Christmas Sermon

Title: Hope for Today: A Reformed Christmas Perspective

Text References: Isaiah 9:6, Matthew 1:23, John 1:14

Introduction This morning I want to take a break from our study of John so we can focus our attention on the Birth of Christ.

Usually around Christmas most of us get overwhelmed with all kinds of distractions— toys, gifts, family, and most of all stress!

Instead focusing on the true meaning of Christmas we get consumed by all the flashy stuff.

As believers, we must see Christmas not as just another tradition, or not as just a time to spend lots of money and buy gifts.

When we celebrate Christmas we should see it as the manifestation of God’s sovereign plan of salvation.

We should see it as the advent of hope,

and we should see it as the fulfillment of promises foretold from the foundation of the world.

The birth of Christ is not sentimental fluff—

That’s not what it is… Let me tell you what Christmas is…

IT’S WAR!

It’s the invasion of a broken, sin-stained world by its rightful King.

The Bible says The Word became flesh, and dwelt among us.

and nothing has been the same since.

I like the way one commentator puts..

He writes, Christmas is the embodiment of grace, the heartbeat of redemption, and the declaration that God is with us.

So with that I want us to consider three realities of Christ’s coming this morning:

1. The Promised Prince of Peace (Isaiah 9:6)

2. Presence of Immanuel (Matthew 1:23)

3. The Word With Us (John 1:14)

1. Promised Prince of Peace – Isaiah 9:6

“For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.”

From the earliest chapters of Genesis, God declared war against sin

When sin entered the world God promised that the seed of the woman would crush the serpent’s head (Genesis 3:15).

Isaiah’s prophecy here stands as a beacon of hope in the midst of darkness—

a promise that a Child, a Son, would be born who would reign with absolute sovereignty and who would bring eternal peace.

I want you to notice the titles given to Him:

Wonderful Counselor

Mighty God

Prince of Peace

1. Jesus is called Wonderful Counselor: Because His wisdom transcends human understanding. He is the perfect guide in the chaos of life.

2. He’s called Mighty God: Because He’s not merely a man—He is fully divine, God in flesh,

and The Bible says that He holds the universe together by His Word (Colossians 1:17).

3. And He is the Prince of Peace: Not peace as the world gives,

but He brings peace by reconciling us to a holy God (Romans 5:1).

Let me tell you something, the birth of Christ reminds us that God keeps His promises.

In a world torn apart by sin, wars, and anxiety,

the Prince of Peace reigns.

How did he bring peace?

He brought peace through His blood,

He brought peace by reconciling sinful man to a Holy God (Ephesians 2:14-16).

This is why Christmas is not just a sentimental story about a baby

—it is the beginning of our rescue mission.

Christmas is a declaration that God is faithful, sovereign, and victorious.

Application: Are you weighed down by life’s chaos and uncertainty?

If you are I would urge you to Rest in the sovereignty of Christ.

The Prince of Peace reigns—

and He has defeated sin and death, and His kingdom cannot be shaken (Hebrews 12:28).

2. The presence of Immanuel – Matthew 1:23

“Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call his name Immanuel” (which means, God with us).

Matthew quotes the prophecy of Isaiah 7:14 to emphasize a staggering truth: God is with us.

He’s not with us symbolically, or metaphorically—

He’s with us literally.

He’s literally with us...

In the incarnation, the eternal God- The Word, was made flesh-

He took on human flesh and entered into this broken and dark world.

I want you to really grab a hold of what this means:

Just think about it for a second…

The Creator stepped into His own creation.

The Infinite became finite.

The One who dwells in unapproachable light humbled Himself and instead of being born in luxury

He was born in a dirty stable.

This is Emmanuel, God with us.

The same God that created the Heavens and the Earth was willing to come and dwell with sinners.

Jesus could have stayed in Heaven, He could have let us all die lost, but that’s not what He did…

Instead He came to walk among us, to suffer for us, to redeem us.

And let me tell you something,

He is still walking with us today.

So, In our darkest moments, when life seems overwhelming,

I think Christmas should reminds us that God is not absent.

Jesus came to dwell with us.

He is emmanual, God with us.

“I will never leave you nor forsake you” (Hebrews 13:5).“I am with you always, to the end of the age” (Matthew 28:20).

Application:

So if you feel abandoned, or lonely, just remember, Immanuel is the answer.

The Lord who saved you is also with you—

He’s with you right now, and He will always be with you.

3. Word Within Us – John 1:14

“And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.”

Now Here, John connects the coming of Christ to the very heart of the Gospel.

He tells us here The Word—became flesh.

Now The theological term for this is incarnation, and the incarnation is the very heart of Christmas.

Now the word Incarnation literally means “IN FLESH”

So the teaching of the incarnation is that God took on human flesh and became the God-Man!

Fully God and Fully Man

He became fully man while remaining fully God.

He is the God-Man,

He is the only Mediator between God and man (1 Timothy 2:5).

But the Bible says he came and “dwelt among us”

Another way of saying that, is to say that He came and tabernacled among us.

Now if you remember it was the Old Testament tabernacle, where God’s presence was visibly manifest among His people.

So when Christ came, He came as the true tabernacle

He came as the ultimate dwelling place of God among men.

Application: So you need to understand that Christmas is not just a historical event

—it is a transformative reality.

Because The Word not only dwells among us,

but The Word also Dwells within us

How?

Through His Spirit

(Galatians 2:20).

New American Standard Bible: 1995 Update Chapter 2

20 “I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me

So really, the Word not only came to dwell among us, but the Word also came to Dwell Within us!

Conclusion: A Call to Hope and Reflection

So just to close-

Christmas is not about toys or gifts- or Christmas lights or decorations.

Christmas is about eternal hope—

It’s about a hope that comes from the Promised Prince of Peace, the abiding Presence of Immanuel, and the life-transforming power of the Incarnate Word.

So this Christmas, My prayer is that we would strip away all the distractions and fix our eyes on the Jesus Christ.