Sermon Tone Analysis

Mathew’s account of the Christmas story reveals the fullness of the plan of God.

2 focuses:

Matt 1

Fullness = God’s plan

Determinate Counsel = God’s purpose

Examine through 3 scenes of the Christmas Story:

Scene #1- The Birth of Jesus

Earthly problem: Mary was found to be with child before her marriage to Joseph had taken place.

And Joseph seeks an earthly solution:

But this seemingly earthly plan was actually part of the fullness of the plan of God.

Notice, the fullness of the plan of God is so significant, so important that all three members of the trinity are involved.

Angel of the Lord- sent by God the Father

Holy Spirit- that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost.

Son of God- Jesus is the second person of the Godhead, clothed in human flesh and blood.

Every since the fall in the Garden of Eden all of human history has been leading up to this one moment.

This, finally is the fullness of the plan of God where God Himself, enters into humanity to accomplish the will of the Father.

Determinate counsel / the purpose of God

He is to be named Jesus (Heb.

Yeshua), which means Yahweh is salvation or “the Lord saves”

The determinate counsel or the purpose of God in sending his Son, was to save his people from their sins.

This little babe, conceived of the Holy Spirit, sent to do the will of the Father, would one day accomplish the ultimate purpose of God by shedding His blood on the cross of Calvary so that He might save His people from their sins.

This is the exact purpose of God, being put into action, through Christmas!

The purpose of God was according to the fullness of the plan of God.

Matthew is going to highlight the intricacy of God’s plan by showing us several OT prophecies that Jesus fulfilled.

In other words, how do we know that Jesus was sent according to the fullness of the plan of God?

Because every detail of the Christmas story, of the birth of Jesus, fulfills OT prophecy.

Matt 1.22-23

And so with God’s purpose and plan clearly revealed Joseph wakes from his dream and obeys the word of the Lord.

#223- Born to Die

Scene #2- The Visit of the Wise Men

Matt 2.

Fullness of the plan of God- why were Mary and Joseph in Bethlehem?

So in the perfect time God used the Roman captivity to fulfill yet another prophecy of Jesus.

Matt 1.

Fullness of the plan of God- How did the star move?

It could have been 1).

A supernatural event of God

2).

Something that God planned way back in the creation of the solar system, that on that day and that moment the star would move and come to rest over where Jesus was.

In any event this leads us to a second purpose of God- something that fit into God’s determinate counsel.

Matt 2.

The second ultimate purpose of God is worship!

God in the fullness of time, according to His perfect plan led these wise men to Bethlehem by means of a star in order to fulfill His purpose of worship.

In their act of worship they gave to Jesus kingly gifts.

#217- In the Bleak Mid-Winter

Scene #3- The Flight to Egypt

Matt 2.13

God’s Plan- shown in prophecy

Determinate counsel- God’s purpose:

Herod nor these soldiers could not harm Jesus, because God’s purpose would not be thwarted by anyone.

Jesus would accomplish God’s ultimate purpose; To save His people from their sins, and to bring about worship that God deserves.

“He shall be called a Nazarene.”

No direct Scripture fulfilled in this prophecy.

This phrase is spoken of differently by Matthew.

He uses the not prophet (singular), but prophets (plural).

Jesus is full-fulling the thrust of OT prophecy here rather than one specific instance.

To be called a Nazarene in Jesus’ day is the equivalent of being called “hick” or “redneck.”

People looked down on those who were from Nazareth.

Had Jesus been known as “Jesus of Bethlehem” he would have had the aura of one who came from the royal city- there would have been overtones of messianic majesty.

But “Jesus of Nazareth” carried with it overtones of contempt.

We are to understand the prophets as pointing to one who would be despised and rejected, and Jesus as fulfilling this by his connection with obscure Nazareth.

What does Isaiah say about Jesus- He would be “despised and rejected.”

Jesus fulfills this, in part, with his connection to Nazareth.

That's a few of hundreds of prophecies related to the Lord Jesus Christ.

They cannot all come to pass by chance.

In 1969, Professor Peter Stoner took eight of those prophecies, eight of them...born in Bethlehem, preceded by a messenger, riding on a donkey, betrayed by a friend, sold for 30 pieces of silver, money used to buy a potter's field, silent as a lamb, hands and feet pieced.

Had his math students do a study of the science of probability.

They came up with one chance in ten to the seventeenth power...that's one chance in ten with seventeen zeroes after it.

And interestingly enough, some years later his grandson went back to the problem and decided it was actually ten to the eighteenth power.

I'm not sure where that distinction lies.

But clear enough that the Old Testament gives us ample indication that God is its author because no one knows the future but God.

Thus we see the fullness of the plan of God and determinate counsel of the purpose of God in the Christmas story.

Jesus, the Son of God, was set at the exact right time, in the exact right manner, in the exact right circumstances to accomplish the ultimate purpose of God, the reason we celebrate Christmas, 1).

So that Jesus might save His people from their sins 2).

that God might receive the worship He deserves.

May this be at the heart of every one of us this Christmas season.

#189- O Come, All Ye Faithful