It Came Upon the Midnight Clear (Ruth 3:1-18)

At Christmastime, we remember the midnight hour when Jesus was born in Bethlehem and when the angels made their dramatic announcement to the shepherds, as the famous Christmas carol (and our sermon title) recounts. But a thousand years earlier there was another momentous midnight event. Though it is much quieter than the angels' announcement, it is no less significant. Boaz agrees to be Ruth's redeemer, which ultimately allows Christ to be ours.