Sermon Tone Analysis

Matthew 2:1-12

Introduction:

How has the path of your life been unfolding?

As you have made your way through the many ups and downs that have brought you where you are today, the that last statement of the video is true!

“The journey was always leading you to Jesus.”

There is a wonder of joy waiting to be experienced when we realize the road we have been traveling intersects with the Saviour.

The more difficult the journey, the greater the joy will be when we come to the realization that He really is the Lord of all and Saviour over all.

He is worthy to be pursued and worthy of all we have to offer when we come into His presence.

The example of the Wisemen

The wise men ultimately found this to be true when they followed the star that led them to the promised Messiah.

It was a dangerous, difficult, and arduous journey that cost them time and resources.

Ultimately, it was worth it and allowed these men to come face to face with the newborn King of Kings.

After day upon day of travel and searching and persistence, the star in the night sky guided them to the Saviour.

They likely were overcome with emotion, reverence, awe, and abundant joy!

Their story is told in Matthew’s gospel.

A star that bright would have been seen by others living in that region.

It likely would have been a remembered by many people as the wise men shared their story.

They would talk of where they had been, how they travelled, and what ultimately led them to Jesus.

They likely shared the good news of their encounter with the Christ child to all who would listen.

They set out on their journey with a purpose and found it in this baby who had been foretold by the prophets of old.

Finding our saviour brings great joy

While Jesus came from Heaven to earth on purpose, He did so with us in His mind’s eye and joy in His heart.

We were created on purpose for a purpose.

Part of that purpose is to experience the wonderful joy that a life-changing relationship with Jesus offers to all who put their faith, hope, and trust in Him for salvation.

At just the right time on our journey through life, God does something to point us to the One whose birth we just celebrated: Jesus.

God has been waiting to connect with you and help you connect the dots in your life leading toward Jesus.

Finding Jesus is not the end of life, but the beginning of our joy.

“Joy” is mentioned over 60 more times in the New Testament.

Wherever we are on your journey through life, however difficult it may have been up until now, Jesus wants to give us the wonder of His joy.

Just as the wise men were led on their journey by a bright and shining star in the sky that moved them to the joy of finding Jesus, God uses different moments in life to help guide people to a place where they are meant to find joy in the Saviour of the world.

God has a history of using different situations, people, and circumstances at just the right time to help us see how our “stars have aligned” in a way that leads to Jesus where we can have joy.

God has ways of helping to give the right direction in our path when we need it the most, that may be through thinking through what Christmas is all about, or perhaps through an individual helping to shine the light on the path towards God.

While there may not be a literal shining light in the sky giving direction, often God uses people to help shine a spotlight on parts of our life and point the way to a new encounter with Jesus the Saviour.

King David of the Old Testament spoke how finding Jesus would bring joy.

He is quoted in the NT at first sermon of the newly formed church.

Acts 2.28 says, “You have made known to me the ways of life;

You will make me full of joy in Your presence” The New King James Version.

(1982).

Thomas Nelson.

The early apostles saw people experience great joy at the time of salvation:

Acts 8:4–8 says,

Paul and Barnabas saw this repeatedly.

In Acts 13.52,

Christians had great joy in hearing that others had become believers!

The Apostle Paul even commands the Roman church to pursue joy after he established it as an essential in the Christian life:

And to the church in Corinth he wrote:

The Apostle Paul lists joy as second among the fruit of the Spirit:

Joy is based in God

In all this, we sometimes wonder, “How?” Life can be hard, dangerous and an arduous journey.

C.S. Lewis once said, “God cannot give us joy and peace apart from Himself, because it is not there.

There is no such thing.”

As I have said many times, Jesus came to show us how to understand God and live in a relationship with Him!

We too can find joy as we face what is ahead with endurance, as what can bring us and those around us closer to God.

Conclusion:

Your journey, my journey, the journey of our family, friends, and even the people we meet can head many different ways.

The Wisemen took a journey that lead to them being able to “rejoice exceedingly with great joy.”

Why?

Because they found Jesus.

They found the King of Kings, the Saviour of the World.

Yes, just as with the wisemen, worship helps, giving helps.

However, joy is not an event or action, but an attitude and a fruit that we are given by the Holy Spirit.

1.

Is Jesus where you look for Joy

2. Are we following Christ’s example of endurance that leads to joy?

3. New believers were described as joyful.

Are we seeking to Help others find their joy in Jesus?