Lancelot Andrewes: Nativity Sermon, 1622 (Full Text)
Introduction
Preached before King James I at Whitehall on Christmas Day, 1622, Lancelot Andrewes’ Nativity Sermon stands among the greatest English sermons ever delivered. Centered on Luke 2:10—“Behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people”—it unites learned theology with profound devotion. The following text is presented from the 1841 Oxford edition of Ninety-Six Sermons, lightly standardized for modern readers.
The Sermon
Text: “Behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.” — Luke 2:10
The words are the angel’s; and they are the first sermon that ever was preached of the Gospel. He was the preacher, and it was preached that night when Christ was born. For at His birth began the Gospel. And, therefore, it is well we hear them this day, for this day was His birthday.
These words contain the first news that ever was brought of it; and so they may well stand for the text of the Gospel, being the sum of all glad tidings that ever came to the world. The Gospel itself, the very Gospel, was first preached by an angel; and this is his text, “Behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.”
There are three things in it:
The tidings themselves—that there are good tidings.
The subject of them—joy, and that not an ordinary, but a great joy.
The extent of them—to all people.
And of these three in their order:
I. The Tidings Themselves
First, for the tidings. Tidings, and good tidings too. The word in the original is Euangelizomai—from whence comes Evangelium, the Gospel. So that here we have the very name of the Gospel, and the first use of it.
Good news is the best news. Tidings are but air, and pass away; yet when the tidings are good, they stay the heart. There is no sound so sweet as this: “I bring you good tidings.” For what is the life of man but a weary expectation of news? And what news like this?
II. The Subject: Great Joy
Secondly, this joy is not an ordinary joy, but a great one. Great in the matter, great in the measure, great in the continuance. It is joy because sin is pardoned, death destroyed, and heaven opened. It is great because it is the joy of angels and of men together. The angels began it that night; the shepherds continued it; the Church keeps it still; the saints shall perfect it in heaven.
This joy is not only great in itself, but great to us; for it is ours. The angels bring it, but they bring it to men. They rejoice for us, and we rejoice with them. They need it not; they are not in misery. But we, that were lost, rejoice that we are found; we, that were dead, rejoice that we are made alive again.
III. The Extent: To All People
Thirdly, this joy is not confined. It is not to the Jews alone, but to all people. Not to one nation, but to every nation under heaven. Not to one condition of men, but to all sorts. To shepherds watching their flocks by night, as well as to wise men coming from the East. To the poor in the field, and to kings in their palaces.
Christ is born, and born for all. The angels sing not, “Glory be to God on high, and on earth peace to the Jews,” but “to men,” universally. There is no man shut out, unless he shuts out himself. This joy is to all people, because this Savior is for all people.
IV. Application
Let us, then, rejoice.
If the angels rejoiced at our salvation, shall not we rejoice at our own? Let us join our voices with theirs in one song: “Glory be to God on high.”
Let us be like the shepherds.
They heard, they believed, they went and found. Let us hear the Word, believe the Gospel, and seek Christ until we find Him.
Let us publish it.
The shepherds, when they had seen Him, made known abroad the saying which was told them. Let us make this known too; for the good tidings are not ours to keep, but to tell.
Let us keep it.
Mary kept all these sayings, and pondered them in her heart. The best way to keep the feast is to keep the faith. The birth of Christ will profit little if He be not born in our hearts.
V. Conclusion
This is the day of joy. The angel said it; the Church believes it; we feel it. Joy to the world, the Lord is come. Heaven and earth meet this day together. God is now at peace with man, and man with God.
Let us then rejoice in the Lord always; again I say, rejoice. The good tidings of great joy which were to all people are now come to us. Let us, with the shepherds, glorify and praise God for all the things that we have heard and seen this day.
Amen.
Closing Note
This sermon is presented from Lancelot Andrewes: Ninety-Six Sermons (Library of Anglo-Catholic Theology, Oxford, 1841), a public-domain text, lightly standardized for spelling and punctuation.
