Sermon Tone Analysis
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Scripture Reading
Read the key verse again…
Introduction
God had a particular people in mind when He sent His son into the world.
The birth of Jesus Christ was not a random event.
While the birth of every baby into this world is a unique and special occassion for parents, the birth of Jesus was unique and glorious for all of humanity, through the ages.
In fact, God had been preparing the world and His people for this particular moment when Christ would enter into the world.
Many of the events in the Old Testament were types (pictures) of the coming Christ.
The Passover Lamb (Exodus 12:1–13) was a picture of Jesus the Lamb of God—John 1:29.
See also Hebrews 9:22.
Also see John 3:14–16 and how the serpent upon the cross is a picture of Christ upon the cross.
Then in Isaiah 53, we see the suffering Saviour, which would come true in Matthew 27.
Christ died for our sins so that we need not suffer and die, but have eternal life—John 5:24.
You are a very important part in Christmas—God planned it that way!
I.
You and Your Sin
“And she shall bring forth a son.”
Jesus came into the world with a definitive purpose.
Jesus was born because mankind faced a problem that could not be rectified but by a perfect Saviour.
So let us consider, you and your sin (and me and my sin!)
Dear friends, we need to recognise that you and I are sinners by birth.
Beyond merely being born in sin, we remain sinners by choice.
What I mean by this is that our sinful human nature makes it impossible for us to bring us out of that condition of continued sin.
Our flesh has been so corrupted by sin that it is impossible for us to do anything without it being tainted or affected in some manner by sinful selfishness.
The reason that this is so serious is that because of this sin, we have lost our union with God.
We must remember, and keep bringing to our memory, that separation from God is the worst imaginable situation to be in.
Separation from God is literally death and and suffering.
But that’s exactly the state that sin places us.
The word “die” here means to be separated from God. Sin separates from God on earth and later forever in eternity.
There is a separation that is caused by sin.
Sin places a barrier between the Creator God, and His creatures who ought to be living in humility before Him.
Now, before we go on from this, I want to emphasize that this is an important truth to remember even as Christians.
We as born-again believers, saved by the grace of God, have a significant potential to water down and forget just how serious the condition of sin is.
We have the potential to play with sin, and to continue in sin without so much as a thought.
It ought not to be.
Those who have not been born again, who do not know Jesus Christ personally as their Saviour, ought to be deeply troubled by their sin.
Their sin causes them to walk in hostility towards the omnipotent God - the God has all power and authority, and who can destroy and snuff out life in an instant.
For those who are Christians, we ought to be grieved by our sin, not because we as Christians will be punished with the wrath of God, but because sin is so contrary to God’s nature.
How can we, who claim to be grateful for the grace of God, continue in wilful sin, or continue to sin as if it didn’t really matter.
It does matter.
Let us consider something more of this sin that the Scriptures teach us about.
The effects of sin upon us as people.
Consider the life of Cain, as he had put his own brother to death out of jealousy.
God had warned him that sin was crouching, and that he was to master it.
But Cain failed to master it, and before long his brother was murdered.
God placed a curse on Cain in punishment...
The reality is that participation in sin leads to sorrow.
When David sinned, he spoke about the hand of God against him…
And this is true universally for all mankind.
Certainly there are those whose consciences have been seared, and they go do exceedingly great wickedness, without showing much sorrow.
But let me assure you, sin affects deeply.
You can find the most ardent of atheists on their death bed, deeply troubled by the presence of sin in their lives.
All of mankind has some personal sense of morality, particularly when it comes to unrighteous acts being perpetrated against them.
But the reality is that we are conscious of our own sin when it is committed.
Sin has consequences upon us, as the guilt of sin rightly weighs against us.
The more we appreciate our own sin, the extent of that sin, and the consequences of our sin, the more we will appreciate the Saviour.
Despite the immediate consequences in terms of sin (separation, guilt and shame, immediate punishment for wrongdoing) there was an eternal dimension.
Ultimately perishing under the wrath of God.
But it was for this that God sent His Son, in order that we would not perish.
II.
You and Your Saviour
“And thou shalt call his name Jesus.”
Right here, in the giving of the name, there was significance.
The name meant originally “Yahweh helps” or “Yahweh is salvation.”
Bound up in the name given was the task for which Jesus had come.
Although the name Jesus / Joshua was fairly common in that day, here was the one that would ultimately come as the true Saviour of God.
In other words, Jesus was truly the ultimate Saviour through whom He would save sinners.
As Jesus came into the world, he would do so with one great mission in life, and that was to save people.
His life would be lived for you and I, for all of His elect who would be saved.
In John 15:13, we read the words of Jesus himself…
The greatest of all love is shown by Christ.
He left His heavenly home because He was consecrated.
He was set apart, before even the foundations of this world, for this task of being a Saviour through the laying down of his own life.
Think back to the Old Testament prophecies, and how they spoke about the work for which the Saviour would come.
Indeed, this was the plan before the foundations of the world.
The Father had purposed to send a Saviour, One that would save us from our sins.
What kind of a Saviour would He be?
He would be a Cleansing Saviour—1 John 1:7.
The shedding of His blood would be the means that we would be cleansed of the guilt of our sin.
He who knew no sin became the Sacrifice for all the sins of the world.
Upon the cross He bore the sins of all men.
Titus 2:14 speaks about Jesus...
Not only does Jesus cleanse us from our sin - perfectly cleanse us - but our consciencouses are cleansed as we come to understand our standing before God.
He is a cleansing Saviour.
But He is also a Concerned Saviour—Hebrews 4:15.
Christ’s entrance into the world was an entrance into a world that was opposed to Him.
Sin and rebellion are an opposition to God.
But He entered into this realm of humanity, and He endured every hostility, and He persevered through every confrontation of temptation.
He is a concerned Saviour.
He is touched with the feelings of our weakness.
He is concerned with our lives.
He knows our weaknesses.
He understands our frailty and suffering.
You have a concerned Saviour who is able to come to your aid when you are tempted and weighed down with sin.
Taking this a step further…
4. Compassionate Saviour—Matthew 9:36–38.
Think about the context here.
When Jesus saw the many lost men and women he was MOVED WITH COMPASSION upon these people.
Even upon the cross He had compassion upon those who were killing Him.
This is the Saviour that came into the world.
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