Sermon Tone Analysis

*Why did God not reveal the actual day of Jesus’ birth?*

* *

*Text: *Matthew 1.18-25

 

*Thesis*: To note that God did not reveal the actual day of Jesus’ birth and this was most likely

             done intentionally because Christians are to celebrate the birth, life, death, and

             resurrection of Jesus every single day.

*Introduction*:

 

(1)    This time of the year, one will most likely hear: “Jesus is the reason for the season.”

(2)    Songs like /Silent Night/ and /Away in a Manger/ will be sung and played on the radio.

(3)    While there is nothing wrong with celebrating the birth of Jesus, why is it only celebrated by many only during this time of the year?

*Discussion*:

 

I.

God did not reveal the actual day.

A.

The event of Jesus’ birth in recorded in Matthew 1.18-25 and Luke 2.1-20.

B.     No where in these verses is a specific day mentioned.

C.     The thing that is strange about that is that we serve a God of specifics.

1.

He was very specific concerning the time and details of sacrifices (Leviticus).

2.      He was very specific in the OT about the sabbath and in the NT about the first day of the week.

3.      God would not overlook such a detail as this unless He had a reason for not revealing the actual day.

II.

How did December 25th come to be thought of as the “actual day?”

 

A.

There is no historical document to which one may turn for evidence to support the date of December 25th.

B.     Some celebrate the event on January 6th.

C.     As one commentator put it, “The day was assigned in the fifth century by the Roman Catholic church without the slightest evidence that Christ was really born on that day, and perhaps without meaning in the first instance to imply it.

The church simply decreed that Christ’s nativity instead of the Roman god Sol’s, should be celebrated on that day.

Numerous attempts have been made to ascertain the exact day, but without success.

Where there is no evidence there can be no satisfactory conclusion”

(Lamar 44-45).

D.    Hence, there is no Biblical evidence or secular evidence addressing the actual day.

III.

Why did God choose not to reveal the actual day?

A.

Here, we get into the realm of speculation, which can be dangerous if abused.

B.     We can know that:

1.      God is a God of specifics.

2.      He specifically addressed that Christians remember the Lord’s death, burial, and resurrection each first day of the week (e.g., Acts 20.7).

3.

He chose what went into the Bible and what did not and had a purpose for either the inclusion or the exclusion (cf.

John 20.30-31; 21.25).

4.      He did not include the date of the day when Jesus was born but He did include the event itself.

a.       Therefore, the event is what is important.

b.

The date is trivial.

C.     Educated Guess: Date not given because God wants Christians daily to remember and celebrate the birth, life, death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus.

*Conclusion*:

 

(1)    Hence, there is nothing wrong with celebrating the birth of Jesus but that is something that we should celebrate daily and not just once a year because of manmade tradition.

(2)    Without this glorious event taking place, then we would not have had the “lamb of God” (cf.

John 1.29) paying our debt for us.

(3)    Indeed, the angel of the Lord was correct in saying: “Do not be afraid; for behold, I bring you good news of a great joy which shall be for all the people; for today in the city of David there has been born for you a Savior, who is Christ the Lord” (Luke 2.10-11).

(4)    Jesus was born, and He lived a perfect life and died upon the cross for our sins.

(5)    He arose, and will come again to receive all Christians to Heaven.

(6)    Are you ready for His return?