Luke 1:1-2:21 Glory to God in the highest who wrote me into his story of peace through Jesus!

Christmas Eve Year A 2025

First Reading—Luke 1:1-4

1 Many have undertaken to draw up an account of the things that have been fulfilled among us, 2 just as they were handed down to us by those who from the first were eyewitnesses and servants of the word. 3 With this in mind, since I myself have carefully investigated everything from the beginning, I too decided to write an orderly account for you, most excellent Theophilus, 4 so that you may know the certainty of the things you have been taught.

With the increasing power of AI affecting almost everything in our lives, the fear of uncertainty is also on the rise. This Christmas season the spam calls, text and emails seeking to deceive and steal information are at their peak. Even AI generated images and videos that look and sound like people we know are becoming more difficult to distinguish from reality. With the advent of AI and uncertainty, we have the assurance of the advent of our Savior Jesus. These opening verses of Luke’s Gospel assure us of the certainty of Scripture and the truth that our Savior was born to save us. We are sure that Luke was guided by the Holy Spirit as he wrote these words and that God has kept them preserved for us to thoroughly equip us for life as God’s people as we read in 2 Timothy 3, 16 All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, 17 so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work. A good question for us to meditate on as we read the account of Jesus’ birth and all Scripture is:

How have you applied the certainty of Scripture to the uncertainties in your life?

Second Reading—Luke 1:5-25

5 In the time of Herod king of Judea there was a priest named Zechariah, who belonged to the priestly division of Abijah; his wife Elizabeth was also a descendant of Aaron. 6 Both of them were righteous in the sight of God, observing all the Lord’s commands and decrees blamelessly. 7 But they were childless because Elizabeth was not able to conceive, and they were both very old.

8 Once when Zechariah’s division was on duty and he was serving as priest before God, 9 he was chosen by lot, according to the custom of the priesthood, to go into the temple of the Lord and burn incense. 10 And when the time for the burning of incense came, all the assembled worshipers were praying outside.

11 Then an angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing at the right side of the altar of incense. 12 When Zechariah saw him, he was startled and was gripped with fear. 13 But the angel said to him: “Do not be afraid, Zechariah; your prayer has been heard. Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you are to call him John. 14 He will be a joy and delight to you, and many will rejoice because of his birth, 15 for he will be great in the sight of the Lord. He is never to take wine or other fermented drink, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit even before he is born. 16 He will bring back many of the people of Israel to the Lord their God. 17 And he will go on before the Lord, in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the parents to their children and the disobedient to the wisdom of the righteous—to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.”

18 Zechariah asked the angel, “How can I be sure of this? I am an old man and my wife is well along in years.”

19 The angel said to him, “I am Gabriel. I stand in the presence of God, and I have been sent to speak to you and to tell you this good news. 20 And now you will be silent and not able to speak until the day this happens, because you did not believe my words, which will come true at their appointed time.”

21 Meanwhile, the people were waiting for Zechariah and wondering why he stayed so long in the temple. 22 When he came out, he could not speak to them. They realized he had seen a vision in the temple, for he kept making signs to them but remained unable to speak.

23 When his time of service was completed, he returned home. 24 After this his wife Elizabeth became pregnant and for five months remained in seclusion. 25 “The Lord has done this for me,” she said. “In these days he has shown his favor and taken away my disgrace among the people.”

Tonight, not every home has a space spread with several stockings and a lack of floor space at the number of makeshift beds to accommodate all the extra family. Zechariah and Elizabeth’s home would not have been bursting at the seams; in fact, a tiny home would have suited them just fine if it were not for their back problems and hit replacements preventing them from climbing into the loft bed. Luke shares that Zechariah and Elizabeth were childless and past the years of realistically becoming pregnant. Yet, when Zechariah was chosen to be the priest to go into the Temple, his prayers still surrounded their lack of a child. Then, God responded with sending Gabriel to announce they would not only become pregnant, but that this child would be like one of the greatest Old Testament prophets, Elijah. And his calling in life would be to turn people back to God. Though God answered his prayer with a “Yes,” in such a clear, miraculous way, Zechariah doubted. Again, God worked miraculously to silence Zechariah for nine months until their child was born. Elizabeth’s reaction was different; her heart was filled with humble thanksgiving and relief at what the Lord did for her.

Our prayers are heard by the same God who answered Zechariah and Elizabeth. When we pray to God, we may have to wait and exercise patience to see what God’s answer is. Like Zechariah, we sometimes struggle with the answers God gives to our prayers. Like Elizabeth, we ought to recognize the Lord’s favor when we receive good things from him. And, as we pray, we ought to remember the things and outcomes we want, may be different from what God wants us to have and what he wants to do for us. As an encouragement for our prayer life, consider this question:

What gracious things does God want to give me and do for me, and therefore ask from him in prayer and wait for patiently?

As another encouragement for our prayer life, we will now join in the Lord’s Prayer:

Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name, thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread; and forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us; and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever and ever. Amen.

Third Reading—Luke 1:26-38

26 In the sixth month of Elizabeth’s pregnancy, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee, 27 to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. 28 The angel went to her and said, “Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you.”

29 Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be. 30 But the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary; you have found favor with God. 31 You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to call him Jesus. 32 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, 33 and he will reign over Jacob’s descendants forever; his kingdom will never end.”

34 “How will this be,” Mary asked the angel, “since I am a virgin?”

35 The angel answered, “The Holy Spirit will come on 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. 36 Even Elizabeth your relative is going to have a child in her old age, and she who was said to be unable to conceive is in her sixth month. 37 For no word from God will ever fail.”

38 “I am the Lord’s servant,” Mary answered. “May your word to me be fulfilled.” Then the angel left her.

It was a surprise. Like the wrapped gift under the tree appears with your name on it, Mary was surprised by the angel Gabriel’s appearance with the message that she would conceive and give birth to Jesus, the Son of God. Mary did not choose what happened to her; it was a gift. The Holy Spirit gave Mary the gift of faith and the honor of bearing Jesus, the Savior of the world. She would treasure in her heart the gift of Jesus, but this honor would also bring troubles as many would not believe her explanation for her pregnancy, as she, Joseph and Jesus would have to escape to Egypt from the death threat of Herod and as Mary watched Jesus’ crucifixion. Yet, no word from God will ever fail as Jesus unwrapped his grave clothes and showed his resurrection power as the Savior of the world.

The Holy Spirit has worked the gift of faith into our hearts as well. God chose us to be saved as we read in Romans 8, 29 For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters. 30 And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified. We are Jesus’ brothers and sisters who will live with him in heavenly peace. This gift does bring trouble though as we read in John 15, 18 “If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first. 19 If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you. Our walk through this life as the family of believers is not easy, but we have been chosen out of the world. So, as Mary praised God for his gift to her and endured trouble while holding onto God’s word, we must be ready for the trails a life of faith brings by answering this question:

What from God’s Word will I read often, highlight, screenshot, hang on the wall, teach my family, use in prayer and commit to memory to get me through the surprise treasures and trials of my life?

Fourth Reading—Luke 1:39-45

39 At that time Mary got ready and hurried to a town in the hill country of Judea, 40 where she entered Zechariah’s home and greeted Elizabeth. 41 When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the baby leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. 42 In a loud voice she exclaimed: “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the child you will bear! 43 But why am I so favored, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? 44 As soon as the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy. 45 Blessed is she who has believed that the Lord would fulfill his promises to her!”

          Joy and blessing came from the four people greeting one another in Zechariah’s home. Elizabeth and baby John the Baptist were filled with joy when Mary and baby Jesus entered their home. The Holy Spirit filled all those present with joy and worked through Elizabeth to greet Mary with words of blessings. By the power of God, she recognized the life living in Mary and the life living in her. All life, born and unborn are miraculous gifts from God, and are souls the Holy Spirit eager wants to reach with the good news of Jesus. The good news of the Gospel of Jesus who came to save all people is recorded in John 3, 16 For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. God gave Jesus to the world, to save us and even in the heart of a child still in the womb, he can set us apart as his people. John and Jesus are not the only ones spoken of while still in their mother’s womb, as we also hear God’s plan for the prophet Jeremiah in Jeremiah 1, 4 The word of the Lord came to me, saying, 5 “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart; I appointed you as a prophet to the nations.” Mary and all who believe that Jesus was born into this world to fulfill his promise to save us from sin, death and hell are blessed and have eternal life in heaven. As we all consider the precious gift of life God has given each of us, it is good for us also to consider:

How are the reactions of Elizabeth and her baby models for my reaction to the gift of eternal life through Mary’s Child, Jesus?

Fifth Reading—Luke 1:46-56

46 And Mary said:

“My soul glorifies the Lord

47 and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,

48 for he has been mindful

    of the humble state of his servant.

From now on all generations will call me blessed,

49 for the Mighty One has done great things for me—

    holy is his name.

50 His mercy extends to those who fear him,

    from generation to generation.

51 He has performed mighty deeds with his arm;

    he has scattered those who are proud in their inmost thoughts.

52 He has brought down rulers from their thrones

    but has lifted up the humble.

53 He has filled the hungry with good things

    but has sent the rich away empty.

54 He has helped his servant Israel,

    remembering to be merciful

55 to Abraham and his descendants forever,

    just as he promised our ancestors.”

56 Mary stayed with Elizabeth for about three months and then returned home.

          Mary praised the Lord for his mighty deeds to save his people. Jesus was the fulfillment of God’s promise to Abraham and many others throughout the Old Testament. God preserved and worked through the lives of sinful people guiding history so that Jesus would be born. We join Mary in praising God for his mercy to punish Jesus for our sins and give us the gift of his righteousness as we read in 1 Peter 3, 18 For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God. As we consider God’s mercy to us, it is good to meditate on this question:

As a humble servant of God who showed me mercy, how can I grow in my life of repentance?

Sixth Reading—Luke 1:57-66

57 When it was time for Elizabeth to have her baby, she gave birth to a son. 58 Her neighbors and relatives heard that the Lord had shown her great mercy, and they shared her joy.

59 On the eighth day they came to circumcise the child, and they were going to name him after his father Zechariah, 60 but his mother spoke up and said, “No! He is to be called John.”

61 They said to her, “There is no one among your relatives who has that name.”

62 Then they made signs to his father, to find out what he would like to name the child. 63 He asked for a writing tablet, and to everyone’s astonishment he wrote, “His name is John.” 64 Immediately his mouth was opened and his tongue set free, and he began to speak, praising God. 65 All the neighbors were filled with awe, and throughout the hill country of Judea people were talking about all these things. 66 Everyone who heard this wondered about it, asking, “What then is this child going to be?” For the Lord’s hand was with him.

With the birth of John the Baptist, came many questions. Those who witnessed God’s mercy and joy given to Zechariah and Elizabeth wondered what was behind his name and what John would do. His parents confidently answered the questions surrounding their son. His name was John because the angel Gabriel told them to give him that name which means “the LORD has shown favor.” For Zechariah and Elizabeth God showed them his favor with a child. For the world, God showed his favor with John the Baptist as we read in Luke 3, 3 He went into all the country around the Jordan, preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. 4 As it is written in the book of the words of Isaiah the prophet: “A voice of one calling in the wilderness, ‘Prepare the way for the Lord, make straight paths for him. 5 Every valley shall be filled in, every mountain and hill made low. The crooked roads shall become straight, the rough ways smooth. 6 And all people will see God’s salvation.’” For us, God showed his favor though those like John who have called us to repentance and pointed us to Jesus. So, it is good for us to consider this question:

How will I go to the people God has put in my life that need questions about God answered, baptism, a call to repentance and to be pointed to God’s salvation through Jesus Christ our Savior?

Seventh Reading—Luke 1:67-80

67 His father Zechariah was filled with the Holy Spirit and prophesied:

68 “Praise be to the Lord, the God of Israel,

    because he has come to his people and redeemed them.

69 He has raised up a horn of salvation for us

    in the house of his servant David

70 (as he said through his holy prophets of long ago),

71 salvation from our enemies

    and from the hand of all who hate us—

72 to show mercy to our ancestors

    and to remember his holy covenant,

73 the oath he swore to our father Abraham:

74 to rescue us from the hand of our enemies,

    and to enable us to serve him without fear

75 in holiness and righteousness before him all our days.

76 And you, my child, will be called a prophet of the Most High;

    for you will go on before the Lord to prepare the way for him,

77 to give his people the knowledge of salvation

    through the forgiveness of their sins,

78 because of the tender mercy of our God,

    by which the rising sun will come to us from heaven

79 to shine on those living in darkness

    and in the shadow of death,

to guide our feet into the path of peace.”

80 And the child grew and became strong in spirit; and he lived in the wilderness until he appeared publicly to Israel.

          Zechariah’s song showed he understood his role as a believing father. First, he speaks a confession of what God promised to do as was written in the Old Testament to save us through Jesus. Second, he summarizes his role to teach those truths to his son who can then share the forgiveness of sins with others because Jesus shined light into our world of darkness and death through his sacrifice and resurrection becoming the path of peace with God. Now, the second part of his song regarding John is specific to John, but it does provide a model for parents and those who teach children.

For you to teach children this week

This Christmas, set aside time to teach the next generation about Jesus using the imagery of light in the darkness. You can turn all the lights off in your house beside the Christmas tree and ask children what it is like to look at the lights of the tree. Then, you can ask them about something in their life that makes them afraid or worried. Let them know sin brought darkness into the world making us afraid and worried about things. Finally, share how Jesus is the light we look to when we are afraid and worried because he took away our sins on the cross and rose from the dead. He saved us from everything that is bad, sinful and scary, even death, and he will bring us to heaven, which is more joyful and beautiful than all the celebrations and decorations at Christmas.

Eighth Reading—Luke 2:1-21

2:1 In 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 their 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 guest room available for them.

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 that will cause great joy for all the people. 11 Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, 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 heaven,

    and on earth peace to those 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.

21 On the eighth day, when it was time to circumcise the child, he was named Jesus, the name the angel had given him before he was conceived.

          Luke wrote his Gospel so that we would know with certainty what God did for us through Jesus. Uncertainty and fear first gripped the shepherds when the angel appeared. Then, when the message was shared of the good news of great joy that the Savior has been born certainty and peace filled their hearts. The Holy Spirit filled their hearts with hope, peace, joy and love as he has done for us this Advent season and now on Christmas Eve. When we hear the Word of God, read our Bible and study Scripture, the Holy Spirit continues his good work in us. As we return to our homes, work, school and routines, we have heard what Jesus, whose name means the “God saves,” did to save us from darkness, uncertainty, fear and sin. God wants us to spread the good news, and he wants us to be like Mary who treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart. So, it is good for us to consider this last question:

What does it mean that God wrote you into his story of peace through Jesus?

Gunnar Ledermann, Pastor Divine Peace Church