Gift of Jesus - Regalo de Jesús

The Gifts of Christmas: Christmas Eve

Scriptures for Service:

Luke 2:1–5 NKJV

1 And it came to pass in those days that a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered. 2 This census first took place while Quirinius was governing Syria. 3 So all went to be registered, everyone to his own city. 4 Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David, 5 to be registered with Mary, his betrothed wife, who was with child.

Luke 2:1–5 RVR60

1 Aconteció en aquellos días, que se promulgó un edicto de parte de Augusto César, que todo el mundo fuese empadronado. 2 Este primer censo se hizo siendo Cirenio gobernador de Siria. 3 E iban todos para ser empadronados, cada uno a su ciudad. 4 Y José subió de Galilea, de la ciudad de Nazaret, a Judea, a la ciudad de David, que se llama Belén, por cuanto era de la casa y familia de David; 5 para ser empadronado con María su mujer, desposada con él, la cual estaba encinta.

Luke 2:6–7 NKJV

6 So it was, that while they were there, the days were completed for her to be delivered. 7 And she brought forth her firstborn Son, and wrapped Him in swaddling cloths, and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.

Luke 2:6–7 RVR60

6 Y aconteció que estando ellos allí, se cumplieron los días de su alumbramiento. 7 Y dio a luz a su hijo primogénito, y lo envolvió en pañales, y lo acostó en un pesebre, porque no había lugar para ellos en el mesón.

Luke 2:8–16 NKJV

8 Now there were in the same country shepherds living out in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. 9 And behold, an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were greatly afraid. 10 Then the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people. 11 For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. 12 And this will be the sign to you: You will find a Babe wrapped in swaddling cloths, lying in a manger.” 13 And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying: 14 “Glory to God in the highest, And on earth peace, goodwill toward men!” 15 So it was, when the angels had gone away from them into heaven, that the shepherds said to one another, “Let us now go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has come to pass, which the Lord has made known to us.” 16 And they came with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the Babe lying in a manger.

Luke 2:8–16 RVR60

8 Había pastores en la misma región, que velaban y guardaban las vigilias de la noche sobre su rebaño. 9 Y he aquí, se les presentó un ángel del Señor, y la gloria del Señor los rodeó de resplandor; y tuvieron gran temor. 10 Pero el ángel les dijo: No temáis; porque he aquí os doy nuevas de gran gozo, que será para todo el pueblo: 11 que os ha nacido hoy, en la ciudad de David, un Salvador, que es CRISTO el Señor. 12 Esto os servirá de señal: Hallaréis al niño envuelto en pañales, acostado en un pesebre. 13 Y repentinamente apareció con el ángel una multitud de las huestes celestiales, que alababan a Dios, y decían: 14 ¡Gloria a Dios en las alturas, Y en la tierra paz, buena voluntad para con los hombres! 15 Sucedió que cuando los ángeles se fueron de ellos al cielo, los pastores se dijeron unos a otros: Pasemos, pues, hasta Belén, y veamos esto que ha sucedido, y que el Señor nos ha manifestado. 16 Vinieron, pues, apresuradamente, y hallaron a María y a José, y al niño acostado en el pesebre.

Luke 2:17–20 NKJV

17 Now when they had seen Him, they made widely known the saying which was told them concerning this Child. 18 And all those who heard it marveled at those things which were told them by the shepherds. 19 But Mary kept all these things and pondered them in her heart. 20 Then the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, as it was told them.

Luke 2:17–20 RVR60

17 Y al verlo, dieron a conocer lo que se les había dicho acerca del niño. 18 Y todos los que oyeron, se maravillaron de lo que los pastores les decían. 19 Pero María guardaba todas estas cosas, meditándolas en su corazón. 20 Y volvieron los pastores glorificando y alabando a Dios por todas las cosas que habían oído y visto, como se les había dicho.

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The Gift of Christ

-Merry Christmas!

We are so glad you are here on this Christmas Eve to celebrate the birth of Jesus.

We’ve almost made it to Christmas Day.

If you have not felt the sense of anticipation for weeks if not months, then you certainly do now—and you’re definitely not the parent of a young child!

-While many of you will wait until tomorrow morning to give and receive gifts, tonight we are going to unwrap the gifts of Christmas together as we journey toward the manger in Bethlehem and celebrate the arrival of Jesus, the ultimate gift of Christmas.

-But before we tear into the wrapping, I have a question for each of us to consider: What are you waiting for tonight?

Maybe you’re waiting for family to arrive.

Maybe you’re waiting for the delivery of a special gift—or perhaps a late package.

Maybe you’re waiting for direction or healing.

Perhaps you’re just waiting for me to stop talking or the craziness of the season to be over so life can get back to normal.

--Whatever it is you are waiting for, I encourage you to set it aside and spend the next few minutes this Christmas Eve watching and waiting for the miracle of Christmas—the arrival of the God of the universe come to earth as a human baby.

There’s a great song by the singer-songwriter David Wilcox called “Miracle.”

It’s a song about the risk of missing Jesus because we are waiting for a miracle—

or because we think the miracle should and will look different.

The song says,

Few will choose to follow Out of all the star invites Most will hide safe inside With the lantern turned up bright Waiting for a miracle

--So tonight I invite you into the darkness, for it’s in that darkness that we most clearly see the light of Christmas and it’s where we experience the gifts Jesus offers this season.

-What are you waiting for tonight that could take your eyes off the coming of the Savior?

What is hindering your journey to the manger in Bethlehem?

What expectation are you holding that may distract you from the true depths offered in Christ?

What is keeping you from seeing the miracle?

-Tonight I invite you to experience the greatest gift of all—the gift of God made flesh in Jesus Christ.

I invite you to follow.

Instead of waiting for a miracle, let’s step out into the darkness and allow the light of Jesus to shine in our lives as we accept the gifts of Christmas.

-As a church we’ve spent the last four weeks journeying together through the season of Advent.

The word Advent means “coming” or “arrival,” and the season is marked by expectation, waiting, anticipation, and longing.

Advent is not just an extension of Christmas, it is a season that links the past, present, and future.

Advent offers us the opportunity to share in the ancient longing for the coming of the Messiah, to celebrate His birth, and to be alert for His second coming.

-During Advent we light candles on a wreath, which represent aspects of Jesus’s coming to a world lost in darkness.

Each flame represents a gift that Jesus brings to us.

Tonight we will unwrap the gifts of hope, love, joy, and peace.

And we will finish by lighting the fifth candle on the wreath as we celebrate the gift of Jesus Himself.

1. The Gift of Hope

2. The Gift of Love

3. The Gift of Joy

4. The Gift of Peace

5. The Gift of Jesus

-Thank you for taking the journey toward Bethlehem and unwrapping the gifts of Christmas along the way.

As we arrive at Christmas Eve, we celebrate the baby wrapped in cloth and lying in a manger, and we know that He is the true gift of Christmas.

All the other gifts of hope, love, joy, and peace come from Him. He is . . .

The HOPE bringer

LOVE come down

The JOY giver

The PEACE maker

-As we have noted throughout the night, Jesus is the bringer of eternal life and relationship with God.

He is the giver of life to the full, as He described in John 10:10.

He is the way, the truth, and the life, as He described in John 14:6.

He is everything.

He is the miracle so humble that many miss it.

He is the gift who entered that dark and normal night millennia ago as a fragile infant, one of us.

But He is the God so loving and powerful that He willingly stretched out His arms on a cross later in life to carry our sin and shame and burden and death in order to give us a way to Himself.

Jesus is the greatest gift of Christmas and of all eternity.

-As we celebrate the gift of Jesus this Christmas, may we be filled with hope, love, joy, and peace so we can live life to the fullest.

Here, where our Advent journey ends, a new journey begins—a journey of worship.

It is our act of worship to receive the gifts of Jesus this Christmas, and we can respond by bringing our own worship to Him.

Like Mary and Joseph, the shepherds, the angels, and the wise men, we rejoice at His coming and we worship Immanuel, God with us.

Together we have watched and waited.

We have stepped into the darkness and followed the light.

We have received the gifts of Christmas.

Tonight as we light the final candle in our Advent wreath, let us worship the King.

In a blog posted on the website “On Being with Krista Tippett,” a writer shared a magical moment in her own family’s journey through Advent. It’s a beautiful picture I’d like to share as we close. She wrote, “Last night, Stella—the youngest, loudest, and most kinetic person in our family—sat mesmerized by the candle flame. It lit a soft warm circle around her face and hands, slowly bowing back and forth. She stared, in a rare moment of silence, then smiled. “Look,” she said, wonder-drenched and wise: “It’s reaching for me. The light is trying to reach me.”[1]

Tonight as we light the final candle in the Advent wreath, the light is reaching for you.

The light of the world has come to earth and is reaching to you, extending hope, love, joy, and peace.

Will you experience the miracle?

Will you receive God’s gift, His one and only Son, born to set you free?

Will you give your heart to Him this Christmas in worship and in wonder?

Prayer: Jesus, through this season of Advent we have watched and waited. Tonight we celebrate Your birth and worship You, the giver of all good gifts. Please fill us this night with Your hope, love, joy, and peace as we both celebrate Your coming and continue to wait for You to come again.

Benediction: “Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord rises upon you.” (Isaiah 60:1)

[1] Siri Liv Myhrom, “The Shoulder Season of Advent,” On Being with Krista Tippett, December 6, 2015, http://www.onbeing.org/blog/the-shoulder-season-of-advent/8190.