Candle Light Service

Tonight I want to look at the story of Jesus birth from the gospels of Luke and Matthew.

As they both give some different points and perspectives.

First we will be looking in Luke 1:26-38

Luke 1:26–38 (CSB)

26 In the sixth month, the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a town in Galilee called Nazareth, 27 to a virgin engaged to a man named Joseph, of the house of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. 28 And the angel came to her and said, “Greetings, favored woman! The Lord is with you.” 29 But she was deeply troubled by this statement, wondering what kind of greeting this could be. 30 Then the angel told her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. 31 Now listen: You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you will name him Jesus. 32 He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High, and the Lord God will give him the throne of his father David. 33 He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and his kingdom will have no end.”

34 Mary asked the angel, “How can this be, since I have not had sexual relations with a man?”

35 The angel replied to her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. Therefore, the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God. 36 And consider your relative Elizabeth—even she has conceived a son in her old age, and this is the sixth month for her who was called childless. 37 For nothing will be impossible with God.”

38 “See, I am the Lord’s servant,” said Mary. “May it happen to me as you have said.” Then the angel left her.

in the sixth month that is of Elizabeth, Mary’s cousin’s pregnancy. the angel came to Mary to prophecy of Jesus.

Mary is believed to be somewhere between 14 and 16 years of age at this point.

Joseph, whom Mary is engaged to, is believed to be between 18 and 20 years of age at this point, which these ages are the norm for that time period in Jewish culture.

The angel Gabriel greets Mary, with you have found favor with God. Now Mary was not the king’s daughter, she was not the governors daughter, she was not even a rich man’s daughter and she was engaged to a carpenter who was not rich.

But God found favor in her, that is God has poured out a lot of grace upon her, in order to use her.

if that is not enough to startle you, then the angel tells her, you are going to conceive and give birth to a son.

now we just heard she is a virgin, and then she tells the angel I have not been with a man, but the angel says the Holy Spirit will come upon you and you will conceive.

Matthew 1:18–25 (CSB)

18 The birth of Jesus Christ came about this way: After his mother Mary had been engaged to Joseph, it was discovered before they came together that she was pregnant from the Holy Spirit. 19 So her husband, Joseph, being a righteous man, and not wanting to disgrace her publicly, decided to divorce her secretly.

20 But after he had considered these things, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, don’t be afraid to take Mary as your wife, because what has been conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. 21 She will give birth to a son, and you are to name him Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.”

22 Now all this took place to fulfill what was spoken by the Lord through the prophet:

23 See, the virgin will become pregnant

and give birth to a son,

and they will name him Immanuel,

which is translated “God is with us.”

24 When Joseph woke up, he did as the Lord’s angel had commanded him. He married her 25 but did not have sexual relations with her until she gave birth to a son. And he named him Jesus.

Now Mary has conceived and Joseph finds out, which any body in that situation, their first thought is my fiancee has cheated on me.

the cost of adultery in those days and in that culture was public stoning. The woman would die.

But Joseph loved Mary and did not want her to die, so therefore, he wanted to privately divorce her, because in those days, an engagement or betrothal was considered legal binding, just as marriage is today, therefore you had to go through a legal divorce.

he did not want Mary stoned, so he was going to go divorce her privately.

but before he could an angel of the Lord appeared to him, to let him know what was going on with Mary, and that she did not commit adultery, but that the baby was from God.

Joseph was then instructed to name the baby Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.

in verse 23 we see where Jesus’ birth was prophesied in Isaiah 7:14, and we are told that they will name him Immanuel, which means God with us.

Luke 2:1–10 (CSB)

1 In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that the whole empire should be registered. 2 This first registration took place while Quirinius was governing Syria. 3 So everyone went to be registered, each to his own town.

4 Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee, to Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and family line of David, 5 to be registered along with Mary, who was engaged to him and was pregnant. 6 While they were there, the time came for her to give birth. 7 Then she gave birth to her firstborn son, and she wrapped him tightly in cloth and laid him in a manger, because there was no guest room available for them.

8 In the same region, shepherds were staying out in the fields and keeping watch at night over their flock. 9 Then an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. 10 But the angel said to them, “Don’t be afraid, for look, I proclaim to you good news of great joy that will be for all the people:

Luke 2:11–22 (CSB)

11 Today in the city of David a Savior was born for you, who is the Messiah, the Lord. 12 This will be the sign for you: You will find a baby wrapped tightly in cloth and lying in a manger.”

13 Suddenly there was a multitude of the heavenly host with the angel, praising God and saying:

14 Glory to God in the highest heaven,

and peace on earth to people he favors!

15 When the angels had left them and returned to heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let’s go straight to Bethlehem and see what has happened, which the Lord has made known to us.”

16 They hurried off and found both Mary and Joseph, and the baby who was lying in the manger. 17 After seeing them, they reported the message they were told about this child, 18 and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. 19 But Mary was treasuring up all these things in her heart and meditating on them. 20 The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had seen and heard, which were just as they had been told.

21 When the eight days were completed for his circumcision, he was named Jesus—the name given by the angel before he was conceived. 22 And when the days of their purification according to the law of Moses were finished, they brought him up to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord

Joseph and Mary traveled to Bethlehem to be counted in the census and upon arriving could not find a place to stay and stay where the animals were feed.

Mary went into labor gave birth to Jesus and wrapped him in swaddle clothes and laid him in the feed trough.

as shepherds were out watching over their sheep that night an angel appeared to them to announce the birth of Jesus the Messiah.

then a multitude of angels, that is so many they couldn’t be counted, appeared and started praising God.

when the angels left the shepherds hurried off to go see baby Jesus, when they seen him, they went out telling everyone they saw about Jesus the Messiah being born.

at eight days they named the baby Jesus and brought him to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord at the temple, they had a baby dedication if you will.

Matthew 2:1–12 (CSB)

Matthew 2:1–12 (CSB)

1 After Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of King Herod, wise men from the east arrived in Jerusalem, 2 saying, “Where is he who has been born king of the Jews? For we saw his star at its rising and have come to worship him.”

3 When King Herod heard this, he was deeply disturbed, and all Jerusalem with him. 4 So he assembled all the chief priests and scribes of the people and asked them where the Messiah would be born.

5 “In Bethlehem of Judea,” they told him, “because this is what was written by the prophet:

6 And you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah,

are by no means least among the rulers of Judah:

Because out of you will come a ruler

who will shepherd my people Israel.”

7 Then Herod secretly summoned the wise men and asked them the exact time the star appeared. 8 He sent them to Bethlehem and said, “Go and search carefully for the child. When you find him, report back to me so that I too can go and worship him.”

9 After hearing the king, they went on their way. And there it was—the star they had seen at its rising. It led them until it came and stopped above the place where the child was. 10 When they saw the star, they were overwhelmed with joy. 11 Entering the house, they saw the child with Mary his mother, and falling to their knees, they worshiped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts: gold, frankincense, and myrrh. 12 And being warned in a dream not to go back to Herod, they returned to their own country by another route.

now we see the wise men they have followed the star to Jerusalem in search of the Messiah, and king Herod asked them about the star.

the wise men continued their journey until the star stopped at where the child was at.

they went in and seen the child with Mary and feel to their knees and worshipped him.

they brought gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh all three of these gifts honored the child Jesus as King.

Gold just like now was a precious metal prized for its beauty and value, an appropriate gift for a king.

Frankincense and myrrh were fragrant spices and perfumes equally appropriate for such adoration and worship.

Wise men still seek Jesus today, and I hope that not just tonight on Christmas eve but all year long you will seek Jesus in a personal relationship.

John 8:12 KJV 1900

12 Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.

In our universe the center and source of life is the sun, that is (sun), and there is only one sun.

well, there is but one God who is the center of all and the source of all life.

during the Feast of Tabernacles, the huge candelabra were lighted in the temple at night to remind the people of the pillar of fire that had guided Israel in their wilderness journey.

The star led the wise men to Jesus, and as we light our candles, lets be reminded that the light of the world is Jesus Christ and that light will lead us to salvation and eternal life.

if you have not followed that light and accepted salvation tonight can be the night.