Four Voices of Christmas – Voices of Hope
Sermon – December 25th 2005
In Fridays Boston Herald I read a story about a school in the eastern part of the state where the children were informed, at the ire of many parents, that they could not sing songs with and religious references in them.
They also could not wear elf hats with red in them – they had to be white. Christmas trees had to be referred to as magical trees when one parent walked into their child’s class while they were singing, instead of “we wish you a merry Christmas” they were singing “we wish you a swinging holiday”.
The world is doing all it can to sanitize and sterilize the Christmas season to the point where there will be no vestige of Christianity left in what is a decidedly Christian holiday. In every sense of the phrase, they want to remove the ‘Christ’ from ‘Christmas’.
In doing so many miss the fact that Jesus Christ is the hope of Christmas – without Christ there simply is no Christmas. The message of Christmas is hope…hope for a world in darkness.
Luke 1:76-79
And you, my child, will be called a prophet of the Most High;
for you will go on before the Lord to prepare the way for him,
77 to give his people the knowledge of salvation
through the forgiveness of their sins,
78 because of the tender mercy of our God,
by which the rising sun will come to us from heaven
79 to shine on those living in darkness
Luke 1:30-38
The angel said to her, "Do not be afraid, Mary, you have found favor with God. 31 You will be with child and give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus. 32 He 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, 33 and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever; his kingdom will never end." 34 "How will this be," Mary asked the angel, "since I am a virgin?" 35 The angel answered, "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. 36 Even Elizabeth your relative is going to have a child in her old age, and she who was said to be barren is in her sixth month. 37 For nothing is impossible with God." 38 "I am the Lord’s servant," Mary answered. "May it be to me as you have said." Then the angel left her.
Luke 2:25-38
25 Now there was a man in Jerusalem called Simeon, who was righteous and devout. He was waiting for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him. 26 It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not die before he had seen the Lord’s Christ. 27 Moved by the Spirit, he went into the temple courts. When the parents brought in the child Jesus to do for him what the custom of the Law required, 28 Simeon took him in his arms and praised God, saying: 29 "Sovereign Lord, as you have promised, you now dismiss your servant in peace.
30 For my eyes have seen your salvation, 31 which you have prepared in the sight of all people, 32 a light for revelation to the Gentiles and for glory to your people Israel." 36 There was also a prophetess, Anna, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was very old; she had lived with her husband seven years after her marriage, 37 and then was a widow until she was eighty-four. She never left the temple but worshiped night and day, fasting and praying. 38 Coming up to them at that very moment, she gave thanks to God and spoke about the child to all who were looking forward to the redemption of Jerusalem.
H. The Voice of Heaven –
Luke 1:31-33
31 You will be with child and give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus. 32 He 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, 33 and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever; his kingdom will never end.
Here is the angel Gabriel in the main station of angels – a messenger of God. Here he visits Mary with a most amazing message. This is it – the Hope of the world is first announced through the voice of Heaven.
Gabriel tells Mary that she is to name the child Jesus is the Greek form of the name Joshua which means the Lord saves.
Matthew 1:20-21
But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, "Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. 21 She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins."
The Voice of Heaven truly announces the Hope of Christmas.
O. The Voice of Obedience –
Luke 1:38
38 "I am the Lord’s servant," Mary answered. "May it be to me as you have said." Then the angel left her.
This is one of those accounts that we must really give consideration to – here is this young woman betrothed to be married and she receives a visit from an angel telling her that she is going to be with child when she is not yet married and she responds by saying “I am the Lord’s servant.” There was no haste, no questioning
Mary understood what God esteems.
1 Samuel 15:22b
To obey is better than sacrifice…
Notice she did not tell the Lord that she first wanted to get married so as to avoid an potential shame on her or her betrothed. She did not question what she was supposed to say to Joseph. She simply trusted and obeyed.
Acts 20:35b KJV
Remember the words pf the Lord Jesus, how he said, “It is more blessed to give than to receive.”
In this case there is something we can give – as we celebrate the Hope of Christmas we can give to the Lord the gift of our obedience.
John 14:15
If you love me, you will obey what I command.
P. The Voice of Praise –
Luke 2:28-29
Simeon took him in his arms and praised God, saying: 29 "Sovereign Lord, as you have promised, you now dismiss your servant in peace.
Having beheld the Consolation of Israel Simeon praised the Lord and was prepared to pass from the life.
As in the case of all who eagerly seek the Chosen One, Simeon found Him.
Jeremiah 29:13-14b
You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. 14 I will be found by you declares the Lord…
Simeon sought the Messiah of Israel for many years – we know that he was in Jerusalem when Herod the Great took over in 37 B.C.
Hebrews 11:6
Without faith it is impossible to please God because anyone who comes to Him must believe that He exists and that He rewards those who earnestly seek Him.
Simeon knew by faith that God was going to send the Messiah – he diligently sought Him and was rewarded. His eyes beheld the Hope of Israel.
Simeon had a reason to praise the Lord!
All I have seen teaches me to trust the Creator for all I have not seen
- Emerson
The Voice of Heaven, Obedience and Praise…
E. The Voice of Evangelism –
Luke 2:38
Coming up to them at that very moment, she gave thanks to God and spoke about the child to all who were looking forward to the redemption of Jerusalem.
Here is the simple reaction of one who has truly encountered the Hope of the World – she had to tell someone!
When a person has had a true encounter with Jesus Christ they are going to come to the place of needing to tell someone.
Luke 8:38-39
The man who had been demon possessed begged to go, too, but Jesus said, 39 “No, go back to your family and tell them all the wonderful things God has done for you.” So he went all through the city telling about the great thing Jesus had done for him.
Like Simeon, Anna had waited many years for the advent of the Messiah – now here before her eyes was the Lord!
Both Ann and Simeon had seen the brutality of the Romans and Herod. They have watched the Temple worship become diluted by the religious lukewarmness and self-righteousness of those who would prostitute themselves to the Romans.
Now she was looking at the one whose coming had been foretold!
Isaiah 9:6-7a
For a child is born to us, a son is given to us. And the government will rest on his shoulders. These will be his royal titles: Wonderful Counselor,* Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. 7 His ever expanding, peaceful government will never end. He will rule forever with fairness and justice from the throne of his ancestor David.
The Redemption of Israel had come and she was going to tell all who were looking for it. This unrighteous, godless government was going to be replaced with the government of the Messiah and its establishment would begin in our hearts.
To those who know Him, who have experienced Him He still calls…
Isaiah 6:8
8 Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, "Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?"
And I said, "Here am I. Send me!"
He is still the Hope of the Nations…we know through the voice of…
Heaven
Obedience
Praise
Evangelism
