The Colors of Christmas: Six Sermons and Object Lessons for Advent and Christmas
Sermon
A Christmas Journey
A Collection of Resources for Advent and Christmas
Object:
Advent 2
Children's Message
Purple or Violet
Good morning, boys and girls. I'm happy to see so many of you wearing your green ribbons this morning. See, I have mine, too. What does the color green remind us of? That's right, life and growth. Very good. Yes, God has given us all things in creation, including his Son, Jesus. Green reminds us of the life we have in his love, and is certainly a good color for the Christmas season. Just look at the beautiful green Christmas tree today!
We have a new color this morning, another color of Christmas. What color did I mention during my announcements? That's right. Purple or violet. And here, I have a purple ribbon for each of you to wear. This morning, a few of the women from our choir are going to help you pin your ribbons on while I tell you about purple or violet.
Why is purple a good color for Christmas? Any ideas? This may be a bit more difficult to understand for us, since purple isn't common for the Christmas season, is it? Purple is the color of royalty. Kings and princes often wear purple robes as a symbol of their authority and power. Who is the great King of kings, whose birthday we're preparing to celebrate? That's right, Jesus. So, because Jesus is our great king, purple is a wonderful color for Christmas.
Do you see anything that is violet or purple in the sanctuary this morning? That's right, the altar cloths or paraments. Anything else? Very good, the candles on the Advent wreath. They are purple ... the candles for the king. Anything else? Well, there is one more place, but you can't see it from here. Purple is also the color of grapes, and what do many people make out of grapes? Wine (Juice)? Yes, wine (juice). This morning, we will celebrate Holy Communion, the coming of the king, the coming of Jesus to each of us in a special way. We celebrate this Lord's Supper with bread and wine (juice), prepared and waiting for us on the altar.
Purple or violet. It reminds us of what? That's right, that Jesus is the King of kings. Other kings came seeking Jesus, too. We call them the Wise Men. All in all, purple is a great color of Christmas.
Advent 2
Sermon
Purple or Violet, the Color of Royalty
Luke 1:31-35; 23:33-38
"Prepare the royal highway ... the King of kings is near!" This is Advent! Together, as God's people in Jesus Christ, we look for the coming of our Lord. Last Sunday morning, we began our celebration of the Advent/Christmas season with a look at the colors of Christmas! For our first color, our emphasis last Sunday was on green, the color of life. We spoke of Christ Jesus, the Babe of Bethlehem, as the source of all life, both life in this world and life for all believers in the next. Today, we look at purple or violet, the color of royalty. It is the color of kings, and especially the King of kings whose birth is certainly drawing near!
As a prelude to our consideration this morning, I'd like to share with you two portions of God's Word, from the Gospel of Luke. First, Luke 1:31-35 and then Luke 23:33-38.
From the beginning of Luke's Gospel, until the very end of it, we find Jesus, our Lord, called king. The angel announced it at his conception and birth. The Jews, on the other hand, sarcastically proclaimed Jesus as king of the Jews as he died on the cross for the sins of all the world. Jesus, the king ... the royal son of David. In birth and in death, he is called king. "Prepare the royal highway ... the King of kings is here!"
A royal king, standing in the line of David, was exactly what the Jews were looking for when Jesus was born. The society of Israel to which Jesus came was a society filled with oppression. Rome was in absolute control. They exacted tribute from their Jewish subjects. No one dared oppose their rule. A few had tried, and most of them had paid the ultimate price. The Jews longed for a new prince, a new king, a new anointed one, a messiah like David to restore Judah to its lofty place of political prominence.
History is very important to the Jewish people. Following the death of David and Solomon, and with the assumption of the throne by King Rehoboam, the nation of Israel had suffered from internal strife and continual decline. No king was remembered more fondly than King David. So, remember him they did, for it was David who had consolidated the territory of Israel and expanded the nation. It was David who had established Jerusalem as Israel's capital. It was David who had won many great victories over Israel's enemies, and it was David who had founded a dynasty of kings. And so it was David who was remembered reverently, hopefully. Wouldn't it be great if we could just have another king like David? If only King David would return and throw the Romans out! The prophets fueled this longing for another David through the continual promises of God.
For example, in our first lesson for this morning, Isaiah calls for a shoot, a branch from the stump of Jesse. You remember Jesse, David's father. Likewise, our psalm for the day is a psalm of Solomon. It is actually a prayer of blessing for a righteous king.
Though their powerful nation was gone ... though kings like David no longer existed, still the Jews remembered ... they remembered King David and longed for such royalty once more.
It was into this world of remembering and anticipation that Jesus came. The angel called him king. The Wise Men recognized him in the same way: "Where is he who has been born king of the Jews?" But in reality, Jesus was just the opposite of the great king and military leader the people were hoping for. The Jews expected power, authority, military victories, and revolt. Instead, Jesus came filled with "the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of council and justice, the spirit of knowledge, and the fear of the Lord!" (Isaiah 11:2).
And it was Isaiah's prophecy that came true in the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth. He fulfilled all that was spoken about him concerning the prophets. But the Jews ... ah, well, the Jews! They just didn't know what to make of this Jesus. They missed the royal king when he came knocking on their doors. Only at Jesus' death, did they call him king ... king of the Jews, but this was simply a cruel, humorless joke.
In retrospect, how can we blame them? Given their political situation and their longings for a king, how can we blame them? Did Jesus look like a king? Did he act like a king? How was Jesus dressed? Did he wear the purple robe of a king?
Actually, he did wear a purple robe once in his life. Mark's Gospel reports that as Jesus was taken as a prisoner to the palace, the soldiers clothed Jesus in a purple cloak, and plaiting a crown of thorns, they put it on him. They began to salute him, "Hail, king of the Jews!" They struck him with a reed and spit upon him, and they knelt down in mock homage to him. And after they mocked him, they stripped him of the purple cloak, they put his own clothes on him, and they led him out to be crucified.
Purple or violet is the color of royalty. It is reserved for kings' palaces, not mangers and stables. Yet purple or violet is a color of Christmas. It is the color we generally see hanging from the altar, lectern, pulpit, and pastor during Advent. It is the color we use during the Lenten season, too, since it is also a color of repentance.
The color purple or violet, Christ the king, and repentance have a lot in common. Our sins have been confessed this morning. We know that because of Christ, our king's loving death for our sakes, our sins have been eliminated; washed away. This king, our king, our royal king Jesus, sacrificed himself for his subjects. He took off the purple robe in heaven, and put on the diapers of Bethlehem for our sakes. He took off the purple robe in Herod's palace, willingly laying down his life on the cross for our sakes.
The color for today, this color of Christmas, is purple or violet. We use it and we wear it, so that we may never, ever forget what he has done for us all.
In another way, remembering will be part of our worship this morning, too. On the evening before Jesus died, he took a cup of wine -- wine made from purple grapes just like these -- and mysteriously, miraculously, changed the eating habits of Christians forever. For as we gather here, Advent comes true ... the king comes to us once more, through his own body, his own blood. We celebrate, we rejoice, we remember, we repent!
"Prepare the royal highway ... the King of kings is near!" Purple or violet is the color of royalty! As you gather during this holiday season with family and friends, may you remember whose birthday we are celebrating. May you remember the angel's message, "For to you is born this day in the city of David, a Savior, a Messiah, who is Christ the Lord!" That babe born in Bethlehem, so very long ago, is Christ the king ... your king ... my king!
Purple or violet is the color of royalty. "Then greet the king of glory, foretold in sacred story. Hosanna to the Lord ... for he fulfills God's Word!" Amen.
Children's Message
Purple or Violet
Good morning, boys and girls. I'm happy to see so many of you wearing your green ribbons this morning. See, I have mine, too. What does the color green remind us of? That's right, life and growth. Very good. Yes, God has given us all things in creation, including his Son, Jesus. Green reminds us of the life we have in his love, and is certainly a good color for the Christmas season. Just look at the beautiful green Christmas tree today!
We have a new color this morning, another color of Christmas. What color did I mention during my announcements? That's right. Purple or violet. And here, I have a purple ribbon for each of you to wear. This morning, a few of the women from our choir are going to help you pin your ribbons on while I tell you about purple or violet.
Why is purple a good color for Christmas? Any ideas? This may be a bit more difficult to understand for us, since purple isn't common for the Christmas season, is it? Purple is the color of royalty. Kings and princes often wear purple robes as a symbol of their authority and power. Who is the great King of kings, whose birthday we're preparing to celebrate? That's right, Jesus. So, because Jesus is our great king, purple is a wonderful color for Christmas.
Do you see anything that is violet or purple in the sanctuary this morning? That's right, the altar cloths or paraments. Anything else? Very good, the candles on the Advent wreath. They are purple ... the candles for the king. Anything else? Well, there is one more place, but you can't see it from here. Purple is also the color of grapes, and what do many people make out of grapes? Wine (Juice)? Yes, wine (juice). This morning, we will celebrate Holy Communion, the coming of the king, the coming of Jesus to each of us in a special way. We celebrate this Lord's Supper with bread and wine (juice), prepared and waiting for us on the altar.
Purple or violet. It reminds us of what? That's right, that Jesus is the King of kings. Other kings came seeking Jesus, too. We call them the Wise Men. All in all, purple is a great color of Christmas.
Advent 2
Sermon
Purple or Violet, the Color of Royalty
Luke 1:31-35; 23:33-38
"Prepare the royal highway ... the King of kings is near!" This is Advent! Together, as God's people in Jesus Christ, we look for the coming of our Lord. Last Sunday morning, we began our celebration of the Advent/Christmas season with a look at the colors of Christmas! For our first color, our emphasis last Sunday was on green, the color of life. We spoke of Christ Jesus, the Babe of Bethlehem, as the source of all life, both life in this world and life for all believers in the next. Today, we look at purple or violet, the color of royalty. It is the color of kings, and especially the King of kings whose birth is certainly drawing near!
As a prelude to our consideration this morning, I'd like to share with you two portions of God's Word, from the Gospel of Luke. First, Luke 1:31-35 and then Luke 23:33-38.
From the beginning of Luke's Gospel, until the very end of it, we find Jesus, our Lord, called king. The angel announced it at his conception and birth. The Jews, on the other hand, sarcastically proclaimed Jesus as king of the Jews as he died on the cross for the sins of all the world. Jesus, the king ... the royal son of David. In birth and in death, he is called king. "Prepare the royal highway ... the King of kings is here!"
A royal king, standing in the line of David, was exactly what the Jews were looking for when Jesus was born. The society of Israel to which Jesus came was a society filled with oppression. Rome was in absolute control. They exacted tribute from their Jewish subjects. No one dared oppose their rule. A few had tried, and most of them had paid the ultimate price. The Jews longed for a new prince, a new king, a new anointed one, a messiah like David to restore Judah to its lofty place of political prominence.
History is very important to the Jewish people. Following the death of David and Solomon, and with the assumption of the throne by King Rehoboam, the nation of Israel had suffered from internal strife and continual decline. No king was remembered more fondly than King David. So, remember him they did, for it was David who had consolidated the territory of Israel and expanded the nation. It was David who had established Jerusalem as Israel's capital. It was David who had won many great victories over Israel's enemies, and it was David who had founded a dynasty of kings. And so it was David who was remembered reverently, hopefully. Wouldn't it be great if we could just have another king like David? If only King David would return and throw the Romans out! The prophets fueled this longing for another David through the continual promises of God.
For example, in our first lesson for this morning, Isaiah calls for a shoot, a branch from the stump of Jesse. You remember Jesse, David's father. Likewise, our psalm for the day is a psalm of Solomon. It is actually a prayer of blessing for a righteous king.
Though their powerful nation was gone ... though kings like David no longer existed, still the Jews remembered ... they remembered King David and longed for such royalty once more.
It was into this world of remembering and anticipation that Jesus came. The angel called him king. The Wise Men recognized him in the same way: "Where is he who has been born king of the Jews?" But in reality, Jesus was just the opposite of the great king and military leader the people were hoping for. The Jews expected power, authority, military victories, and revolt. Instead, Jesus came filled with "the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of council and justice, the spirit of knowledge, and the fear of the Lord!" (Isaiah 11:2).
And it was Isaiah's prophecy that came true in the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth. He fulfilled all that was spoken about him concerning the prophets. But the Jews ... ah, well, the Jews! They just didn't know what to make of this Jesus. They missed the royal king when he came knocking on their doors. Only at Jesus' death, did they call him king ... king of the Jews, but this was simply a cruel, humorless joke.
In retrospect, how can we blame them? Given their political situation and their longings for a king, how can we blame them? Did Jesus look like a king? Did he act like a king? How was Jesus dressed? Did he wear the purple robe of a king?
Actually, he did wear a purple robe once in his life. Mark's Gospel reports that as Jesus was taken as a prisoner to the palace, the soldiers clothed Jesus in a purple cloak, and plaiting a crown of thorns, they put it on him. They began to salute him, "Hail, king of the Jews!" They struck him with a reed and spit upon him, and they knelt down in mock homage to him. And after they mocked him, they stripped him of the purple cloak, they put his own clothes on him, and they led him out to be crucified.
Purple or violet is the color of royalty. It is reserved for kings' palaces, not mangers and stables. Yet purple or violet is a color of Christmas. It is the color we generally see hanging from the altar, lectern, pulpit, and pastor during Advent. It is the color we use during the Lenten season, too, since it is also a color of repentance.
The color purple or violet, Christ the king, and repentance have a lot in common. Our sins have been confessed this morning. We know that because of Christ, our king's loving death for our sakes, our sins have been eliminated; washed away. This king, our king, our royal king Jesus, sacrificed himself for his subjects. He took off the purple robe in heaven, and put on the diapers of Bethlehem for our sakes. He took off the purple robe in Herod's palace, willingly laying down his life on the cross for our sakes.
The color for today, this color of Christmas, is purple or violet. We use it and we wear it, so that we may never, ever forget what he has done for us all.
In another way, remembering will be part of our worship this morning, too. On the evening before Jesus died, he took a cup of wine -- wine made from purple grapes just like these -- and mysteriously, miraculously, changed the eating habits of Christians forever. For as we gather here, Advent comes true ... the king comes to us once more, through his own body, his own blood. We celebrate, we rejoice, we remember, we repent!
"Prepare the royal highway ... the King of kings is near!" Purple or violet is the color of royalty! As you gather during this holiday season with family and friends, may you remember whose birthday we are celebrating. May you remember the angel's message, "For to you is born this day in the city of David, a Savior, a Messiah, who is Christ the Lord!" That babe born in Bethlehem, so very long ago, is Christ the king ... your king ... my king!
Purple or violet is the color of royalty. "Then greet the king of glory, foretold in sacred story. Hosanna to the Lord ... for he fulfills God's Word!" Amen.
