The Salvation Army: Australia Southern Territory
Christmas Day Sermon Outline / 1

Christmas Day –Luke 2:1-20 (The Birth of Jesus)

“All ThingsNew”Series

The concept behind this year’s Christmas Resources is to focus on who Jesus is through the framework of The Australia Southern Territory’s Four Mission Intentions: Transforming Lives, Caring for People, Making Disciples and Reforming Society.

The theme passage illustrates what the completion of Jesus’ work will look like; the full consummation of the Kingdom of God on earth. The theme phrase “All Things New” emphasises the kingdom mission of restoration and rebuilding, and the ongoing continuous nature of that work (Transforming Lives, Caring for People, Making Disciples and Reforming Society). Recognising the ongoing nature of Christ’s work and the mission of the kingdom should help corps enter into the Christmas story in a more immediate way, with ongoing relevance for everyday life and engagement in TSA mission.

How to Use This Outline

The emphasis of this outline is on the exegetical material for the chosen passage. It seeks to introduce the series as well as cover the material for the Transforming Lives. The emphasis of this sermon is on the following issues:

  • Series Introduction – The goal of Jesus’ work is “All Things New”
  • Jesus is for all people
  • Jesus comes in peace
  • Jesus is a cause for celebration

The outline will need to be customised and contextualised by each Corps Officer for the congregation to whom the sermon will be preached:

  • Adding appropriate illustrations that will connect with the specific congregation
  • Modifying language to be appropriate to the socio-cultural setting of the Corps
  • Modifying sermon style if you prefer a topical rather than expository sermon style
  • You may also wish to make the application more specific to your context.

PowerPoint slides have been provided for the following:

  • Theme Slide– Title Slide for this Sermon
  • Scripture Slide A – Luke 2:1-20 (whole passage)
  • Scripture Slide B – Luke 2:10-11 (highlight verse)
  • Scripture Slide C – Luke 2:14(highlight verse)
  • Scripture Slide D – Luke 2:20 (highlight verse)
  • Blank Slide – which you can customise if you wish

Christmas Day

Key Passage - Luke 2:1–20 (NIV)

1In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world. 2 (This was the first census that took place while Quirinius was governor of Syria.) 3 And everyone went to his own town to register.

4 So Joseph also 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. 5 He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child. 6 While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, 7 and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.

8 And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. 9 An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. 10 But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. 11 Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord.12 This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.”

13 Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying,

14“Glory to God in the highest,

and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests.”

15 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.”

16 So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. 17 When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, 18 and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. 19 But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart. 20 The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told.

Sermon Outline – Christmas Day

Introduction

  1. In the lead up to Christmas it can be easy to focus on the baubles, the tinsel and family time together. Even when we focus on the nativity story it can still be easy to lose focus of the big questions of “WHY” Jesus came, and to just enjoy a nice story about a baby in a manger. In the lead up to Christmas we have been looking at the question of why Jesus came, from the perspective of the Old Testament expectations of the Messiah, and the events leading up to his birth.
  2. The name of this series “All Things New” comes from the book of Revelation, and summarises beautifully why Jesus came. To make all things new, to establish His Kingdom on Earth as in Heaven. In The Salvation Army Australia Southern Territory we have four mission intentions which we follow. They continue the work that Jesus did, and help to build his kingdom: Transforming Lives, Caring for People, Making Disciples and Reforming Society. We have been looking at what Jesus came to achieve through the lens of these four mission intentions.
  3. Today we will look at the birth of Jesus, and what it means for each of us

Jesus is for all people (Luke 2:10-11)

  1. The story of the angel appearing to the shepherds is an encouraging one. In biblical times, shepherds were at the bottom of the social hierarchy. Because they dealt with animals, they were quite often ritually unclean, which meant that they could not go to the temple and offer the appropriate sacrifices[1]. “The first announcement of the Messiah’s birth was given by an angel to some anonymous shepherds… By visiting the shepherds, the angel revealed the grace of God toward mankind”[2]. Instead of appearing to the religious people in Jerusalem, perhaps in the temple, God sent his angel to a group of people that the religious people would think were not worthy of God’s attention.
  2. Given their social status, the shepherds would have been shocked, and perhaps a bit scared. Had the Lord sent his angel to punish their uncleanness? Instead, the angel declares “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. 11 Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord”(v10-11). The first thing that God has to say to these shepherds is “It’s ok, don’t be afraid”.
  3. Then the angel declares the good news that is for all people, reaffirming again God’s grace towards those who think they are excluded from his love and care.
  4. Born in the town of David –God promised David that “Your house and your kingdom will endure forever before me; your throne will be established forever” (2 Samuel 7:16). This child that is born in Bethlehem is the heir of David, and the fulfilment of God’s promise to David to establish him an eternal kingdom.
  5. Saviour –“one who delivers or saves; …in the NT, always in reference to God the Father and his Only Son”[3]. One who would save, deliver, protect, heal, preserve, and make whole[4].
  6. Christ (Messiah) – God’s anointed one, the one whom God had been promised to send at the Fall, to Abraham and the Patriarchs and to King David.
  7. Lord –“the concept of lordship combines the two elements of power and authority”[5]. In the Greek translation of the Old Testament (LXX), “Lord” (kyrios) was used to translate the name YAHWEH[6]. To call Jesus Lord, was to recognize that he is God—the same God of the Old Testament—and that he has all power and authority.

Jesus Comes in Peace (Luke 2:14)

  1. If all that didn’t surprise the shepherds, a whole choir of angels appeared and praised God saying, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests” (v14).
  2. At this point, this is reading a little bit like an alien encounter in a science fiction movie. The aliens land, come out of their UFO, and say to the humans “We come in peace”. Except in this scenario, it is angels declaring that Jesus comes in peace. Which given the situation is something the shepherds would really want to know. Angels don’t appear everyday, and part of you really would be wondering if you were in trouble!
  3. This is really encouraging for us. God has moved closer to us in Jesus. Quite literally! He has put on human flesh, become one of us, “moved into the neighbourhood” as it were. It’s great to know that His intentions in that are peace! That Jesus came to bring peace, He doesn’t want to hurt us or punish us. He wants to bring us peace. Real peace, peace that transcends all understanding (Phil 4:7).

Jesus is a Cause for Celebration (Luke 2:20)

  1. The shepherds then hurried off to see Jesus and found him just as the angel had told them, lying in a manger. As they then went home, they ‘glorified and praised God for all the things that they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told’ (v20).
  2. Jesus is as much a cause for celebration for us as for the Shepherds. He came for all people; for you and for me. There is nobody who He didn’t come for. There is nothing that anyone has ever done that disqualifies them from being loved by God, loved so much that He sent Jesus to save them.
  3. What did he come for? He came to save us. He is the Saviour, He is the Messiah that God promised to send to save each one of us and to bring about the new creation. He is the Lord. He is God Himself, in the flesh, who lived a normal human life for thirty years before he started his ministry. He experienced all the trials and difficulties that we do. God is not distant and lacking understanding of what it is like to be human. He was born in Bethlehem two thousand years ago so that He could truly say that He’s walked a mile in our shoes.

Conclusion

  1. There are many issues in our world. Many broken people. In the Old Testament, the people of Israel looked forward to a Messiah who would come to bring peace. In Revelation, Jesus says, “Behold, I am making all things new” (Revelation 21:1 NIV). This is what he came to achieve, the establishment of God’s kingdom on earth, to make ALL THINGS NEW.
  2. Jesus is making ALL THINGS NEW by:
  3. Transforming Lives – giving us new life; nothing, and no one, is so completely dead, that God cannot give them new life
  4. Caring for People – being our Shepherd, restoring us, guiding us through the darkness, and lavishing us with divine hospitality
  5. Making Disciples – helping us enter back into a trust relationship with God: believing God, submitting to His will and resting in His promises
  6. Reforming Society – bringing about justice; ending oppression, violence and war. Providing good advice and guidance, continual care, peace, wholeness and well-being.
  7. Invite people to the Mercy Seat

[1] Wiersbe, W. W. (1996). The Bible exposition commentary (Lk 2:1). Wheaton, Ill.: Victor Books.

[2] ibid

[3] Swanson, J. (1997). Dictionary of Biblical Languages with Semantic Domains : Greek (New Testament) (electronic ed.). Oak Harbor: Logos Research Systems, Inc.

[4] Strong, J., S.T.D., LL.D. (2009). Vol. 1: A Concise Dictionary of the Words in the Greek Testament and The Hebrew Bible (70). Bellingham, WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc.

[5] Kittel, G., Friedrich, G., & Bromiley, G. W. (1995). Theological Dictionary of the New Testament (486). Grand Rapids, MI: W.B. Eerdmans.

[6] ibid