Lectionary Guide: Christmas 2023
December 24/25 | Christmas Eve/Day | Year B
Proper I
Isaiah 9:2-7
Psalm 96 | Titus 2:11-14 | Luke 2:1-14 (15-20)
Summary of the Text
Rachel Clark
Ancient Context
Light in the Darkness
Light is good. When God created the heavens and the earth, we are first told that “God said, ‘Let there be light,’ and there was light. And God saw that the light was good. And God separated the light from the darkness.” (Genesis 1:3-4, italics mine) In creating a good and fruitful place in which to place God’s human creatures, God first illuminates the darkness with the gift of light. To be in the light is to be in God’s goodness.
Judgment and Hope
Isaiah receives a call from God to deliver a message to Judah and its leaders. Their lives have been marked by rebellion, unfaithfulness, idolatry, and injustice. In other words, they have not kept covenant with God. So Isaiah brings a message of warning and judgment- there will be consequences to their covenant-breaking. Isaiah frequently uses the imagery of darkness and blindness to describe the unfaithfulness of God’s people.
Isaiah also clings to hope- a dear and cherished hope. Despite Judah’s rebellious ways, Isaiah knows and trusts in the faithfulness of the God he serves. He believes that God will continue to keep his covenant promises and to do what he has always promised. Isaiah’s message is also a message of hope—God will fulfill his promise to send a king from the line of David, and that King will rescue and lead his people. The coming king will not only bring justice and peace to Judah, but to all nations. This hope is associated with the eyes of the people being opened, with light shining upon them. “The people walking in darkness have seen a great light” (Isaiah 9:2).
Even though God’s restoration for the people is yet to come, Isaiah speaks as if this event has already happened. By faith, Isaiah can speak of what he knows God is going to accomplish. By faith he speaks of joy, harvest, and victory, trusting that God is ever true to the promises he makes. In Judah’s near future, God will raise up king Hezekiah to bring reform and restoration. Isaiah’s words also point ahead to the King of Kings, who will restore and renew all of creation.
Lens of Jesus (Ἰησοῦς)
Fifth Gospel
It is no surprise that NT Wright, following in the footsteps of many patristic writers, refers to the book of Isaiah as “the Fifth Gospel.” The great amount of references to a coming Messiah, a king who will rescue his people, point to the work accomplished in and through Jesus Christ.
The Coming King
As the Gospel of John declares, “The true light, which gives light to everyone, was coming into the world” (John 1:9). Jesus is the Light of the World, the light that shines in the darkness. While God raised up certain kings during Israel and Judah’s history to lead the people with truth and justice, the work of King Jesus is different. In Jesus, God himself has come into the world, bringing light and scattering darkness. Let there be light! New creation is in the midst of the people. This King’s reign will have no end. With the birth of King Jesus, hope has arrived, and it is here to stay, forever and ever. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it (John 1:5).
Modern application
Walk by Faith
In Jesus the light has come. So why does it so often still look like darkness is winning? We must walk by faith, and not by sight. When we trust Jesus, when we listen to and believe his words, then we can truly see. Believing is seeing. Jesus is our “Wonderful Counselor,” the one who comforts and strengthens us as we live in this broken world. He is the “Prince of Peace,” the giver of joy and hope in the midst of life’s hardships. He is the “Mighty King,” upholding and sustaining us with his strength and truth. Like Isaiah, we must remember the faithfulness of God, knowing that God is true to his word and his promises are sure.
Turn to God
Isaiah’s warning of judgment and promise of hope need to be heard in every generation. In our sin, we often choose the darkness. We choose lesser kings to lead us (very often we choose to be our own king). Each new day is a fresh opportunity to repent of our blindness, to re-form our desires so that we long more and more for the light of Jesus. As we celebrate Christmas, we can lament our sin and unrighteousness, and we can be strengthened by the firm and certain hope that God is faithful. We have been given the gift of Immanuel, God with us. God is with us forever and ever.
Sermon resources
Key Quote
The kingdom of the Christ-child gets to work when we stop, and pause, and look in wonder once more at the baby lying in the manger, and like Mary ponder in our hearts what it all means. Only through deep devotion to the child who is born to us, the son who is given to us, can we make sure that the government really is upon his shoulders, and so prevent our good intentions being misdirected to serve our own ends, real or imagined.
‘O hush the noise, ye men of strife, and hear the angels sing’: we come here tonight, aware that the kingdom Jesus came to bring needs to be worked out in the real and tough challenges that lie ahead of us globally, nationally and locally but aware, too, that if it is Jesus’ kingdom we are working out we cannot get enough of Jesus himself, cannot worship him enough, cannot ponder him enough, cannot invoke him enough, cannot love and adore him enough, cannot taste him enough.
—N. T. Wright, “The Government Shall Be Upon His Shoulders” (2008).
Key Illustration
The Value of Headlights on a Dark Road
The rural country roads where I now live are very different from the roads I grew up around in the suburbs. When I lived in the suburbs, the roads I traveled between my house and a friend’s, or the streets I took to go to church or a store were always lined with street lights. Not so with roads out here in Rockbridge County, Virginia. I’ve been living here for 7 years now, and I still often feel discomfort driving at night. When I’ve had to drive on unfamiliar roads in the darkness to attend meetings or make visits, I rely heavily on my GPS to get me where I need to be. This makes me feel both vulnerable and grateful. On a recent drive, navigating the roads as they twisted and turned, I diligently scanned for deer and watched for broken limbs that came down on that windy night.
I realized that the map guiding me was extremely important, but there was something else I was relying on, and without it, I would have never made it home. I would have been utterly lost without my headlights. Even a perfect map would have done me no good if I did not have lights to show me where the turns were, where the dangers were.
Light is a good thing—it exposes the dangers around us that we need to avoid, it shows us where we are headed. Light makes things clearer.
—Rachel Clark
Discussion Questions
- How does this passage from Isaiah fill you with hope when you are confronted with the darkness and brokenness of the world?
- What habits or practices do you employ (or want to employ) that help you to walk in the light of Jesus?
- How does the good news that the government of the world is on Jesus’ shoulders give you hope?
- Where do you see King Jesus at work transforming all of creation?
- Where might you be called to join him in this work?
Liturgical resources
Opening Prayer
Gracious God,
As we gather to worship and adore you, shine your light upon our hearts and minds. Open our eyes to see the light of your truth and experience the warmth of your love. Banish the darkness, soften our hearts, and give us a longing to praise you as our Mighty and Everlasting King. Amen.
—Rachel Clark
Prayer of Confession
God of all, you are light. In you, there is no darkness at all. There are times when we claim to have fellowship with you and yet continue to walk in darkness. In this we lie and do not practice the truth. Lord help us to walk in the light as you are in the light, so that we may have fellowship with one another. May the blood of Jesus your Son cleanse us from all sin! We confess that we have sinned. We trust in your faithfulness and justice to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
Through Jesus we have hope. Amen.
—Rachel Clark
Assurance of Pardon
My soul glorifies the Lord
and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,
for he has been mindful
of the humble state of his servant.
From now on all generations will call me blessed,
for the Mighty One has done great things for me—
holy is his name.
His mercy extends to those who fear him,
from generation to generation.
Luke 1:46-50
benediction
Arise, shine, for your light has come,
And the glory of the Lord rises upon you.
See, darkness covers the earth and thick darkness
Is over the peoples,
But the Lord rises upon you and his glory appears over you.
Go in peace.
Amen.
Isaiah 60:1-2
The Nativity by Lorenzo Monaco, ca. 1406-10. Tempera on wood. Metropolitan Museum of Art.
A nativity scene with Mary, Joseph, and Jesus. Jesus shines in the dim stable.
Lorenzo Monaco, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons.
More Quotes: christmas eve/day
More Illustrations: Christmas Eve/Day
Rachel Clark
Rachel Clark is a pastor in the beautiful Shenandoah Valley of Virginia at New Monmouth Presbyterian Church. Rachel has a B.A. from Wheaton College and an M. Div from Princeton Theological Seminary.
She and her husband, Casey (with whom she co-pastors), have five children who keep them busy running around but also provide lots of laughter. In her free time, Rachel enjoys reading, hiking, baking, walking with friends, and playing board games.
Among her many accomplishments, Rachel played a pivotal role as a member of the 2006-2007 PTS intramural football championship team (The Golden Calves) alongside TPW founder Stu Strachan.