Christmas Eve 2023

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December 24, 2023 Christmas Eve

Christmas Eve Service

Subject: Jesus’ Life

Subject 2: Christmas

Synopsis: Scriptures that foretell the coming of Jesus and their fulfillment.

Text: Various

Service

Welcome!

Proclaim: Welcome!

Thanks so much for joining with us tonight as we worship the One who, about 2000 years ago, came to save us.

The One who was and is Messiah, Healer, Comforter and King.

A. Opening Prayer

1. Include Prayer for needs.

Let’s rejoice in the Lord this afternoon.

Hymn of Joy F *404 (All 3 verses)

II. The Who

A. This afternoon I want us to remember the Who, Where, How, Why and When of the birth of Jesus.

B. Proclaim: Emmanuel

C. The WHO is the King of Glory coming down to be a Babe.

D. The WHERE is a manger, an animal feed trough in a stable in Bethlehem.

E. The HOW is the great unclothing of God.

1. He, whose train fills the glorious temple in heaven, laid aside His divine prerogatives and His royal robes and was born a naked baby covered in afterbirth.

2. Philippians 2:5–8 (NASB95) Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus, 6 who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, 7 but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men. 8 Being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.

F. The WHY is told to Joseph by the angel in:

1. Matthew 1:21 (NASB95) … you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins.”

G. And then there is the “WHEN” of His birth.

1. Galatians 4:4–5 (NASB95) But when the fullness of the time came, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the Law, 5 so that He might redeem those who were under the Law, that we might receive the adoption as sons.

2. It was a time of hardship and trouble, of sadness and loss.

3. It was a time of dictatorial oppression and crushing, heavy-handed edicts.

4. A time of injustice and lawlessness.

5. It was a time of spiritual darkness.

6. A time of cultural rot.

7. The “when” was a time very similar to ours:

8. It was a time like NOW — the day in which we live.

But, Christmas reminds us that at just the right time God sent EMMANUEL - God WITH us.

Matthew 1:22–23 (NASB95) Now all this took place to fulfill what was spoken by the Lord through the prophet: 23 “Behold, the virgin shall be with child and shall bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel,” which translated means, “God with us.”

Let us worship Emmanuel, God with us:

Emmanuel C 93a

Proclaim: Angels telling Shepherds

As we think about the birth of Jesus we cannot help but see the numerous angels connected with His birth.

From the angel who appeared to Zacharias, the father of John the Baptist who would prepare the way for the ministry of Jesus…

To the angel who appeared to Joseph, the man betrothed to Mary the Virgin mother of Jesus. We read about Joseph’s encounter in:

Matthew 1:18–21 (NASB95) Now the birth of Jesus Christ was as follows: when His mother Mary had been betrothed to Joseph, before they came together she was found to be with child by the Holy Spirit. 19 And Joseph her husband, being a righteous man and not wanting to disgrace her, planned to send her away secretly. 20 But when he had considered this, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife; for the Child who has been conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit. 21 “She will bear a Son; and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins.”

And, of course there is the angel Gabriel who spoke to Mary, the mother of Jesus:

Luke 1:26–35 (NASB95) Now in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city in Galilee called Nazareth, 27 to a virgin engaged to a man whose name was Joseph, of the descendants of David; and the virgin’s name was Mary. 28 And coming in, he said to her, “Greetings, favored one! The Lord is with you.” 29 But she was very perplexed at this statement, and kept pondering what kind of salutation this was. 30 The angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary; for you have found favor with God. 31 “And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall name Him Jesus. 32“He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David; 33 and He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and His kingdom will have no end.” 34 Mary said to the angel, “How can this be, since I am a virgin?” 35The angel answered and said to her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; and for that reason the holy Child shall be called the Son of God.

Finally, we see the angels who announced the birth of Jesus to the Shepherds:

Luke 2:8–14 (NASB95) In the same region there were some shepherds staying out in the fields and keeping watch over their flock by night. 9 And an angel of the Lord suddenly stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them; and they were terribly frightened. 10 But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid; for behold, I bring you good news of great joy which will be for all the people; 11 for today in the city of David there has been born for you a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. 12“This will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.” 13 And suddenly there appeared with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying, 14 “Glory to God in the highest, And on earth peace among men with whom He is pleased.”

Angels From the Realms of Glory G *414 (Verses 1,2 & 5)

Shepherds

Proclaim: Shepherds

As we just read in Luke 2:8-14, when the angels appeared, the shepherds were afraid and amazed all rolled up into one. But they responded to what the angels had told them:

Luke 2:15–16 (NASB95) When the angels had gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds began saying to one another, “Let us go straight to Bethlehem then, and see this thing that has happened which the Lord has made known to us.” 16 So they came in a hurry and found their way to Mary and Joseph, and the baby as He lay in the manger.

The shepherds went to Bethlehem.

Adore Him Teri Sills

Bethlehem

So angels and shepherds are a BIG part of the birth of the Christ-child.

And, so is the PLACE of Jesus’ birth. A seemingly obscure little town named Bethlehem,

Not Beth Aven - which means House of Wickedness or House of Idolatry

But Bethlehem - which means House of Bread

Micah 5:2 (NASB95) “But as for you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, Too little to be among the clans of Judah, From you One will go forth for Me to be ruler in Israel. His goings forth are from long ago, From the days of eternity.”

1. Significant because Bethlehem is the City of David

2. Bethlehem because, like I said, it literally means “house of Bread.”

3. Jesus is the Bread of Life.

4. John 6:32–35 (NASB95) Jesus … said to [the crowd], “… My Father … gives you the true bread out of heaven… 35…. “I am the bread of life; …”

O Little Town of Bethlehem F *410 (Verses 1,2 & 4)

Holy Night

Proclaim: Mary with Babe

But of course the focal point of the account of the birth of Jesus is not:

Santa, or gifts, or big meals, or family gatherings.

It isn’t the angels, the shepherds or even the town of Bethlehem.

The focus is Jesus:

The Birth

Luke 2:6-7 (NIV) While [Joseph and Mary] were [in Bethlehem], the time came for the baby to be born, 7and [Mary] gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.

Jesus the King

Jesus is more than a Babe in a manger. He is the King of kings and Lord of lords. As the angel Gabriel told Mary in Luke 1:33 “…He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and His kingdom will have no end.”

He Shall Reign Forevermore Em *418

Proclaim: The Lord’s Supper

The Lord’s Supper

As we think about the first-coming of Jesus we remember that He wasn’t just a Babe in a manger. He came to die for our sins and then to rise again.

Let us remember His sacrifice on the Cross. Let us remember that this little Babe would grow up and shed His blood to wash away our sins. Let us remember by partaking of the Lord’s Supper together.

Preparation:

Before we partake of The Lord’s Supper this afternoon, let us prepare our hearts.

1 Corinthians 11:27–30 (NLT) So anyone who eats this bread or drinks this cup of the Lord unworthily is guilty of sinning against the body and blood of the Lord. 28 That is why you should examine yourself before eating the bread and drinking the cup. 29 For if you eat the bread or drink the cup without honoring the body of Christ, you are eating and drinking God’s judgment upon yourself. 30 That is why many of you are weak and sick and some have even died.

Prayer

Distribute Elements:

Please join us in remembering Jesus’ death. You don’t have to be a member.

Come and take the elements for the Lord’s Supper and then stand across the front of the sanctuary. If you cannot stand for a few minutes, please sit on the front chairs.

If you would, remain up front for the candlelight part of the service.

This is Jesus C *406

Bread:

The Apostle Paul said in 1 Corinthians 11:23–24 (TPT) I have handed down to you what came to me by direct revelation from the Lord himself. The same night in which he was handed over, he took bread 24 and gave thanks. Then he distributed it to the disciples and said, “Take it and eat your fill. It is my body, which is given for you. Do this to remember me.”

Prayer over Bread: End prayer with prayer from Seder:

Blessed are you, O Lord our God, who brings forth bread from the earth.

Partake

Cup:

1 Corinthians 11:25 (TPT) He did the same with the cup … after supper and said, “This cup seals the new covenant with my blood. Drink it—and whenever you drink this, do it to remember me.”

Prayer over Cup: End prayer with prayer from Seder:

Blessed are you, O Lord our God, King of the Universe, who creates the fruit of the vine.

Partake

Conclusion

Proclaim: Candle

We who have been born again have had an uncommon experience that changes everything.

We have experienced the supernatural, extraordinary Light that God sent to illuminate the deepest darkness:

We have

come to that Light,

embraced that Light,

we are to walk in Light.

And we are to give witness to that Light.

Let’s sing Silent Night as we distribute and “light” our candles.

Silent Night (Heavenly Peace) *405 (Verses 1 - 3)

Jesus is the light of the world

John 8:12( NIV) When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”

He has called US to be lights to the world.

In the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew 5 Jesus said:

Matthew 5:13-16( NIV) “You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled by men. 14“You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. 15Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. 16In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.

Our world needs light:

Proclaim: The baby is a King

So let us do what God told Israel:

Isaiah 60:1–2 (NASB95) “Arise, shine; for your light has come, And the glory of the Lord has risen upon you. 2 “For behold, darkness will cover the earth And deep darkness the peoples; But the Lord will rise upon you And His glory will appear upon you.

The Lord’s Light has risen upon us, we have been called to take that light to all the world. To shine that light from the top of the highest mountain so all can see!

Folks we don’t just come into a building to remember the birth of Jesus, but like the shepherds we go out and tell everyone what we have seen, heard and experienced: the birth of Jesus — not just into the world in general or even just into a stable in Bethlehem — but into OUR hearts. Jesus has been born in our hearts. He is the LIGHT of our lives!

And, not only HAS He come, but, He is coming again.

So let’s:

Shine, Jesus, Shine! G 112

Closing Prayer