Sermon Tone Analysis

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Christmas was over almost two weeks ago.
New Year’s has come and gone, and the vast majority of us are back to our “normal routine”.
However, the Season of Advent does not officially end until midnight tonight.
Some of you who grew up in a faith-tradition other than Baptist may know that this is the 12th day after Christmas—meaning that it is Epiphany Sunday or also known as Three Kings Day.
It is a Sunday that for over seventeen hundred years of church history has represented the introduction of the Christ to the Gentile nations and celebrates the revelation of God the Son as a human being in Jesus.
The word Epiphany means "to reveal," or "to make manifest."
It is used several times in the New Testament, most notably by the Apostle Paul in his second letter to Timothy:
/“So do not be ashamed to testify about our Lord, or ashamed of me his prisoner.
But join with me in suffering for the gospel, by the power of God, who has saved us and called us to a holy life—not because of anything we have done but because of his own purpose and grace.
This grace was given us in Christ Jesus before the beginning of time, but it has now been revealed through the appearing of our Savior, Christ Jesus, who has destroyed death and has brought life and immortality to light through the gospel.”
(2 Timothy 1:8–10, NIV84)
Why is the visit of the Magi important to us?
What does this passage of Scripture have to teach us?
Few biblical stories are as well known, yet so clouded by myth and tradition, as that of the magi, or wise men, mentioned by Matthew.
Most of these legends and myths that surround the Magi developed during the Middle Ages.
Tradition says that they were three Kings—one from India, one from Egypt, and the third from Greece.
Their names are recorded as Melchor, Balthazar, and Caspar.
Legend also has it that the disciple Thomas baptized them and that, years after their death, Helena—mother of the Roman Emperor Constantine and a devout Christian—rediscovered their bones and that they now reside in the great cathedral of Cologne, Germany.
The vast majority of such Yuletide lore is legendary in nature.
There is little, if any, truth to the tales which have grown up around these men.
Such stories often cloud the original purpose of the story.
In all actuality we are left almost completely in the dark about these men.
What can we really know?
* The Magi were primarily known as the priestly-political class of the Parthians who lived to the east of Palestine in what is today the country of Iran.
This view is supported by the earliest Christian art which always portrays these travelers wearing Persian robes.
Many of the early theologians and scholars of the church also agree that these "wise men" came from Persia.
* They were known as skilled astrologers/astronomers, mathematicians, and scientists.
* That they were "wise" in the literal sense means that they were "learned" men who were well educated in the philosophies and political sciences of their time.
They were advisers to the kings of Persia and Babylon.
* Because they presented the Christ child with three gifts tradition has maintained that there were only three Magi.
Again, the Bible is silent as to the actual number.
My personal opinion is that there was an entire caravan of these Magi.
Three men inquiring about the birth of a baby—even one born ‘King of the Jews’—in an obscure Judean village would hardly have caused the stir in Jerusalem that evidently took place upon their arrival and inquiry (verse 3).
* They were probably very familiar with the Jewish scriptures and their prophesies since Persia at that time contained a large Jewish population.
Bottom line: These are all simply educated guesses.
We are told very little about the sojourners who have come to worship the Baby Jesus.
The details are left in the shadows in order that, against the dark background of their obscurity, the light of truth may shine forth all the more brilliantly.
These wise men, whoever they were, wherever they came from, came to worship the Anointed One of Israel who was also the Light of the Gentiles!
What can we learn from their journey and their homage?
We learn that truly wise man still come to Jesus to meet the most pressing spiritual needs of life.
!
I. THERE IS NO DOUBT IN THEIR FAITH
* /"Where is he who is born King of the Jews?"/
#. these wise men do not question the validity of this new King's existence
#. their only question is, "Where is he?"
#. for them of the birth is real and the title is true
#. not for a moment do these visitors express any doubt with reference to the fact of the Messiah's birth
#.
God's revelation of the Christ’s birth through his star was all the assurance they needed
#. how did they know it was the Messiah’s star?
#. that’s a story in and of itself, but somehow they understood that the “star in the East” was a harbinger of the Messiah’s birth
#. perhaps they knew the prophecy of Numbers 24:17 and took it literally
* /"I see him, but not now; I behold him, but not near.
A star will come out of Jacob: a scepter will arise out of Israel."/
!! A THERE ARE SOME ESSENTIALS IN THE CHRISTIAN FAITH FOR WHICH THERE IS NO ROOM FOR DOUBT
#.
Essential #1: Christ was born of the Virgin into this world through the supernatural act of God
* /“But the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, you have found favor with God.
You will be with child and give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name 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,”/ (Luke 1:30–32, NIV84)
#. if you cannot accept the miracle of the cradle, how in the world can you accept the miracle of the empty tomb?
#. if the life of Christ ended with a miracle why is it so difficult to believe that it began with one?
#. liberal theologians since the mid 19th century have maintain that we cannot know the historical Jesus
#. even today, most critical New Testament scholars insist that the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John are unreliable historical sources\
#. they maintain that stories such as the virgin birth are myths and fables made up be the early church
* ILLUS.
I will admit to you this morning that I am biased.
I will take the authority of the Scriptures over the authority of worldly scholars any day!
#.
Christians need to guard their faith against doubt
#.
God can take a skeptical mind and a hardened heart, and through the miracle of regeneration, make them open and accepting of Truth
#. at the same time, the world can take an believing mind and a faithful heart and make them cynical and faithless
#. we guard our hearts by remaining in the Scriptures
#. read them ... study them ... memorize them ... submit to them!
#.
Essential #2: Christ is King, not only of the Jews, but he is King of kings and Lord of lords
* /“Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord.”/
(Luke 2:11, NIV84)
#. being born in a stable of peasant parents is not a noble birth to be sure
#. but the humbleness of his birth cannot detract from his royal stature
#. at the announcement of his conception the angel told Mary, /"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 the house of Jacob for ever; his kingdom will never end."/
(Luke 1:32-33)
#.
God has placed the scepter of righteous judgment in the hands of his only begotten son
* /" … The father judges no one, but has entrusted all judgment to the son, that all may honor the sun just as they honor the father.
He who does not honor the son does not honor the father, who sent him."/
(John 5:22-23)
#. it was because of his royal stature that the wise men brought their gifts of gold, incense and myrrh
#. these men brought the very best they had to Jesus
#. the King of kings and Lord of lords deserves nothing less than the our best
#. too often we give Him second best
#.
Essential #3: Christ is the one and only son of the father and through him alone sinners can be saved from their sins
#. the Angels announcement is explicit,
* /"… You are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins."/
(Matthew 1:21)
#. there must be no doubt in our hearts, nor minds, nor souls this morning that Jesus is the only way to heaven
#. there is salvation in no other
* /“Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved.”/
(Acts 4:12, NIV84)
#.
There Is No Doubt in Their Faith
!
II.
THERE WAS DETERMINATION IN THEIR FAITH
* /"Wise men came from the East."/
#. what significance do we find in this snippet of information?
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