Sermon Tone Analysis
Overall tone of the sermon
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Introduction
For the past several weeks we’ve been talking about the Christmas movie, Miracle on 34th Street.
We’ve seen a clip and we’ve talked about various scenes from the movie to illustrate different truths related to the true Christmas story of Christ's birth.
But we have not really examined the basic plot of the movie, which is revealed in the opening scene from the movie.
In this scene, which again, I unfortunately couldn’t find to download and show you, a young boy and his grandfather are waiting to cross the street in New York city, and Kris Kringle is standing beside them.
The boy looks at him and then tells his grandfather “Ask him.
Ask him grandpa.
Go ahead, ask him.”
The grandfather looks at Kris and says, “He thinks you’re Santa Claus.”
They both laugh, but then Kris leans down and whispers to the young boy, “I am.”
And that’s the key plot point of this movie.
This man genuinely believes he is Santa Claus.
The rest of the movie is the unfolding of the evidence to support that claim.
For the past several weeks we’ve been talking about the Christmas movie, Miracle on 34th Street.
We’ve seen a clip and we’ve talked about various scenes from the movie to illustrate different truths related to the true Christmas story of Christ's birth.
But we have not really examined the basic plot of the movie, which is revealed in the opening scene from the movie.
This man genuinely believes he is Santa Claus.
The rest of the movie is the unfolding of the evidence to support that claim.
We have been using this wonderful Christmas movie, Miracle on 34th Street as the illustration for our Christmas sermon series, Experience the Miracle of Christmas.
We have watched some clips from the movie to illustrate different truths related to the true Christmas story of Christ's birth.
But we have not really examined the basic plot of the movie, which is revealed here in this opening scene from the movie.
This man genuinely believes he is Santa Claus.
The rest of the movie is the unfolding of the evidence to support that claim.
The idea of meeting not just a department store Santa, and not just some well-meaning man with a pillow in his belt and a fake beard on his face, but the real Santa Claus, represents a Christmas dream come true.
I know that we live in a very skeptical society and I would certainly agree that we have come by such skepticism honestly.
We all know of people who make false and fraudulent claims.
We’ve all seen the commercials for the furniture stores claiming, “Final days!
Going out of business!
Everything must go!”
I know where I grew up there are a couple of furniture stores that have been “going out of business,” for at least the last 30 years.
Yet despite the skepticism, there is something about this movie, this story in particular that catches our attention and draws us in.
We are invited to reconsider some propositions that perhaps we thought were settled long ago in our childhood.
As the story unfolds, there springs forth this childish hope that perhaps this Kris Kringle really is Santa Claus.
It begins to open up some incredible and amazing opportunities.
"Could he really be?
What if he is?
And if he is who he says he is, how sad not to be recognized, how tragic to be thought a fraud."
(Clip - Conversation with Ms. Walker, 2:15)
The questions Ms. Walker raises seem applicable to more than just Kris Kringle.
Those are the same kinds of questions asked about this miracle of Christmas.
Who is this baby lying in the manger?
Could he really be who everyone says he is?
And what if He is?
What does that mean for us?
John's Gospel describes for us in beautiful and poetic imagery this miracle of the manger.
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The big question to be answered in this movie is also the big question as we consider the birth and life of Jesus Christ.
It is a question of identity.
Who exactly is this child we find in the manger in Bethlehem?
The big question to be answered in this movie is also the big question as we consider the birth and life of Jesus Christ.
It is a question of identity.
Who exactly is this child we find in the manger in Bethlehem?
I. Astonishing claims
Could He be who He claims to be?
This old gentleman with a white beard and friendly smile claims to be not just a Santa, but THE Santa, Kris Kringle, St. Nicholas, the one and only Santa Claus.
And we can't help but smile as we ponder the possibility.
Something within us compels us to want to believe.
Of course, we know better, don't we?
In the movie Susan, Mrs. Walker’s 6 year old daughter, doesn’t believe in Santa.
In one encounter with Kris she asks him about how Santa can deliver presents to kids all over the world.
Susan makes some pretty good points.
The real Santa could deliver gifts to kids all around the world, couldn't he?
If not, then this is merely a nice man with a long, white beard.
Susan makes some pretty good points.
The real Santa could do all those things, couldn't he?
If not, then this is merely a nice man with a long, white beard.
Consider for a moment this miracle of the manger and the astonishing claims made regarding this child.
Into the humblest of circumstances Jesus is born.
His mother is an ordinary, young girl named Mary.
His birthplace is a stable, a barn in a small, obscure little shepherding town called Bethlehem.
Yet, Jesus came making astonishing claims that centered on His identity.
Now granted these claims didn’t come from Him until He was a little bit older, but He claimed to be sent from God, the Son of God, and even One with God.
The angel announced to shepherds that this baby was Christ the Lord.
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As an adult, Jesus claimed to be the Bread of Heaven and Living Water that is the only thing that can satisfy our deepest hungers.
Jesus claimed the authority to forgive our sins and to offer freely His grace and mercy.
Jesus claimed to be the Way, the Truth, and the Life, the Resurrection, the only hope of escaping God's judgment, the only path to eternal life.
Jesus claimed all authority in heaven and earth, and He promised to return to judge the world in righteousness.
As an adult, Jesus claimed to be the Bread of Heaven and Living Water that alone can satisfy our deepest hungers.
Jesus claimed the authority to forgive our sins and to offer freely His grace and mercy.
Jesus claimed to be the Way, the Truth, and the Life, the Resurrection, the only hope of escaping God's judgment, the only path to eternal life.
Jesus claimed all authority in heaven and earth, and He promised to return to judge the world in righteousness.
What do you make of such radical claims?
There are some who would ignore them altogether.
There are those who, while being very respectful of Jesus, don't take His astonishing claims seriously.
The religion of Islam teaches that Jesus was a prophet and teacher.
The Hindu religion teaches that Jesus is one way of many to find God.
Many people want to admire Jesus from a distance, but when it comes right down to it, He's just a nice man with a beard.
C.S. Lewis explained that Jesus did not leave us the option of just respecting Him as a good, noble teacher.
His own claims leave no room for that position, even though it is very popular.
We really only have three options concerning what to make of these astonishing claims of Jesus.
Either He was who He claimed to be, the Lord of all.
Or, He made these claims knowing they were false and therefore He was a liar.
Or third, He made these claims because He believed them to be true but in reality they were not, which makes Him deceived or a lunatic.
When it comes to the astonishing claims made by Jesus, there are only three conclusions that we can choose from.
He is the Lord, a liar, or a lunatic.
He cannot be just a nice man with a beard.
II.
Staggering implications
But what if He is who He claims to be?
Part of the drama of this movie is the increasing evidence that perhaps this Kris Kringle really is Santa.
Every character in the story has to decide for themselves what they believe about Kris Kringle.
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