Each week in Advent, the sermon will reflect on one of the gospels' unique way of presenting the birth of Christ. We are losing the Advent theme of expecting Jesus' to return, but I tried this past week to include that message in other ways in the service.
Luke is probably the easiest gospel to preach about the birth narrative because so many pre-birth and birth stories come from Luke. Trying to pick on theme in Luke was probably a bit more challenging, but I landed on "do not be afraid," and more narrowly, "do not be afraid of what God might be asking you to do." I think it worked fairly well.
“Do Not Be Afraid”; November 30, 2025; 1st Sunday of Advent; St. Andrew Presbyterian Church; Luke 1: 1-4; 8-12; 16-21; Luke 2: 8-12
Luke 1: 16-21 26 In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a town in Galilee called Nazareth, 27 to a virgin engaged to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. 28 And he came to her and said, “Greetings, favored one! The Lord is with you.”[b] 29 But she was much perplexed by his words and pondered what sort of greeting this might be. 30 The angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. 31 And now, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you will name him Jesus.
Luke 2: 8-12 8 Now in that same region there were shepherds living in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. 9 Then an angel of the Lord stood before 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, for see, I am bringing you good news of great joy for all the people: 11 to you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is the Messiah,[b] the Lord.
Introduction: the advent preaching series this year will give us a an opportunity to reflect on how each gospel
- that is Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John -
how each of these four gospels deals with the birth of Jesus Christ.
since there are four Sundays in Advent and four gospels, this fits together rather nicely.
we will discover that each gospel has a unique approach to the telling of the story of Jesus’ birth,
each with important messages for us.
about God’s arrival in our midst in flesh.
Gospel literally means “good news,” so each gospel tells us the good news of what God has done in the coming of Christ.
***homework for all of you- figure out which gospels actually tell the birth story of Jesus
and, if one does not tell the birth story, how does that particular gospel give us its unique perspective on the birth of Christ?
(or you can come every Sunday in advent and learn those facts just by listening to the sermons each week.
Move 1: We begin this week with the gospel of Luke
a. If you want to pick the gospel that has the best stories leading into the birth of Christ, Luke is your gospel.
1. Zechariah - what better story than Zechariah not believing that his wife Elizabeth can bear a child in her old age,
only to discover that she will indeed give birth to the messenger who will announce to all the world the coming of the savior.
oh, and because he does not believe the angel, he is struck mute and cannot speak all of Elizabeth’s pregnancy.
not to mention he is told to name his son John, which hardly fits into the family thing or the religious thing!
2. Or, there is the story Elizabeth and Mary sharing time together during their pregnancies
3. And, of course, the best known story of an An angel visiting Mary and Mary agreeing to bear God’s son.
4. then later Mary’s powerful reflection on why jesus is coming -
what we know it as the Magnificat
but it is Mary using images and words from Israel’s historic claim about God’s desire to bring justice and show mercy by lifting “up the lowly” and filling “the hungry with good things” by bringing down the “powerful from their thrones” sending “the rich away empty”
I would say that Luke has the best pre-birth stories of all the gospels.
b. Or, if you want the gospel whose story most resembles a Christmas pageant, then Luke is your gospel.
1. Mary and Joseph traveling to Bethlehem, while she is very pregnant.
no room at the inn
Mary giving birth to the Christ-child and placing him in a manger
2. An angel of the lord appearing to the shepherds in the field and announcing the birth of Christ
the heavenly host praising God in words so beautiful we sing the, every year
followed by the sending of the shepherds to Bethlehem to see the new born baby.
the shepherds arriving and seeing the amazing sight of God in flesh and then telling everyone they meet
and Mary watching and treasuring everything in her heart.
3. Jospeh is a pretty minor character in the gospel of Luke and the wise men do not make an appearance,
but Luke tells a great story with lots of Snapchat worthy moments to remember the story.
Move 2: the gospel of Luke also has a running theme - “do not be afraid!”
admittedly, the King James translation, which uses the phrase, “Fear not!” May be more dramatic,
but “do not be afraid” gets Luke’s point across.
a. “Do not be afraid” is used 7 times in Luke;
1. 3 times in the birth narratives;
2. This phrase is not unique to Luke, but it is found more often in Luke than any other gospel.
Matthew uses the phrase several times, only has it once in the birth narrative - when the angel is talking to Joseph.
Do not be afraid.
b. Some of you may remember Ann Landers. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ask_Ann_Landers)
she was a newspaper counselor, who responded to readers questions for almost 75 years (through several iterations of writers)
In it heyday, Ann Landers received an average of 10,000 letters each month, and nearly all of them from people burdened with problems. not sure what the internet corollary to Ann Landers is - maybe FB posts that invite people to respond to questions?
Once Ann Landers was asked if there was any one theme which predominated throughout the letters she receivesd, and her reply was the one problem above all others seems to be fear.
She said, “People are afraid of losing their health, their wealth, their loved ones. People are afraid of life itself.”
I suspect that is still true today!
1. We know what it is like to be afraid.
2. To look at the world and see all its issues and be afraid.
3. To look at our own lives and be afraid of health issues
or job insecurity
or broken relationships
or what the future might hold for us.
4. in broad strokes
and in very particular ways, Luke’s Advent and Christmas message “Do not be afraid” speaks to core of who we are.
if we hear this call and are emboldened to face our lives and our world unafraid, then Luke’s message has impacted us greatly.
c. But notice that Luke’s use of that phrase “do not be afraid” is more than just a call to face the fears we have in the world.
accompanying the phrase “do not be afraid” in the birth stories in Luke is a big ask from God.
1. Zechariah - you and your wife will have a son who will be the one who goes before the Christ-child and announces his arrival. “Do not be afraid.”
2. Mary - you have been chosen to bear God’s son - “Do not be afraid.”
3. Shepherds - you are invited to go meet God in flesh - “do not be afraid.”
4. One of the other times Luke uses the phrase “do not be afraid” is when Jesus calls the disciples:
Simon - give up the life you had because you are now going to be fishing for people -“Do not be afraid;” (Luke 5:10).
5. “Do not be afraid” are not just words of comfort in a fearful world,
but an invitation to join with God in the incredible story of God’s transforming work in the world.
To do the important, sometimes scary work or changing ourselves
of changing our world.
6. In Luke’s telling of the birth of Christ, the point is clearly made that God wants us to join with Christ
and it is scary to commit to following Christ.
Move 3: So do not miss that the birth narrative in Luke is not just the story of Christ being born, it the story of people stepping out in faith to be part of the story,
people Responding despite their fears.
a. Admittedly, Zechariah
and Elizabeth
and Mary
and the shepherds in the fields had an angel telling them “do not be afraid.”
1. maybe if we had an angel in the night whispering in our ears that God has called us to do something beyond our imagination.
we might be willing to say yes.
2. But regardless,
Zechariah, Mary, and the shepherds had to overcome their fears and step out in faith.
b. Are you familiar with Sandro’s Botticelli painting "The Cestello Annunciation,"
it’s a 15th century painting that portrays the angel talking to Mary.
It’s not quite like I might envision it, but a powerful image.
The poet and memoirist Andrew Hudgins wrote a poem with the same name as the painting as a reflection to seeing Mary and angel in Botticelli’s painting.
The poem begins with:
The angel has already said, Be not afraid…
the poem goes on to describe Mary
Her eyes are downcast and half closed.
And there's a long pause — a pause here of forever —
As the angel crowds her. She backs away,
her left side pressed against the picture frame….
the poem finishes with these words:
And though she will, she's not yet said,
Behold, I am the handmaiden of the Lord,
as Botticelli, in his great pity,
lets her refuse, accept, refuse, and think again. (you can see the painting and read the poem here: https://henrycenter.tiu.edu/2015/12/carrying-the-infinite-the-costello-annunciation/)
Andrew Hudgins, poet born in Killeen, TX, but now is Humanities Distinguished Professor of English at Ohio State University.
1. I love that image - Mary processing this call from God.
Mary, recognizing the demand it will make of her.
The angel surely begins with “Do not be afraid,” because the angel knows the challenge ahead of Mary.
there is nothing easy about overcoming our fears to step out in faith to what God is calling us to do.
2. As much as we make the stories surrounding Christ’s birth into joyous moments that have little time for anything except celebration,
do not miss the demands the story makes on those who choose to join in the story.
conclusion: Luke invites you to join with Zechariah
to join with Mary
to join with the shepherds in the fields
and give your life over to the God who comes in Christ.
your life will never be the same.
Do not be afraid.
1 Since many have undertaken to compile a narrative about the events that have been fulfilled among us, 2 just as they were handed on to us by those who from the beginning were eyewitnesses and servants of the word, 3 I, too, decided, as one having a grasp of everything from the start,[a] to write a well-ordered account for you, most excellent Theophilus, 4 so that you may have a firm grasp of the words in which you have been instructed.
8 Once when he was serving as priest before God during his section’s turn of duty, 9 he was chosen by lot, according to the custom of the priesthood, to enter the sanctuary of the Lord to offer incense. 10 Now at the time of the incense offering, the whole assembly of the people was praying outside. 11 Then there appeared to him an angel of the Lord, standing at the right side of the altar of incense. 12 When Zechariah saw him, he was terrified, and fear overwhelmed him. 13 But the angel said to him, “Do not be afraid, Zechariah, for your prayer has been heard. Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you will name him John.
