The Night Before Christmas
Christmas Eve 2025 • Sermon • Submitted • Presented
0 ratings
· 5 viewsNotes
Transcript
Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the east came to Jerusalem, saying, “Where is he who has been born king of the Jews? For we saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.” When Herod the king heard this, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him; and assembling all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Christ was to be born. They told him, “In Bethlehem of Judea, for so it is written by the prophet: “ ‘And you, O Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah; for from you shall come a ruler who will shepherd my people Israel.’ ” Then Herod summoned the wise men secretly and ascertained from them what time the star had appeared. And he sent them to Bethlehem, saying, “Go and search diligently for the child, and when you have found him, bring me word, that I too may come and worship him.” After listening to the king, they went on their way. And behold, the star that they had seen when it rose went before them until it came to rest over the place where the child was. When they saw the star, they rejoiced exceedingly with great joy. And going into the house, they saw the child with Mary his mother, and they fell down and worshiped him. Then, opening their treasures, they offered him gifts, gold and frankincense and myrrh.
What star is this, with beams so bright,
More lovely than the noonday light?
’Tis sent to announce a newborn king,
Glad tidings of our God to bring.
’Tis now fulfilled what God decreed,
“From Jacob shall a star proceed;”
And lo! the eastern sages stand
To read in heaven the Lord’s command.
O Jesus, while the star of grace
Impels us on to seek thy face,
Let not our slothful hearts refuse
The guidance of thy light to use.
To God the Father, heav’nly Light,
To Christ, revealed in earthly night,
To God the Holy Spirit raise
An endless song of thankful praise!
"What Star Is This, with Beams So Bright?” by Charles Coffin
Welcome - thank you for joining us this Christmas Eve
I want to begin with a question tonight:
When was Jesus born, the 24th or the 25th of December? Probably neither.
So let me ask it this was, was Jesus born on Christmas, or the night before Christmas?
Right, so even though we have wonderful traditions and even wonderful songs like my favorite “O Holy Night” and more well-known songs like “Silent Night” which we will sing together in a little bit - some tend to think of that “night” we sing about as Christmas Eve.
But it wasn’t.
The night of our dear Savior’s birth when we are called to fall on our knees and hear the angel voices was Christmas Day.
The holy infant so tender and mild didn’t sleep in heavenly peace until after He was born on Christmas Day.
So what was going on that first night before Christmas?
Pretty much the same things that went on 357 other nights that year.
There were places to go and things to do. Work to be done and issues to be worked out.
Nothing remarkable was going on.
Like, take Joseph and Mary, for instance. What were they doing the night before Christmas?
They were at the end of a long trip - at least a ten day trip and maybe longer - and they were looking forward to getting some rest.
Did you ever drive a long way for vacation? Isn’t it great when you finally get there? Because it’s tiring to travel. Imagine if the trip took ten days and you were on a camel.
And it was a trip Joseph and Mary were on because they had to go file government paperwork. How would you feel about taking a ten-day-long trip to file government paperwork?
I don’t like going 10 minutes to the DMV.
And Mary was 9-months pregnant!! Odds are, she had started having some contractions by the time they were getting into Bethlehem.
And they get there, and there’s no room at the inn. There’s no bed to sleep in.
Did you ever take a road trip and you’ve had enough for the day so you look for a place to stay? Did you ever have trouble finding a place? It’s frustrating.
Even worse, did you ever have a hotel lose your reservation? How many times can you hear someone say “that’s not what my system shows” before you start have some very unChristian thoughts?
But like with so many things in life, you make due. And that’s what Mary and Joseph did. They made due. They found a place to rest their weary heads, though it was less than ideal.
And then the contractions really started.
Actually, it sound like a horrible night for them.
No seven fishes, no Christmas pajamas, no cookies to leave out for Santa. Just a really long trip, some government mandated paperwork, no place to stay, and labor pains.
I hope you all have better plans than that tonight.
How about the wisemen? What were they doing the night before Christmas?
Now I know we picture them being there on Christmas Day. I mean, our Nativity sets include the wisemen, right?
But they weren’t there. And as you probably know, there were likely way more than just three of them. But I digress...that’s for another time.
But the question is: when did the the wisemen get there to see Jesus?
Well, it was at least 6 weeks later. But probably much longer than that.
Why?
First let’s look at this from the Jewish perspective.
There were rules in the Law for women when they gave birth. I know we all know them because we have Leviticus memorized, but just in case, I’ll remind you.
When a woman gave birth to a male child, she was unclean for seven days. Then, on the eighth day, the child was to be circumcised, and the woman would then be in a purifying state for 33 more days, at the end of which she would bring the requisite sacrifice to the Temple to complete her time of purification.
Joseph would not have let anyone near his wife during her purifying. He was a devout man. So it was at least 40 days after Christmas before the wisemen could visit.
Plus, Jesus was born in a barn or maybe a cave. But when the wisemen get there we read this:
And going into the house, they saw the child with Mary his mother, and they fell down and worshiped him. Then, opening their treasures, they offered him gifts, gold and frankincense and myrrh.
And after they don’t return to Herod, what does he do?
Then Herod, when he saw that he had been tricked by the wise men, became furious, and he sent and killed all the male children in Bethlehem and in all that region who were two years old or under, according to the time that he had ascertained from the wise men.
Two-years old or under, according to the time that he had ascertained from the wise men.
Meaning what?
They told Herod when they believed the child was born. And Herod went to two years old to cover himself.
And what did the Wisemen tell Herod?
As we saw in our passage:
“Where is he who has been born king of the Jews? For we saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.”
Now many believe that the wisemen refer to “His star” because they knew the “star Prophecy” of Balaam:
I see him, but not now; I behold him, but not near: a star shall come out of Jacob, and a scepter shall rise out of Israel; it shall crush the forehead of Moab and break down all the sons of Sheth.
And many people believe the star rose upon Christ’s birth.
So let’s take this from the wisemen’s perspective.
If the common understanding is true, the wisemen wouldn’t have even seen the star until Christmas day, and then had to travel from Persia to Israel, and then all this rigmarole with Herod would have had to happen.
Persia to Israel is about 1,400 miles. That could be as quick as 56 days if they really hustled, but it could take as long as 94 days.
And I know, we picture the wisemen just kinda stopping in on Herod and then walking down the street to where Jesus was.
But they say everything they say to Herod, and then there’s enough time for the word to spread through the city. And there’s enough time for Herod to gather some of the religious leaders.
And then:
Then Herod summoned the wise men secretly and ascertained from them what time the star had appeared. And he sent them to Bethlehem, saying, “Go and search diligently for the child, and when you have found him, bring me word, that I too may come and worship him.”
So Herod forms his plan and then calls the wisemen back. And he tells the wisemen where the prophecy says the King will be born - that’s from Micah 5 that we looked at on Sunday - and he tells them that he’ll come worship the King, too.
And the wisemen go to the house where Jesus was.
And, again, based on the information they gave to Herod, he thought he should kill all the boys two years and under just to play it safe. That means the star rose quite a while before the wisemen got there.
So we’re likely looking at a few month old Jesus by the time the wisemen get there.
So what were the wisemen doing the night before Christmas?
Who knows?
Probably not much.
They weren’t even thinking about the star - or about Jesus - and they were just going about their everyday lives.
They were doing nothing remarkable.
Okay, let’s complete our nativity set.
How about the shepherds? What were they doing the night before Christmas?
They were working.
They were with their sheep outside in the fields. Stinky sheep.
They were avoiding sheep pies as they walked. Maybe chasing off some wolves or jackals, here or there, but otherwise just a lot of walking and a whole lot of standing around.
Have you ever worked an overnight shift? I have. I kinda liked it because I was pretty much left alone.
But time has a way of standing still in the middle of the night. It’s just dark out. There’s no angle of the sun to give any indication what time it is.
And there’s those times overnight that you haven’t looked at your watch in a while, and you feel like you’ve been there for hours and certainly more than half the shift is over.
And then you check your watch and it’s only been an hour and a half and you feel like the night will never end and you’ll be working forever.
I wonder how the shepherds did it. Especially on a boring, unremarkable night - a night just like every other night - when you’re doing nothing but watching sheep eat. Man, some nights must have taken forever.
And that was the night before Christmas for the shepherds.
Nothing remarkable was happening. In fact, it was likely a very long night of work for them.
But wait. Our Nativity set isn’t actually complete yet. Who’s left?
We covered Mary and Joseph, the wisemen, the shepherds - even some of the animals.
Who else is in the scene?
⬇️What was God the Son doing the night before Christmas?
In the midst of all of those normal, unremarkable, and some of them mundane tasks - the everyday grind, the having to go places, doing your taxes, having to work your shift even when you don’t want to, doing what you always do, living a day just like any other day - through all of these, what was God doing?
Well, He was about to fulfill His greatest promise to mankind.
God was about to do a mighty work that is beyond anything a person can ask or even think.
He was about to become one of us.
That changes the narrative a bit, doesn’t it?
Because Joseph and Mary, by all worldly standards - and I mean all - they were having a horrible night. The circumstances couldn’t have been worse.
Except for one thing. God had made them a promise.
The angel Gabriel appeared to Mary nine months earlier and had a message:
“Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. And the Lord God will give to him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.”
An angel appeared to Joseph and said:
“Joseph, son of David, do not fear to take Mary as your wife, for that which is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.”
They both had the promise of Jesus.
That really changes the narrative.
That changes pretty much the worst day you can have into a day of great anticipation. A day of expectation. God was about to do something great. He was going to keep His promises.
In light of that, what’s a horribly long trip, government rules, horrible sleeping conditions, or even the pain of labor?
When we are expecting God to work, it changes everything. It makes very unremarkable - even horrible - circumstances into something glorious.
That is the promise we have in Jesus.
And the wisemen?
They were about to be beckoned by God to come to Christ.
They were going to be drawn to Him, so they may bow before Him and offer what they had to Him.
Yeah, they may have just been going about life - they may have even been stuck in a rut doing the same thing day in, day out.
But God was about to something remarkable. He was going to change their lives forever.
And all the wisemen needed to do, was seek Jesus, and bow before Him.
And once they did that, God took control and continued to lead them.
And being warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they departed to their own country by another way.
They found Jesus. They bowed before Him. They gave Him what they had.
And God led them. He protected them.
He literally changed their path.
That’s remarkable.
But that’s the promise we have in Jesus.
What about the shepherds?
Sure, the night before Christmas might have been tedious and boring. Maybe their job wasn’t the best. Maybe they were just waiting for their workday to end, even though they knew they would have to do it all over again the next day.
And maybe that wasn’t fulfilling. Maybe they desired something more - something better.
Well, that’s what only God could give them:
And in the same region there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with great fear. And the angel said to them, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.”
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 those with whom he is pleased!” When the angels went away from them into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let us go over to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has made known to us.”
And they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby lying in a manger. And when they saw it, they made known the saying that had been told them concerning this child. And all who heard it wondered at what the shepherds told them. But Mary treasured up all these things, pondering them in her heart. And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told them.
The shepherds still had to go back to work. They returned to their lives.
But once they saw Jesus - once they met Him - everything was different. They not only couldn’t keep the good news to themselves, but they were able to return to their lives - to their jobs - to the grind of life - and they were able to do it to the glory of God.
God took the unremarkable every day life of these men, and made it remarkable. He made it glorious.
And that’s the promise we have in Jesus.
So...
Whether you’re just minding your own business, doing your own thing, like the wisemen…
Whether you are having one of the worst days you can remember in a long time, like Mary and Joseph...
Whether you’re stuck in a job you might even hate, or feel like you’re in a rut because day after day is the same old thing...
Jesus changes the narrative.
Tomorrow we celebrate the remarkable day that God did the most remarkable thing ever done.
We celebrate the coming of the Savior. Of the King. Of the God Who sought us and came to us.
We celebrate the day that changed everything.
We celebrate the Person Who changed everything.
So I invite us all to do what all of these men and women did.
Like Mary and Joseph, hold on to the promises of God. Even the worst days can be days of great anticipation of what God is going to do. God has promises to fulfill through us, and at the last day, promises to fulfill to us.
Promises that matter much more than what today has been. Promises that matter more than whatever you’re going through right now.
Rest in His promises.
Rest in Jesus.
Like the wisemen, once God beckons you to Christ, seek Him. No matter where that takes you, no matter how long it takes you, no matter what it means for you - seek Christ, bow before Him as King, and give Him what you have.
Then He will be your peace, and He will lead you in the way you should go.
Seek Jesus.
Like the shepherds, no matter what you do, do it to the glory of God. Take the opportunities God gives you to share the good news of Christ. Do the most mundane of things - do the most tedious jobs - all to the glory of God.
Live your life as praise to Him for what He has done.
Glorify Jesus.
Do these things, and Jesus will change your narrative into something remarkable.
I’ll end where I started. Let this stanza be our prayer:
O Jesus, while the star of grace
Impels us on to seek thy face,
Let not our slothful hearts refuse
The guidance of thy light to use.
