The Light of Christ: A Christmas Truce (Christmas Eve)
Sermon Title: The Light of Christ: A Christmas Truce
Good News Statement: The Light of Christ is more than Hope, Peace, Joy, and Love: It’s a truce that extends across enemy lines
Preached: Sunday, December 24th, 2025 @4:30PM at Dogwood Prairie UMC
Pastor Daniel G. Skelton, M.Div.
Scripture (NRSV): Luke 1:26-33
The Birth of Jesus Foretold
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.” 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. 32 He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High, and the Lord God will give to him the throne of his ancestor David. 33 He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.”
Scripture (NRSV): Matthew 1:18-21
The Birth of Jesus the Messiah
18 Now the birth of Jesus the Messiah took place in this way. When his mother Mary had been engaged to Joseph, but before they lived together, she was found to be pregnant from the Holy Spirit. 19 Her husband Joseph, being a righteous man and unwilling to expose her to public disgrace, planned to divorce her quietly. 20 But just when he had resolved to do this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife, for the child conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. 21 She will bear a son, and you are to name him Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.”
Order of Service
Prelude: “Come, Thou Long Expected Jesus” Emily Skelton on flute
“O Come, O Come, Emmanuel” Emily Skelton on flute
Welcome –
Opening Hymn: “Angels, from the Realms of Glory” (#546 vs. 1-2)
Lighting the Christ Candle: Daniel and Emily Skelton
Candle: The Christ Candle, white
Reader: To a people longing for hope and yearning for deliverance, the prophet Isaiah declared, “The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who lived in a land of deep darkness on them light has shined…For a child has been born for us, a son given to us; authority rests upon his shoulders; and he is named Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.”(Isaiah 9:2, 6)
Reader: Tonight, we come seeking hope, peace, joy, and love, and we find these things in a child. God made flesh as a baby in a manger. A baby who is both the beginning and the end of our salvation, who dwells with us even now, our Emmanuel, God with us.
Readers: We live as people in the in-between who celebrate the arrival of the Light that shines in lost and broken places as we wait for the day when we will live in the fullness of God’s kingdom.
Light all five candles (purple, purple, pink, purple, and white) of the Advent wreath.
Prayer: Let Us Pray – We light these candles as signs of our shocking hope, our just peace, our fierce joy, the love that transforms us, and Jesus Christ, our wondrous Light. May the Light burning in our hearts guide us, comfort us, protect us, and tend us in all seasons and circumstances, reminding us that day and night, in the light and in the darkness, God is with us. Our salvation has come! Amen.
Opening Hymn: “What Child is This” (#540 vs. 1-3) Jeff Shipman (Guitar)
Congregational Prayer: “Come, Thou Long Expected Jesus” (#545, not sung)
- Come, thou long expected Jesus,
born to set thy people free;
from our fears and sins release us,
let us find our rest in thee.
Israel’s strength and consolation,
hope of all the earth thou art;
dear desire of every nation,
joy of every longing heart.
- Born thy people to deliver,
born a child and yet a King,
born to reign in us forever,
now thy gracious kingdom bring.
By thine own eternal spirit
rule in all our hearts alone;
by thine all sufficient merit,
raise us to thy glorious throne.
Opening Prayer:
O heavenly Father, as we prepare ourselves for the coming of your Son, fill our hearts and life with praise. Grant that we may be just and merciful, and ready to help in the needs of our neighbor and aware of your good news and great joy for all the people. Fill us with your abounding hope, grant us a silent and holy night of peace, administer joy to all the world, and indwell in us an unconditional love that transforms us each and every day. Bless our life with your spiritual gifts of forgiveness, patience, mutual love, and unending joy. And may we be a beacon of light in this world which shines brightly through and in you. All this we ask in the name of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Hymn: “It Came Upon the Midnight Clear” (#535 vs. 1-2) Jeff Shipman (Guitar)
Scripture Reading: Isaiah 9:2, 6-7 (pg. 993 in Pew Bibles)
The people who walked in darkness
have seen a great light;
those who lived in a land of deep darkness—
on them light has shined.
For a child has been born for us,
a son given to us;
authority rests upon his shoulders,
and he is named
Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
Great will be his authority,
and there shall be endless peace
for the throne of David and his kingdom.
He will establish and uphold it
with justice and with righteousness
from this time onward and forevermore.
The zeal of the Lord of hosts will do this.
Hymn: “The First Noel” (#538 vs. 1-2) Jeff Shipman (Guitar)
Scripture Reading: Luke 1:26-35, 38 (pg. 1438 in Pew Bibles)
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.” 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. 32 He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High, and the Lord God will give to him the throne of his ancestor David. 33 He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.” 34 Mary said to the angel, “How can this be, since I am a virgin?” 35 The angel said to her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be holy; he will be called Son of God.”
38 Then Mary said, “Here am I, the servant of the Lord; let it be with me according to your word.” Then the angel departed from her.
Scripture (NRSV): Matthew 1:18-25 (pg. 1342 in Pew Bibles)
18 Now the birth of Jesus the Messiah took place in this way. When his mother Mary had been engaged to Joseph, but before they lived together, she was found to be with child from the Holy Spirit. 19 Her husband Joseph, being a righteous man and unwilling to expose her to public disgrace, planned to dismiss her quietly. 20 But just when he had resolved to do this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife, for the child conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. 21 She will bear a son, and you are to name him Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.” 22 All this took place to fulfill what had been spoken by the Lord through the prophet:
23 “Look, the virgin shall become pregnant and give birth to a son,
and they shall name him Emmanuel,”
which means, “God is with us.” 24 When Joseph awoke from sleep, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded him; he took her as his wife 25 but had no marital relations with her until she had given birth to a son,[a] and he named him Jesus.
Hymn: “O Little Town of Bethlehem” (#541 vs. 1-4) Jeff Shipman (Guitar)
Scripture Reading: Luke 2:8-20 (pg. 1431 in Pew Bibles)
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, the Lord. 12 This will be a sign for you: you will find a child wrapped in bands of cloth and lying in a manger.” 13 And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host, praising God and saying,
14 “Glory to God in the highest heaven,
and on earth peace among those whom he favors!”
15 When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let us go now to Bethlehem and see this thing that has taken place, which the Lord has made known to us.” 16 So they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph and the child lying in the manger. 17 When they saw this, they made known what had been told them about this child, 18 and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds told them, 19 and Mary treasured all these words and pondered them in her heart. 20 The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, just as it had been told them.
Hymn: “Hark, the Herald Angels Sing” (#537 vs. 1 &3) Jeff Shipman (Guitar)
Homily: The Light of Christ: A Christmas Truce
Introduction:[1]
Have you ever thought about the history of Christmas? I’m not talking about the history of Christmas trees, wreaths, carols, or presents, or even Santa Claus. The history I am referring to refers back to the days of the 1600s when people, from Europe, began to settle in what we call America.
For the settlers who arrived in Virginia in 1607, Christmas was an important holiday. While celebrations may have been limited, given the harsh realities of life in the struggling new Jamestown settlement, they preserved it as a sacred occasion and a day of rest. By the 1620s and 1630s, Christmas was established as a benchmark in the legislative calendar of the Virginia colony, according to Nancy Egloff, Jamestown Settlement historian. Laws on the books in 1631, for example, stated that churches were to be built in areas that needed them before the “feast of the nativity of our Savior, Jesus Christ.”
By contrast, the Pilgrims of Plymouth Colony belonged to a Puritan sect known as Separatists.[2] They treated their first Christmas in the New World as just one more working day. Governor William Bradford noted in his diary that the colonists began building the colony’s first house on December 25, 1620. The following year, when a group of newly arrived settlers refused to work on Christmas Day, Bradford let them off the hook until they could become “better informed.” But he drew a firm line after he found them playing games while everyone else worked.
Despite Puritan efforts, many colonists in New England did celebrate Christmas, importing English customs such as drinking, feasting, mumming and wassailing. Mumming, or “masking,” involved people dressing up in costume and going from house to house, putting on plays and otherwise performing. Wassailers also traveled between homes, drinking and singing while passing around bowls full of spiced ale or mulled wine. Hence the lyrics, “Here we come a-wassailing among the leaves so green, here we come a-wondering so fair to be seen.”[3] In the middle and southern colonies, where there was more religious diversity, Anglicans, Roman Catholics, Lutherans, Moravians and other groups introduced their own Christmas traditions to the New World, both religious and secular.
Far from the children-focused occasion it is today, the Christmas season was packed with adult activities such as parties, feasts, hunts, balls and—of course—church services. People decorated homes and churches with evergreen plants such as holly, ivy, mountain laurel and mistletoe. In addition to mumming and wassailing, revelers in southern colonies like Virginia enjoyed caroling, singing popular English favorites such as “The First Noel,” “God Rest You Merry Gentlemen” and “The Holly and the Ivy.”
Though Christmas had become a relatively mainstream celebration by the mid-18th century, it still wasn’t officially recognized as a holiday by the time of the Revolutionary War. In 1789, Congress went so far as to hold its first session on Christmas Day. Five years before Congresses’ first held session, John Wesley held his pivotal meeting where American Methodism was formally established: this meeting was known as the “Christmas Conference of 1784.” It would take nearly a century for Congress to declare Christmas a national holiday, which it finally did in 1870. By that time, traditions such as the Christmas tree, Santa Claus and gift-giving had made their way into the American mainstream, helping to turn December 25 into the family-friendly holiday we know and love today.
Who would have ever thought that Christmas—a day to honor our Savior’s birth, a day to embrace hope, peace, joy, and love, a day to celebrate—would actually be a dividing factor for those seeking a new life in the “new world?” Today, Christmas is still a dividing issue for many people, nations, ethnicities, and religious denominations and traditions. But yet, Christmas has the power to bring people together. Christmas, much like everything else and everyone else, has a history that isn’t always so perfect; however, it does have a history that has changed the world and somehow has brought a truce to many conflicts. On This Christmas Eve evening, I invite you to see how the light of Christ, through stories, has become a Christmas truce that has changed the world, saved the people, and given rise to love. Let’s travel further back in history to a small town in Bethlehem.
Body:
In The New Church Hymnal published in 1976, there is a hymn titled “Over in Bethlehem” (#551) composed by Ralph Carmichael. Listen to these lyrics: “Over in Bethlehem one clear shivery night, all of the stars were out, but one was especially bright. For it was shining down over that little town where baby Jesus lay. There on a bed of hay, Jesus came to love us like we are right now; glad or sad, good or bad, tall or wise, about your size! He can love us anyhow, anyhow. Over in Bethlehem bright stars still shine above. Children still laugh and play, protected by the Savior’s love.”
Over in Bethlehem is a miracle that we have been waiting for, a promise fulfilled, a prayer answered. God is inviting you to see His Son. Look around: do you see the people passing by the manger seeking to find a place to rest, do you hear the pounding of feet trampling the dirt on the street, do you smell freshly baked bread, do you feel the stillness of a holy night, do you notice the shepherds leaning toward Mary to tell her what they have heard and seen, do you notice Joseph singing a lullaby to Jesus, do you notice the animals of the stable lowing in the hay, do you notice the star that shines in the darkness? Bethlehem, a small and insignificant town has just been written into our history books because of a single night that changed the world.
Over in Bethlehem, history was being made. And on this very night, we are invited to Bethlehem to witness the birth of Jesus who not only changed the world but saved the world. If you think about it, when Jesus was born, God gave us a Christmas Truce—“good news of great joy for all people” (Luke 2:10-11)—that was meant to bring people together—for their stories to illuminate the hope, peace, joy, and love of someone who continually welcomes all of us to manger. History has spoken; but now, it’s time to cherish what we have been waiting for so that we can live a life illuminated by the Truce of Christmas.
Let’s remind ourselves of how we can experience the Truce of Christmas.
Movement One: A Christmas Truce of Hope…
First, the Christmas Truce of Hope. Listen to this story. In the late 1800s, a conference of church leaders in Indiana held their annual conference on the campus of a local college. The president of that college addressed the assembled leaders, and he said, “I think we are living in such an exciting age. I think we are going to see things happen in our lifetime that right now are just unbelievable.” The presiding bishop was intrigued by the college president’s remarks. The bishop interrupted him and said, “What do you see? What specifically are you talking about? What kind of new things do you mean?”
And the president of the college said, “Well, all kinds of things, Bishop. I believe we’re coming into a time of great inventions. This is the year 1870, and I believe, for example, that one day soon we will be able to fly through the air like birds.” “You what?” said the bishop. “You believe that one day we will be able to fly?” “Yes sir, I do,” said the college president.
And then the bishop expounded, “Why, that is heresy, sir. Just plain heresy. The Bible says that flight is reserved for the angels and angels alone. Enough of that talk. We will have no more of such talk here. Flying! What a ridiculous idea!” And do you know what? When the conference was over, that same bishop, whose last name was Wright, went home to his wife and to his two small sons, whose names just happened to be Wilbur and Orville! The bishop had tuned out the possibility of something new. He wasn’t listening.[4]
Hope is about listening, about listening to trust God, about listening to hear how God wants to use us to bring truce to His people as we live in exciting times. God has plans for us—new ideas to embark upon, new challenges to face, new mountains to climb—but are we listening? Are we tuned in to God? Above the hustle and bustle of the season, can we hear those silver bells? My point is we need hope to hear God. We need hope to listen for God calling upon us. We need hope to hear the first cry of Jesus as he lay in the manger. We need hope to hear the concern but also the joy of Mary and Joseph. We need hope to hear what others are saying about the birth of the Christ Child. We need hope to treasure, as Mary did, the words of the shepherds, the first evangelists. We need hope in order to fully listen to and for God. We need hope so that one day we can “fly.”
The Christmas Truce—an agreement between opponents—is hope. Jesus came down to earth to promise us a hope that opens our ears to hear those around us. He brought a hope that, as Paul noted to the Romans, fills us “with all joy and peace as [we] trust in [God]…” (Romans 15:13). Believe it or not, hope can create a truce: it can bring people together; and it can change hearts. If we continue to deny the hope that God has placed in our life, we will be like the Bishop from our story and not see the true potential of what it means to have hope in Christ. We will be stuck in the past when God needs us in the future. May the hope of Christ illuminate your path to truce, to hearing him in your life.
Movement Two: A Christmas Truce of Peace…
Second, the Christmas Truce of Peace. At the start of Chapter Two, James Moore, author of What Do You Want for Christmas, tells a story of how the peace of Christmas can change our life. “A twelve-year-old boy had been brought to the hospital. He had been thrown off of a horse. The boy was so traumatized by that frightening experience that he had become the victim of an emotional paralysis. He was paralyzed in a prison of fear. His eyes were open, but he stared straight ahead. He made no recognition of anyone else, and he would not move or speak. He wouldn’t make a response to anyone or to anything. The doctors said there was nothing physically wrong with him—no bruises or cuts or broken bones, no concussion. The diagnosis was that he had been literally “scared stiff.”… Finally, one day in a moment of inspiration, one of the nurses brought in a baby, a happy six-month-old. The nurse laid the baby on the stomach of the twelve-year-old boy. The baby crawled up and began to touch the little boy’s face. Suddenly, the twelve-year-old boy smiled, and then he hugged the baby and patted him and kissed him on the top of his head….”[5]
This story underscores the incredible message of Advent and Christmas. A little baby comes to set us free. A little baby comes to heal us, to save us, to give us new life. A little baby comes to do for us what no one else can do. A little baby comes to remove our fears so that we can be at peace. God gives us many opportunities to find peace through the Christ child, but how often do we pass up those moments and instead live in fear?
Peace, it’s a word many of us have heard. It’s a word many of us have said. It’s a word many of us share with others. But it’s also a word that many of us struggle with, and we may struggle with it because it is not highly practiced in the United States. In the Global Peace Index of 2025, out of 14 countries surveyed in Central and North America, the United States was ranked 12th of being a peaceful nation with Canada being number one. Out of 163 countries surveyed, Iceland is ranked the most peaceful, Russia was ranked the least peaceful, and the United States is ranked as the 128th most peaceful nation, which is an improvement from last year when we were ranked 132nd. It’s hard to practice peace when where we live is, essentially, just 35 places from being ranked the least peaceful nation in the world.[6] I wonder why we talk about peace every year….
Church, we need peace in our life. We need opportunities to experience a silent and holy night. We need a chance to breathe, to sit, to rest, and be in the presence of Christ. Jesus entered our world, during a time of political upheaval, civil unrest, dominance, enslavement, hatred, and darkness, so that those who needed peace would be able to find it. A Christmas Truce is focused on peace.
Movement Three: A Christmas Truce of Joy…
Third, a Christmas Truce of Joy. I once received a Christmas card that shared a powerful message. It read, “Socrates taught for forty years, Plato for fifty, Aristotle for forty, and Jesus for only three. Yet the influence of Christ’s three-year ministry infinitely transcends the impact left by the combined 130 years of teaching of these greatest philosophers of all antiquity. Jesus painted no pictures, yet the finest painting of Raphael, Michelangelo, and Leonardo da Vinci received their inspiration from Him. Jesus wrote no poetry, but Dante, Milton, and scores of the world’s greatest poets were inspired by Him. Jesus composed no music; still Haydn, Handel, Beethoven, Bach, and Mendelssohn reached their highest perfection of melody in the hymns, symphonies, and oratories they composed in his praise. Every sphere of human greatness has been enriched by this humble carpenter of Nazareth.”[7]
Simply put, there is joy in Christ. Christ is our source of joy, our source of accomplishments. It’s through him, that joy is inspired, encouraged, and lived out in all that we do. We see this joy in our loved ones, our family, our friends, our neighbors, and our church. Even in our darkest moments, there is still joy. The Psalmist wrote, “Weeping may tarry for the night, but joy comes in the morning” (Psalm 30:5). When Mary receives news that threatens her life, changes her life, leaves her life in confusion and fear, and possibly leaves her feeling abandoned, she offers a song of praise to God: “My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my savior…” (Luke 1:46-55). After Hannah, who prayed and prayed to become pregnant and who dedicated her future child to God, sings a song of praise when Samuel is born: “My heart exults in the LORD; my strength is exalted in my God. My mouth derides my enemies because I rejoice in your victory…” (1 Samuel 2:1-10). From chaos to order, God created this world from joy when He repeatedly said, “It is good.”
Joy is all around us, but not everyone experiences joy in Christ. The shepherds, knowing that they were seen as outcasts, came to believe that they would not amount to much: they wouldn’t be seen as anything but unclean people, living off the land, camping in tents and caves, sleeping next to filthy animals, wearing the same clothes for days on end, and never being welcomed within the city walls. Society put them out there, but Jesus brought them here to the manger. The shepherds found joy on that first Christmas night. They wept, but Jesus wiped away their tears. They were seen as unclean, but Jesus made them clean. They were unwelcome, but Jesus welcomed them. They were in pain, but Jesus took away their pain. They were nameless by society, but Jesus knew their names. They were tired and worn, but Jesus revived them. They were abandoned, but Jesus loved them. They were lost, but Jesus found them. Their heart was lacking joy, but Jesus reminded them of the joy that is deep down in their heart.
You have that same joy down in your heart. It may look a little different. It may sound a little different. It may feel a little different. But you have the joy of Christ in your life. Truce isn’t about creating hatred; it’s about creating unity. Truce isn’t about pain; it’s about love. Truce isn’t about tearing people down; but about building people up. Truce isn’t about removing chairs from the table; it’s about making room for more. Truce isn’t about loneliness; it’s about joy. Christ was born in the middle of weeping so that we can experience joy. If you want to experience a Christmas Truce, then let Jesus remind you of the joy that is in your heart.
Movement Four: A Christmas Truce of Love…
Fourth, a Christmas Truce of Love. Some years ago a young woman named Karen became a missionary. She was a well-trained nurse and was sent to serve in a Methodist mission hospital in a remote corner of Africa. Karen loved her work. She knew that God had called her to this special healing ministry, and she felt incredible fulfillment in bringing much needed love and medical care to the people in this impoverished region of the world.[8]
But as Christmas approached, Karen’s thoughts returned toward home. Christmas had always been a wonderful time for her family. They would always go to church together on Christmas Eve and then open presents together on Christmas morning. What would she send them? She wouldn’t be able to go home for Christmas that year, so she would send her presents by mail; but what to send? She had very little money and no place to shop, and mailing a bunch of large presents was out of the question.[9]
Then Karen smiled: she knew just what to do. Some days later, a small box arrived at the front door of her parents’ home. When Karen’s mother found the box and saw the postmark from Africa, she knew it contained Christmas presents from Karen. On the outside of the box, written in bold print, were these words: “Please open on Christmas morning with the whole family.” So on Christmas morning, after all of the other presents had been exchanged, Karen’s mother opened the box. Inside it, she found a number of envelopes—one for Karen’s father, one for her mother, one for Karen’s sister, one or her brother-in-law, one for her niece, and for her nephew.[10]
When the family members opened the envelopes, at first they were surprised. Each envelope held a small piece of poster paper. The pieces had been cut into funny shapes. Suddenly, they realized it was a homemade jigsaw puzzle, and each family member had one piece of the puzzle. Quickly, they went to a table and put the pieces together, and when the last piece was put into place, they realized that the puzzle they had put together was in the shape of a heart. On the homemade poster paper heart were inscribed these words from Karen: “Silver and gold have I none, but such as I have, I give to you. I give you my heart.”[11]
This is what God did for us on that first Christmas: God sent us His heart! He sent His only son into the world to save us, to redeem us, and to turn our lives around. God sent us His heart to show us how much He loves us and to show us how He wants us to love one another. The love that God has given us is a love that completes our puzzle, that puts us together, and that reminds us that we are loved. Sometimes the best gift we can receive at Christmas is not something that we can hold, but rather something that reminds us that we are loved and that our love has impacted someone else.
The Christmas Truce that God gave us through his Son on that first Christmas day, is all about love. Within this love are hope, peace, and joy. This love is unending and never failing and it does not boast or show any records of wrongdoings (1 Corinthians 13). This love shines in our willingness to forgive, our commitment to seek unity, and our motivation to set differences aside. The love that comes down at Christmas is a love that heals us and saves. The love of Christ is our truce so that we can spend more time shining the light of Christ.
Movement Five: The Christmas Truce of 1914…
As I was thinking about how the hope, peace, joy, and love of Christmas, I realized they grant us with the opportunity to establish a truce—where we are not fighting, pushing back against God, challenging God, and/or causing conflict—I found myself reflecting on a commercial that aired in 2014 to commemorate the 100th Anniversary of World War I. The commercial was an advertisement for Sainsbury, the largest chain of supermarkets in the United Kingdom. It focused on the Christmas Truce of 1914. This Truce was a series of unofficial ceasefires which took place along the Western Front of the First World War; it started on Christmas Eve, and for 48 hours very few bullets were fired. The Christmas Truce came five months after hostilities had started, with already one million soldiers in the death toll worldwide. And just as everybody was receiving gifts from their beloved ones, the guns went almost silent on Christmas Eve, and the soldiers began celebrating Christmas in the trenches. The soldiers began to sing Silent Night. As the day broke, German soldiers were “bobbing up and down” from the trenches, but the British were not firing. One of the Germans gathered up the courage to climb out allowing soldiers to exchange greetings and gifts on Christmas. Some even played futbol, received fresh haircuts, played cards, and sat and talked and laughed.[12] In a journal entry regarding that day in history, a soldier wrote, “It was a charming sight.”[13] Take a watch of this commercial.
A brief documentary was made regarding the making of this commercial, and an individual said, “What matters is the message the whole event carries, which is even at the toughest of times, in the heat of war and the most dreadful occasions, there can be great humility.” That’s what Christmas is all about: it’s about realizing that God sent his Son on earth, on what we call Christmas, to establish a truce: a truce that causes great humility and unconditional love. This Truce brought so many different people to the manger: the lost, the hurting, the helpless, the hopeless, the crying, and the list goes on. In Bethlehem, a truce was being made that we are called to live out today through the hope, peace, joy, and love of Jesus Christ.
Our hope is found in our ability to listen for Christ. Our peace is found in the willingness to pause and breathe. Our joy is found in our heart. And our love is found in the blessings of life. The history of Christmas is fascinating, but what is more fascinating is how Christmas, specifically the light of Christ, illuminates our life with a truce that changes the world and saves our life.
Conclusion: Over in Bethlehem…
Over in Bethlehem is a miracle that we have been waiting for, a promise fulfilled, a prayer answered. God is inviting you to see His Son. Look around: do you see the people passing by the manger seeking to find a place to rest, do you hear the pounding of feet trampling the dirt on the street, do you smell freshly baked bread, do you feel the stillness of a holy night, do you notice the shepherds leaning toward Mary to tell her what they have heard and seen, do you notice Joseph singing a lullaby to Jesus, do you notice the animals of the stable lowing in the hay, do you notice the star that shines in the darkness? Do you notice enemies coming together? Bethlehem, a small and insignificant town has just been written into our history books because of a single night that changed the world.
Over in Bethlehem, history was being made. And on this very night, we are invited to Bethlehem to witness the birth of Jesus who not only changed the world but saved the world. If you think about it, when Jesus was born, God gave us a Christmas Truce—“good news of great joy for all people” (Luke 2:10-11)—that was meant to bring people together, that was meant to cease wars, if only for a brief moment in time. History has spoken; but now, it’s time to cherish what we have been waiting for so that we can live a life illuminated by the Truce of Christmas.
Congregational Response: “Away in a Manger” (#552) Jeff Shipman (Guitar)
Sharing of the Light of Christ:
The time has come to accept the light of Christ, to receive the sign of the Christmas Truce. The announcement has been made, Mary gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in bands of cloth and laid him in a manger, and the heavenly host has sung “Glory to God in the highest heaven and on earth peace among those whom he favors” (Luke 2:14). The light of Christ has entered our life through the manger so that we may have a life in Christ. “And the Word became flesh and lived among us…” (John 1:14).
The life which Jesus gives us starts now. And it starts by accepting that Jesus Christ is the true light, which enlightens everyone; that Jesus Christ is the true light that brings us out of darkness; that Jesus Christ is the true light that has come into this world, full of grace, full of love, and full of truth and hope, peace, and joy. Jesus Christ is the true light of peace found on a silent and holy night that brings people together.
*Sharing the Light of Christ:
As Adam Hamilton notes, “Jesus came to be the light for us that we, as his followers, might in turn be light for others.” May this light bring you hope, peace, joy, and love. May this light be all you need to embrace a silent and holy night, a Christmas Truce that changed the world and also saved you. At this time, we will share the light of Christ with our neighbors by passing them the light of Christ. As you pass the light, say to your neighbor, “The Light of Christ shines for you.”
Once everyone has received the light, we will see “Silent Night.” The words will be on the screen.
*Closing Song: “Silent Night” (#530) Jeff Shipman (Guitar)
*Benediction:
In just a few minutes or hours, you will gather together with family and friends, laughing and smiling and enjoying the Spirit of Christmas. After the festivities have concluded, place yourself in the manger scene next to Mary and Joseph as they hold their new born child, our Lord and Savior, for the first time. As you stand there set aside the chaos and the noise and embrace the peace of a silent and holy night. Don’t miss it. May God bless you, May the Light of Christ shine within you, and May the peace of the Holy Spirit fill your heart. Now go forth holding your candle as you light the world with Christ’s love. Amen.
Merry Christmas everyone!
[1] https://www.history.com/articles/christmas-13-colonies-puritans (Accessed on December 19, 2025)
[2] Separatists, particularly English Protestants in the 16th-17th centuries, believed the Church of England was corrupt and beyond saving, advocating for complete separation to form independent, self-governing local congregations (“gathered churches”) free from state control and hierarchy, believing true worship came from voluntary association of believers, not imposed by monarchy or bishops. They followed Calvinist theology, emphasizing God’s sovereignty, predestination, and rejecting Catholic practices seen as unscriptural.
[3] “Here We Come A-Wassailing” or “Here We Come A Caroling.”
[4] James W. Moore, What Do You Want For Christmas: An Advent Study for Adults, Nashville, Tennessee: Abingdon Press, 2008. pg. 4-5.
[5] James W. Moore, What Do You Want For Christmas: An Advent Study for Adults, Nashville, Tennessee: Abingdon Press, 2008. pg. 13-14..
[6] chrome-extension://efaidnbmnnnibpcajpcglclefindmkaj/https://www.visionofhumanity.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Global-Peace-Index-2025-web.pdf
[7] James W. Moore, What Do You Want For Christmas: An Advent Study for Adults, Nashville, Tennessee: Abingdon Press, 2008. pg. 32-33.
[8] James W. Moore, What Do You Want For Christmas: An Advent Study for Adults, Nashville, Tennessee: Abingdon Press, 2008. pg. 38.
[9] James W. Moore, What Do You Want For Christmas: An Advent Study for Adults, Nashville, Tennessee: Abingdon Press, 2008. pg. 39.
[10] James W. Moore, What Do You Want For Christmas: An Advent Study for Adults, Nashville, Tennessee: Abingdon Press, 2008. pg. 39.
[11] James W. Moore, What Do You Want For Christmas: An Advent Study for Adults, Nashville, Tennessee: Abingdon Press, 2008. pg. 39-40.
[12] https://creativepool.com/magazine/inspiration/ads-that-made-history-the-christmas-truce-of-sainsburys.26122
[13] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2s1YvnfcFVs
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