Christmas Eve (2025)

Luke 2:7-14

Greetings my Brothers and Sisters in Christ, what a joyful night that we get to celebrate the fulfillment of God’s promises to send a savior into the world. This is one of the nights in history that I would have loved to witness with my own eyes. We know the beauty that God creates in this world, and over the last couple of years, we have been blessed to witness the Northern Lights that God has placed in the sky above, which is beautiful to witness, but it pales in comparison to what happened on that night.

We know of the Shepherds out in the field and were watching their flocks, and what happened? Well the heavens opened up and they were greeted with a message of comfort, and hope for the long awaited messiah was born as the glory of the Lord shone around them, and an angel appeared to them. The angel’s word are meant to still their quaking hearts, for if God’s glory appears you don’t know what is about to happen, but listen to what he says.

Fear not, for behold I good news of great joy that will be for all people. Now this message of Fear not, that they don’t have anything to fear, for because of man’s sin it is a terrifying thing to be brought into the presence of the living God and to witness his glory. Isaiah who was given the prophecy about the savior being born of a virgin knew this. He appeared before the throne of God in heaven and feared for His life even though he got to witness the Lord seated upon His throne with the angels singing around the throne of God, and he feared for His life! The angel says fear not, which means this is not a message of judgment and condemnation but one of hope.

The angel brings good news, now this word here is the greek word εὐαγγελίζομαι, from which we get the english word Evangelism, or what we know as the gospel. This word was used not only to proclaim victory in battle, but also to celebrate the birth of a new emperor or king, and that is what is found in this little child in Bethlehem, the King of Kings and Lord of Lords is born, who will defeated the powers of sin, death, and the devil himself for His people and that is why it is a message of great joy for all people.

For how low had sin brought mankind? When we sinned in the garden it cut us off from God, and it destroyed the life that was inside of us. The earth was cursed on account of it as well, and we work and labor in order to survive and endure through this life. It wasn’t meant to be this way. We see as well the ills inflicted upon man and they have their root in sin.

Mankind longed for this child to be born, and to see his kingdom. Every person who cries out to God for help as a loved one draws near to death, and hopes and prays for their healing that they might live, is asking for the Kingdom that Christ brings. Every person who suffers at the hands of their neighbor through abuse, violence, and hatred longs for the Kingdom of God when we can live in peace. Families who are poor, and don’t know where the next meal will come from, and ask God for deliverance are looking to the Kingdom of God. Every nation that has been given over to war, every family whose son or daughter will never come home, every person suffering from disease, and pain that has no end, recognizes that the kingdom of this world is not as it should be.

But all of these things have one and same source, they are the result of sin, be it because sins that people committed or the sin that has corrupted our nature, every man, woman, and child can found hope in this child. For this good news of great joy is for all people. It doesn’t matter if you are jew or gentile, slave or free, male and female, Christ the Lord is born for you and for your salvation. Then what did the Shepherds get to witness? Ah what a sight, what a feast not only for the eyes as the heavens lit up with the host of angels, but the song of praise, exalting this child born in Bethlehem and the peace that He brings to earth.

I love music, and while I will get to hear the angels singing around the throne of God that Isaiah got to hear, I don’t know if I will get to hear the angels singing this joyful song. I hope so, but these angels who long waited for this day to lift up their voice in joyful song at the birth of Him whom they had sung praises to around the throne of heaven, and now they get to share this song of praise with these shepherds on a hillside. “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased.”

We set aside the Gloria in Excelsis, which is Glory to God in the highest until this night, so that we can join the angels in joyful proclamation to celebrate with them the praise of this child, who is our Savior. For through Jesus Christ, we finally find the peace that we have longed for, and we glorify God for He has given up His only-begotten son for our salvation.

Why are we here today? Well Jesus has made you a member of His kingdom, not by what you have done, but by His death there upon the Cross, by washing away your sins and giving you his divine name, that you might have this peace that He won on Calvary. His incarnation shows us that He has not abandoned us but come for our redemption. So we celebrate with the angels and rejoice that the Son of God has been born in Bethlehem for our salvation.

My Brothers and Sisters in Christ, let us once again join with the angel, and with all the saints who have come before us to glorify God that the prince of peace, for our Lord and Savior was born in Bethlehem to save us from sin. By his Cross he has won peace for us with God and secured for us a place in His everlasting Kingdom. In Jesus name. Amen.