Sermon Tone Analysis

Christmas 2022 – Part 1

A Coming Savior!

What Is the Origin of Christmas?

Christmas is a popular December holiday celebrated by large numbers of people all around the world.

It has long been known as the celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ, which occurred over 2,000 years ago.

However, not all who celebrate the holiday do so with Jesus’ birth in mind.

In fact, there are many traditions associated with Christmas that actually began as a part of pagan culture.

The exact date of Jesus’ birth is unknown, as the Bible does not give specifics as to the dates of either His birth or conception.

But in the second century A.D., a Roman Christian historian named Sextus Julius Africanus calculated Jesus’ birthdate to be December 25 (nine months after Africanus believed Jesus was conceived).

In spite of the assumptions made in Africanus’s line of thinking, the date was widely accepted.

At that time, Roman culture already celebrated a holiday on December 25: Saturnalia, the winter solstice.

This tradition honored Saturn, the god of agriculture, and was celebrated with merriment, feasting, and gift giving.

When Rome eventually instituted Christianity as the state religion in the fourth century, the Roman church converted Saturnalia to a Christian holiday in order to commemorate Jesus’ birth.

Christians have celebrated it as such ever since.

The question then becomes, “Since Christmas has its origins in pagan traditions, is it acceptable for Christians to celebrate it?”

The fact remains that, although Christmas has some associations with a secular holiday, Christians still celebrate it to remember the birth of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

It may be a matter of conscience for some.

[These individuals choose not to celebrate Christmas, believing that it is a pagan holiday (1 Corinthians 10:23)].

There are many others who believe the holiday has been redeemed due to the deeper meaning it has been given.

These individuals continue to celebrate Christmas based on Paul’s words further on in the Scripture verse in 1 Corinthians 10:31.

1 Corinthians 10:23 (AMP)

23All things are legitimate [permissible—and we are free to do anything we please], but not all things are helpful (expedient, profitable, and wholesome).

All things are legitimate, but not all things are constructive [to character] and edifying [to spiritual life].

1 Corinthians 10:31 (AMP)

31So then, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you may do, do all for the honor and glory of God.

John 3:16-17 (NIV84)

16“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.

17For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.

These verses are rarely associated with Christmas and the birth of Christ.

God sent his Son into the world.

Isaiah 7:14 (NIV84)

14Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel (God with us).

Isaiah’s prophetic career was from 742-701 bc.

The book of Isaiah was written around 700-685 bc.

This prophecy was written hundreds of years before the birth of Christ.

Matthew 1:23 (NIV84)

23"The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel"--which means, "God with us."

John 1:1, 14 (NIV84)

1In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

14The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us.

We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.

Flesh = σάρξ sarx = one who is or becomes a physical being, living being with flesh; of humans: person, human being.

Two Christological Heresies:

Docetism, 2 ad, held that Jesus was fully divine and only appeared human and only appeared to die on the cross.

The idea that divine beings could appear in human form was common in the ancient world.

Jesus was human; He did not merely appear in human form.

Arianism, 4 ad: Jesus was not eternal and not God by nature, he was a created being.

The Word was not changed when It was made flesh.

Let no-one, therefore, believe that the Son of God was changed or transformed into the Son of man; but rather let us believe that He, remaining the Son of God, was made the Son of man, without loss of His divine substance and by a perfect assumption of the human substance.

Nor do the words, The Word was God and The Word was made flesh, signify that the Word was made flesh in such a way that It ceased to be God; for in the flesh itself, because the Word was made flesh, Emmanuel, God with us, was born.

Romans 1:18-20 (NIV84)

18The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of men who suppress the truth by their wickedness,

19since what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them.

20For since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities--his eternal power and divine nature--have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse.

As long as there are godless and wicked men, there will be heresies that deny the truth of God’s Word.

Nearly all of the more than three hundred prophecies have already come true (a few remain for our future).

Jesus was all that had been foretold, and so much more.

One mathematician determined that the odds of one person’s fulfilling even sixty specific prophecies are 1 in 1 plus 157 zeros.

Luke 1:26–38 (NIV84)

26In the sixth month, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee,

27to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David.

The virgin’s name was Mary.

28The angel went to her and said, “Greetings, you who are highly favored!

The Lord is with you.”

29Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be.

30But the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, you have found favor with God.

31You will be with child and give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus.

32He 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,

33and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever; his kingdom will never end.”

34“How will this be,” Mary asked the angel, “since I am a virgin?”

35The angel answered, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you.

So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God.

36Even Elizabeth your relative is going to have a child in her old age, and she who was said to be barren is in her sixth month.

37For nothing is impossible with God.”

38“I am the Lord’s servant,” Mary answered.

“May it be to me as you have said.”

Then the angel left her.

Mary’s submission is a very lovely thing.

‘Whatever God says, I accept.’

Mary had learned to forget the world’s commonest prayer—‘Your will be changed’—and to pray the world’s greatest prayer—‘Your will be done.’

Matthew 1:18–25 (NIV84)

18This is how the birth of Jesus Christ came about: His mother Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be with child through the Holy Spirit.

19Because Joseph her husband was a righteous man and did not want to expose her to public disgrace, he had in mind to divorce her quietly.

20But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit.

21She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.”

22All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet:

23“The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel”—which means, “God with us.”

24When Joseph woke up, he did what the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took Mary home as his wife.

25But he had no union with her until she gave birth to a son.

And he gave him the name Jesus.

Joseph was given the assignment of naming the boy that would be born of Mary.

Naming the boy would recognize the child as Joseph’s legal son.

The angel of the Lord told Joseph that the name of the child born of Mary would be Jesus.

Jesus is equivalent to the Old Testament name Joshua.

Joshua was the Old Testament personality who led Israel into the Promised Land.

The child that would be born of Mary would be God’s servant to lead people to salvation.

The name “Jesus” or “Joshua” means God is salvation or God is Savior.

In the close of verse twenty-one, the angel gave the purpose of Jesus being born.

His purpose would be to save his people from their sins.