Sermon Tone Analysis

Hebrew Christmas.

My intention this morning is to do a bit of boasting!

[P] I want to boast about what my Father gave me for Christmas!

At the Christmas season we tend to read certain passages of Scripture, accounts of Jesus’ birth, prophecies of His coming and such like.

So, ….. can we turn to a familiar passage: Hebrews chapter 1? [P] [Hebrews 1:1–4 God, after He spoke long ago to the fathers in the prophets in many portions and in many ways, in these last days has spoken to us in His Son, whom He appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the world.

[P] And He is the radiance of His glory and the exact representation of His nature, and upholds all things by the word of His power.

When He had made purification of sins, He sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high, having become as much better than the angels, as He has inherited a more excellent name than they.]

May God bless the reading of His Word.

Two more sleeps!

Are you getting excited?

Christmas is an exciting time, at least if you are a kid, and still is for some others of us (Eh, John?!).

There is the anticipation, the preparation, the waiting, the looking-forward-to, then the culmination when you receive your gifts.

And if there is anticipation, excitement and culmination here on earth at Christmas; how much more in heaven?!

For one thing the preparation and waiting had been going on much longer!

[P] The great wait It says there in Hebrews 1:1 that “God spoke long ago” – this had been a looong time coming!

Christmas seems to come upon us quickly, now that I am old; but, can you remember what a long wait it was when you were a kid?

It seemed like it would never come!

God spoke, said what was coming, but the wait had been long.

[P] It is a wonderful thing that God speaks!

Some people are what are known as “deists” – they believe in god, but think god just started things going, then left things to run for themselves.

He is up there in heaven but he doesn’t interact with this world, with man.

We are not deists!

God speaks!

Hallelujah!

Francis Schaeffer wrote a book titled: “The God who is there”; then he wrote another book: “He is there and He is not silent”!

Bless His Name! יהוה speaks!

We speak because we want something, or to tell how our week has been, express what we think.

But God speaks in order to make Himself known, to reveal Himself!

And He has been progressively doing it for a long time: some 6,000 years, ever since He created the world.

Even before then!

Right from the very beginning God’s intention was to communicate Himself.

How do you communicate?

How do you speak?

With words!

[P] [John 1:1–2 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

He was in the beginning with God.]

This communication of God, His speaking has always existed, it been going a long time: [1 Peter 1:20 For He was foreknown before the foundation of the world, but has appeared in these last times for the sake of you.] יהוה has been building up to this great revelation of Himself for a long time.

[P] The great preparation Then it says that “long ago God spoke in the prophets in many portions and many ways” There was this big wait, but the communication was going on, building, God was preparing the way for the great revelation.

[P] There was this great preparation going on.

What great preparation goes in before Christmas: the decorating, buying presents, wrapping presents, baking – getting everything ready.

And God had been preparing the way: many prophets, with many messages, coming in different forms: dreams, visions, words, acted out in lives, poetry, proclamations.

They knew they were onto something.

They had hints, glimpses of it.

It was like each of these many portions and ways was a piece of a jigsaw puzzle and they were trying to work out what it was all leading to, what the whole picture was: [1 Peter 1:10–12 As to this salvation, the prophets who prophesied of the grace that would come to you made careful searches and inquiries, seeking to know what person or time the Spirit of Christ within them was indicating as He predicted the sufferings of Christ and the glories to follow.

It was revealed to them that they were not serving themselves, but you, in these things which now have been announced to you through those who preached the Gospel to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven—things into which angels long to look. 2 Peter 1:19 So we have the prophetic word made more sure, to which you do well to pay attention as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star arises in your hearts.]

There was this outline, this image; they were trying to make out the substance of what it was.

The missionaries to the tribes in New Guinea try to explain the sacrifice of a lamb – but the people there have never seen a sheep.

How do make them know what a sheep is?

You can describe it: like a pig but with fluffy hair all over it.

You could draw a picture, a photo would be better, maybe a stuffed toy.

But there ain’t anything like the real thing!

The prophets only had glimpses, none of them had the whole picture.

But then came: [P] The great culmination It came to “these last days”!

Everything had been leading up to, pointing to something.

Now the great day had arrived: “the last days” when God would bring to pass the things that He had been telling His prophets.

The great culmination!

[P] The preparation had been going on for a long time.

Beth starts buying for Christmas at the Boxing-day sales!

She has been preparing for a whole year.

The presents have been bought, wrapped, the cake baked, the place decorated – it is all building up to something!

The excitement peaks! the culmination on Christmas day.

It has arrived!

John is up at 4:00 AM bouncing on the bed asking Beth if he can open his presents!

The preparation had been building; now the time had come: [P] [Galatians 4:4 But when the fullness of the time came, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the Law,] The culmination, what made these the last days is God sending His Son.

Many have noticed themes in the writing of John: life, light, truth, I am etc. but perhaps the most prominent theme in the book of John is “SEND” – 47 times!

That is the big deal, that is the great culmination, that what happened in “these last day” God sent His Son.

The messages of the prophets had been building, it was near!

Simeon knew it!

Didn’t he?

He could sense it!

[Luke 2:25–30 And there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon; and this man was righteous and devout, looking for the consolation of Israel; and the Holy Spirit was upon him.

And it had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord’s Christ.

(it was almost here!)

And he came in the Spirit into the temple; and when the parents brought in the child Jesus, to carry out for Him the custom of the Law, then he took Him into his arms, and blessed God, and said, “Now Lord, (it had happened!

He had arrived!

The culmination of all that prophetic preparation!)

You are releasing Your bond-servant to depart in peace, According to Your word; For my eyes have seen Your salvation!] [P] The great revelation had arrived!

It said earlier that God “spoke long ago”, that was in the past, but it says “in these last days God has spoken” – that is now!

God not only spoke long ago, He is speaking now!

How does He speak?

How do you speak?

With words!! How does God speak?: In His Word!

Not just the prophets, not just the Scriptures; now, in these last days the great revelation has come!

[P] Hallelujah!

Christmas day arrives and the presents are unwrapped – it is revealed what was inside – there you had been squeezing your presents that were under the tree, trying to work out what they were, but now it is revealed.

God reveals Himself!

It is a wonderous thing that God deigns to speak to us!

But how can an Almighty Spirit Being communicate with limited, ignorant, fleshly man?! How can that Divine mind be comprehended by us ordinary people?!

There was the Scripture, the were the prophets, many messages, images, pictures, types, symbols – but they were only hints, now the real thing had arrived!

I used to have a photo of Rhoda in my wallet – it got so faded you could no longer tell who it was.

I had that picture when we were engaged – and I used to look at it and think of the one I loved.

But it was there my wallet for years and I seldom noticed it.

Why?

Because had the real thing!

Lovely as the photo was – the smile was fixed, it didn’t respond.

It didn’t capture all of who Rhoda is.

Now the great revelation of God Himself had come: the WORD!

God speaking – not in concepts, doctrines, parables and analogies – but in a person!! Hallelujah! [P] [John 1:14 And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we saw His glory, glory as of the unique one from the Father, full of grace and truth.]

Revelation of the TRUTH.

Here was God! How do you communicate with a man?