Sermon Tone Analysis

The Gifts of Christmas Advent Series

Sermon 1: The Gift of Hope

Do you ever feel like Charlie Brown?

In the midst of the Christmas decorations that have been up since Halloween, the Christmas songs stuck in your head, the lights and shopping and cookies and parties—do you ever want to just stand up and shout in exasperation like Charlie Brown, “Isn’t there anyone who knows what Christmas is all about?!”

I’m sure you’ve seen the classic TV special A Charlie Brown Christmas.

It’s been airing since 1965.

This cartoon was produced on a low budget and what was basically a last-minute production schedule for animation.

It all came about when Coca-Cola came looking for a Christmas special to sponsor for holiday marketing.

The cartoon Peanuts was popular, so they asked for a meeting and ideas.

Peanuts creator, Charles Schulz, and the producers threw together an outline in a day, and the Coke execs went for it.

Schulz had some unorthodox ideas, like a jazz soundtrack and no laugh track, which was a staple of TV shows in that era.

Most of all, he was adamant that the true Christmas story be presented, complete with a scene read straight from the Bible.

The TV producers worried that it would be too controversial to read the Bible on national television, but Schulz insisted.

And if you’ve been around for any length of time, you’ve seen the show a few times already.

You know that Charlie Brown is surrounded by all the trappings of Christmas, but they all come up empty.

When he wonders aloud what Christmas is really about, his friend Linus sets him straight with a clear answer straight from Luke 2:8–14.

Linus recites the passage in one of the most poignant scenes in television history:

In those words, Charlie Brown finds hope.

It’s where the whole Christmas experience turns for him and good ol’ Chuck realizes the true meaning of Christmas.

He goes from depressed by the season to inspired by it.

He goes from an inward focus of questioning to an outward focus of sharing the season with others.

This evening I ask you to hear the same words of HOPE as we enter the season of Advent.

Over the next four weeks, we will unwrap the gifts of Christmas as we journey through the Advent season.

It is our chance to listen to the stories, to wait in expectation for the arrival of Jesus Christ, the Savior of the world.

The point is not to get rid of the trappings and traditions and celebrations all around us but to take a purposeful journey through them to more deeply experience the gifts of Christmas: HOPE, LOVE, PEACE, and JOY.

Entering Advent

So what exactly is Advent?

The word Advent means “coming” or “arrival,” and the season is marked by expectation and waiting, anticipation, and longing.

Advent is not an extension of Christmas—it is a season that links the past, present, and future.

Advent offers us the opportunity to share in the ancient longing for the coming of the Messiah as a babe and to be alert for His second coming.

Advent looks back upon Christ’s coming, while at the same time looking forward in eager anticipation to the coming of Christ’s kingdom when He returns for His people.

HOPE fulfilled in Jesus.

And to be fulfilled in Jesus’ second coming.

During Advent we wait for both—active, assured waiting.

There are, however, some differences in the way people celebrate Advent.

While the core is the same, some of the traditions and practices vary.

One of the common traditions of Advent is the lighting of the candles on an Advent wreath.

A circular evergreen wreath represents God’s unending love for us.

And the lighting of five candles throughout the season—one for each of the four Sundays before Christmas and one on Christmas Eve—reminds us that Jesus comes to a world lost in darkness.

As the prophet Isaiah wrote,

In a season often marked by frenzied busyness, Advent is an opportunity to set aside time to prepare our hearts and focus on a far greater story than our own—the story of God’s redeeming love for our world.

It is a season of digging deep into the reality of what it means that God sent His Son into the world.

It is a season of expectation and preparation, an opportunity to come into God’s presence—where He has promised to be in His Word and Sacrament.

It is also a time that allows for questions and doubt and struggle as we take time to prepare for Christ’s coming.

Advent is not a celebration that God comes to fix things.

Rather, it is the that God comes.

In the darkness, in the pain, in the chaos of our lives He comes.

And He makes a way.

As we unwrap each of this themes over then next few weeks, my hope is that we discover together that we can trust this Immanuel, God with us.

He is bigger than our greatest expectations or our deepest pains.

His light shines in the darkness and bids us to draw near.

As we do, we discover and realize the gifts He brings—but more so, we discover Him.

This first Wednesday in Advent, we focus on HOPE.

So let’s start by looking at what we mean by HOPE.

Well, it not what we typically hear:

• I hope it doesn’t rain.

• I hope I get the job.

• I hope the world will be at peace.

• I hope he gets better.

• I hope she shows up.

• I hope . . .

(you fill in the blank).

Do you notice a theme?

Worldly hope is characterized by doubt, uncertainty, and a lack of control.

We hope for things that may or may not happen.

But in Jesus, hope is a guarantee, a sure thing.

Our hope is actually a “know-so” rather than a “maybe-so.”

So let’s take a look at this gift of HOPE by looking at hope past, hope present, and hope future as we journey through Advent.

Hope Past

As a people, we have grown accustomed to waiting.

The people of Israel knew all about waiting.

Their entire history was marked by waiting as they looked forward to the coming of Messiah who would set them free.

The Old Testament is full of prophecies about this Messiah.

Isaiah 7:14 is one example: “Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel.”

Another well-known prophecy from Isaiah promises: Isaiah 9:6 “For unto us a Child is born, Unto us a Son is given; And the government will be upon His shoulder.

And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.”

These and other prophecies gave a clear expectation of God’s promised Messiah—hundreds of years before His arrival.

But the promise didn’t always make the waiting easy.

As we prepare for Jesus’ coming, we share in the waiting of God’s people, Israel.

Like them, many of us have situations and circumstances in our own lives that make it difficult for us to wait on God.

But God keeps his promises.

So how does this help us?

Looking back on hope past gives us confidence and strengthens faith that God will keep His promises.

Hebrews 11:1 says, “Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.”

Christ Jesus coming in the flesh fulfills a long-awaited prophecy, which gives us confidence that God keeps his promises.

But we also have assurance that there is much more to come—that God will complete His good work in you and me and will fulfill His promises to make all things new and complete in the end.

Let this Advent be a journey of CONFIDENT HOPE as you wait for His coming.

Hope Present

In the first chapter of Luke, we see Jesus’ birth foretold.

But unlike the Old Testament prophecies, this is a much more personal and imminent foretelling.

The angel Gabriel appears to Mary and tells her about the coming of Jesus.

In the sixth month of Elizabeth’s pregnancy, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee, to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David.

The virgin’s name was Mary.

The angel went to her and said, “Greetings, you who are highly favored!

The Lord is with you.”

Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be.

But the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary; you have found favor with God.

You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to call him Jesus.

He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High.

The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over Jacob’s descendants forever; his kingdom will never end.”