The Christmas sermon primarily focuses on the Christmas story – a story about Jesus Christ coming to this earth in order to fulfil God’s purpose for redemption. “Hark! the herald-angels sing, glory to the new-born King! Peace on earth, and mercy mild, God and sinner reconciled.”
Free Classic Christmas Sermons provides a sermon that explain the uniqueness of the Christmas story. This sermons points out the four unique events in history that help us to appreciate and value the redemptive nature of the Christmas story.
Free Classic Christmas Sermons
Introduction: To understand the present is to value the past.
This is especially truth of the Christmas story. In fact, the Christmas story, which is told today, is defined by several events that took place over two thousand years ago.
To appreciate the Christmas story, we must go back in time and look at four unique events that took place in history.
These four unique events define the redemptive nature of the Christmas story for us.
If we do not recognize the value of these past events, then we will not understand the redemptive nature of the Christmas story.
Over the years, the movie world has used different ways to present storylines. Because we are so media oriented these days, we need something special to get our attention. So the movie buffs often start the movie in the middle of the storyline. I don’t know if you realize this but movies often start in the middle and they move both forward and backwards.
Now to understand what is going on, they often go back to past events to reveal the present. They usually call this flashback. Popular movies and television serials such as: I Robot, Lost, Prison Break, and many others, use this style to great effect. If they didn’t do this, we would not understand the story.
In the same way, we need to flashback to four unique events in history to help us appreciate and value the redemptive nature of Christmas story.
The first flashback involves . . .
1. A Unique Announcement (Luke 1:26-38)
It says in Luke 1:26-33, “Now in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. And having come in, the angel said to her, ‘Rejoice, highly favoured one, the Lord is with you; blessed are you among women!’ But when she saw him, she was troubled at his saying, and considered what manner of greeting this was. Then the angel said to her, ‘Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favour with God. And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bring forth a Son, and shall call His name Jesus. He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Highest; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David. And He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of His kingdom there will be no end.’”
It says in Matthew 1:23, “’Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel,’ which is translated, ‘God with us.’”
What an announcement!
Of all women, Mary was chosen to be the mother of God’s Son—Jesus Christ.
Just imagine that moment when the angel Gabriel said to Mary, “Rejoice, highly favoured one, the Lord is with you; blessed are you among women! [why? The reason is because] you [Mary] will conceive in your womb and bring forth a Son, and shall call His name JESUS” (Luke 1:28, 31).
You know, at first this announcement seemed bewildering to Mary. “How can this be? She said, “Since I do not know a man” (Luke 1:34).
But after the angel Gabriel further explained the announcement, Mary said, “Let it be to me according to your word” (Luke 1:38).
The unique announcement—the virgin birth of Jesus Christ—was the beginning of something very special in the history of mankind.
Let me also say this:
Although the virgin birth of Jesus Christ was unique, nevertheless, it was not unexpected because the Prophet Isaiah had foretold the virgin birth in 735 BC when he said, “Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel,” which is translated, “God with us.” (Matthew 1:23)
The second flashback involves . . .
2. A Unique Moment (Luke 2:7-20; Matthew 2:1-12)
It says in Luke 2:7, “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.”
It also says in Luke 2:11, “For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Saviour, who is Christ the Lord.”
What a moment in the history of mankind!
Just imagine for a minute the awesomeness of the moment.
The shepherd came and found Mary, Joseph, and the Babe lying in a manger. And the shepherd told Mary and Joseph all that had happened to them out in the field.
The wise men came into the house and they saw the young child with Mary his mother and they fell down and worshipped Him. And when they opened their treasures, they presented gifts to Him: gold, frankincense, and myrrh (Matt 2:11).
The incarnation—God in the flesh! Jesus Christ is God in the flesh.
Just think God who is spirit came down from heaven incarnate—in the flesh.
What a moment that must have been for those who saw the baby Jesus . . . those who touched Him!
The third flashback involves…
3. A Unique Mission (Matt 2:21; Luke 2:11; Gal 4:4-5)
When we read the message of the cradle, we see the mission of the cross.
“And she will bring forth a Son, and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins” (Matt 1:21)
“For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Saviour, who is Christ the Lord” (Luke 2:11).
“But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, that we might receive the adoption as sons” (Gal 4:4-5).
The message of the cradle reveals the mission of the cross.
Even the carols we sing of Jesus’ birth reveal the mission of the cross.
Hark! The herald-angels sing, Glory to the new-born King! Peace on earth, and mercy mild, God and sinner reconciled.
How was God and sinners reconciled? It was through the cross. As the apostle Peter said, “Christ suffered once for sins, the just for the unjust, that He might bring us to God” (1 Peter 3:18).
As someone said, “Christ’s birth brought God to man, but it took Christ’s death to bring man to God.”
Silent night, holy night! Shepherds first saw the light, heard resounding clear and long, far and near, the angel-song: Christ the redeemer is here, Christ the Redeemer is here.
So, what’s the unique mission—the redemption of mankind. The apostle Paul summed it up so well when he said, “In Him (Jesus) we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace” (Eph 1:7).
The birth of Jesus Christ was only the beginning of that mission. We know that Jesus grew into a man…a man who died upon the cross of Calvary. “The just for the unjust, that He might bring us to God.”
Yes, we celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ—the coming of the King.
But let’s not forget the mission of the King.
The fourth flashback involves…
4. A Unique Opportunity (Luke 2:17-20)
“Now, when they [ie. Shepherds] had seen Him, they made widely known the saying which was told them concerning this Child. And all who heard it marvelled at those things, which were told them by the shepherds. But Mary kept all these things and pondered them in her heart. Then the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, as it was told to them” (Luke 2:17-20).
So, what’s the unique opportunity?
I see two unique opportunities here in these verses.
A. I see a time to share
I believe a unique opportunity is telling someone else about Jesus.
The shepherds made widely known the virgin birth, the incarnation, and the mission of Jesus Christ.
Telling people about Jesus Christ is a unique opportunity. Think about it. Every time you share Christ you are participating in a unique opportunity.
There is something special about telling someone else the message of Jesus Christ.
Do we see the message of Jesus Christ as a unique opportunity to inform someone of what God has done in the sending of His Son—Jesus Christ?
B. I see a time of worship
After pondering upon what they heard and saw, the shepherds returned to the fields worshipping God—giving Him the glory and praise that God deserves.
Conclusion: May we take a unique opportunity this Christmas to worship God and to share Jesus with someone else!
This Classic Christmas Sermon was compiled by Rev. D. Blackburn BA GDM