Sermon Illustrations for Christmas Day (2022)
Illustration
Isaiah 9:2-7
On November 4, 2008, Barack Obama was first elected President of the United States. That outcome was not unexpected. The polls showed him leading heading into election day. However, when the reality set in, many in the streets of Chicago, around the nation and the world were excited. Among the reasons for exuberance was the fact that the United States had elected a person of color to the highest office in the land. President Obama served two terms and remains an influential leader today.
The joy on that election night in 2008 was real. I can only imagine the joy in heaven on the night when Jesus was born. The world did not understand and mostly missed the significance of the baby born in Bethlehem. However, the prophets foresaw what his coming would mean. “Authority rests upon his shoulders, and he is named Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Great will be his authority, and there shall be endless peace” (vs. 6-7). The coming of Jesus changed everything. Nothing would ever be the same.
Bill T.
* * *
Isaiah 9:2-7
“For a child has been born for us, a son given to us.” What joy there is in this celebration! New babies usually bring joy and hope. There’s something about the softness of their skin, the wrinkling skin, the hair (or not) that sprouts from their heads, all this and the cries quickly comforted by loving parents that bring us joy and hope for tomorrow. Oh, that it will always be that way. This Christmas Eve, we need to also think about the fear and uncertainty surrounding Mary and Joseph, refugees in an conquered nation, whose very survival was at the whim of the Roman oppressors. There was certainly joy at the birth of their son, God’s son, but the fear and worry had to rest heavily on them. Perhaps the prophecy of Isaiah was a comfort, “For the yoke of their burden, and the bar across their shoulders, the rod of their oppressor, you have broken as on the day of Midian.” I pray it was so.
Bonnie B.
* * *
Isaiah 9:2-7
The Messiah, the new king, is said to be a great light for those who had been in darkness (v.2). On this text Martin Luther comments:
So, then the people of the whole world, Jews as well as Gentiles, were in darkness, that is, in error, unrighteousness, notions of a false understanding of the law, etc. Light is the gospel, the gift of the Holy Spirit. (Luther’s Works, Vol.16, p.97)
The first reformer’s teacher Augustine taught that Christ is a light like no other. And then he added: “And Thou didst beat back the infirmity of my sight, pouring for upon me most strongly thy beams of light, and I trembled with love and fear...” (Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, First Series, Vol.1, p.109). What Indian guru Maharishi Yogi said should be applied to Christ the Messiah who is light: “Don’t fight darkness — bring the light and the darkness will disappear.”
Mark E.
* * *
Titus 2:11-14
Elizabeth Keckley was the chief dressmaker of First Lady Mary Todd Lincoln. Keckley was a free black woman during the Civil War, and she chronicled her story in her book, Behind the Scenes or Thirty Years a Slave, and Four Years in the White House. As she recounts in her book, her journey to freedom was long and arduous. She was born in 1818 and was a slave for about thirty years. Her greatest desire was to purchase freedom for herself and her son. Her owner agreed that if she could raise $1,200, she could gain her freedom. Keckley worked as a seamstress and came up with a plan to go to New York City and work there to raise the money, but her owner feared that she would not return. It was during this time, working as a seamstress in St. Louis, that she caught the attention of Mary Todd. She worked hard, raised as much as she could. She got the support of those for whom she sewed. Finally, on November 13, 1855, she was emancipated. Elizabeth Keckley was a free woman.
Elizabeth Keckley had to work and pay the price for her freedom from the bonds of slavery. Today, though, we celebrate the freedom that was bought for Keckley and all of us. Jesus “gave himself for us that he might redeem us from all iniquity and purify for himself a people of his own who are zealous for good deeds” (vs. 14). Freedom matters. Jesus came to set us free. “If the son sets you free, you shall be free indeed” (John 8:36).
Bill T.
* * *
Titus 2:11-14
There’s still a week to go before a lot of folks make resolutions, but in this season of gift giving, you might consider giving yourself a gift. Paul tells Titus “…the grace of God has appeared,” referring one assumes to the birth of Jesus, and that grace is “…training us to renounce impiety and worldly passions and in the present age to live lives that are self-controlled, upright, and godly… (Titus 2:12).” Training ourselves to renounce bad habits and to take up good ones involves more than simply resolving. It often includes taking actions and even inviting partners to work with us.
One thing you can do when it comes to changing your behavior is to, in the classic phrase, “avoid the near occasions of sin.” If you don’t want to talk or text on your phone while you’re driving, try putting it in the glove compartment, or some other place that is difficult or impossible to reach while you’re in the car. If you’re problem is gambling don’t make purchases don’t get in line at the stores where you stand next to or near the lottery ticket dispenser. If you’re trying to cut back on sweets, don’t buy any to bring home. None of these will work perfectly, but if you have to work harder to be less godly you may stray less often.
Not that Paul says grace is “…training us to renounce impiety…”. Christianity is not a solitary endeavor. We’re in this together, with other people who share our weaknesses. I have diabetes and have struggled with my weight all my life. Yes, I know what I need to do, and not to do, and should be able to accomplish these things on my own but I still struggle. While some do very good on weight loss programs on their own, I take part in a program in which I have to pay money, drive to a meeting, and sit down and spend – I almost said waste – waist, I mean – time sharing with others, providing and receiving support.
Us. We’re doing this together.
Frank R.
* * *
Luke 2:1-14
This scripture from Luke is perhaps one of the most familiar to us. The proclamation of the birth of Jesus, the stable, the swaddling clothes, the shepherds and angels are all so very familiar. Yes, they are familiar. Christmas pageants galore have celebrated these moments in time. We tell the story again and again. It comforts us, that God would come into the world – not as conquering hero but as a vulnerable baby born of unmarried parents in a conquered land. There is such wonder. No matter how very familiar the story is, the wonder doesn’t end. When I talked with my granddaughters about Christmas and the birth of Jesus, they listened with rapt attention. You see their own baby brother had been born three weeks earlier and they couldn’t quite imagine the baby in a stable, wrapped in rags, and laid in a manger with all the animals around, with shepherds and angels. They listened to the story filled with wonder. May we do so as well.
Bonnie B.
* * *
Luke 2:1-14, (15-20)
“…and Mary treasured all these words and pondered them in her heart (Luke 2:19).” Wait. A visit from an angel. A virgin pregnancy. Joseph’s report of his dream. Shepherds bursting on the scene while she recovers from the rigors of labor. And Mary ponders these words in her heart. What’s there to think about? Doesn’t she just know everything now? Actually, I’m rather heartened that despite all the confirmation that has happened since she responded to Gabriel, “Here I am, the servant of the Lord; let it be with me according to your word (Luke 2:38)” Mary reflects on everything that’s been said and spoken. Reflection, time, and returning to what has occurred unearths deeper meaning and message. The events of her past – and our faith journey – don’t change, but our understanding of what occurred, and its deeper meanings only become richer. I’m reminded about the fact that Julian of Norwich (1343 -- ~1416), the first woman to write a book in the English language, wrote two versions of the visions she had about her encounter with Jesus. The first occurred not long after her recovery from what seemed to be a fatal illness and a miraculous recovery. The second was written over twenty years later. The visions didn’t change, but she understood them better. One hopes Mary’s reflections after the wedding feast at Cana, or after Jesus rejected her and her other sons when speaking of his “true” family, or at the foot of the cross, at the resurrection, and after Pentecost, revealed deeper challenges, sorrows, and joys.
Frank R.
* * *
Luke 2:1-14 (15-20)
Why Christmas? Why the Incarnation? The famous Danish Christian Philosopher Søren Kierkegaard offers a thoughtful account. He told the story of a great and powerful king who was lonely. Despite his good looks and pleasent ways, few really knew him. One day he spied a beautiful maiden, and it was love at first sight. He wanted to marry her, but he had a problem. He feared that if she knew who he was, she would say yes for the wrong reasons – for the power and wealth that came with being a queen. Then the king decided to meet the young lady dressed in the rags of a beggar. He knew the challenges this would bring to winning her favor, but then if the maiden fell in love with him it would clearly be because she loved him. Kierkegaard then suggests that this is God’s style in wooing us, as God comes in Jesus in the rags of a beggar (Philosophical Fragments, pp.32-43).
In a sermon on the Christmas story Martin Luther elaborated on this point:
God is amazing. The babe is in a manger, not worthy of a cradle or a diaper, and yet he is called Savior and Lord. (The Martin Luther Christmas Book, p.48)
Why does God operate this way? Again, Luther’s observations are profound:
Divinity may terrify man. Inexpressible majesty will crush him. That is why Christ took on our humanity, save for sin, that he should not terrify us but rather with love and favor he should console and confirm. (The Martin Luther Christmas Book, p.40)
Mark E.
On November 4, 2008, Barack Obama was first elected President of the United States. That outcome was not unexpected. The polls showed him leading heading into election day. However, when the reality set in, many in the streets of Chicago, around the nation and the world were excited. Among the reasons for exuberance was the fact that the United States had elected a person of color to the highest office in the land. President Obama served two terms and remains an influential leader today.
The joy on that election night in 2008 was real. I can only imagine the joy in heaven on the night when Jesus was born. The world did not understand and mostly missed the significance of the baby born in Bethlehem. However, the prophets foresaw what his coming would mean. “Authority rests upon his shoulders, and he is named Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Great will be his authority, and there shall be endless peace” (vs. 6-7). The coming of Jesus changed everything. Nothing would ever be the same.
Bill T.
* * *
Isaiah 9:2-7
“For a child has been born for us, a son given to us.” What joy there is in this celebration! New babies usually bring joy and hope. There’s something about the softness of their skin, the wrinkling skin, the hair (or not) that sprouts from their heads, all this and the cries quickly comforted by loving parents that bring us joy and hope for tomorrow. Oh, that it will always be that way. This Christmas Eve, we need to also think about the fear and uncertainty surrounding Mary and Joseph, refugees in an conquered nation, whose very survival was at the whim of the Roman oppressors. There was certainly joy at the birth of their son, God’s son, but the fear and worry had to rest heavily on them. Perhaps the prophecy of Isaiah was a comfort, “For the yoke of their burden, and the bar across their shoulders, the rod of their oppressor, you have broken as on the day of Midian.” I pray it was so.
Bonnie B.
* * *
Isaiah 9:2-7
The Messiah, the new king, is said to be a great light for those who had been in darkness (v.2). On this text Martin Luther comments:
So, then the people of the whole world, Jews as well as Gentiles, were in darkness, that is, in error, unrighteousness, notions of a false understanding of the law, etc. Light is the gospel, the gift of the Holy Spirit. (Luther’s Works, Vol.16, p.97)
The first reformer’s teacher Augustine taught that Christ is a light like no other. And then he added: “And Thou didst beat back the infirmity of my sight, pouring for upon me most strongly thy beams of light, and I trembled with love and fear...” (Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, First Series, Vol.1, p.109). What Indian guru Maharishi Yogi said should be applied to Christ the Messiah who is light: “Don’t fight darkness — bring the light and the darkness will disappear.”
Mark E.
* * *
Titus 2:11-14
Elizabeth Keckley was the chief dressmaker of First Lady Mary Todd Lincoln. Keckley was a free black woman during the Civil War, and she chronicled her story in her book, Behind the Scenes or Thirty Years a Slave, and Four Years in the White House. As she recounts in her book, her journey to freedom was long and arduous. She was born in 1818 and was a slave for about thirty years. Her greatest desire was to purchase freedom for herself and her son. Her owner agreed that if she could raise $1,200, she could gain her freedom. Keckley worked as a seamstress and came up with a plan to go to New York City and work there to raise the money, but her owner feared that she would not return. It was during this time, working as a seamstress in St. Louis, that she caught the attention of Mary Todd. She worked hard, raised as much as she could. She got the support of those for whom she sewed. Finally, on November 13, 1855, she was emancipated. Elizabeth Keckley was a free woman.
Elizabeth Keckley had to work and pay the price for her freedom from the bonds of slavery. Today, though, we celebrate the freedom that was bought for Keckley and all of us. Jesus “gave himself for us that he might redeem us from all iniquity and purify for himself a people of his own who are zealous for good deeds” (vs. 14). Freedom matters. Jesus came to set us free. “If the son sets you free, you shall be free indeed” (John 8:36).
Bill T.
* * *
Titus 2:11-14
There’s still a week to go before a lot of folks make resolutions, but in this season of gift giving, you might consider giving yourself a gift. Paul tells Titus “…the grace of God has appeared,” referring one assumes to the birth of Jesus, and that grace is “…training us to renounce impiety and worldly passions and in the present age to live lives that are self-controlled, upright, and godly… (Titus 2:12).” Training ourselves to renounce bad habits and to take up good ones involves more than simply resolving. It often includes taking actions and even inviting partners to work with us.
One thing you can do when it comes to changing your behavior is to, in the classic phrase, “avoid the near occasions of sin.” If you don’t want to talk or text on your phone while you’re driving, try putting it in the glove compartment, or some other place that is difficult or impossible to reach while you’re in the car. If you’re problem is gambling don’t make purchases don’t get in line at the stores where you stand next to or near the lottery ticket dispenser. If you’re trying to cut back on sweets, don’t buy any to bring home. None of these will work perfectly, but if you have to work harder to be less godly you may stray less often.
Not that Paul says grace is “…training us to renounce impiety…”. Christianity is not a solitary endeavor. We’re in this together, with other people who share our weaknesses. I have diabetes and have struggled with my weight all my life. Yes, I know what I need to do, and not to do, and should be able to accomplish these things on my own but I still struggle. While some do very good on weight loss programs on their own, I take part in a program in which I have to pay money, drive to a meeting, and sit down and spend – I almost said waste – waist, I mean – time sharing with others, providing and receiving support.
Us. We’re doing this together.
Frank R.
* * *
Luke 2:1-14
This scripture from Luke is perhaps one of the most familiar to us. The proclamation of the birth of Jesus, the stable, the swaddling clothes, the shepherds and angels are all so very familiar. Yes, they are familiar. Christmas pageants galore have celebrated these moments in time. We tell the story again and again. It comforts us, that God would come into the world – not as conquering hero but as a vulnerable baby born of unmarried parents in a conquered land. There is such wonder. No matter how very familiar the story is, the wonder doesn’t end. When I talked with my granddaughters about Christmas and the birth of Jesus, they listened with rapt attention. You see their own baby brother had been born three weeks earlier and they couldn’t quite imagine the baby in a stable, wrapped in rags, and laid in a manger with all the animals around, with shepherds and angels. They listened to the story filled with wonder. May we do so as well.
Bonnie B.
* * *
Luke 2:1-14, (15-20)
“…and Mary treasured all these words and pondered them in her heart (Luke 2:19).” Wait. A visit from an angel. A virgin pregnancy. Joseph’s report of his dream. Shepherds bursting on the scene while she recovers from the rigors of labor. And Mary ponders these words in her heart. What’s there to think about? Doesn’t she just know everything now? Actually, I’m rather heartened that despite all the confirmation that has happened since she responded to Gabriel, “Here I am, the servant of the Lord; let it be with me according to your word (Luke 2:38)” Mary reflects on everything that’s been said and spoken. Reflection, time, and returning to what has occurred unearths deeper meaning and message. The events of her past – and our faith journey – don’t change, but our understanding of what occurred, and its deeper meanings only become richer. I’m reminded about the fact that Julian of Norwich (1343 -- ~1416), the first woman to write a book in the English language, wrote two versions of the visions she had about her encounter with Jesus. The first occurred not long after her recovery from what seemed to be a fatal illness and a miraculous recovery. The second was written over twenty years later. The visions didn’t change, but she understood them better. One hopes Mary’s reflections after the wedding feast at Cana, or after Jesus rejected her and her other sons when speaking of his “true” family, or at the foot of the cross, at the resurrection, and after Pentecost, revealed deeper challenges, sorrows, and joys.
Frank R.
* * *
Luke 2:1-14 (15-20)
Why Christmas? Why the Incarnation? The famous Danish Christian Philosopher Søren Kierkegaard offers a thoughtful account. He told the story of a great and powerful king who was lonely. Despite his good looks and pleasent ways, few really knew him. One day he spied a beautiful maiden, and it was love at first sight. He wanted to marry her, but he had a problem. He feared that if she knew who he was, she would say yes for the wrong reasons – for the power and wealth that came with being a queen. Then the king decided to meet the young lady dressed in the rags of a beggar. He knew the challenges this would bring to winning her favor, but then if the maiden fell in love with him it would clearly be because she loved him. Kierkegaard then suggests that this is God’s style in wooing us, as God comes in Jesus in the rags of a beggar (Philosophical Fragments, pp.32-43).
In a sermon on the Christmas story Martin Luther elaborated on this point:
God is amazing. The babe is in a manger, not worthy of a cradle or a diaper, and yet he is called Savior and Lord. (The Martin Luther Christmas Book, p.48)
Why does God operate this way? Again, Luther’s observations are profound:
Divinity may terrify man. Inexpressible majesty will crush him. That is why Christ took on our humanity, save for sin, that he should not terrify us but rather with love and favor he should console and confirm. (The Martin Luther Christmas Book, p.40)
Mark E.
