Lectionary Readings
(from the Revised Common Lectionary)
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Wednesday, December 24, 2025
Nativity of the Lord - Proper I Christmas Eve & Day—Christmas, Year A
Summary
At Christmas Eve, the preacher must be vigilant not to ease into a comforting exposition of the well-known Christmas story. As the last Christian feast our society bends around, the temptation will be to preside over the palpable sensations of hearth and home like the merry Spirit of Christmas Present. But the feast is too foundational, the scriptures too portentous, to cover over with gauzy sentiment.
It is probably a good idea to let the Isaiah passage lead the themes and exhortations, because it gives meaning to Luke’s moment. The Lectionary gives us no room to shy away from the Christological target of the millennia-old prophecy: It is about the gladsome arrival of Jesus Christ, the promised child, surely more (and more wonderful) than anyone bargained for. The new birth is the realized hope of Israel and a light to the nations. The congregation would be well exhorted to imitate Mary as they go home to their dinners and presents and families—to treasure these things quietly in the midst of the hubbub, that their faith may not burn off with the moment, but be confirmed by prayerful contemplation.
Wednesday, December 24, 2025
Nativity of the Lord - Proper II Christmas Eve & Day—Christmas, Year A
Summary
In this first of the two Christmas day services (traditionally at dawn), the Gospel from Christmas Eve is (largely) repeated, however a new Isaiah reading takes center stage. God’s vow to restore Jerusalem ends with an encouragement that the “Daughter of Zion” recognize her salvation is arriving. The preacher should not be timid to draw the Marian parallel here since she is a type of the church. Salvation is indeed “with her,” literally to be found inside of her, and from her womb springs the firstborn of a redeemed, holy people. Titus spells out the terms of that salvation hinted at in the Isaiah passage: Entrance through the baptismal waters of new birth in the Spirit, justification by Christ, one great movement leading to the hope of eternal life.
Wednesday, December 24, 2025
Nativity of the Lord - Proper III Christmas Eve & Day—Christmas, Year A
Summary
The principle text for the feast of Christmas is undoubtedly John 1. Each of the Gospels, in the sequence in which they were written, begin Jesus’ story earlier than the last. Mark begins at Jesus’ baptism, Luke at the Nativity, Matthew’s genealogy extends back to Adam himself. John, astoundingly, begins before all beginnings.
From this dizzying vantage point before and above all creation, the preacher may feel vertigo, since there is literally nothing in all the universe that is irrelevant to this text, and therefore an infinity of possible themes to be explored, so it will helpful to follow the text of the Gospel itself to properly relate these cosmic mysteries to the church to whom they have been revealed.
Verse 14 grounds the mystery of the eternally begotten logos and the incarnation, not in appeal to philosophical categories, but in concrete experience. “We saw his glory” (NASB) ought to be taken straightforwardly as an eyewitness report, not some sense of spiritual or intellectual “seeing.” Though Christ is above and before all things, the main message here is that he was directly experienced, and may still be today through his Holy Spirit and in prayer.
Ordinary human contact with the divine is what our faith is built upon, not clever philosophical ideas. Hebrews drives this point home, declaring that Jesus is the “perfect imprint” of the Father. The unseeable God is made perceptible, which brings theology into simplicity, eternity into time. Preachers ought to craft their messages with this “downward” movement in mind, not staying in the clouds of cosmic mystery, but proclaiming the gospel that the highest God has made himself fully knowable to limited beings, even little children. Our sermons ought to be just as knowable!
Sunday, December 28, 2025
First Sunday after Christmas Day—Christmas, Year A
Summary
The Gospel of Matthew is concerned to show the continuity between Jesus and the Jewish scriptures. This is displayed both in direct fulfillment of prophetic word–Hosea 11:1 fulfilled in v. 15, and Jeremiah 31:15 in v. 17–and also by revealing the archetypical form of the story. In this passage, the circumstances of Jesus’ birth closely resemble Moses’: Saved from a paranoid ruler’s decree to kill male babies, squirreled away into the heart of Egypt, and returning home after the threat is past. Jesus is the higher Moses.
Therefore, the preacher will do well to avoid simply re-telling the beats of the narrative, adding unrecorded color commentary (“We can only wonder what Joseph might have been thinking …”) in order to fashion some sort of exhortation out of the twists and turns of the plot. The Gospels do more than simply relate what happened next, they paint a portrait of Jesus which fulfills the lives of the patriarchs, faithful monarchs, and prophets of old. Like theme music, the passage illuminates Jesus’ mission by relating it to the Exodus. The salvation of the Israelites brought about by God through Moses has now been recapitulated on an even greater scale: God himself rescuing all his children from the slavery to sin and death.
Thursday, January 1, 2026
Holy Name of Jesus (Mary, Mother of God)—Christmas, Year A
Summary
The Feast of the Holy name on January 1 is a fitting way to begin the calendar year: By reflecting on the identity of Jesus Christ and recommitting ourselves to participation in the mission of his church on earth.
The “name” of God in the Old Testament carries a great deal more weight than just functioning as a label. It represents authority and reputation. For instance, Yahweh often acts “for the sake of my Holy Name” (Ezek. 36:22). After the incarnation, Jesus has become “the name that is above every name” (Phil. 2:9).
The Gospel passage shows the telltale pattern of the Spirit in the church: The shepherds, receiving the gospel revelation from on high, are not content to simply receive it. They are immediately up and out on mission, rushing to the Lord, and then off to tell the world the good news. The believer’s proper response to the identity of Jesus is to rush to be near to him, and then go out with joy to do the work that he has given us to do: To spread the news to all. Mary’s response signals the church’s vocation is not just enthusiasm, but contemplation of God and his action in history. Together, the band of shepherds and family prefigure the church’s work in the world and through it, the name of Jesus is honored and proclaimed.
