Sermon Tone Analysis

*Christmas Joy**.*

Five sleeps to go, is it?

Is everybody getting excited, the anticipation building?

Or is it only the kids that still get excited about Christmas?

Are you looking forward to Christmas?

Is it a happy time?

That is what the Christmas cards are full of: Happy Christmas!

Merry Christmas!

*[P]* Here is one I selected, almost at random – I did choose one that had God in it: “/God’s blessing be yours this Christmas!

Have a joy filled/ *[P]*/ Christmas!

Merry/ *[P]*/ Christmas and a happy/ *[P]*/ new year!/”

Christmas is a joyous time!

We have a DVD at home that portrays the Nativity story; I think it has a NZ actress in it.

It is quite good at portraying the scene as it was back then, but it focuses on Mary being pregnant and unmarried – the whole atmosphere is heavy with the stigma, there is no joy.

What about?

[*Luke 2:8-20*/ //In the same region there were some shepherds staying out in the fields and keeping watch over their flock by night.

And an angel of the Lord suddenly stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them; and they were terribly frightened.

But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid; for behold, I bring you good news *of great joy* which will be for all the people; for today in the city of David there has been born for you a Saviour, who is Christ the Lord!

And suddenly there appeared with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying, “Glory to God in the highest!

/(the shepherds went and saw the baby just as the angel had said, then …..) /The shepherds went back, glorifying and praising God for all that they had heard and seen, just as had been told them./

] It was a joyous time.

I don’t think Mary was miserable – she had just given birth to the Son of God! Hope had come!

Deliverance had come!

Redemption had come!

Salvation had come!

This was the promise of the ages fulfilled!

Those who drink too much may have a Merry Christmas, those who get the presents they want may have a Happy Christmas; but for we who know the Saviour, Christmas is joyous *[P]*.

But it is not Luke’s account but Matthew’s that I want to look at this morning: *[P]* *[Matthew 2:1-12*/ //Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, magi from the east arrived in Jerusalem, saying, “Where is He who has been born King of the Jews?

For we saw His star in the east and have come to worship Him.”

When Herod the king heard this, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him.

Gathering together all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Messiah was to be born.

They said to him, “In Bethlehem of Judea; for this is what has been written by the prophet: ‘And you, Bethlehem, land of Judah, Are by no means least among the leaders of Judah; For out of you shall come forth a Ruler Who will shepherd My people Israel.’

” Then Herod secretly called the magi and determined from them the exact time the star appeared.

And he sent them to Bethlehem and said, “Go and search carefully for the Child; and when you have found Him, report to me, so that I too may come and worship Him.”

After hearing the king, they went their way; and the star, which they had seen in the east, went on before them until it came and stood over the place where the Child was.

When they saw the star, *they rejoiced exceedingly with great joy*.

After coming into the house they saw the Child with Mary His mother; and they fell to the ground and worshiped Him.

Then, opening their treasures, they presented to Him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh.

And having been warned by God in a dream not to return to Herod, the magi left for their own country by another way./]

Did you hear in verse 10? [/When they saw the star, *they rejoiced exceedingly with great joy!*/] (ἐχάρησαν χαρὰν μεγάλην σφόδρα) Literally it says: “/they rejoiced with joy very great/” – although it is written in Greek, Matthew does something the Hebrew does – when you want to emphasize something you repeat it: so instead of saying “very happy”, you would say “happy with happiness”, “holy, holy” means “very holy”.

So to show how great their joy was he repeats “joy”; but that is not enough, he says that that joy was “great”!

But that is not enough, he says that super joy not only “great” but “very great”!

Do you get the idea – they were over the moon with joy!

You couldn’t get a greater emphasis on the joy if you tried.

Now these who were so overcome with rejoicing, were magi.

They were astrologers from the East, learned men who studied the heavens, the stars.

They were serious sober scholars making a learned study of events and portents – hardly the ones you expect to be exuberant with joy!

Why were they so filled with joy?

It says “/when they saw the star/” – it was because they saw the star.

But have a look back in verse 4: [/For we saw His star in the east and have come to worship Him.”

When Herod the king heard this, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him./]

Herod and all Jerusalem were troubled when they heard about the star.

The same thing caused a totally different reaction!

They were not filled with joy, they were upset and troubled!

We have joy when the world is upset - we have a different perspective, we respond differently – when God acts in end time judgements, men’s hearts are failing them for fear; but what does Luke say? [*Luke 21:28*/ //“But when these things begin to take place, straighten up and lift up your heads, because your redemption is drawing near.”/]

Non-believers may be merry and happy at Christmas time, but they cannot know the joy that we have.

We have a joy that the world cannot know.

Look around at the trouble in the world; terrorism, global warming, faltering economies, decreasing dairy prices – the world has plenty to worry about.

Are we Pollyanna optimists out of touch with reality?

No. What is the difference?

We believe that God is Sovereign, in control of all things; things are not happening at random and by chance, getting out of control.

There is One who is in control of history, and He intervened in person in history by being born as a baby in this world.

But what caused these magi to rejoice was that they saw the star that they had seen in the East.

That is the reason that they had come to Israel.

How they made the connection, I don’t know.

Now some have speculated that they were from the region where Daniel had been, they had his prophecies, and came in response to them.

Interesting speculation, but that is all it is; supposition, clever ideas – the only problem with it is: that it is not what the Bible says!

The Bible says that the reason they came (Matthew 2:3), not because we read in the writings of Daniel, but “/Because we have seen His star at its rising/”.

They observed the stars and that is how they knew.

But when you look at the stars, they don’t have labels on them – they saw this new and special star rise and their study led them to a conclusion about its significance.

But it was just a star, how could they know for sure?

It was just a sign in the heavens.

But they knew it was significant and considered it worth investigating and pursuing.

It took a lot of study, investigation, preparation and travel – it was some two years after the star appeared before they arrived.

This was a significant investment of time and effort, all on the basis of a star.

What if they had got it wrong, drawn the wrong conclusion?

This was walking by faith – going to all this effort and they might be totally mistaken.

But then they saw the exact same star again!

They hadn’t seen it for months, and there it was again!

They had been on the right track after all!

Their investigation in Jerusalem directed them to Bethlehem – and there was the star!

The vision was fulfilled!

*[P]* – faith had turned to sight!

It is a wonderful joyous thing when what you have believed in all along, actually comes to be.

We believe Jesus is going to return because that is what He promised – but can you imagine the joy when He actually comes and we see Him face to face?! “/And the star, which they had seen in the east, went on before them until it came and stood over the place where the Child was./”

This was the exact same star; it appeared and went ahead of them then stopped right where the child was! Amazing heavenly guidance!

They spent all their life studying the stars – they had never seen anything like this!

For a star-gazer, what a treat!

John is into motor bikes, he loves his Harley – but to go to rolling thunder where there are hundreds of them – He is overjoyed!

Hannah loves her violin, but imagine the joy of being able to play a Stradivarius!

These magi were into stars – this is what spun their wheels – and to have a star put on this personal performance!

They were overjoyed at the celestial show, but also because the sign in the stars, the celestial prophecy, was fulfilled!

They had received revelation from heaven *[P]* – the star guided them.

God Himself who controls the heavens was directing this star just for them!

– no one else followed it, or knew what it meant.

They were hearing from heaven, from God!

There is nothing more thrilling and exciting!

It fills the heart with joy when you know that you have actually heard from God Himself!

Not doctrine and theology but God giving special revelation to you personally!

There is nothing that can compare with it!