O Holy Night

O Holy Night

Christmas Eve Sermon

Write Up: One holy night, outside the rural town of Bethlehem, the heavens touched earth. Angels appeared to lowly shepherds and gave them the good news that the world had been waiting for. They delivered a holy message of the Savior’s arrival. The Shepherds went on a holy search to discover all they had been promised. They found the holy child lying in a manger. That night changed the world, and nothing would ever be the same.

Prayer: “Lord, give us fresh encouragement from the timeless story of Jesus’ birth and bring us into the New Year with hope and anticipation of all you have for us.”

Scripture: Luke 2:8-20

Luke 2:8–20 NLT

That night there were shepherds staying in the fields nearby, guarding their flocks of sheep. Suddenly, an angel of the Lord appeared among them, and the radiance of the Lord’s glory surrounded them. They were terrified, but the angel reassured them. “Don’t be afraid!” he said. “I bring you good news that will bring great joy to all people. The Savior—yes, the Messiah, the Lord—has been born today in Bethlehem, the city of David! And you will recognize him by this sign: You will find a baby wrapped snugly in strips of cloth, lying in a manger.” Suddenly, the angel was joined by a vast host of others—the armies of heaven—praising God and saying, “Glory to God in highest heaven, and peace on earth to those with whom God is pleased.” When the angels had returned to heaven, the shepherds said to each other, “Let’s go to Bethlehem! Let’s see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.” They hurried to the village and found Mary and Joseph. And there was the baby, lying in the manger. After seeing him, the shepherds told everyone what had happened and what the angel had said to them about this child. All who heard the shepherds’ story were astonished, but Mary kept all these things in her heart and thought about them often. The shepherds went back to their flocks, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen. It was just as the angel had told them.

introduction

The night we have all been waiting for has finally arrived. It is Christmas Eve, and families far and wide have gathered together to celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ. It is during the Christmas season that we identify with centuries of Christ followers who anxiously awaited the advent, or coming, of the Messiah, Jesus. Advent is a unique time of year when the Church remembers the hope, peace, joy and love that the Christ child brought to all of creation on that first Christmas. That moment changed everything, and it truly was a holy night.

You see, the very first Christmas set in motion something beautiful that continues even to today: Christmas has always been a season where God transforms people’s circumstances and redeems what is broken all around them.

STORY: On Christmas Eve night 1914 something amazing happened. Something that still has the world scratching its head. It was at the beginning of WWI and there was a fierce battle going on in Belgium between the French and the English on one side and the Germans on the other. The battle had reached a stalemate, and each side had bunkered down and dug trenches. They were about 60-80 yards apart from one another and the space between was called No Man’s Land because no one could venture there and survive. It’s estimated that over 100,000 troops were involved in this battle and these trenches went on for miles. The conditions were horrible, and both sides had lost thousands of lives. There were bodies scattered all over No Man’s Land because if someone tried to retrieve them, they would be shot. As Christmas approached, the Germans started decorating some of the trees around their bunkers with candles. On Christmas Eve both sides were settled down on their respective sides and some of the British were playing their bagpipes and singing some of their favorite pub songs, which no doubt brought them some sense of comfort being so far away from home and in the middle of war on Christmas Eve. Meanwhile, on the other side, some of the Germans began to sing one of their country’s most beloved Christmas carols, Silent Night, and after singing it through several times, something incredible happened. The French and British joined in on the familiar tune. Unbelievably, that night led to a ceasefire that lasted until New Year’s Day. On Christmas Day, each side helped the other bury their dead and over that next week they celebrated Christmas together, they played soccer together; they gathered around the same campfires and told stories and laughed long into the night.

It was a holy night. Neither side could have seen a week of peace being born out of the singing of a Christmas carol, and yet, that is exactly what happened. A song about the birth of a baby in Bethlehem who would bring peace on earth, brought peace to a war-torn battlefield and, for a handful of hours, turned enemies into friends.

Everyone has their own favorite Christmas carol. You know, the song that when it is sung warms your heart and enlivens your soul. For many, that song is O Holy Night.

Listen to the lyrics of this famous carol:

O Holy Night! The stars are brightly shining.

It is the night of the dear Savior’s birth.

Long lay the world in sin and error pining

Till He appeared and the Spirit felt its worth.

A thrill of hope the weary world rejoices

For yonder breaks a new and glorious morn.

Fall on your knees! Oh, hear the angel voices!

O night divine, the night when Christ was born.

Maybe just in hearing those familiar lyrics you can feel the beauty of the night and the joy we share in remembering the birth of Jesus each and every year.

Main Teaching

You may now know this, but O Holy Night actually follows the birth narrative of Jesus that is found in Luke 2:8-20.

READ Luke 2:8-14 “That night there were shepherds staying in the fields nearby, guarding their flocks of sheep. Suddenly, an angel of the Lord appeared among them, and the radiance of the Lord’s glory surrounded them. They were terrified, but the angel reassured them. “Don’t be afraid!” he said. “I bring you good news that will bring great joy to all people. The Savior—yes, the Messiah, the Lord—has been born today in Bethlehem, the city of David! And you will recognize him by this sign: You will find a baby wrapped snugly in strips of cloth, lying in a manger.” Suddenly, the angel was joined by a vast host of others—the armies of heaven—praising God and saying, “Glory to God in highest heaven, and peace on earth to those with whom God is pleased.””

Luke 2:8–14 NLT

That night there were shepherds staying in the fields nearby, guarding their flocks of sheep. Suddenly, an angel of the Lord appeared among them, and the radiance of the Lord’s glory surrounded them. They were terrified, but the angel reassured them. “Don’t be afraid!” he said. “I bring you good news that will bring great joy to all people. The Savior—yes, the Messiah, the Lord—has been born today in Bethlehem, the city of David! And you will recognize him by this sign: You will find a baby wrapped snugly in strips of cloth, lying in a manger.” Suddenly, the angel was joined by a vast host of others—the armies of heaven—praising God and saying, “Glory to God in highest heaven, and peace on earth to those with whom God is pleased.”

In the fields outside of Bethlehem, there were shepherds who were keeping watch over their sheep during the night. They would have been on high alert to make sure that there were no wild predators who would attack their animals in the open grass. But something happened that they never could have predicted. Rather than a lion or a wolf, there were angelic beings who appeared in the night sky. They were shining with the bright light of the divine presence and glory of God. The Shepherds were terrified, as I’m sure you and I would be too. I am sure they would have been wondering if these mysterious beings were there to harm them. But rather than bringing harm, they brought joy.

POINT #1 – THE HOLY MESSAGE

The first words they speak to the fearful shepherds are, “Do not be afraid.” The angels did not come with bad news. They brought good news that the world had been waiting on for so long. It was a birth announcement that brought new hope.

STORY: My sister and her husband had always wanted children. They were so excited when my wife and I had our first child. They would come and hold him and play with him and talk about what it would be like to have a child of their own. Not long after our son was born, my sister became pregnant. The whole family was excited. Unfortunately, my sister lost that baby 11 weeks into her pregnancy. It was a big blow to them and our family. My sister would have two other miscarriages and, like many couples, they wondered if having children of their own would even be possible. A few years later, my wife and I had just gotten home from church when both of our phones buzzed at the same time. We had a text message. I pulled up the message and all it was was a picture of an ultrasound. It took me a second to realize that the message had come from my sister. Nine months later, my niece was born. Later, my sister would tell how being able to take that picture and send that message felt holy and sacred. After so much prayer had gone into their long wait for a baby, they were able to share good news.

(Consider sharing a story about a shared message that was special. Maybe another form of birth announcement would be appropriate to show the joy and excitement that comes from the news of a coming baby.)

The angels told the shepherds that in the city of David, a Savior had been born. You see, the Israelite people had been waiting for this moment for as long as any of them could remember. The arrival of the Messiah meant that they would be rescued. No longer would they have to live in bondage to sin. They would now experience peace, even in the midst of oppression and struggle. They would experience true joy as the brokenness of their lives would be redeemed. This newborn baby who they would find wrapped in swaddling cloth was the hope they had all been waiting for. The message that he had finally arrived was holy, set apart, and sacred.

This holy message was special for many reasons. First, it was holy because of who was receiving it. Of all the people who would have been in line to receive news of the birth of God’s son, the shepherds would have certainly been last in line. The fact that the angels came to them first seems to suggest that this good news is truly, as is said in verse 10, for all people.

From the least to the greatest, from the poor to the rich, from the nobodies to the somebodies, Jesus was born and is Savior to all. Second, it was holy because of who was giving it. These divine messengers had arrived on behalf of God himself. The good news is that God was not somewhere far off, distant. He had now come close in the form of a human to save the world.

The angels had given an indication as to where the baby would be. In the city of David, there would be a child wrapped in cloth and lying in a manger. If God had come to earth and was bringing hope, peace, joy and love, then the shepherds knew they had to find him.

POINT #2 – THE HOLY SEARCH

It seems that every single person is searching for something in life. Some are searching for meaning and significance. Others are searching for happiness and fulfillment. The problem is that many of us are searching for these things in all the wrong places. In many ways, it is a hopeless search. But here we read about a search that is different. It is a holy search for the arrival of Jesus, and in Him is found all of our meaning, significance, happiness, fulfillment and so much more.

READ Luke 2:15

Luke 2:15 NLT

When the angels had returned to heaven, the shepherds said to each other, “Let’s go to Bethlehem! Let’s see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.”

The shepherds wasted no time in going on the search to find Jesus. The Lord had revealed to them that the child born would change the entire world. This was the kind of news that they had to discover for themselves. When we value something, we are willing to do whatever it takes to find it.

ILLUSTRATION: (In the room, before the service, hide a few simple treats or gifts under some random seats in the auditorium.) So we thought it would be appropriate because it is Christmas to put some hidden gifts throughout the room. Under random seats in the room, you will find a little treat from us here at the church. Ready, set, search!

The quick response from everyone in the room proves my point. When we really think something is important, valuable or prized, we are quick to go on the search. During this time of year, we are reminded that there is nothing more valuable than the birth of Jesus Christ into the world. His birth gives us hope that our lives can change. His birth gives us joy because He offers us salvation. His birth gives us peace by making us right with God. His birth offers us love through Jesus’ sacrificial death on the cross. The birth of Jesus changed everything, and it has the power to change everything for all of us tonight.

Christmas is an invitation to each and every one of us to value Jesus Christ more than gifts under the tree, more than our own ambitions, more than our bank accounts, more than our selfish desires…more than any other thing we could search for. We search for Jesus by opening our lives for Him to take up residence. Jesus is not hard to find, He came to us that first Christmas morning and He is still right here with us tonight. The difficulty we often struggle with is in allowing Jesus to truly lead our lives, to turn ourselves over to Him completely. This year, may we join the shepherds in their holy search to see what this holy message was all about.

The Bible makes a promise to us that when we truly search for Jesus, we will find him.

READ Jeremiah 29:13

Jeremiah 29:13 NLT

If you look for me wholeheartedly, you will find me.

God is not playing hide and seek with us. In fact, through Jesus, God came to us. He longs to be with us and to guide and direct us by His Holy Spirit. God came to heal the brokenness in our lives, to give us purpose, to transform us and give us hope. The shepherds’ search ended in a dirty stable with a young couple and a newborn baby. The God of the universe humbly came to a world that was in need.

READ Luke 2:16-20

Luke 2:16–20 NLT

They hurried to the village and found Mary and Joseph. And there was the baby, lying in the manger. After seeing him, the shepherds told everyone what had happened and what the angel had said to them about this child. All who heard the shepherds’ story were astonished, but Mary kept all these things in her heart and thought about them often. The shepherds went back to their flocks, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen. It was just as the angel had told them.

The shepherds confirmed all that had been told to them by the angels in the most unexpected of places. You would not expect the divine to come to earth in this manner. If God was to come to the world He created, you would think He would come in great fanfare, perhaps as a powerful leader calling on the wealthy, the famous, the palaces or the kings. However, heaven touched earth in humility and obscurity. But in the middle of the mundane was something holy.

POINT #3 – THE HOLY CHILD

The word Holy means sacred and set apart. Jesus was not some ordinary child. He was sent to earth with a divine mission. Though that mission began in the cradle, it would culminate at a cross. Jesus’ sacred assignment was to come and live a perfect life, pointing people to His Father, ultimately being executed in horrific fashion by crucifixion as a pure sacrifice for the sins of the world. Our forgiveness, redemption and new life are all made possible by this holy child.

The shepherds could not help but tell everyone they came in contact with that they had met the Messiah. They spread the word that God had come and made His dwelling among His people to rescue them from their sins. That is good news, and everyone was amazed.

Conclusion

This Christmas, will you share more than just gifts and perhaps a meal with family? As you receive the good news of Jesus, will you share this good news with others? Will you share the power of God’s arrival among us? Will you share the joy you have in him?

The 16th century theologian Martin Luther once wrote this poem about Jesus’ birth and captured that holy night in Bethlehem.

Ah, dearest Jesus, holy Child,

Make thee a bed, soft, undefiled,

Within my heart, that it may be

A quiet chamber kept for Thee.

My heart for very joy doth leap,

My lips no more can silence keep,

I too must sing, with joyful tongue,

That sweetest ancient cradle song,

Glory to God in highest heaven,

Who unto man His Son hath given

While angels sing with pious mirth.

A glad new year to all the earth.

So, all eyes on Jesus tonight. He is the reason we celebrate. He is the reason we have gathered here. He is the true meaning of Christmas. He is our hope of new life.

Will you, like those on that very first Christmas, open your hearts to the beauty and power of Jesus, allowing Him to heal your hurts, transform you, and lead you into new life?

Let’s pray together.