Emphasizing salvation based on faith in the merits of Jesus Christ alone, Martin Luther dealt the symbolic blow that began the Reformation when he nailed his Ninety-Five Theses to the door of the Wittenberg church. That document contained an attack on papal abuses and the sale of indulgences by Catholic Church officials. In this unique volume, the reader will find Luther's most significant sermons for Advent and Christmas Day, following the church year's lectionary readings associated with the major feasts and fasts. Luther wrote thousands of pages of exposition during his life, but this book makes available in a single volume a core collection of his writing for this liturgical season, featuring Scripture readings that include the most familiar events from the life of Jesus. Other volumes in this series include Luther's sermons for the Sunday after Christmas Day, New Year's Day, and Epiphany, and his sermons for Lent and Easter through Trinity Sunday (including Christ's Ascension and Pentecost). These writings represent the heart of Luther's thoughts on the Christian faith and his ideas for practical faith in that life.