12-24-2020 (7pm) – Christmas Eve Candle Lighting Service

December 24, 2020, 7 pm

Matthew 1:18-25
Luke 1:26-38

This is how the birth of Jesus Christ came about:

God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee, to a virgin
named Mary. The angel went to her and said, "Greetings, you who are
highly favored! The Lord is with you." Mary was greatly troubled at his
words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be. But the angel
said to her, "Do not be afraid, Mary, you have found favor with God. You
will be with Child and give birth to a Son, and you are to give Him the
name Jesus. 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, and He will
reign over the house of Jacob forever; His kingdom will never end."

"How will this be," Mary asked the angel, "since I am a virgin?" 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. "I am the Lord's servant," Mary answered. "May it be
to me as you have said." Then the angel left her.

Mary was pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant
of David. Mary was with child although she and Joseph had not yet come
together intimately in order that she might be pregnant.

Because Joseph was a righteous man and did not want to expose her to
public disgrace, he had in mind to divorce her quietly. 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. 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."

All this took place to fulfill what was recorded in Isaiah 7:14.

Isaiah 7:14
 "Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, a virgin will be with child
and bear a son, and she will call His name Immanuel” [God with us] When
Joseph woke up, he did what the angel had commanded him and took
Mary home as his wife. But he had no union with her until she gave birth
to a Son, and he gave Him the name Jesus--which means, “God's
salvation.”

Luke 2:1-12.
In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census
should be taken of the entire Roman world. (This was the first census that
took place while Quirinius was governor of Syria.) Everyone went to his
own town to register. Joseph went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee
to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the
house and line of David.

He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to marry him
and was expecting a child. While they were there, the time came for the
Baby to be born, she gave birth to her firstborn, a Son, wrapped Him in
cloths placing Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the
inn.

There were shepherds out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their
flocks at night, when an angel of the Lord appeared to them, God’s glory
shining around them, they were terrified. But the angel said to them, "Do
not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy, that is for all the people;.
today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; He is Christ the
Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths
and lying in a manger."

Luke 2:13-16.
“A great company of angels appeared, praising God and
saying, ‘Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom
His favor rests.’” When the angels had left them and gone into heaven,the
shepherds said to one another, “Let's go to Bethlehem and see this thing
that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.” So they hurried off
and found Mary and Joseph, and baby Jesus, who was lying in the manger.

Special Music (Anne):

"O Holy Night"

Luke 2:17-20.
After witnessing the Christ child, shepherds went out and
shared the good news of the Savior’s birth with everyone they met. They
spread the word concerning what had been told them about this Child, all
who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds told them.

Mary, the mother of Jesus, worshiped quietly. “She treasured up all these
things and pondered them in her heart.” Imagine Mary, as she considered
all that Gabriel had announced concerning her special conception, and how
Joseph had responded to her pregnancy, and the very special names to be
given this Child: Jesus (God’s salvation) and Immanuel (God with us).

The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things
they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told. They
praised God for His indescribable Gift, Jesus, the Savior born in Bethlehem!

’Twas the Night Before Jesus Came…

‘Twas the night before Jesus came and all through the house,
Not a creature was praying, not the man or his spouse.
Their Bibles weren’t read, they had no concern,
That Jesus had said, He soon would return.

All the children were getting ready for bed,
Not one ever kneeling or bowing a head.
The wife in her rocker with a cat in her lap,
Was watching the Late Show while the man napped.

When out of the East there arose such a clatter,
The man sprang to his feet to see what was the matter.
Away to the window he flew like a flash
Tore open the shutters and threw up the sash!

When what to his wondering eyes should appear,
But angels proclaiming that Jesus was here.
With a light like the sun sending forth a bright ray,
They knew in a moment this must be The Day!

The light of His face made them cover their heads,
It was Jesus returning just like He had said!
And though they possessed worldly wisdom and wealth,
They cried when they saw Him in spite of themselves.

In the Book of Life that He held in His hand,
Was written the name of every saved child, woman & man.
He spoke not a word as He searched for their names, then
He said, “they aren’t here,” and their heads hung in shame.

The People whose names had been written with love,
He gathered to take to His Father above.
All those who were ready rose up with no sound,
While everyone else was left there on the ground.

For this man and his wife it was too late,
They had waited too long and thus sealed their fate;
They stood and they cried, as everyone rose out of sight,
Oh, if only they had been ready tonight.

In the words of this poem the meaning is clear,
The coming of Jesus is drawing near;
There’s only one life and when comes the last call,
We’ll find that the Bible was true after all!

“Silent Night, Holy Night”
hymn #236 verses 1-3
(select to view the lyrics)

Let us, like those first shepherds,
worship Him and spread the word
to all who will listen,
the Savior has come.

Jesus Christ is the Light of the world.
Whoever believes in and follows [Him]
will never walk in darkness,
but will have the Light of Life (John 8:12).

John 8:12
Then Jesus again spoke to them, saying,
“I am the Light of the world;
the one who follows Me will not walk in the darkness,
but will have the Light of life.”

Merry Christmas!

Pastor Mike Hale