O Come Let Us Adore Him

 

[The following is a manuscript of our 2022 Christmas Day message at Pilgrim Reformed Church.  The full service was one of music and scripture.  Our YouTube streaming channel is: 

http://www.youtube.com/channel/UCDIz4WuP8igQstkEOq1AMTg.]

“Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.  For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.”  (Luke 2:10b-11 (KJV))

Today we rejoice in the greatest gift we’ve ever been given, the gift of salvation through our Lord Christ Jesus.  This is indeed a day for great joy and rejoicing, for God came down to earth to be among us and to take away our sin.  Let us rejoice and give thanks to our Lord!

Let us come together now with one heart and one voice to worship our Father God.  In the glorious name of Christ Jesus our Lord.  Amen.

We celebrate the birth of our Lord Jesus by lighting the Christ candle:

Rejoice, you people of God!  Shout Halleluiah, all you believers!  For this day the Word becomes flesh and dwells among us.  In Him is life, and the life is the Light of men.  The Light shines in our darkness, showing us the way to eternal life.

Today, the candles of hope, love, joy, and peace all blend their light together to focus our gaze upon the one true Light:  Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior.  Today, we celebrate the birth of Him in whom we place all our hopes, who loves us more than life and calls us to love, whose arrival brings great joy to all the world, and who promises a peace that will have no end.  Today, we light the candle of Christ to celebrate and honor His birth, and to light our way as we await His return.

Let us pray...  Savior Jesus, You bring hope, love, joy, and peace into this wretched world.  We await Your return when You will gather Your church to Your side and take us home to live with You in peace forever.  As we wait, let us be Your candle of hope, love, joy, and peace that shines throughout the world.  Come, thou long-awaited Jesus, come.  Amen.

Hear the words of God spoken through His prophet Micah in chapter 5, verse 2 of the book bearing his name…

2 “But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah,

Though you are little among the thousands of Judah,

Yet out of you shall come forth to Me

The One to be Ruler in Israel,

Whose goings forth are from of old,

From everlasting.”

--Micah 5:2 (NKJV)

The Apostle Luke tells of the birth of Jesus in the first 18 verses of the 2nd chapter of his Gospel account…

1 And it came to pass in those days that a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered. 2 This census first took place while Quirinius was governing Syria. 3 So all went to be registered, everyone to his own city.

4 Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David, 5 to be registered with Mary, his betrothed wife, who was with child.

6 So it was, that while they were there, the days were completed for her to be delivered. 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.

8 Now there were in the same country shepherds living out in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. 9 And behold, an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were greatly afraid. 10 Then the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people. 11 For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. 12 And this will be the sign to you: You will find a Babe wrapped in swaddling cloths, lying in a manger.”

13 And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying:

14 “Glory to God in the highest,

And on earth peace, goodwill toward men!”

15 So it was, when the angels had gone away from them into heaven, that the shepherds said to one another, “Let us now go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has come to pass, which the Lord has made known to us.” 16 And they came with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the Babe lying in a manger. 17 Now when they had seen Him, they made widely known the saying which was told them concerning this Child. 18 And all those who heard it marveled at those things which were told them by the shepherds.

--Luke 2:1-18 (NKJV)

Hear now of a very special visit, by wise men who came from afar seeking the Messiah, from the 2nd chapter of the Apostle Matthew’s Gospel account, verses 1 & 2 and 7 through 11…

1 Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the East came to Jerusalem, 2 saying, “Where is He who has been born King of the Jews? For we have seen His star in the East and have come to worship Him.”

7 Then Herod, when he had secretly called the wise men, determined from them what time the star appeared. 8 And he sent them to Bethlehem and said, “Go and search carefully for the young Child, and when you have found Him, bring back word to me, that I may come and worship Him also.”

9 When they heard the king, they departed; and behold, the star which they had seen in the East went before them, till it came and stood over where the young Child was. 10 When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceedingly great joy. 11 And when they had come into the house, they saw the young Child with Mary His mother, and fell down and worshiped Him. And when they had opened their treasures, they presented gifts to Him: gold, frankincense, and myrrh.

--Matthew 2:1-2, 7-11 (NKJV)

The gift of God, as told by the Apostle John in the opening chapter of his Gospel account, verses 1 through 5 and verse 14…

1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God. 3 All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made. 4 In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. 5 And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it.

14 And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.

--John 1:1-5, 14 (NKJV)

Hear the words of God as spoken through His prophet Isaiah and recorded in the 9th chapter of the book bearing his name, verses 6 and 7…

6 For unto us a Child is born,

Unto us a Son is given;

And the government will be upon His shoulder.

And His name will be called

Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God,

Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

7 Of the increase of His government and peace

There will be no end,

Upon the throne of David and over His kingdom,

To order it and establish it with judgment and justice

From that time forward, even forever.

The zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this.

--Isaiah 9:6-7 (NKJV)

Let us pray…  Father God, thank You so much for the greatest gift we could ever receive – the gift of everlasting life through Your Son.  Today we celebrate that birth of so long ago, when Jesus came to us as one of us, born of a woman just like us.  Even at His birth, His kingship and His sacrifice were foretold in the offerings He received from the wise men who sought Him out.  Well, Father, wise men still seek out Jesus, the Messiah, the Christ.  Thank You for choosing us to be among the wise.  Father, may the joy of this day carry on throughout the coming year.  And may the birth of the Prince of Peace bring peace to all the earth.  In the blessed name of Christ Jesus our Lord.  Amen.

And now, family, go in peace.  Let the joy of this day fill your heart and your entire being so that you glow with the beauty of Jesus for all to see.  Enjoy time with family and friends, but then let’s do as the shepherds did after they had seen the Christ Child.  Let us make widely known what we have been told about this child.  For unto all of us a Savior is born, Christ the Lord.

In the blessed name of Christ Jesus, the Son of God, our Lord and Savior.  Amen.