Christmas Eve: Glory and Power in Luke's Account

Big Idea

Tension: Why is the birth of Christ significant?

Resolution: It is the doing of God’s immeasurable power and his unparalleled glory.

Exegetical Idea: Christ’s birth is significant because it is the doing of God’s immeasurable power and his unparalleled gory.

Theological Idea: Both God’s transcendence through power and his immanence through glory come to play in the Incarnation.

Homiletical Idea: God’s immeasurable power and unparalleled glory both reveal themselves at the birth of Christ.

Big Idea: Christ was born by God’s immeasurable power and in God’s unparalleled glory.

Intro: Two Ideas

God’s Immeasurable Power

Virgin Birth (vs. 1:26, 34, 35-37)

Fulfillment of Promises (vs. 1:32)

Angels

This should evoke awe

God’s Unparalleled Glory

God works through history (2:1-7)

The birth of the Son (2:7, 10-12)

Announcing the News of glory (2:14)

This should evoke praise

Savior

Power of God: God’s holiness provides an atonement for sin

Glory: Christ is God with us, our savior who takes away our sins

This should evoke awe

This should evoke praise

Conclusion:

What Child is this, who, laid to rest, On Mary's lap is sleeping? Whom angels greet with anthems sweet, While shepherds watch are keeping?

This, this is Christ, the King, Whom shepherds guard and angels sing: Haste, haste to bring Him laud, The Babe, the Son of Mary!