Preaching a compelling Christmas message is a challenging assignment. How can we stay fresh year after year? Let me offer a few suggestions.
1. Capture the true wonder of Christmas. Set it in the total context of the drama of redemption.
2. Avoid allegorical and sentimental approaches. Christmas messages focusing exclusively on the “sweet, precious baby in the manger” are inadequate and irresponsible. Like the flood account of Genesis, the Christmas story is a story of God’s supernatural provision of Himself as Immanuel. At the same time, Scripture indicates that Immanuel was born to be our Savior, who would die as our substitute to deliver us from judgment.
3. Explore less familiar texts. Tackle texts like Micah 5:2-5 contain the prophecy related to Bethlehem and assert the coming of the One who will be great to the “ends of the earth.” Consider also Zechariah’s Benedictus in Luke 1:67-79. In this passage, Zechariah refers to Jesus as the “Horn of Salvation,” referring not to a musical instrument but to an animal’s offensive weapons—horns.
The following Bible passages make excellent preaching texts.
Old Testament
Numbers 24:15–17
Isaiah 11:1–10
Psalm 2
Isaiah 40:1–11
Psalm 8
Ezekiel 34:22–24
Isaiah 9:1–7 (esp. v. 6)
Micah 5:2
New Testament
Matthew 1:18–25
John 1:1–4
Matthew 2:1–11
John 1:1–14
Matthew 2:13–23
2 Corinthians 8:9
Luke 1:5–25
2 Corinthians 9:15
Luke 1:26–38
Galatians 4:4–6
Luke 1:39–45
Philippians 2:1–8
Luke 1:46–56
Colossians 1:15–20
Luke 1:57–66
1 Timothy 1:15
Luke 1:67–80
1 Timothy 3:16
Luke 2:1–7
Hebrews 2:14–18
Luke 2:1–20
Hebrews 4:14–16
Luke 2:21
Hebrews 10:5–7
Luke 2:22–38
4. Connect the cradle and the cross. While Jesus entered this world as an infant in Bethlehem, grew up in Nazareth, called disciples to follow Him, healed the sick, and fed the poor, the author of Hebrews asserts that He was born to die (2:14-15).
5. Intensify exposition of the wonder of the incarnation. Remind hearers that the Word did indeed become flesh. Help them grasp in some measure the reality of the Almighty as an infant of inches. Don’t allow them to think of the infancy of Jesus with
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