Sermon Tone Analysis
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“*The Meaning of Christmas*”
*Hebrews 2:11-18*
In a moment I will ask you what Christmas means to you.
Perhaps there is some Christmas memory – an experience of Christmas that has become part of your annual Christmas story.
During the 4 Sundays of this Advent season, I have chosen to look at:
· 4 strands of the Christmas story: so interwoven that they cannot be seen clearly apart from each other
· 4 facets of /‘the Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us’/
*1.*
Last week: When Jesus came to earth as a little baby
What did He leave behind?
When Jesus clothed Himself with human flesh
What limitations did He accept?
Who was Jesus, before His birth in Bethlehem?
Who *is* this Jesus, born in a lowly stable?
This, - this is God Himself
· From everlasting to everlasting
· All powerful, creator God
· ‘He who has seen me has seen the Father’.
/“Veiled in flesh the Godhead see -- Hail the incarnate deity”/
*3.*
Next Sunday – the mystery:
· God~/man – fully God and fully man!
> Jesus!
I’ve been teaching genetics in our Parenting class:
o 1 set of genes from Dad > Holy Spirit
o 1 set from mom > Mary
/“Meekness and majesty, manhood and deity,/
/In perfect harmony, the One who is God…/
/O what a mystery, meekness and majesty:/
/Bow down and worship, for this is your God.”/
*4.*
The Sunday of Christmas week: He shall be called Immanuel – ‘God with us!’
*2.*
This morning:
· What?
· What motivated God to leave His heavenly home?
· To take human flesh and its limitations
· To become a servant
· To submit to death – the cursed death on a cross?
· What is the meaning – the purpose of Christmas.
First: The Question: What does Christmas mean to you?
The focus of the Christian confession is the Christmas event:
The transcendent God
has visited
and redeemed
His people
in Jesus of Nazareth.
Meaning of Christmas?
People running from store to store trying to find the gifts on their lists…
Focused on making sure that everyone is bought for,
everyone is going to be satisfied,
and everyone is going to enjoy their Christmas
You basically see either one of two “reasons” in people’s hearts:
1. Greed for what they desire
2. Stress over what they want to get for others
ILLUSTRATION: “Who’s Birth?” Bart Simpson once stated, “Let’s not forget the true meaning of Christmas, the birth of Santa”
ILLUSTRATION: “Dragging Jesus into Christmas” A woman walked up to church Nativity scene and was overheard saying, “Just look at that, the church tries to drag Jesus into every holiday!”
Second: ‘What is the Meaning of Christmas (not for many today) but for *God*?’
/“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”/
(Joh 3:16 AV)
*Name* – meaning of names
“Jesus”
Jacob (brother of Esau; son of Isaac and Rebekkah) - during a wrestling match with God – his name was changed from Jacob to Israel.
Changed from deceiver to prince.
- know yourself – what is your name?
Who are you?
Joseph > name him ‘Jesus’ /“She (Mary) will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins."”/
(Mt 1:21 NIV)
In Hebrews 2, the author tells us that Jesus became one of us:
– joined our earthly family
– calling us brothers,
in order to be our Saviour!
*Family:*
Family Reunions:
- this is the hardest place to show the Christian characteristics of: love, forgiveness, longsuffering, ….
- They know us too well!
In the intimacy of family our true character shows.
Within the family circle, the closest of relationship are forged.
And often the greatest of animosities~/hostility is born.
This is where we cut our eye teeth on how to relate in the world.
Where we practice being us:
· How will I be accepted
· What is acceptable behavior in society?
If I were in need, I could turn to any of my siblings – especially to my twin sister.
I know they would help me.
They would comfort me if I needed comfort
and they would give me a scolding, if that was what I needed.
And they would know me well enough to know which I needed and when.
Bible stories of family relationships:
Siblings:
· Can & Abel
· Jacob and Esau
· Mary, Martha, Lazarus > Jesus
Parent Child:
· David and Absalom
· Abraham and Ishmael and Isaac
JESUS became family > a brother.
Our creator took a piece of clay and formed it for a house to dwell in Himself!
Eternity stepped into the limits of time~/mortality.
Why?
Question: “What can our divine, immortal, all powerful, omniscient, immutable God *NOT do?”*
What could God only do if He took up our human frailty and become family as a brother to the created human race?
1.
Perhaps the first answer is not something God could not do as much as we could not understand:
- To share~/understand~/help us
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