Selected Texts: Christmas Carols
Stand alone Christmas • Sermon • Submitted • Presented
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Introduction
Introduction
When did you start listening to Christmas music? The only holiday when we listen to music surrounding the holiday for an entire month.
Some of your favorites from childhood: Rudolph, Frosty… Or, as you got older… White Christmas, Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas, etc.
Then, the carols that tell the story of Jesus - Away in a Manger, Silent Night, The First Noel - Songs you know by heart.
What do these carols teach us about the Christmas story? Let’s just consider a few:
Jesus is our only hope.
Jesus is our only hope.
Song - O Come, O Come, Emmanuel
A haunting melody in a minor key - Minor keys = melancholy or sadness.
Oldest Christmas carol still sung - written in Latin as a chant in the Dark Ages. Originally, 7 verses, known as the “Great O’s” - One verse a day chanted on the last seven days before Christmas.
A song of anticipation that highlights the messianic themes of the Old Testament.
Translated into English in 1818, given the melody we’re familiar with, and became widely sung.
O Come, O Come, Emmanuel - Isaiah 7:14 - A prophecy to King Ahaz of Judah - God saying to Ahaz, “You can trust me, and I will prove it.” God would send a child born of a virgin to prove that He can be trusted to save His people. Ahaz could trust that God was with His people.
Eventually, Israel in exile because of their sin. Over and over, instead of trusting God, they rebelled against God. But, God was not done with them. He would rescue them just as He promised.
Israel’s problem is our problem - we fail to trust God. We trust ourselves. We trust our wealth. We the lies of the enemy. Because of our failure to trust God we enslave ourselves to sin, and we are deserving of death.
Matthew 1:23 - God fulfilled His promise to us by sending His Son to deliver us from our sins. God came to be with us, to live the life we could not live, to die the death we deserve, to rise from the dead, so we could be with God.
Immanuel - God is with you, and He is always with you. Ultimately, He is your only hope.
Jesus is the King we need.
Jesus is the King we need.
O Little Town of Bethlehem. Written by Phillips Brooks. A famous pastor from Boston known for his speaking skills. He was asked to speak at Abraham Lincoln’s funeral. Afterwards, took a sabbatical to Israel and went to Bethlehem. In Bethlehem, God renewed Brooks. He left Bethlehem saying that Bethlehem would forever be “singing in his soul.” As a result wrote this song.
Micah 5:2 - A promise that Immanuel would be born in Bethlehem. Why Bethlehem? The house of David - where King David was born.
King David was Israel’s most famous and most successful king. God made a promise to David that one day a king would come that would rule on David’s throne forever (2 Samuel 7:13).
God did it. 2,000 years ago, He fulfilled His promise. Jesus was born just as God promised.
The King was rejected, mocked, and crucified - BUT, Jesus willingly died for those who rejected Him. What an amazing King.
Why do we need Jesus as our King?
We do a terrible job ruling over our lives. We make a mess. We make sinful choices. We do a lot of damage. But, Jesus knows how to restore everything we break. Jesus knows how to reign over your life for your good and His glory. He knows how to lead you. He knows how to give you purpose.
We need someone who will make everything right. You live in an extremely broken world, but it won’t always be broken. Now/not yet Kingdom - Christ will return and make everything right.
Jesus knows how to give you lasting peace.
Jesus knows how to give you lasting peace.
Hark the Herald Angels Sing - Written by Charles Wesley - the first line changed by George Whitefield - angered Wesley - but became one of the most popular Christmas carols.
Both men, Welsey and Whitefield, wanted the same thing: to evangelize the world.
And, while at odds, both men knew that the child born in Bethlehem was the One who came to save the world and give peace to all mankind.
The message of the angels to the shepherds: Luke 2:14: “Glory to God in the highest heaven, and peace on earth to people he favors.”
Peace on earth? This Christmas, you might be wondering, where is the peace? Country divided, struggles in your life, etc.
Peace with God (Romans 5:1). “God and sinners reconciled.”
Peace of God (Philippians 4:6).
Peace in the New Heaven, New Earth (Revelation 21:4)
This Christmas, you can have peace with God, and you can daily walk in the peace of God as you await eternal peace.
Jesus knows how to fill your heart with joy.
Jesus knows how to fill your heart with joy.
Joy to the World - The Christmas song that says nothing about Christmas, but it says an awful lot about the reign of Jesus.
Written by Isaac Watts. He thought church music was boring. His dad challenged him to write something better, so he wrote 600 hymns.
This hymn - based on Psalm 98:4.
We’re not sure how it became a Christmas standard. It wasn’t written as a Christmas carol - a song for all seasons.
The joy of Jesus is for all seasons - not just the Christmas season. Jesus knows how to fill your heart with joy. How?
Joy because sin is gone. Jesus removes our guilt and shame (Romans 8:1).
Joy because we see life more clearly. Jesus gives us eternal perspective. We know how the story ends. We know that as bad as this world can be, it cannot take away what Jesus has done in our lives.
Joy because God is making everything right. That’s the hope of Christmas. He reigns over your life, and He reigns over this world.
Joy because our future is certain.
Joy because we know we are loved, and we know we have purpose.
Do you believe? Have you placed your faith in the One who died and rose again for you?
Will you live for Him?
