This Christmas mini-series is made up of three sermons, and it looks at the Christmas story through the lens of angels appearing to announce the good news.

Sermon One – The Angel Appears to Mary (Luke 1:26-38)

This passage looks at the moment Gabriel first appeared to Mary and announced to her that she would bear a son. The angel tells Mary just how amazing this child will be, and these truths would be good to bring out in this sermon. As well as being fully human by virtue of being born of Mary, he will also be ‘the Son of the Most High’. He will reign on David’s throne as the fulfilment of all God’s promises to David and will also reign in Jacob’s house. Though Mary was still a virgin she would conceive through the power of the Holy Spirit. In response to this announcement Mary joyfully accepted God’s word over her life.

Sermon Two – The Angel Appears to Joseph (Matthew 1:18-25)

Understandably, when Joseph hears that Mary is pregnant and the baby isn’t his, he is not best pleased. Rather than put Mary and the child to public shame, he wants to separate from her quietly and privately. It takes an angelic visitation to set Joseph’s mind at rest. The angel announced what God was going to do through Mary’s Son – that he would save his people from his sins. This is a great focus for this message, looking at the rescue mission that the angel announced and how Jesus accomplished it.

Sermon Three – The Angels Appear to the Shepherds (Luke 2:8-14)

This time not just one angel appears, but a whole host of them. They appear to shepherds out on the hillside outside Bethlehem to announce the birth of the the Saviour. Once the first angel has declared great news of great joy, the heavenly choir sang the praise of God’s glory. The theme of this message is the great joy that has arrived through the birth of Christ the Lord. We want to invite our congregations to get caught up in the joy of the angels and join our praises with theirs in response to the good news!