As a church plant in a transient city we knew that Christmas falling on a Sunday would mean the majority of Sojourners would be traveling to be with family. It is for this reason that we wanted to provide everyone with a home liturgy to celebrate and worship Jesus on Christmas day with your family. If your family does not identify as Christian then what a better way to point them to Jesus on this day you will spend together.
(Read the below Scripture passages aloud and reflect on each one and then we have provided Christmas carols).
SCRIPTURE #1 — Isaiah 7:10-17
The Sign of Immanuel
10 Again the LORD spoke to Ahaz: 11 “Ask a sign of the LORD your God; let it be deep as Sheol or high as heaven.” 12 But Ahaz said, “I will not ask, and I will not put the LORD to the test.” 13 And he said, “Hear then, O house of David! Is it too little for you to weary men,that you weary my God also? 14 Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Behold,the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel. 15 He shall eat curds and honey when he knows how to refuse the evil and choose the good. 16 For before the boy knows how to refuse the evil and choose the good, the land whose two kings you dread will be deserted. 17 The LORD will bring upon you and upon your people andupon your father's house such days as have not come since the day that Ephraim departed from Judah—the king of Assyria!”
SONG #1 - O COME ALL YE FAITHFUL
SCRIPTURE #2 - ISAIAH 9:1-7
For to Us a Child Is Born
1 But there will be no gloom for her who was in anguish. In the former time he brought into contempt the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, but in the latter time he has made glorious the way of the sea, the land beyond the Jordan, Galilee Of the nations.2 The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who dwelt in a land of deep darkness, on them has light shone. 3 You have multiplied the nation;
you have increased its joy; they rejoice before you as with joy at the harvest, as they are glad when they divide the spoil. 4 For the yoke of his burden, and the staff for his shoulder, the rod of his oppressor, you have broken as on the day of Midian. 5 For every boot of the tramping warrior in battle tumult and every garment rolled in blood will be burned as fuel for the fire. 6 For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
7 Of the increase of his government and of peace there will be no end,
on the throne of David and over his kingdom, to establish it and to uphold it with justice and with righteousness from this time forth and forevermore. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will do this.
SONG #2 - HARK! THE HERALD ANGELS SING
SCRIPTURE #3 - Matthew 1:18-25
The Birth of Jesus Christ
18 Now the birth of Jesus Christ took place in this way. When his mother Mary had been betrothed to Joseph, before they came together she was found to be with child from the Holy Spirit. 19 And her husband Joseph, being a just man and unwilling to put her to shame, resolved to divorce her quietly. 20 But as he considered these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, do not fear to take Mary as your wife, for that which is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit.21 She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.” 22 All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet: 23 “Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call his name eImmanuel”
(which means, God with us). 24 When Joseph woke from sleep, he did as the angel of theLord commanded him: he took his wife, 25 but knew her not until she had given birth to as on. And he called his name Jesus.
From Paul Tripp: “The Christmas story is this—that babe in the manger was the Son of the Most High God. He willingly came to a place where such unthinkable violence and injustice exists. The wrath of the ruler would eventually fall on him. He would die a violent death at the hands of evil men. Followers would weep that the Messiah was dead, but he would rise again and complete the work that he came to earth to do.”
SONG #3 - JOY TO THE WORLD
From Paul Tripp: “As we sit beneath a beautifully decorated tree and eat rich food of celebration, we must not let ourselves forget the horror and violence at the beginning and end of the Christmas story. This story begins with a horrible slaughter of children and ends with the violent murder of the Son of God. The slaughter depicts how much the earth needs grace. The murder is the moment when that grace is given.”
SCRIPTURE #4 — LUKE 2:1-21
The Birth of Jesus Christ
In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered. 2 This was the first registration when Quirinius was governor of Syria. 3 And all went to be registered, each to his own town. 4 And Joseph also went up from Galilee, from the town of Nazareth, to 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, who was with child. 6 And while they were there, the time came for her to give birth. 7 And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in swaddling cloths and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn.
The Shepherds and the Angels
8 And in the same region there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. 9 And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with great fear. 10 And the angel said to them, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. 11 For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. 12 And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and 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 among those with whom he is pleased!”15 When the angels went away from them into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let us go over to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which theLord has made known to us.” 16 And they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby lying in a manger. 17 And when they saw it, they made known the saying that had been told them concerning this child. 18 And all who heard it wondered at what the shepherds told them. 19 But Mary treasured up all these things, pondering them in her heart. 20 And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told them. 21 And at the end of eight days, when he was circumcised, he was called Jesus, the name given by the angel before he was conceived in the womb.
From Paul Tripp: “Look into that manger and see the One who came to die. Hear the angels’ song and remember that death would be the only way that peace would be given. Look at your tree and remember another tree—one not decorated with shining ornaments, but stained with the blood of the Son of God. As you celebrate, remember that the pathway to your celebration was the death of the One you celebrate, and be thankful.”
SONG #4 - ANGELS WE HAVE HEARD ON HIGH
A fresh reading back over the birth narrative, we see it is about a group of people estranged from their home:
The people of Israel endured a census (which was a way of exercising domination and control over a subjected people). So even though Israel was living in “Israel,” they weren’t at home.
Mary and Joseph were forced to leave their home, Nazareth, to go to Bethlehem because of the census.
Jesus is laid in a manger because there was no room in the living quarters of the home.
Shepherds were living in the fields (away from home)
All these people in the text are living displaced, separated from “home,” that which gives life its center and weight. And Jesus experienced this, too: “He came to his own home and his own people received him not” (John 1:11).
But then, in the midst of all this estrangement, Christ is proclaimed! Angels declare deliverance, salvation, and peace. The shepherds go see for themselves what has happened in Jesus and this leads them to “return home” (v. 20), rejoicing.
What keeps you from feeling like you are at home? What tyrant (external or internal) has dominion over you? Where are you living on the outside, with the ox and lambs, not with those “important, belonging” people on the inside? Where are you “living in fields”: doing mundane, unimportant, unrewarded work… feeling disrespected, unnoticed, unseen?
Will you look at God this afternoon? Will you come and see that “no more fear” has come? Will you behold Joy and Peace? Will you see that God has “made his home among us” so we can find our home, we can return home with great joy?”
Christ is born! Old men and virgins, shepherds and babies: all of us get to come home to Peace, come home to Belonging, come home to deliverance from whatever threatens or binds you.
Merry Christmas, Church! God’s coming home to our world in Christ enables all of us to come home.
SONG #5 - SILENT NIGHT
