Sermon Tone Analysis

Introduction

Here is a man who was born in an obscure village, the child of a peasant woman.

He grew up in another obscure village, where He worked in a carpenter shop until He was thirty, and then for three years He was an itinerant preacher.

He never wrote a book.

He never held an office.

He never owned a home.

He never had a family.

He never went to college.

He never put his foot inside a big city. . . .

He never did [any] of the things that usually accompany greatness.

He had no credentials . . .

While still a young man, the tide of public opinion turned against Him.

His friends ran away.

One of them denied Him.

He was turned over to His enemies.

He went through the mockery of a trial.

He was nailed to a cross between two thieves.

His executioners gambled for the only piece of property He had on earth while He was dying—and that was his coat.

When he was dead He was taken down and laid in a borrowed grave through the pity of a friend.

Nineteen wide centuries have come and gone and today He is the centerpiece of the human race . . .

I am far within the mark when I say that all the armies that ever marched, and all the navies that ever were built, and all the parliaments that ever sat, all the kings that ever reigned, put together have not affected the life of man upon this earth as powerfully as has that One Solitary Life.[1]

Introduction

And yet, that solitary life is only part of the tapestry of Christ’s life.

“This solitary life” beautifully colors the humanity of Christ, but leaves out the strands of majesty interwoven into many of those moments.[2] (1) His humanity is beautifully seen in the weakness of a helpless infant, and yet strands of majesty are interwoven at this moment as angels herald his birth.

(2) He is born into a humble stable in a town of little significance, and yet bursting forth through the strands of humanity are the strands of majesty revealing themselves in the movement of a star as it draws wise men to him.

(3) He is baptized, like so many others before him and after him, yet the heavens open and the Spirit of God descends upon him and God the Father speaks.

(4) Oh how normal it was for him to fall asleep in a fishing boat due to utter exhaustion, but then he wakes to calm the storm.

(5) Threads of humanity are revealed as he weeps over the death of his friend, and yet once again strands of majesty are demonstrated as he turns and calls the dead to life.

(6) And then we come to this bold stroke of humanity.

He is killed.

How normal.

And yet, how utterly abnormal and majestic is his death.

The earth quakes, dead people come back to life, and the temple veil is ripped from top to bottom.

Humanity and majesty.

His death – humanity.

His resurrection – majesty.

And consider the incomprehensible value of his resurrection.

Introduction

He empowers us to new life.

Here is a man who was born in an obscure village, the child of a peasant woman.

He grew up in another obscure village, where He worked in a carpenter shop until He was thirty, and then for three years He was an itinerant preacher.

He never wrote a book.

He never held an office.

He never owned a home.

He never had a family.

He never went to college.

He never put his foot inside a big city. . . .

He never did [any] of the things that usually accompany greatness.

He had no credentials . . .

While still a young man, the tide of public opinion turned against Him.

His friends ran away.

One of them denied Him.

He was turned over to His enemies.

He went through the mockery of a trial.

He was nailed to a cross between two thieves.

His executioners gambled for the only piece of property He had on earth while He was dying—and that was his coat.

When he was dead He was taken down and laid in a borrowed grave through the pity of a friend.

Nineteen wide centuries have come and gone and today He is the centerpiece of the human race . . .

I am far within the mark when I say that all the armies that ever marched, and all the navies that ever were built, and all the parliaments that ever sat, all the kings that ever reigned, put together have not affected the life of man upon this earth as powerfully as has that One Solitary Life.[1]

The threads of Christ majesty are revealed in that he empowers us to new life.

We as sinners were dead in our sins, but Christ was our regeneration.

He gave us life.

“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ!

According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead” ().

This new birth is termed regeneration.

“Regeneration is a secret act of God in which he imparts new spiritual life to us.”[3]

And yet, that solitary life is only part of the tapestry of Christ’s life.

“This solitary life” beautifully colors the humanity of Christ, but leaves out the strands of majesty interwoven into many of those moments.

(1) His humanity is beautifully seen in the weakness of a helpless infant, and yet strands of majesty are interwoven at this moment as angels herald his birth.

(2) He is born into a humble stable in a town of little significance, and yet bursting forth through the strands of humanity are the strands of majesty revealing themselves in the movement of a star as it draws wise men to him.

(3) He is baptized, like so many others before him and after him, yet the heavens open and the Spirit of God descends upon him and God the Father speaks.

(4) Oh how normal it was for him to fall asleep in a fishing boat due to utter exhaustion, but then he wakes to calm the storm.

(5) Threads of humanity are revealed as he weeps over the death of his friend, and yet once again strands of majesty are demonstrated as he turns and calls the dead to life.

(6) And then we come to this bold stroke of humanity.

He is killed.

How normal.

And yet, how utterly abnormal and majestic is his death.

The earth quakes, dead people come back to life, and the temple veil is ripped from top to bottom.[2]

Regeneration is a mysterious work.

This reality is most born out in Jesus interaction with Nicodemus.

Jesus makes it clear that new birth is essential for anyone to be part of the kingdom of God.

Just like any of us, Nicodemus struggled to wrap his mind around what Jesus was saying.

“How can a man be born when he is old?

Can he enter a second time into his mother's womb and be born?”

Jesus answered, "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God” ESV).

Humanity and majesty.

His death – humanity.

His resurrection – majesty.

And consider the incomprehensible value of his resurrection.

He empowers us to new life.

We know that somehow we who were spiritually dead () have been made alive to God and in a very real sense we have been “born again” (, ; ; ).

But we don’t understand how this happens or what exactly God does to us to give us this new spiritual life.

Jesus says, “The wind blows where it wills, and you hear the sound of it, but you do not know whence it comes or whither it goes; so it is with every one who is born of the Spirit” (). . .

.Because regeneration is a work of God within us in which he gives us new life it is right to conclude that it is an instantaneous event.

It happens only once.

At one moment we are spiritually dead, and then at the next moment we have new spiritual life from God.

Nevertheless, we do not always know exactly when this instantaneous change occurs.[4]

It is God who made us alive, through the work of the Holy Spirit.

“Even when we were dead in our trespasses, [God being rich in mercy] made us alive together with Christ – by grace you have been saved” ( ESV).[5]

This work was done by allowing us to come to an understanding of His Word.