Christmas Eve Service
“See Jesus in your Christmas Traditions!”
Thesis: Today we need to see Jesus in our Christmas traditions because the season points to His great gift of eternal life to us.
Introduction:
Quotes: Christmas is the harvest time of love. Souls are drawn to other souls. All that we have read and thought and hoped comes to fruition at this happy time. Our spirits are astir. We feel within us a strong desire to serve. A strange, subtle force, a new kindness animates man and child. A new spirit is growing in us. No longer are we content to relieve pain, to sweeten sorrow, to give the crust of charity. We dare to give friendship, service, the equal loaf of bread and love…Helen Keller (1880-1968)
A lovely thing about Christmas is that it’s compulsory, like a thunderstorm, and we all go through it together…Garrison Keillor
Logically, Christmas is a politically incorrect festival that causes embarrassment to those Americans who are not Christian (though not to Islamic shoppers because for them Jesus is the greatest of the prophets before Muhammad and his birthday deserves to be celebrated). But Christmas is an intricate element in American culture and cannot be extirpated. …Andrew Greeley, “Let’s Give the Holidays back to the Pagans,” Chicago-Sun Times, 13 Dec 2005
Text: John 3:16-21:
16“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only 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. 18Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son.19This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but men loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. 20Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that his deeds will be exposed. 21But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what he has done has been done through God.”
This section of Scripture tells us why God the Father sent Jesus to the world over 2,000 years ago into that manger in Bethlehem. It was an act of love so that mankind could be saved and delivered from the power and the destruction of evil. God opened up his heart and sent Jesus the Light of the World to a barn, a stinky gross place to be born so that you and I could be saved from our sins.
We have seen from our video clips tonight that Mary was the chosen vessel to give birth to our Savior and we have seen what she had to endure as a result of this gift from Heaven, yet she praised God even in the midst of the hardship. She felt blessed by God for being chosen by Him to be a part of His plan for the 1st Christmas. She endured hardship, pain, rejections and a difficult birthing experience. But to her it was worth it! Jesus was born to set in motion the salvation of the world. She magnified the Lord! She fulfilled her divine mission and she is honored in Heaven for doing it faithfully. She herself saw the light of the world and believed! She caught a divine vision of Jesus!
I stand here before you tonight on Christmas Eve and I am compelled to ask a couple of questions:
Do you see Jesus in your Christmas traditions?
Do you see Him in your life working?
Do you love Him?
Do you believe in Him and His miraculous birth?
Are you promoting Him this Christmas Eve in your celebrations?
Do you want to see His divine light tonight?
Our Scripture text tells us that “yes” there will be those who will try to fight against the light of the world and will try to remove Him from Christmas! They have been doing this since the first Christmas. King Herod tried and failed and so will the rest! Why, do they do this? Because they are evil and they hate what the light represents. They fight against Jesus this time of the year because they do not want to be reminded that they are living for evil not for good. They want to remove any reference of Jesus from Christmas to hide their sinful lifestyles and sooth their consciences. They think if they get rid of the baby Jesus and any reference to His mission then they will not feel so guilty. But the only way to be delivered from sin is to ask Christ into our hearts. But many will continue to fight against Jesus and any reference to Him. But hear me Christian – “God is going to win this spiritual war.” It is important to see Jesus birth and his great gift of the light. When we allow the light of Christ to invade our hearts we will see and understand things that we never saw before. We will see that we are where we are because of Jesus not because of our own effort or gifts. So we need to see Jesus in the Christmas celebrations to be reminded of His great gift to us.
Christmas in America has many traditions and symbols associated with the celebration. The truth is many of the symbols you see at Christmas originated through pagan worship practices. But I recall from Genesis 50: 20 about the story of Joseph who was sold into slavery by his brothers. He ended up becoming the second in charge in Egypt and after his father’s death and the reunion with his brothers they feared for their lives. But Joseph said to his brothers, “You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives.” Joseph in essence said “God took what was meant for evil and he turned it around to save many lives and to do good for the Kingdom of God.” God always has a way of taking something meant for evil and turning it around for good! This is what He did with the many celebrations and traditions of Christmas which we practice today.
I am also reminded of how Paul took things like the Temple of the Unknown God and used that to point to Jesus Christ, and how the Apostle John used the word Logos which before had a secular meaning to point to Jesus Christ and God’s one and only son.
So don’t be afraid to celebrate Christmas – just be willing to see Jesus through the traditions of Christmas and point it out to your family and friends.
T.S. - Do you see the Light of Christ this season in your holiday traditions?
I. If you look you can see Jesus in the Christmas Trees which you place in your homes!
a. Story: Christmas Trees and their origin from Collins book Stories Behind the Traditions of Christmas.
i. The Christmas tree: It is a tradition that dates back for centuries and has become a Christmas Tradition. The evergreen tree became a symbol of strength and hope for the Vikings. Its ability to survive harsh winters and to stay green amazed them. The Vikings would chop down a fir trees and bring home in the middle of winter to strengthen the family through this harsh time. It became known as a symbol of life and good fortune.
1. St Boniface a monk from England is said to have come across some men who were about to offer up a child sacrifice to Thor. Boniface stopped the murder of this child by going over to an oak tree and hitting it and it fell to the ground. When all the snow settled their appeared a small fir tree. Boniface pointed to the small fir and said that is the tree of life and this boy is to live not die. He then pointed at the tree again and said “This tree does not die in winter like others but lives and it symbolizes the eternal life offered to them through Jesus Christ.” He then noted that the shape of the fir tree is triangular and it represents the Trinity of God. Upon this declaration the men repented and gave their hearts to Jesus and the boy’s life was spared (Collins, Stories Behind The Great Traditions of Christmas, page 70-71).
a. 500 years later this legend continues and the fir trees took on the meaning life, strength and hope even in the harshest time of year.
i. The first Christmas tree appeared in 1510 in Latvia and was also called the paradise tree of life.
ii. The church leaders looked to the tree to as a symbol of the life giving power of the Lord Jesus and the reference to His willingness to die on a tree for the salvation of the world.
iii. The tree may have started out as pagan worship but the Lord tuned the practice around for good and it today points to Jesus great sacrifice.
b. Martin Luther noted that the tree represented the everlasting love of God. He pointed out to his church that the evergreen’s color did not fade, just as the love of the Lord did not fade even in the most harshest of times.
i. Martin Luther was the first person to put candles on a tree.
1. To him the candlelight represented the hope of Jesus which came into the world at his birth. He used the text above to point to the Christ child as the light of the world.
2. Luther’s tradition caught on quickly and has spread throughout the world. The tree has evolved into not just a Christmas symbol of Christ’s birth and death and the gift of eternal life but also of the truth of the Christian faith in general.
3. So when we look at the Christmas tree, it should remind us of Christ’s death and birth.
a. 1 Peter 2:24 who Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, having died to sins, might live for righteousness--by whose stripes you were healed.
Jesus Christ, gave His life on a tree known as the cross for you and me.
T.S. – The Christmas tree paved the way for the light of Christmas to be portrayed and helps us to see the light of Christ.
II. The story behind the lights on the trees and the lights of Christmas.
a. The lights that we place on the tree remind us of the light of the world. When Jesus was born in Bethlehem he brought into this dark world the light of Heaven and a hope for the future.
i. John 8:12: “Then Jesus spoke to them again, saying, "I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life."
b. Martin Luther forever changed the way we view the evergreen tree today. Collins tells us:
i. “Martin Luther transformed the look of the Christmas tree forever after a late night December walk through the German woods almost five hundred years ago. Enthralled with the way the star-light looked as it filtered through the branches of evergreen trees, he felt as if the hand of God had touched his soul and had allowed him to see the world in a much different way. Stopping on a snow –covered rise, he studied the scene for some time. Its tranquil beauty and soft light brought a great sense of peace to Luther” (Page 118).
1. This epiphany moment for Luther set in motion the placing of lights or candles on the Evergreen tree at Christmas.
a. These lights point to the “Light of the World” Jesus!
2. Luther attached the candles and told the story to his family friends of that time in the woods and what the Lord had shown Him. His tradition spread rapidly as many Christians adopted the practice to make a point to their families about the importance of the Christmas child’s light to the world.
a. Many children learned the meaning behind the lights and it has saved many lives!
T.S. – The lights of Christmas point to Jesus as the light of the world but there are other traditions that point to Jesus and His message of hope as well. Let’s look at the mistletoe.
III. The symbol of Christ in mistletoe.
a. Collins notes, “The name implies that the plant sprang to life from bird droppings on tree branches. The inspiration behind the plant’s christening, though true, might seem a bit crude and distasteful today, but to the people of the first and second century it was a radiant sign of God’s power to bring life from death, to create something beautiful and robust from something ugly and useless” (125).
i. Mistletoe sprang to life in Christmas because of its ability to thrive when everything else seemed to be dead and barren.
1. The same can be said of Christianity in the beginning!
b. Over time and from Scandinavian legend the plant was a symbol for peace.
i. Scandinavian warriors would not fight under any tree with mistletoe on her branches. They believed that to fight under the God given plant of life was a slap in the face of God.
c. Mistletoe was discovered to have many healing attributes. The plant was credited with treating epilepsy, apoplexy, palsy, tuberculosis, and even stroke. Even today mistletoe is being studied by researchers as an antidote in the fight against cancer.
i. So it was seen as a plant that brought healing and health to a person.
d. In England mistletoe evolved into the symbol of love. When couples would pass under they would stop and kiss. That kiss would be seen by God and in turn he would bless them with everlasting love.
i. You could only kiss so much though and that depended on how many berries were attached to the mistletoe.
e. Collins notes, “Today the mistletoe’s Christian message of peace, faith, and hope has been largely lost, but even if in a rather childish fashion, the message of love has remained. That is why mistletoe is mentioned in countless Christmas songs, movies, and TV shows. The green-and-red plant can be seen topping silly hats and decorating all kinds of clothing. It can also still be found hanging over millions of doors. In a world that often embraces Christmas without embracing its real meaning, maybe it is time to bring mistletoe back into the church. Maybe by having the green sprig with red berries hanging in a house of worship, people can reclaim mistletoe as the symbol of sustaining faith, hope and love” (129-130).
T.S. – Mistletoe has a Christian meaning and so do many other decorations and traditions of Christmas especially the Christmas colors.
IV. The traditional colors of Christmas.
a. The colors of Christmas Red, Green and Gold:
i. Red stands for the blood of Jesus which was spilled for us on the cross to give us eternal life.
ii. Green is the symbol for that eternal life.
iii. Gold is to point to the place where we will spend our eternal life which is in Heaven.
1. Gold represents the glow and the light of Heaven as well as her streets of Gold.
2. Heaven is possible all because of the blood of Jesus!
a. Revelation 12:11 “They overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony…”
T.S. – The colors of Christmas tell the story of Jesus as do many other decorations a Christmas like the Holly.
V. The meaning behind Holly and how you can see Christ’s death and birth through it.
a. It to originated as a pagan symbol of good luck and was used in the worship of the Romans for their god Saturn during the Saturnalia festival.
b. Holly was used by the Roman Christians as a teaching tool to explain the life and the death of Jesus Christ.
i. The prickly thorns and leaves were used to represent and to tell about Jesus Crown of thorns which was placed on Him at the Crucifixion.
1. The plants red berries referenced the blood of Jesus and it’s life giving power.
ii. They took something meant for evil and turned it around for good.
c. The Germans called Holly “Christdorn.”
T.S. – The Roman Christians redefined the meaning of Holly in celebrating Christ’s birth and another famous plant has eternal meaning also and that is the Poinsettia.
VI. The poinsettias story
a. The poinsettia also used to be used by the Aztecs during their live sacrifices and worship to their gods.
i. In the Aztec culture common people were not allowed to handle or to touch this plan called cuetlaxochitle. This plant was set apart from all other plants and used for medicines and even dyes by the religious leaders.
b. But once again the plant is turned around for good:
i. The story goes like this according to Collins:
1. At some point a very poor Mexican girl named Pepita walked forward to visit the altar and view the babe in the manger. Pepita cried as she took in the scene (the nativity of Jesus). When concerned adults asked her what was wrong, she explained that she had no gift worthy of Jesus. She felt that if this was his birthday, he should be presented with a gift. Someone knelt beside the small girl, explaining that even the most humble gift, if given in love, would be all Christ would ask. Pepita left the mission grounds and walked out into the country to look for a gift. She found some beautiful green weeds growing along the side of the road. After she has carefully picked them, Pepita brought them back to the nativity scene. Kneeling down in front of the crib, she offered the bouquet to baby Jesus. Suddenly the green plant she had placed beside the manger dramatically changed. As if by divine order, the leaves turned a vivid red. Those attending the services that night believed they had witnessed a miracle. Many fell to their knees alongside the child. As the congregation prayed, on of the friars came forward and bent over to study the plant. Turning to his flock, he explained that pepita had discovered the flor de nochebuena, or “flower of the blessed night.” Thus, the flor de nochebuena, or cuetlaxochitle, became a Mexican symbol of Christmas and of the conversion of the area’s many new Christians” (154, 155).
2. The Poinsettias got there name from the United States Mexican Ambassador who brought them and the story back to the United States. His name was Joel Poinsett and this plant was introduced by him in about 1824 to the US at Christmas.
Conclusion:
There are many more Christmas tradition we could highlight like:
Santa Claus emerged from the life of St Nicholas a priest who gave all His family fortune away to the poor and needy. He served God with his whole heart, mind, soul and life and he became the archbishop of Myra. He was a great man of God and was loved by all. He is said to have been very generous in helping out the poor. He was known to have prayed for people who were sick and they would get healed.
Stockings: The tradition of hanging a stocking out at Christmas came from the legend of St Nicholas also who saved the life of three daughters from poverty and slavery. The story tells of a Father who was poor and unable to attain dowries to marry off his three daughters. There life looked hopeless until one night the father prayed to the Lord for help. He did not want to have to sell one of his daughters off into slavery. So he prayed for a miracle. The custom in those days which was a daily custom was to wash your socks at the end of the day then hang them by the fire to dry each night so that you could put on you clean socks. After the father’s prayer that night St. Nicholas had been seen in town and miraculously a gold coin appeared in the oldest daughter’s sock that night. That coin was used as a dowry and the girl was married off. This same miracle happened for all three daughters when they became of age to be married off and this father shared how God had done a miracle for him. Every time gold coins appeared in people’s stockings it seemed St Nicholas was always seen in that town.
We could reference the candy cane but I talked about its meaning last week but the point is -- there are many others traditions of Christmas which point to Jesus.
The point: We need to remember that everything we do and how we decorate for Christmas points to the baby Jesus and to His great gift of eternal life. This is why we celebrate His birthday and we need to see Him in our Christmas celebration and tell others the stories and the meaning behind the symbols of Christmas so more lives can be saved!
Quote to close: What keeps the wild hope Christmas alive year after year in a world notorious for dashing all hopes is the haunting dream that the child who was born that day may yet be born again even in us and with our snowbound, snowblind longing for him...Frederick Buechner,
