Christmas Eve Service 6pm

In one paragraph

This Christmas Eve service centered on the nativity story read in full, with the preacher tracing the responses of every person who encountered the news of Christ's birth. That thread of responses carried the service into a close reading of three New Testament passages built around a single grammatical phrase, showing what God's purpose was in sending His Son. The message closed with a candle...

Read together

1. John 8:12 Jesus declares himself the light of the world; quoted twice, once at candle lighting and once near the close
2. Isaiah 7:14 prophecy of the virgin bearing a son called Emmanuel, read as part of the nativity narrative
3. Isaiah 9:6-7 child born to us, wonderful counselor, mighty God, eternal father, prince of peace, read as part of the nativity narrative
4. Micah 5:2 Bethlehem named as birthplace of the coming ruler, attributed explicitly to Micah 5:2
5. Matthew 1:18-24 Joseph's dream, the angel's announcement, and his obedience read as part of the nativity story
6. Luke 2:1-20 census, birth in Bethlehem, shepherds and angels, shepherds finding Jesus and praising God
7. Luke 2:10 angel's announcement of good news of great joy for all people, cited as the verse most on the preacher's mind that Christmas season
8. Matthew 2:1-11 Magi from the East, Herod troubled, Magi following the star, worshiping Jesus and presenting gifts
9. Galatians 4:4-5 fullness of time, God sent His Son, so that we might receive adoption as sons
10. 2 Corinthians 8:9 though He was rich He became poor so that through His poverty we might become rich
11. John 3:16 God loved the world and gave His Son so that whoever is putting their trust in Him might not perish but have eternal life, translated directly from the Greek to highlight the hina clause
12. John 1:5 the light shines in the darkness and the darkness can never extinguish it, quoted at the candle-lighting close
13. Matthew 5:14-16 you are the light of the world, a town on a hill, let your light shine before others

Talk about it

1. The message drew attention to how different people in the Christmas story responded to the news of Jesus: Mary, Joseph, the shepherds, the Magi, and Herod. Which of those responses do you find yourself most identifying with, and why?
2. The shepherds were described as ordinary, hardworking people minding their own business when the angel appeared to them, and the message was said to be specifically crafted for them. Has there been a moment in your own life when the good news of Jesus felt like it was addressed directly to you?
3. The preacher walked through three passages where God acted with a stated purpose, and pointed out that the 'so that' in each one leaves room for a human response. Does the idea that God's gift requires acceptance challenge you, comfort you, or both?
4. Second Corinthians 8:9 says that though Christ was rich, He became poor so that we through His poverty might become rich. What do you think it means to be made rich in that sense, and how does it change the way you think about what Christmas is actually celebrating?
5. At the close of the service, John 1:5 was read: 'The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness can never extinguish it.' Then Matthew 5 was brought in, where Jesus tells his followers they are the light of the world. What does it look like practically for you to let that light shine in the week ahead?