 9:2–6)

The Arc of the Bible's Story

When we look at the Scriptures, both Old and New Testament, we see the announcement of this one who had come, all the way from the very beginning. After the fall of humanity described in Genesis chapter 3, God promised that there would come a Redeemer. The whole arc of the Bible follows that pattern: creation, fall, redemption, and ultimately a great time of restoration.

We are still awaiting the day of restoration that will come when Jesus returns. But His first coming brings redemption to those who are in darkness, those who were lost. All the prophets looked forward to that coming day, and so when Jesus came into the world, He came to address our greatest need.

Our Greatest Need, Deepest Desire, Strongest Fear

Because of the fall, because of sin, all of us were subject to bondage and ultimately death—separation from God. Jesus came into the world to address that greatest need.

But not only did He come to address our greatest need; He came to address our deepest desire. There is a desire deep within every one of us to live on and on. Self-preservation is the first law of nature, and it is part of who we are. We do not want to see an end. Jesus came to deal with that deepest desire.

And He came to deal with our strongest fear. Those who have studied the fears of humanity have found that the deepest, strongest fear man lives under is the fear of death. Jesus is the one who brings life. He said in John chapter 10, "I am come that you may have life, and that you may have it more abundantly."

What Christmas Is Truly About

This is what we are remembering. This is what we are celebrating. Some will say, "Jesus wasn't born on December 25th," and they may be right—He may not have been born at this time of year. But both the Scriptures and history account for the fact that He was born, that He came into the world. The day does not matter. We have simply chosen this day to celebrate and rejoice in His coming.

At His coming, angels sang. At His coming, people drew near to worship Him, both those that were near and those that were far, coming to bow before the King of Kings, the Lord of lords, the one who came to bring light and life. As we celebrate tonight, and again on Christmas Day, we are rejoicing that the King of Kings has come, and with Him life has come—to deal with our greatest fears, our deepest desires, and our greatest need. Amid all the things our culture mixes into Christmas, we need to remember that core to the whole thing is this: Christ has come to deal with our sin. Amen.

Closing Prayer

Father, we thank You where Your joy is among Your people tonight, and for the glory of Your coming. Jesus, You came for a purpose. You came not to be served but to serve, and to give Your life a ransom for many. You came to this world to forgive, to save sinners. As we look at ourselves in light of who You are, we find that we are in desperate need of Your salvation.

Lord, we know that as we celebrate this holiday season together with friends and family members, there are many people in our lives who still have yet to come to know the truth of this great gift You have given us. So I pray, God, that You would give us opportunities to share the glory of Your grace and the reason for Your coming as we celebrate this Christmas.

God, would You pour out Your Spirit upon Your church and increase our joy, as we read in Isaiah chapter 9—that it would be like the joy of the harvest, like the joy of experiencing victory in battle, and even greater than that, because it is a joy not of this earth but a joy that comes directly from heaven. So fill Your church, Your people, with Your joy this season. We ask this in Jesus' name, and everyone who agreed said, Amen.