Sermon Tone Analysis

Title

The Word the Son

Outline

We have two poetic readings today, both about the Word

In the beginning was the Word

All things came to be through him

God spoke and it came into being.

This is the one who, “who is the refulgence of his glory, the very imprint of his being, and who sustains all things by his mighty word.”

This is the one who speaks, but also the one who came, whom God calls “son.”

“How beautiful on the mountains are the feet” of the one who brings good news, announces peace, saying, “You God is King!”

He has “accomplished purification of sins” - certainly through words calling to repentance, but also through deeds.

This is the one who is John, a human voice in the wilderness, but a voice who pointed to a greater one.

The one he pointed to was “the Word [who] became flesh and made his dwelling among us, and we saw his glory, the glory as of the Father’s only Son, full of grace and truth.”

His honor status, his reputation, was that of the “Father’s only Son” full of the loving kindness and faithfulness (hesed we emeth) that is characteristic of God.

No wonder that, having completed his job on earth, he is now “seated at the right hand of the Father,” the seat of the ruler of the universe - still God and man, but now in his full manifestation

This is Christmas, [brothers and] sisters.

God who created us has been joined to us, announcing peace and reconciliation.

We see a baby, but it is the miracle of the union of God and man so that we might be united to God.

We see a baby, but it is the final phase of the reconciliation of God and humanity who through death with destroy death and eventually renew the earth, translating it into his sphere - and those who are committed to him with in.

This is what we announce, but first it is what we live and through adoration and obedience we become more and more “in Christ,” one with him, true children of God because we are in the Son of God.

Come, let us adore him!

Readings

FIRST READING

Isaiah 52:7–10

7 How beautiful upon the mountains

are the feet of the one bringing good news,

Announcing peace, bearing good news,

announcing salvation, saying to Zion,

“Your God is King!”

8 Listen!

Your sentinels raise a cry,

together they shout for joy,

For they see directly, before their eyes,

the LORD’s return to Zion.

9 Break out together in song,

O ruins of Jerusalem!

For the LORD has comforted his people,

has redeemed Jerusalem.

10 The LORD has bared his holy arm

in the sight of all the nations;

All the ends of the earth can see

the salvation of our God.

RESPONSE

Psalm 98:3c

3 He has remembered his mercy and faithfulness

toward the house of Israel.

All the ends of the earth have seen

the victory of our God.

PSALM

Psalm 98:1–6

1 A psalm.

Sing a new song to the LORD,

for he has done marvelous deeds.

His right hand and holy arm

have won the victory.

2 The LORD has made his victory known;

has revealed his triumph in the sight of the nations,

3 He has remembered his mercy and faithfulness

toward the house of Israel.

All the ends of the earth have seen

the victory of our God.

4 Shout with joy to the LORD, all the earth;

break into song; sing praise.

5 Sing praise to the LORD with the lyre,

with the lyre and melodious song.

6 With trumpets and the sound of the horn

shout with joy to the King, the LORD.

SECOND READING

Hebrews 1:1–6

CHAPTER 1

1 In times past, God spoke in partial and various ways to our ancestors through the prophets; 2 in these last days, he spoke to us through a son, whom he made heir of all things and through whom he created the universe,

3 who is the refulgence of his glory,

the very imprint of his being,

and who sustains all things by his mighty word.

When he had accomplished purification from sins,

he took his seat at the right hand of the Majesty on high,

4 as far superior to the angels

as the name he has inherited is more excellent than theirs.

5 For to which of the angels did God ever say:

“You are my son; this day I have begotten you”?

Or again:

“I will be a father to him, and he shall be a son to me”?

6 And again, when he leads the first-born into the world, he says:

“Let all the angels of God worship him.”

GOSPEL ACCLAMATION

Text

GOSPEL

Option A

John 1:1–18

CHAPTER 1

1 In the beginning was the Word,

and the Word was with God,

and the Word was God.

2 He was in the beginning with God.

3 All things came to be through him,

and without him nothing came to be.

What came to be 4 through him was life,

and this life was the light of the human race;

5 the light shines in the darkness,

and the darkness has not overcome it.