A Christmas Sermon

Follow the link below to a sermon I preached at First Baptist Church of LeRoy, NY, on Dec. 19, 2004, the Fourth Sunday of Advent. Here's part of the intro:

The Beginning of Christmas: John 1:1-18

This morning I would like to take us all back to the very beginning of Christmas. When most of us think of the beginning of Christmas, we think of angels. We think of a young woman, engaged but not yet married, pregnant with a child by the Holy Spirit. We think of a brave young man named Joseph, who followed God’s plan, even though it might damage his reputation. We think of the tax from Caesar Augustus and the town of Bethlehem, where no room could be found for Joseph and Mary. We think of a stable, a manger, some ragged shepherds in a field, and a heavenly choir of angels. It is a beautiful story, described by songwriter Randall Goodgame as “like a children’s tune, familiar as the moon.” This is a story that most people know, whether Christians or not.

But I want to suggest to you this morning that this is not the beginning of Christmas....

Continue reading "The Beginning of Christmas".