Beautiful Savior Lutheran Church (LCMS)

December 24, 2022

Christmas Eve

BEAUTIFUL SAVIOR LUTHERAN CHURCH
6830 S. Pleasant Valley Rd.
Austin, TX 78744
Office 512-443-4947
Pastor Jonathan Bontke
Cell 512-426-7040
Home 512 -520-5171

The Nativity of Our Lord

Son of Man and Son of God

AS WE GATHER

Who is the Son of God? That first Christmas, the baby lying in the manger appeared to be the son of Mary and Joseph. Yet, this infant boy is so much more than meets the eye. He is the Son of God! How do we know? Just listen to God’s Word in the proclamation of the angels: “For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord” (Luke 2:11). Or hear the words of John 1: “The Word became flesh and dwelt among us” (John 1:14). This Christmas, through faith, you also are more than what meets the eye. You are a child of God! How do you know? God’s Word connected to water declares it because you are baptized in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Celebrate this Christmas that “when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth His Son, born of woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons” (Galatians 4:4–5).

+ Preparation +

INVOCATION

P     In the name of the Father and of the + Son and of the Holy Spirit.
C     Amen.

OPENING SENTENCES                                                                         Psalm 146:3–5

P     Put not your trust in princes,
C     in a son of man, in whom there is no salvation.

P     When his breath departs
C     he returns to the earth;

P     on that very day
C     his plans perish.

P     Blessed is he whose help is the God of Jacob,
C     whose hope is in the Lord his God.

SERVICE OF LIGHT

P     The Sprit and the Church cry out:
C     Come, Lord Jesus.

P     All those who await His appearance pray:
C     Come, Lord Jesus.

P     The whole creation pleads:
C     Come, Lord Jesus.

P     Celebrating the arrival of the Son of Man and the Son of God, we implore:

C Come, Lord Jesus.

SERMON: THIS IS MY SON: JESUS John 1:1-18

CONFESSION AND ABSOLUTION

P     “We also, when we were children, were enslaved to the elementary principles of the world” (Galatians 4:3). Let us confess our sins to God our Father.
C     Most merciful God, we confess that we are by nature sinful and unclean. We have sinned against You in thought, word, and deed, by what we have done and by what we have left undone. We have not loved You with our whole heart; we have not loved our neighbors as ourselves. We justly deserve Your present and eternal punishment. For the sake of Your Son, Jesus Christ, have mercy on us. Forgive us, renew us, and lead us, so that we may delight in Your will and walk in Your ways to the glory of Your holy name. Amen.

P     “But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth His Son, born of woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons” (Galatians 4:4–5). Because of the Savior who is the Word made flesh and who dwelt among us, I, by virtue of my office, as a called and ordained servant of the Word, announce the grace of God to all of you, and in the stead and by the command of my Lord Jesus Christ I forgive you all your sins in the name of the Father and of the T Son and of the Holy Spirit.
C     Amen.

SALUTATION

P The Lord be with you.

C     And also with you.

COLLECT OF THE DAY

P     Let us pray.

Father in heaven, You sent forth Your Son to be born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem us who were under the law. Grant that through faith we might rejoice in our baptismal adoption as Your children and our connection to Christ; through the same Jesus Christ, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.

C     Amen.

+ Word +

OLD TESTAMENT READING Daniel 7:13–14 P     The Old Testament Reading is from Daniel, the seventh chapter.
I saw in the night visions,
and behold, with the clouds of heaven
there came one like a son of man,
and He came to the Ancient of Days
and was presented before Him.
And to Him was given dominion
and glory and a kingdom,
that all peoples, nations, and languages
should serve Him;
His dominion is an everlasting dominion,
which shall not pass away,
and His kingdom one
that shall not be destroyed.

P     This is the Word of the Lord.
C     Thanks be to God.

PSALM (Christmas Eve)                                                       Psalm 96; antiphon: v. 2

P     Sing to the Lord, bless His name; tell of His salvation from day to day.
C     Oh sing to the Lord a new song; sing to the Lord, all the earth!

P     Sing to the Lord, bless His name; tell of His salvation from day to day.
C     Declare His glory among the nations, His marvelous works among all the peoples!

P     For great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised; He is to be feared above all gods.
C     For all the gods of the peoples are worthless idols, but the Lord made the heavens.

P     Splendor and majesty are before Him; strength and beauty are in His sanctuary.
C     Ascribe to the Lord, O families of the peoples, ascribe to the Lord glory and strength!

P     Ascribe to the Lord the glory due His name; bring an offering, and come into His courts!
C     Worship the Lord in the splendor of holiness; tremble before Him, all the earth!

P     Say among the nations, “The Lord reigns! Yes, the world is established; it shall never be moved; He will judge the peoples with equity.”
C     Let the heavens be glad, and let the earth rejoice; let the sea roar, and all that fills it; let the field exult, and everything in it!

P     Then shall all the trees of the forest sing for joy before the Lord, for He comes, for He comes to judge the earth.
C     He will judge the world in righteousness, and the peoples in His faithfulness.

P     Sing to the Lord, bless His name; tell of His salvation from day to day.

EPISTLE ……………………………………………………………Galatians 4:1–7

P     The Epistle is from Galatians, the fourth chapter.

I mean that the heir, as long as he is a child, is no different from a slave, though he is the owner of everything, but he is under guardians and managers until the date set by his father. In the same way we also, when we were children, were enslaved to the elementary principles of the world. But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth His Son, born of woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons. And because you are sons, God has sent the Spirit of His Son into our hearts, crying, “Abba! Father!” So you are no longer a slave, but a son, and if a son, then an heir through God.

P     This is the Word of the Lord.
C     Thanks be to God.

VERSE (Christmas Eve)                                                                             Luke 2:11

Alleluia. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. Alleluia.

HOLY GOSPEL ………………………………………………………John 1:1–18

P     The Holy Gospel according to St. John, the first chapter.
C     Glory to You, O Lord.

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through Him, and without Him was not any thing made that was made. In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.

There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. He came as a witness, to bear witness about the light, that all might believe through him. He was not the light, but came to bear witness about the light.

The true light, which enlightens everyone, was coming into the world. He was in the world, and the world was made through Him, yet the world did not know Him. 11He came to His own, and His own people did not receive Him. But to all who did receive Him, who believed in His name, He gave the right to become children of God, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.

And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen His glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth. (John bore witness about Him, and cried out, “This was He of whom I said, ‘He who comes after me ranks before me, because He was before me.’ ”) And from His fullness we have all received, grace upon grace. For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. No one has ever seen God; the only God, who is at the Father’s side, He has made Him known.

P This is the Gospel of the Lord.
C Praise to You, O Christ.

NICENE CREED
C I believe in one God,
the Father Almighty,
maker of heaven and earth
and of all things visible and invisible.
And in one Lord Jesus Christ,
the only-begotten Son of God,
begotten of His Father before all worlds,
God of God, Light of Light,
very God of very God,
begotten, not made,
being of one substance with the Father,
by whom all things were made;
who for us men and for our salvation came down from heaven
and was incarnate by the Holy Spirit of the virgin Mary
and was made man;
and was crucified also for us under Pontius Pilate.
He suffered and was buried.
And the third day He rose again according to the Scriptures
and ascended into heaven
and sits at the right hand of the Father.
And He will come again with glory to judge both the living and the dead,
whose kingdom will have no end.

And I believe in the Holy Spirit,
the Lord and giver of life,
who proceeds from the Father and the Son,
who with the Father and the Son together is worshiped and glorified,
who spoke by the prophets.
And I believe in one holy Christian and apostolic Church,
I acknowledge one Baptism for the remission of sins,
and I look for the resurrection of the dead
and the life + of the world to come. Amen.

PRAYER OF THE CHURCH
P     We come before our Lord in prayer in the name of the Holy Child of Bethlehem, the Son of Man and the Son of God. Heavenly Father, we rejoice at the coming of Your Son for our salvation. Grant that we might share the Good News of Christ this Christmastime that many others find joy at the coming of Your Son to bring them life and salvation. Hear us, for the sake of Jesus,
C     Son of Man and Son of God.

P     Heavenly Father, we remember before You those who are suffering ills of body or mind even as we celebrate Christ’s birth. According to Your will, bless them with healing and joy even in the midst of woe. We bring before You especially [names]. Hear us, for the sake of Jesus,
C     Son of Man and Son of God.

P     Heavenly Father, You sent Your Son that first Christmas to be the Savior of all nations and of all time. Here, in this time and place, grant that we receive the benefits of His coming through His body and blood given and shed for us as we faithfully receive Him as He comes to us in His Supper. Hear us, for the sake of Jesus,
C     Son of Man and Son of God.

P     We pray these things through Christ Jesus, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever,
C     Son of Man and Son of God. Amen.

OFFERING

LORD’S PRAYER
C Our Father who art in heaven,
hallowed be Thy name,
Thy kingdom come,
Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven;
give us this day our daily bread;
and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us;
and lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
For Thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever and ever. Amen.

PRAYER
P     This Christmas, we pray, “Come, Lord Jesus.” True Son of Adam,
C     come, Lord Jesus.

P     True Son of Abraham,
C     come, Lord Jesus.

P     True Son of David,
C     come, Lord Jesus.

P     True Son of God,
C     come, Lord Jesus.

P     True Son of Man,
C     come, Lord Jesus.

P     That we might receive adoption as sons,
C     come, Lord Jesus. Amen.

BENEDICTION
P The Lord bless you and keep you.
The Lord make His face shine on you and be gracious to you.
The Lord look upon you with favor and + give you peace.
C Amen.

Unto Us

a Child is Born

HAVE A BLESSED CHRISTMAS

Christmas Day Service tomorrow 10: 00a.m.

​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​Beautiful Savior Lutheran Church (LCMS)​​​

Beautiful Savior Lutheran Church (LCMS)