Mark Driscoll » God Biblical Theology Scripture Biblical People Church Preaching

Got a preaching and teaching question for Pastor Mark Driscoll? Check out previous topics in this series, and send your questions to preachteach@marshill.com.

Pastor Mark,

We get a lot of visitors at our annual Christmas Eve service. Do you have any advice on how to preach to a room of people who only go to church once or twice a year?

—Geoff

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Dear Geoff,

For many churches, Christmas is a great opportunity to present the gospel to a lot of new people, and I encourage you to take full advantage.

At the same time, having preached the Christmas story nearly every year for about 16 years now, I know it can be difficult to keep the content new and fresh when you’re teaching some of the most familiar stories in the Bible. Here are a few different approaches you could take:

 

1. Compare and contrast

Take a look at the beginning of Matthew, Luke, and John. Each offers a unique account of the incarnation of Jesus.

 

2. Play the songs

Focus on the songs (from Mary and the angels) and prophecies (from Zechariah and Simeon) in the first few chapters of Luke.

 

3. Honor the women

Mary and Elizabeth are both central characters in the story of Jesus’ birth, and some of the most godly examples in Scripture.

 

4. Read the phonebook

Both Matthew and Luke include genealogies of Jesus, which makes for an interesting study on what a list of names can teach us.

 

5. Open the Old Testament

For thousands of years leading up to Jesus’ birth, God made numerous promises that are ultimately fulfilled in Jesus. Christmas is a great opportunity to celebrate his faithfulness and the truthfulness of his Word.

 

6. Spotlight the characters

The birth narratives of Jesus are filled with an interesting cast of characters: Mary, Joseph, the wise men, Herod, Zechariah, Elizabeth, etc. Each responds to Jesus in a different way, which is a great way to contextualize the message for listeners today.

 

7. Learn from others

Christmas sermons and writings from other great Bible teachers can also provide new insights and ideas. I’ve included a few links at the end of this post.

 

Whatever you preach, remember that Christmas is about Jesus, and the story continues beyond the manger. This may seem obvious, but it cannot be overstated. Eternal God entered into mortal history. Creator God joined his creation. God who made man became a man, lived a perfect life, died in our place for our sin, rose from the grave to conquer death, and remains with his people today.

Like Christmas, Christianity is a gift exchange: we give Jesus our sin, and he gives us new life. No matter how many times we repeat that message, it never gets old.

More Resources

Here are a few more resources that may be helpful as you prepare a Christmas sermon:

Sermons

Martin Luther:

• “Sermon for Christmas Day”
• “Sermon for Christmas Eve”

Charles Spurgeon:

• “Joy Born at Bethlehem”
• “A Christmas Question”
• “The First Christmas Carol”

John Piper:

• “Why the Son of God Came into the World”
• “The Word Became Flesh”

Tim Keller:

• “The Courage of Christmas”
• “Christmas War”
• “The Begats”
• “Christmas Wisdom”

Matt Chandler:

• “Resurrection and Return”
• “Incarnation and Implications”

Books

• The Purpose of Christmas, by Rick Warren. This simple devotional considers the implications of Jesus’ humility in joining humanity.
• Dietrich Bonhoeffer’s Christmas Sermons, by Edwin H. Robertson. A collection of sermons from a great Christian leader.
• Come, Thou Long-Expected Jesus: Experiencing the Peace and Promise of Christmas, edited by Nancy Guthrie. Each chapter in this daily Advent reading is an excerpt from a different pastor or author, past and present, including John Piper, John MacArthur, Francis Schaeffer, R. C. Sproul, Joni Eareckson Tada, George Whitefield, Martin Luther, Tim Keller, Jonathan Edwards, Charles Spurgeon, and Augustine.
• Incarnation (Truth and the Christian Imagination Series), by Alister McGrath. His devotional features beautiful holiday art and great insights.
• The Virgin Birth of Christ, by J. Gresham Machen. The best apologetic outside of Scripture for defending the virgin conception of Jesus Christ.
• Chapters 1–5 and 11 from my book Vintage Jesus include many themes and topics related to the holiday season.

 

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Got a preaching and teaching question you’d like to see Pastor Mark address in future weeks? Send your questions to preachteach@marshill.com. See all the past topics here.

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