There are plenty of shopping days left until Christmas, but this is the time to start thinking and praying about what you will preach during the Advent season. I’m currently trying to plan a series for the Sundays leading up to Christmas. Here are a few ideas. I served my previous congregation for fourteen years, so I had to be creative! I’d like to get your suggestions, too.
· Don’t overlook the birth narratives in Matthew 1-2 and Luke 1-2. How long has it been since you’ve preached them through completely? To my surprise, obscure passages like the genealogy of Jesus (Matthew 1:1-17) and the ‘slaughter of the innocents’ (Matthew 2:13-23) have made a great impact on my listeners.
· Consider preaching the major Old Testament prophecies of the Messiah’s birth. Potential texts include Genesis 49:8-12, Numbers 24:10-19, Isaiah 7:1-8:4, Isaiah 9:1-7, and Micah 5:1-14 (or 1-5a).
· Several New Testament texts explain the significance of the incarnation, including John 1:14-18, Galatians 4:4-7, and Hebrews 2:14-18. Revelation 21-22 is another excellent option. A few years ago I preached a sermon on Revelation 21:1-8 titled “The Ghost of Christmas Future.” This title gets its image from Charles Dickens’ classic, A Christmas Carol, and uses it to set the stage for John’s vision of the new heaven and new earth.
· Sometimes you can combine passages around a theme. When The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe hit the big screen, I preached a series titled “Exploring Narnia.” I explored themes from this classic by doing expositions of particular passages. My sermons were titled “Encounter the Power” (Genesis 49:8-12), Discover the Light of Christmas (Isaiah 9:1-7), “Discover the Wonder” (Revelation 1), and “The Lion, the Lamb, and the Scroll” (Revelation 5).
· You can also tie into Hanukkah. I once preached a series from John 10:1-42 titled “What Jesus Said at Hanukkah.” The Feast of Dedication in John 10 is, of course, Hanukkah! A good commentary on John – like Carson, Burge, Keener, Kostenberger – will help you make the historical connections.
Posted by Steve Mathewson at 4:52 PM on May 18, 2007
Comments
I've only been here going on two years so your problem is not yet mine. Last year I took the four responsive readings for Advent that our in our hymnbook and built the sermons around them. All of the readings were from Isaiah (chapters 9, 11, 40, 61 but not in that order, chapter 7 was reserved for Christmas Eve) so I entitled the series "Christmas According to Isaiah" which is much more exciting than "Christmas Read Responsively" :) Another good reason not to discontinue use of hymnbooks totally.
The year before I preached Luke 1 & 2 and this year I will preach from Matthew 1 & 2.
I will probably do an OT based series next year 2008. What I would do after 14 years scares me though :)
Posted by: Robert Talley on May 19, 2007
Thanks, Robert. I really like what you did with the Advent readings from Isaiah. It's a good reminder that passages like Isaiah 40 and 61 work well even though they do not speak directly to the Messiah's birth.
The prophets often collapse the work of the Messiah (which we know happens in two advents) into one discussion. It seems to me that our preaching sermons on the first advent (incarnation) should also anticipate the second advent (the 2nd coming and the events surrounding it).
"Christmas According to Isaiah" is a fine title.
Posted by: Steve Mathewson on May 19, 2007
I have been at my current church for 17+ years. Here are some ideas that worked:
The Journeys of Christmas - Mary and Joseph, the Shepherds, the Angels, the Wise Men, and the greatest journey, Jesus.
The Carols of Christmas - Missions, Praise, Ministry, and Glory
Advent People
The I Am's. . . .Who Are We Expecting?
The Messages of the Angels - To Zecharias-Hope, To Mary-Love, To Joseph-Peace, To the Shepherds - Joy
The Witnesses of Christmas (the Gospels) Mark-Prepare the Way; Matthew-Immanuel is Coming; Luke-He Brings Peace; John-Coming to the Light.
All of these were fun to do, challenging, and were well received. I would be happy to share them.
Posted by: Steve Vernon on August 7, 2008