3 thoughts on Christmas, pt. 3; A holiday sermon from Jesus

[Kevin H]

Did you know that Jesus himself gave us a holiday sermon for this season? It is as if in his foreknowlege he knew how important this season would be for us and the focus on family life and our lovedones. And just like what you would expect from Jesus, he focused his sermon to those who are having a sad Christmas. The pain of the empty seat at the holiday table due to a loved one who died and we miss. As pastor's look for holiday sermons, or if you preach while the pastor is on vacation, or if you write hymns, there is an aspect of this season that has been unmined, full of richness for sermons and songs and can really enrich your holiday celebration.

We find the story in John that is sad as the chapter division is in wrong places. Part of the story is in one chapter and the rest is in the second, so we are missing the connection of the story to the season. The story sarts in John 10: 22 and goes through John 11:54.

John has a group of signs: While they don't follow a set order, they all have the same ingredents: 1. A temple holiday. 2. Jesus speaking and focusing on part of the holiday. 3. Jesus has an "I AM" saying that deals with the part of the holiday he's focusing on and 4. a miracle or a sign that emphessises the aspect of the holiday. Once again they do not follow this order but you can find all these elements.

Jesus' holiday message starts with the story of Hanukkah, a holiday that has a message for us as we face the last days. While it does not need to be a major holiday, it is still worth thinking about and enjoying. The persecution, the "killing" of the worship of the true God and the resurection of the worship of the true God, and that even durring the hard times God is still in control.

We find Jesus celebrating Hanukkah, talking about God raising up his people even if they die, his friend Lazarus dies and Jesus says "I am the resurection and the life" and raises Lazarus as a foretaste of the resurection of our loved ones who are coming. John thought we would be thinking about this story every Hanukkah, preaching it on Sabbath, celebrating it in our homes as this becomes a time of year to look forward to the fact that if he was here our loved one would not have died, but dispite the wait the resurection and the life is coming to tell our loved ones "Come Forth"

What a wonderful story for this season! Since we have room to share the story of Jesus birth with other elements of the season: Family, gifts, children, Scrooge and his changed life, even Santa and Frosty, why can't we fit the story of Lazarus into this season too with the joy we will feel like Mary and Martha when Jesus says to our loved ones who we miss "come forth" and to re-fill that empty seat around the Christmas table knowing that we will never ever part again. He was born that man no more may die, and man can live for ever more because of Christmas day!!!!

[Kevin H]

If anyone is musical, I'd love to see some Christmas songs including this message. I'd like to see something that really sounds Christmasie (I've heard too many which just sound like year round songs with Christmas words) but songs like "For Unto Us a Child is Born" "Silient Night' "Hark the Herald Angels sing" "Mary's boy Child" even "Blue Christmas" have a special feel to it that fits the season and would sound out of place to sing in Auust. "Jingle Bells" apperently was not meant to be a Christmas song but it fit the season and it's stuck connected to the season. So to work on a song with a feel for the season, with 4 or 5 verses:

Verse 1 tells the story of Hanukkah how the worship of the true God was stopped but raised up

Verse 2 the story of the birth of Jesus (or keep the song at 4 verses and keep this in the corus)

Verse 3 tells the story of Lazarus dieing and raising

Verse 4 about joys of our family connections and sadness when a loved one dies, living in our memories and hearts but we long to be with them in person

Verse 5 The second coming and resurection to never part again!

The chorus should focus on this hope being the message of the Hanukkah lights and Christmas star.

Try to write it in a way that Jews will not be hurt by our words, maybe where it can be sung in Church on Christmas and Synogogue on Hanukkah. But at least in a way where a Jew would appreciate it even if they don't feel comfortable singing it. Maybe in a way that has both a Christmas feel but also a Jewish feel, sort of a "Hava Nagala the Herald Angels Sing" While I'm sure we can have several songs on this theam (look at the songs about the spirit of giving gifts as personalized by Santa) but the one in my mind would be one full of exitement like the song "Amen" as opposed to still like "Silent Night" but this is a three part story that can make many songs of many styles and we can add the story of Hanukkah and Lazarus to our Christmas traditions. There is room for a lot of songs and sermons here.