TELLING THE NEW, OLD STORY

GOSPEL — LUKE 2:1-14
The Nativity of Our Lord, Christmas Eve

The author of Luke is a self-proclaimed historian. The name-dropping in this Christmas Eve gospel is Luke’s effort to ground Jesus’ birth in history. But make no mistake: Luke does not believe that this world-changing story should remain in history.

“In those days” (Luke 2:1), as our gospel begins, a child was born who would be called “Wonderful Counselor” and “Prince of Peace” (Isaiah 9:6). Word of this holy birth immediately spread to the next willing hearers who could receive the good news: shepherds in that region, tending their flocks. And the story did not stop there! By the leading of a star, the news of that holy night would spread, would draw in others to venture out as messengers, witnesses, and storytellers.

Christ’s birth may have happened as part of a historic timeline, but the incarnation is hardly time-bound. Christ’s birth was good news “in those days” and remains good news in these days as well. The song of the angels, by their own declaration, is a song for all people, a promise for now and for all generations. It is not limited to any one time, place, nation, race, gender, class, age, or life circumstance.

Every generation longs for lasting peace. Every era in history seeks the promise of a future filled with hope and purpose. And so, to every generation, Luke offers his story—not as a history lesson but as a timeless tale of wonder, grace, and hope.

It is a story of a baby born in a most unlikely setting, and a story of some drowsy night-shift workers. It is a story of a night sky ablaze and of hearts deeply moved by the transcendent music of the spheres. It is a story we love to tell. And it is a story our world needs. Because it reminds us, each time we hear it, that God is establishing endless peace, justice, and righteousness, “from this time onward and forevermore” (Isa. 9:7).

From sundaysandseasons.com.
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