Christmas Eve Lesson Introductions - December 24, 2022
/Our Dire Predicament
The first and most important question we should ask tonight is: why? Why spend Christmas Eve here instead of in our warm homes eating Christmas cookies and exchanging gifts? Why bother traveling back 2000 years to a little place called Bethlehem? Why did God send his Son to be born as one of us? Why was all this necessary? We will never fully appreciate Christmas or find joy in it that can last beyond tomorrow unless we answer the question: why? Genesis 3 explains why. Not only the “why” of Christmas but why our world and we are the way we are – broken, depraved and evil. God had created a perfect world and two perfect humans – Adam and Eve – to live in it and care for it. But these perfect humans rose up in rebellion against their Maker by disobeying his only command and eating the forbidden fruit. This single act of rebellion resulted in a world and a human race that had fallen from its original perfection into the dire predicament described by the Apostle Paul in Romans: just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, so also death spread to all people because all sinned (Romans 5:12). Because we are born of sinful parents we are born to sin. And because we sin we will die. And that’s not even the worst of it. The death we deserve isn’t just the separation of body and soul but separation from the love of God forever in hell. Being born to die and be separated from our God forever – it doesn’t get more dire than that. Listen as the ugly, underlying necessity, the why of Christmas is explained in Genesis 3:
First Lesson Genesis 3:8-19
8They heard the voice of the Lord God, who was walking around in the garden during the cooler part of the day, and the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God among the trees of the garden. 9The Lord God called to the man and said to him, “Where are you?” 10The man said, “I heard your voice in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked, so I hid myself.” 11God said, “Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten from the tree from which I commanded you not to eat?” 12The man said, “The woman you gave to be with me—she gave me fruit from the tree, and I ate it.” 13The Lord God said to the woman, “What have you done?” The woman said, “The serpent deceived me, and I ate.” 14The Lord God said to the serpent: Because you have done this, you are cursed more than all the livestock, and more than every wild animal. You shall crawl on your belly, and you shall eat dust all the days of your life. 15I will put hostility between you and the woman, and between your seed and her seed. He will crush your head, and you will crush his heel. 16To the woman he said: I will greatly increase your pain in childbearing. With painful labor you will give birth to children. Your desire will be for your husband, but he will rule over you. 17To Adam he said: Because you listened to your wife’s voice and ate from the tree about which I commanded you, “You shall not eat from it,” the soil is cursed on account of you. You will eat from it with painful labor all the days of your life. 18Thorns and thistles will spring up from the ground for you, but you will eat the crops of the field. 19By the sweat of your face you will eat bread until you return to the soil, for out of it you were taken. For you are dust, and to dust you shall return.
Hymn 32 When Sinners See Their Lost Condition
Rescue Promised
One of the more unfortunate and universal side-effects of the total and utter depravity of human nature is that we are a proud people. Just like Adam and Eve proudly ate that fruit thinking that it would make them like God, so we continue to overestimate our own power and ability. We also underestimate the truly desperate nature of our situation. And, as a result, we often underestimate what it would take to rescue us from our dire predicament. Many to this day believe that God sent Jesus to earth to be a guide, an example, or a teacher – to show us that we have the potential to make everything right with God if we just put our minds to it. This goes hand in hand with the natural human belief that there is no problem that we can’t overcome given enough time, money and effort. This illusion of self-sufficiency is nothing less than proof that we don’t even realize how deep the darkness is in which we live. The reality is that when God looks at us, he doesn’t see a bunch of willing, energetic volunteers who just need a helping hand or some positive encouragement – he looks at us and sees nothing less than a graveyard of dead souls who need nothing less than a miracle to raise them to life (Ezekiel 37:1-14). Christmas is not just a cute children’s story (like those about fat men in suits and reindeer with glowing noses), Christmas is not God’s offer to help us help ourselves. Christmas is nothing short of the most daring rescue mission in the history of the world. In God’s great Christmas rescue, God alone sent his Son, God alone became man, God alone will establish his king over his kingdom, and God alone will restore peace between himself and us. The zeal of the Lord of Armies will accomplish this – without any help from us. Therefore, to God alone – and to his Son, be glory now and forever!
Second Lesson Isaiah 9:2, 6-7
2The people walking in darkness have seen a great light. For those living in the land of the shadow of death, the light has dawned. 6For to us a child is born. To us a son is given. The authority to rule will rest on his shoulders. He will be named: Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. 7There will be no limit to his authority and no end to the peace he brings. He will rule on David’s throne and over his kingdom, to establish it and to uphold it with justice and righteousness from now on, into eternity. The zeal of the Lord of Armies will accomplish this.
Hymn 47 Behold, a Branch Is Growing
An Unexpected Plan
Isaiah had prophesied that God would send a King to rule his people. Kings are supposed to be born in palaces, not stables; to queens, not peasant girls; in capital cities, not tiny villages; they’re adored by visiting dignitaries, not filthy shepherds. But such were the details God revealed in his unexpected plan to save the human race. These unexpected details reveal one of the key truths for understanding the ways of God both 2000 years ago and the ways of God today. This truth is spelled out by the Apostle Paul in 1 Corinthians: God chose the foolish things of the world to put to shame the things that are strong, and God chose the lowly things of the world and the despised thing, and the things that are not, to do away with the thing that are, so that no one may boast before God (1 Corinthians 1:27-29). Just as God chose the little insignificant town of Bethlehem to be the birthplace for his eternal Son – the truly Good Shepherd who would lay down his life on a cross for his sheep – so God continues to work in meek, humble, and seemingly foolish ways today. He continues to distribute the salvation Jesus won on the cross through humble means: through sinful men proclaiming Absolution of sins, through men and women teaching the Gospel, through the plain water of baptism which washes away sin, through normal bread and wine which are the true body and blood of Christ. This place and these means might not seem like much to a world that revels in displays of wealth and power and glory – but, as Micah makes clear, it was God’s plan all along to use humble and unexpected means to bring salvation to the ends of the earth – even here, even now, even to you and to me.
Third Lesson Micah 5:2-4
2But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are small among the clans of Judah, from you, will go out the one who will be the ruler for me in Israel. His goings forth are from the beginning, from the days of eternity. 3Therefore the Lord will give them up, until the time when the woman who is in labor bears a child. Then the remaining survivors from his brothers will return to the people of Israel. 4He will stand and shepherd with the strength of the Lord, in the majesty of the name of the Lord his God. They will dwell securely, for at that time he will be great to the ends of the earth.
Hymn 65 O Little Town of Bethlehem
The Plan Revealed to Mary
Crazy and ambitious plans are often met with doubt and skepticism. When John F. Kennedy announced the goal of landing a man on the moon back in the 1960’s, many Americans didn’t believe or support his plan. Just a few years ago the idea that a car could actually run on just a battery seemed like nonsense to many, and today we see Teslas and Rivians all over the place. Closer to home, just 25 years ago, starting a church in McFarland – much less doubling its size in less than ten years – seemed to be an impossible dream. And yet, here we are. But all of these pale in comparison to the precise details of God’s plan to save the world. It’s not just the fact that virgins don’t give birth – that’s not actually the greatest miracle of Christmas – it’s the fact that God could become a man at all. Gods don’t do that. That’s impossible. Many still doubt the truthfulness of the virgin birth. They think of it as nothing more than a fairy-tale or myth. Is that true? Is this plan unexpected? Yes. Is it unlikely? Yes. Is it impossible? Nothing will be impossible for God. Therefore, when it comes to the words and works and plans of God, we must set aside our reason and our skepticism, and instead respond in faith to the Words and promises of our almighty God like Mary did: Lord, if this is how you’ve chosen to save me, may it happen to me as you have said.
Fourth Lesson Luke 1:26-38
26In the sixth month, the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a town of Galilee named Nazareth, 27to a virgin pledged in marriage to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. 28The angel went to her and said, “Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you. Blessed are you among women.” 29But she was greatly troubled by the statement and was wondering what kind of greeting this could be. 30The angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, because you have found favor with God. 31Listen, you will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to name him Jesus. 32He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David. 33He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and his kingdom will never end.” 34Mary said to the angel, “How will this be, since I am a virgin?” 35The angel answered her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God. 36Listen, Elizabeth, your relative, has also conceived a son in her old age even though she was called barren, and this is her sixth month. 37For nothing will be impossible for God.” 38Then Mary said, “See, I am the Lord’s servant. May it happen to me as you have said.” Then the angel left her.
Hymn 61 Hark! The Herald Angels Sing
The Plan Revealed to Joseph
If you think it was hard for Mary to believe God’s plan, just imagine what it was like for Joseph! You discover that your fiancé is pregnant – and you know it’s not yours. Now, this may have been the 1st century, but they weren’t dumb – they know where babies come from. Joseph knew that women don’t spontaneously become pregnant. He had every right to divorce her. Then the angel showed up in his dream, to tell him an even more unbelievable story: that the child conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. And not only that, but that he should name this baby boy Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins. So just to summarize, Joseph was supposed to believe that Mary had not been unfaithful, that the baby growing in her had been conceived by the Holy Spirit, and that this baby would be the Savior of the world. How could Joseph – or anyone for that matter – believe this unbelievable plan? Matthew gives us a hint when he says all this happened to fulfill what was spoken by the Lord through the prophet: “Look, the virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son. And they will name him Immanuel,” which means, “God with us.” For Joseph and for us, faith doesn’t come dreams or reason – faith comes from hearing the message (Romans 10:17). Joseph knew the OT and knew that Isaiah had prophesied 700 years earlier that the Savior would be born of a virgin (Isaiah 7:14) – that’s how he believed. That’s how we believe, too! Read the Word, hear the Word, meditate on the Word, share the Word, and trust that through the Word, God will create and strengthen faith – even in things that seem impossible or unbelievable – just as he did for Joseph.
Fifth Lesson Matthew 1:18-25
18This is how the birth of Jesus Christ took place. His mother, Mary, was pledged in marriage to Joseph. Before they came together, she was found to be with child by the Holy Spirit. 19Joseph, her husband, was a righteous man and did not want to disgrace her. So he decided to divorce her privately. 20But as he was considering these things, an angel of the Lord suddenly appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because the child conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. 21She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.” 22All this happened to fulfill what was spoken by the Lord through the prophet: 23“Look, the virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son. And they will name him Immanuel,” which means, “God with us.” 24When Joseph woke up from his sleep, he did as the angel of the Lord had commanded him. He took Mary home as his wife, 25but he was not intimate with her until she gave birth to her firstborn son. And he named him Jesus.
Hymn 40 O Jesus Christ, Your Manger Is
Christmas: God’s Plan in Action
All of the lessons we’ve heard so far tonight take us right back to our opening question, don’t they? We’ve seen again tonight that God chooses humble, lowly means to work seemingly impossible salvation – and the faith to believe it – for sinners. But the question still remains: why? Why would God go to such impossible extremes just to save a human race that for all intents and purposes hated him and despised his goodness? That’s the real mystery of Christmas. If we focus only on the lowliness or the impossibility or the irrationality of Jesus’ birth, we’re really missing the point. The point of Christmas is not that God can do impossible things – creation and the Flood teach that. The point of Christmas is not that God chooses the lowly and humble and unexpected things as instruments of his power on earth – if you look at any of the people in the Bible – or look around at the people gathered here to worship the newborn King – you see that truth on display. No, the point of Christmas is that it proves that God’s love for us is wider and higher and deeper than we would have ever imagined.
And that’s important, especially at Christmas, which is said to be the happiest time of the year – and yet, it seems that love is growing cold at an alarming rate – not just out there in the world but even in our own families, our own marriages, our own hearts. This lack of love may take many forms: depression, loneliness, conflicted or separated families. It sadly often results in the fact that more people than any other time of year experience depression or even desire to end their lives. Maybe you are struggling with some sin or some guilt or loneliness or some dark memory that clouds your joy this night. There is only one cure, one light that can shine through the darkness of despair and depression sin has sown in our world: the impossible, unlikely, unearned, and undeserved love of God – embodied in a little baby boy born in a manger. Finally, that is what this night is all about. We are here to celebrate a birth two thousand years ago that promises us life that will go on for all of eternity. All because God so loved the world. All because God so loved me. All because God so loved you. You may not feel loved for many reasons tonight – but look at that baby in the manger and know beyond all doubt that God’s love is for you! Even if you don’t get a single gift this Christmas, even if you are celebrating all alone, you have God’s love, and God’s love is and will always be enough for a very merry Christmas.
Sixth Lesson John 3:16-18
16“For God so loved the world that he gave his only-begotten Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish, but have eternal life. 17For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. 18The one who believes in him is not condemned, but the one who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only-begotten Son of God.
Hymn 19 Love Caused Your Incarnation