The First Christmas Carol
Christmas 2020 • Sermon • Submitted
0 ratings
· 23 viewsNotes
Transcript
Last week the message was entitled “The Promise of Christmas”. Next week the message is called “The First Christmas Present”. Today, on this third Sunday of Advent we are going to be back in the Gospel of Luke. The First Christmas Carol is what we will be looking at this morning.
I love Christmas carols. I get a bit of a Grinch reputation but that’s only because I am not really a Christmas guy before Thanksgiving. When Christmas decorations are going up right after halloween I get a bit irritated. LOL. But after Thanksgiving, when it is actually the Christmas season, I am fully in the Christmas spirit. And nothing gets me into the Christmas spirit quite as much as singing or listening to some Christmas carols. That’s what we will be doing at the Christmas Eve service. It is pretty much a Christmas Carol service. I can’t wait! But today, the very first Christmas Carol that we will be looking at. It is found in Luke 2. Let’s turn there are look at it together.
[Read Luke 2:1-14]
Recap the context:
Now in those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus, that a census be taken of all the inhabited earth.
This was the first census taken while Quirinius was governor of Syria.
And everyone was on his way to register for the census, each to his own city.
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 engaged to him, and was with child.
Luke gives great detail.
While they were there, the days were completed 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 room for them in the inn.
God is sovereign and the timing isn’t accidental or coincidental.
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 suddenly 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.
“This will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.”
Consider the men (shepherds). Consider the message (Good news!). Consider the manger (the humiliation of God).
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.”
The first Christmas carol is right here. I was to break it down so we understand what Christmas is all about.
Based on the First Christmas Carol, we know that Christmas (Jesus coming into the world) is first and foremost about…
The Glory of God.
The Glory of God.
(v. 14a) “Glory to God in the highest...”
God is the only one that deserves glory...
“Worthy are You, our Lord and our God, to receive glory and honor and power; for You created all things, and because of Your will they existed, and were created.”
Isaiah 42:8 (ESV)
“I am the Lord; that is my name; my glory I give to no other...”
What is glory? How does God receive glory?
According to Webster’s 1828 Dictionary, glory is:
“Honor; praise; fame; renown...”
Related to God he says glory is:
“The divine perfections”
The example he gives is Psalm 19:1 “The heavens are telling of the glory of God...”
“Praise ascribed in adoration; honor.”
The example he gives is… Luke 2:9. “Glory to God in the highest.”
So then, how does it God get or receive glory?
First, God bring Himself glory…
Everything God does is about bringing Himself glory.
All things...
For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things. To Him be the glory forever. Amen.
Creation...
The heavens are telling of the glory of God;
And their expanse is declaring the work of His hands.
Salvation...
“I will say to the north, ‘Give them up!’
And to the south, ‘Do not hold them back.’
Bring My sons from afar
And My daughters from the ends of the earth,
Everyone who is called by My name,
And whom I have created for My glory,
Whom I have formed, even whom I have made.”
And also wrath and judgement....
Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
Above all else, Christmas is about the glory of God.
And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we saw His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth.
Second, we get the honor and privilege of bringing God glory:
In him we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to the purpose of him who works all things according to the counsel of his will, so that we who were the first to hope in Christ might be to the praise of his glory.
Praise the Lord, all nations!
Extol him, all peoples!
For great is his steadfast love toward us,
and the faithfulness of the Lord endures forever.
Praise the Lord!
So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.
If your Christmas traditions lack and the intentionality of bringing God glory, I encourage you to change your traditions.
Christmas is all about the glory of God and the Son of God, coming into the world, being who He is and revealing all He revealed brings God the most glory… “Glory to God in the highest...” And Jesus is worth the highest praise… “Glory to God in the highest...”
Anything in your life that takes away from God glory needs to be cast down, removed or rearranged. The first Christmas Carol pointed to the Glory of God because Christmas is about the glory of God and every Christmas season, we ought to be reminded that not only at Christmas but all year, everyday and in every way our lives ought to be about brining God the most glory we possibly can.
The Good of Man.
The Good of Man.
(v. 14b) “…and on earth peace among men with whom He is pleased.”
Christmas is all about the Gospel.
The word Gospel is derived from to terms, actually a Greek word and one Old English term. The Greek word is Evangélio, were we get our words Evangelical and Evangelism. Its literal meaning is “Good telling” or “Good news” the old English term “God-spell” which means “good story”. Christmas is when the Good news for man came into the world in the flesh.
But what makes the news so good?
We have to explain the bad news to know what the good news is so good.
Genesis 3, the fall and death of man, and the curse of creation.
For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
But there is good news!
It is a trustworthy statement, deserving full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, among whom I am foremost of all.
That’s good news!
But you cannot receive the good news without pleasing God! And there is only one way to do that...
English Standard Version Chapter 11
6 And without faith it is impossible to please him,