A Traditional Christmas Sermon - Luke 2:8-20

I have to tell you, that having grown up in the church, and having heard possibly 50-100 Christmas-time sermons, not because I’m that old, but because of advent series, I told myself that when I became a pastor, I would resist doing the traditional Christmas sermon, not because there is anything wrong with a traditional Christmas sermon, but because I just felt like it was all played out.

We’ve heard all the Christmas sermons. We’ve heard the story of the birth of Christ dozens of times.

We’ve heard the cutsie introductions, the moving stories.

As I’ve grown older, however, and look at these texts and the things they teach, I find myself drawn to these texts. Just because we’ve heard the stories a million times, does that mean they aren’t worth telling?

All of our kids have gone through favorite movie phases. They can ask to watch the same movie over and over again. Right now for Elly its some Paw Patrol movie.

I’m sure all of us know someone who is a suburb story teller and we ask them to tell that one story to a new audience, and we never tire of hearing the story ourselves, right?

The story of the Birth of Jesus is a story worth telling over and over again. It carries with not only massive theological significance, but it is also true! It’s not just a story, its true history! This happened! And because it happened, we can have life.

So today I am going to preach what might be considered a traditional Christmas sermon.

What I want to do today is read through Luke 2, where we find the familiar story, but then spend our time considering the responses of the Shepherds and Mary as things unfold.

Luke 2:1–20 LSB

Now it happened that in those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus for a census to be taken of all the inhabited earth. This was the first census taken while Quirinius was governor of Syria. And everyone was going to be registered for the census, each to his own city. And Joseph also went up from Galilee, from the city of Nazareth, to Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and family of David, in order to register along with Mary, who was betrothed to him, and was with child. Now it happened that while they were there, the days were fulfilled for her to give birth. And she gave birth to her firstborn son; and she wrapped Him in cloths, and laid Him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the guest room. In the same region there were some shepherds staying out in the fields and keeping watch over their flock by night. And an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them; and they were terribly frightened. 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. For today in the city of David there has been born for you a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. “And this will be the sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.” And suddenly there appeared 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 with whom He is pleased.” And it happened that when the angels had gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds began saying to one another, “Let us go to Bethlehem then, and see this thing that has happened which the Lord has made known to us.” So they went in a hurry and found their way to Mary and Joseph, and the baby lying in the manger. And when they had seen this, they made known the statement which had been told them about this Child. And all who heard it marveled at the things which were told them by the shepherds. But Mary was treasuring all these things, pondering them in her heart. And the shepherds went back, glorifying and praising God for all that they had heard and seen, just as was told them.

There is much that could be considered here about the birth narrative. We could talk about the providential census that took Joseph and Mary to Bethlehem. We could talk about the lack of hospitality. We could talk about the humble entrance into the world by the savior of the world.

We could talk about the angels and their message of joy because unto you is born a Savior who is Christ the Lord!

A Savior, someone to save! The Christ, the long awaited Messiah! The Lord. God in human flesh. The before whom we must bow.

For our purposes today I’m going to have to set much of that aside in order to focus on the response to the great news.

The angels declare good news! And it is good news! The savior is born! Great joy for all people!

Do we sometimes forget that Jesus brings joy, by the way? When you realize your sin and you feel that guilt…and then to know that it can all be taken away in the cross…amazing.

And then a multitude of angels. I cannot even begin to imagine what that must have looked like.

It’s a classic trope in the movie. Some farmer, or sailor, or other idividual who spends much of his time along for work come running into the local diner to tell people about some outrageous thing he saw. I can only imagine what it must have sounded like to hear about this scene from the shepherds.

Glory to God in the Highest, and on earth peace among men who whom he is pleased.

I realize this translation sounds a bit different from the old KJV many of us grew up hearing.

Response to the King

— Let’s go see — The News of Christ Demands Personal investigation

— Let’s go tell — The News of Christ Demands Personal Proclamation

— Let’s ponder— The News of Christ Demands Personal Reflection

— Let’s sing — The News of Christ Jesus Demands Personal Worship