December 24

Zechariah 6:1-7:14; Revelation 15:1-8; Psalm 143:1-12; Proverbs 30:24-28

Today is Christmas Eve, and my husband will preach today on “’Twas the Night Before Christmas in Heaven.” His text is from Hebrews 10:7b - “I have come to do your will, O Lord" - which is a quote from one of David’s psalms, Psalm 40:7. 

At first glance the verses in the OYB today do not seem to reflect on Christmas Eve, but a closer look reveals the coming Messiah.  Branch is a name for the Messiah that Zechariah uses several times. In 6:12-13, Zechariah says that the Branch will “be clothed with majesty and will sit and rule on his throne. And he will be a priest on his throne.” Being both king and priest refers to the coming Messiah, Jesus Christ, who indeed fulfills both of these roles.

And in Revelation those who had been victorious over the beast held harps and sang this song, “Great and marvelous are your deeds, Lord God Almighty; just and true are your ways, King of the ages” (Rev. 15:3b). So this is also speaking of the One who came on Christmas, the Son of God, our Savior Jesus. So maybe the Scriptures that we read today are about the Night Before Christmas.

Don and I will have a Christmas Eve rather quiet this year—we won’t see the grandchildren until Christmas Day. However, our son, David, is visiting us and we’ll try to persuade him to go to church to hear his father preach, and he’ll probably agree because we’ll add the bribe of going out to eat afterwards. We’ll sit in the festively adorned church and worship our Lord on the Night Before Christmas. We’ll sing the carols that speak of him,

“Joy to the world, the Lord has come. Let earth receive her king.

Let every heart prepare him room, and heaven and nature sing.”

We’ll listen to my husband’s sermon. And I’ll be praying that my son’s heart will be open to the Savior.

Merry Christmas Eve to you and your family. May each of your hearts be open to the Savior on this Night Before Christmas.

- Nell Sunukjian

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