Christmas Vigil – A Call to Remember the Reason and Embrace Worship

As we gather here this evening, there’s one essential question that should be at the forefront of our minds: Why are we here? What brings us together on this holy night? The reason is simple yet profound. We are here to celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ, the Saviour of the world. Tonight, we are not focused on what we wear or what we’ve prepared for supper. These things are important in their own way, but they are not the heart of our celebration.

The heart of this night is Jesus, and it is His birth that we gather to honour. As the angel announced to the shepherds in the Gospel of Luke, “Do not be afraid; for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people.” (Luke 2:10) These words ring out tonight, inviting us to experience a joy that is meant for everyone. It is not just the joy that the Saviour has come, and that with His birth, the world has been forever changed.

We are called to experience that joy, and to share in it, not just with those around us, but with the whole world. Jesus has come to bring light into the darkness, to heal what is broken, and to offer hope to all. It is a joy that transcends our circumstances, our challenges, and even our imperfections. The joy of Christmas is a joy rooted in love—the love of God who gave us His Son.

This brings us to our second reason for gathering tonight: worship. We come together to worship, to bow our hearts before the Saviour who was born in a humble stable. We are here to honour Him, just as the shepherds did, just as the wise men did.

In the Gospel of John, we hear a powerful reminder of why we worship Jesus: “For God so loved the world that He gave His only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him may not perish but may have eternal life.” (John 3:16) God’s love for us is the reason Jesus came into the world. It is out of love for us, His creation, that God sent His Son to be with us. This love, so pure and so overwhelming, invites us into a relationship with Him. That is why we worship: because Jesus, the greatest gift we could ever receive, has come to us in love.

As we reflect on the birth of Jesus tonight, let us remember that the message is simple: Jesus is born, and we are to worship Him. We are invited to experience the joy of this season, a joy that comes from recognising Jesus as the source of our hope and salvation.

In the words of the beloved Christmas carol, “Joy to the world, the Lord is come!” Let us not forget the joy we have been promised in Jesus. To experience this joy, we can remember a simple acronym:

• J – Jesus, the reason for this celebration.
• O – Others, as we share the joy of His birth with those around us.
• Y – You, for this joy is meant for each of us personally.

So let us make room in our hearts for Him. Let us worship Him with gratitude and joy, and let us spread that joy to everyone we meet. For in Jesus, we find the true joy of Christmas, the joy that lasts beyond this night and carries us into the year ahead.

A Joyful Christmas to all!