Sermon Tone Analysis

Pleased as man with man to dwell, Jesus our Immanuel.

Immanuel – God with us! … God with us.

The idolater has his god of stone or wood at hand.

The one who worships money… well they are often sitting on their god … or have him tucked in their purse.

But Immanuel is YHWH the great God of creation, come to dwell amongst his people, the Alpha and Omega – the great I AM.

When the time came in history, God sovereignly chose to honour his promise of Jeremiah… of a New Covenant…one established in his Son… and his prophecies of Isaiah 7:14.

/14Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel.

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And He gave to the world the dearest and most precious gift – the baby Jesus.

*J *Have you ever held a very small child of …say 3 to 6 months in your arms and witnessed their delight when another youngster about 2 or 3 years old peers into the blankets… and… /oh/ as they meet face-to-face -there is an incredible bond as the baby recognizes that, “*Hey you’re little like me*!” Inevitably the eyes of the child light up and a smile bursts out on their face.

Their little toes curl up like they had just had a spoonful of banana pudding or …ice cream*.**J*

*J *Or have you ever seen when one of our beloved seniors meets a child in foyer and they bend down and gaze into the little ones eyes.

O how they express their love – eyeball to eyeball – face to face.

The child responds to this loving meeting held ‘/on their level’/ with a smile and then they engage in some of the most wonderful conversations.*

**J*

 

On one Christmas morning some 2000 years ago God bent down on one knee to gaze into our eyes.

To tell us in the most personal way that he loves us; to remove the barrier of  awesome wisdom and holiness.

He reached out to mankind and touched our hearts and lives with his Son, Jesus Christ.

Veiled in Flesh the Godhead see; Hail th’incarnate Deity.

This was no visit from the CEO of the company to the plant floor… He wasn’t there to make a showing with the little people.

No limo… no handlers… no separation from the people… just a baby, a manger, a Mom and a step-dad /and a few barnyard friends./

God came as us so that we might… like the little child say… “Hey you’re little like me! You’re human like me!”

 

How Mary must have felt to hold the holy, awesome, powerful God as a baby in her arms…

 

Mark Lowry writes in his book /Mary Did You Know/… (pg.

9)

 

Ever wonder if you are good enough to come to God? Ever think that you have put too much distance between you and God to ever make it up?

Somewhere in God’s infinite wisdom He knew that we would see the chasm as too daunting and would suffer the discouragement of failing to live “a perfect life”.

So He sent us his son, as a bridge, He sent Jesus.

* Hailing from a small town and even born in a barn… God must have thought they can come to the Baby King.

* A young man of twelve who spoke truth in the temple… a boy who was involved in his step-father’s business, a carpenter…God must have thought… to him they will relate… hardworking, normal trials… they can come to the young Lord Jesus.

* As a adult… travelling the countryside with his friends… “the disciples”.. laughing telling jokes… why he even was hungry, and thirsty….

He needed sleep and rest… He was tempted and even wept… God must of thought now they will know that they can come to the Son of God.

* Jesus suffered and died a horrible death… his Father heaped his anger at our sin… on the shoulders of his own Son… and Jesus said “It is finished” and God must have thought… *now* they know how much I love them.

We have felt the pain of diaper rash… /though thankfully too long ago to remember /…and so did He.

We have felt the confusion of adolescence… and so did He.

We have wept for those we love, felt hunger and felt temptation… and so did He.

We have felt our earthly father’s anger for things we’ve done wrong…

He felt the Heavenly Father’s rage for things we’ve done wrong.

God sent his Son, not because He did not know what being human being is all about… but to experience it and to draw us to himself… to say to us “I have been there… done that… I know… and I still love you!”

 

Jesus was sent to show us that there is salvation in the eyes of this child.

That God’s love for us extends to the point that He would divide the Godhead… one joined by the most complete and inestimable love… to reach out and touch the human heart.

Can you imagine parting with your child… not like they are of to summer camp… but like the are off to the suffering of a concentration camp to Auschwitz… to suffer and pay a price for the crime of simply being who you are… Jesus Christ died because He is the Son of God paid our penalty… Our Heavenly Father committed his only begotten Son to a course of history that has brought about the redemption of his people… people drawn to the Baby King… Look into the eyes of this child… and know that He knows your pain, your joy… your all… and as you are drawn to him this Christmas season… his little toes curl up… just like the sweet taste of a big spoonful of banana pudding.

What separates you from your God this Christmas?

… Know that He loves you and has experienced the trials of life just as we have and … will… God did not send a powerful, demanding judge to condemn us… or military general to annihilate his enemies.

He sent us deity veiled in flesh… He sent through the power of the Holy Spirit to Mary… a baby boy… the cooing, giggling, loving Son of God… the Incarnate Christ…drawing his people from the wilderness, from the darkness to the Kingdom of God… Nothing but our own clouded vision separates us from God… Draw close to the baby boy… the Baby King... and call him Lord and know you have received the greatest gift… the eternal gift…

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*Heavenly Father thank-you for the gift of your Baby Boy*

*Thank-you for bending down and touching our hearts with your love.**

**Thank-you for allowing the very Son of God to live as a Baby to dispel our fear, to draw us near and to experience the world through an infants eyes.**

**Thank-you for allowing your Son to grow up and experience the world as a young person: to be challenged by family and work and the confusion of adolescence, drawing us near because we are often challenged and confused.**

**Thank-you for allowing your only Begotten Son to be a man: to be tempted, to be hungry, to weep, drawing us near because we are tempted, we love, and we weep.**

*Thank-you for giving your Son up to the cross.

Not for anything He did… but for all we have done and failed to do.* **Thank-you for allowing imperfect human beings to share in the hope of the Kingdom to come because of your perfect and eternal gift.**

**Thank-you for commanding us to share this gift with the world.**

**Thank-you for the perfect Christmas Child… your Baby Boy.** **Amen.*

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