Sermon Tone Analysis
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Intro:
SLIDE ONE
Before there ever was the birth of a Messiah… there was hope.
SLIDE TWO
Hope has always been there
Isa 9:
We look back, with hope for the present, because of what happened when a Messiah was born.
...We look forward, with hope for a greater, future fulfillment, because of what that Messiah accomplished.
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BUT… Before there ever was a pregnant virgin… before the wise men in the east pondered a mysterious star in the sky… before angels invited shepherds to come and see..
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There was hope… looking forward.
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Even as the Jewish people celebrated those feasts that reminded them to LOOK BACK.
- when THEY LOOKED BACK… at the faithfulness of God… to deliver them…
There was a promise… of a deliverance yet to come
THEY LOOKED BACK IN CELEBRATION OF PASSOVER.
ON THAT MIRACULOUS NIGHT IN EGYPT, THEY KILLED A LAMB THAT HAD LIVED WITH THEM IN THEIR HOME… AND THEY PUT THE BLOOD OF THAT LAMB AROUND THEIR DOOR… -Because of this… death passed over their household
-But PASSOVER also looked forward.
For one day… a different lamb from amongst them would be killed.
He was first identified by John The Baptist.
SLIDE THREE
-ON THE VERY DAY… THAT THE LAMBS WERE BROUGHT INTO JERUSALEM FOR THE UPCOMING PASSOVER CELEBRATION… another event happened…
-We traditionally call it… THE TRIUMPHANT ENTRY OF JESUS.
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JESUS then SPENT THE WEEK IN THEIR MIDST… and on the day they slaughtered their lambs for the feast.. Jesus died on the cross.
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-JESUS died, as God’s Passover Lamb… and because of His blood… eternal death, passes over… all those who trust in Him.
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During that Passover Feast… they also celebrated the removal of leaven from their homes, representing, the removal of sin… and so they ate their bread unleavened..
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The year Jesus died… He was in the grave during the feast of unleavened bread.
- AS THE PEOPLE REMOVED THE SYMBOLIC EXPRESSION OF SIN FROM THEIR HOMES… Jesus was conquering sin and death..
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On the day when the Jewish people were celebrating the feast of firstfruits..
JESUS ROSE FROM THE DEAD… BECOMING, as it reads in:
SLIDE FOUR
-Fifty days later, as they celebrated the early harvest with Pentecost… The Holy Spirit was poured out on the believers..
Over 30 years previous to this… … in the Fall… the Jewish people celebrated the yearly feast of Sukkot… which is the Feast of Tabernacles…
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In this time, THEY REMEMBERED HOW GOD PROVIDED SHELTER as the children of Israel wandered in the wilderness.
-and also… how God would be their shelter in the world to come…
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There’s a lot of evidence that points to the timing of this celebration… and the timing of Jesus’ birth… being in conjunction with each other.
- -The placement of the shepherds, the historical record of the census that was taken… - THESE THINGS DON’T POINT TO A DECEMBER BIRTH…
-BUT RATHER… a September birth.
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So in the season that the children of Israel built tabernacles… dwellings… the God who would be their Shelter..
-Came down… to tabernacle with… the dwell with - HIS PEOPLE.
slide five
Immanuel means what?
God with us…
God… tabernacling with us..
God… dwelling with us.
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slide 6
HOPE HAS ALWAYS BEEN THERE
Hope has always looked back at the faithfulness of God
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Hope is always looking forward, with positive expectation towards the promises of God
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And it is hope… that gives us peace in the here and now, because of what God has done… and because of what God has promised.
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Our opening passage in is a familiar one… -We always hear it around Christmas time.
-A child is born
-A son is given
-the government shall be upon His shoulder
-He is called: wonderful, counselor, mighty God
-… everlasting Father, Prince of Peace..
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EVEN IN THIS… WE ARE BOTH, LOOKING BACK, AND FORWARD IN HOPE.
-Jesus has been born… God’s son has been given.
-He is wonderful… He is a great counselor… He is mighty God..
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BUT MUCH OF THIS… IS STILL YET TO COME..
.. Christmas is not just, the birth of a miracle child..
But it is a promise… that one day, this child will be the ultimate king over all…
-So in a way, this is a season to also celebrate the coming kingdom..
-WHICH IS WHAT WE WILL BE TALKING ABOUT NEXT WEEK.
-We do have hope, because of what Christmas represents..
-that there will come a time… when there will be no end of peace… and no end to increase of his government..
In that day, even I will be a fan of big government.
-THERE IS COMING A TIME, WHEN ALL THINGS BECOME NEW… AND IN THAT NEWNESS… THE THRONE OF DAVID WILL BE AFFIRMED… and Jesus will sit upon it.. FOREVERMORE.
Now… we are quite familiar with verses 6 and 7 of Isaiah chapter 9…
And there’s probably a reason why the familiar quote begins there… for the previous verse talks about … the trampling boots of warriors.. and garments soaks in blood.
LET’S GO BACK TO VERSE ONE AND GET THE BIGGER PICTURE.
Slide 7
Isa
Verse One begins with a transitioning contrast…
-It can’t stand alone… it is continuing a thought from the previous verses.
In chapter 8… Isaiah is talking about the rebellion that caused God to hide his face from His people..
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HE TELLS US OF THE IMPENDING INVASION OF THE ASSYRIANS.
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He tells us of a rebellious people who, because of their own actions… will suffer distress and hunger… and instead of taking responsibility for their sin… instead of crying out to God for mercy..
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They speak contempt against God.
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THE PROMISE IS FIRST GIVEN… to the one who was formerly in anguish.
THE PROMISE IS FIRST GIVEN… to the one who was formerly in anguish.
IN THE FORMER TIME… GOD BROUGHT CONTEMPT UPON THOSE WHO SHOWED HIM CONTEMPT.
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Darkness shall not continually be on the land which is now in distress..
-In we read about the Assyrian king who swept into the lands of Zebulun and Naphtali and hauled off the inhabitants into captivity.
This is what happened in the former times…
But now… let’s talk about the latter time..
THE PEOPLE DID EVIL… THEY WERE WARNED… GOD RESPONDED TO THEIR REBELLION BY HAVING THEM CONQUERED… -that was the former time…
-But now… LET’S SPEAK OF HOPE.
Let’s speak of the good which is yet to come.
-God will make glorious… the way of the sea - which speaks specifically of the GALILEE REGION… where Jesus began His ministry.
-And then it says.. the land beyond… which could also mean: ‘along’ the Jordan…
And he calls this region: Galilee of the nations.. Which is also translated:
Slide 8
Galilee of the Gentiles
The Jews to the south thought poorly of those in the North.
They didn’t consider them to be as PURE as they were.
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The population in the north was historically mixed… both Jews and Gentiles.
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-After the deportation by the Assyrians… the northern lands were inhabited by heathens… and thus… the people of Israel in the south thought poorly of anything that came from the North…
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Slide 9
which might explain Nathanael’s words in…
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HERE’S WHAT GOD DID:
The same region which was so darkened once, shall be among the first to receive Messiah’s light.
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