Sermon Tone Analysis

A few Christmas miracles

Summary: This Christmas sermon deals with the miracles associated with the Christmas Story.

Three Miracles of Christmas

[26] Now in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth,[27] to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David.

The virgin's name was Mary.[28]

And having come in, the angel said to her, "Rejoice, highly favored one, the Lord is with you; blessed are you among women!"

[27] to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David.

The virgin's name was Mary.

[28] And having come in, the angel said to her, "Rejoice, highly favored one, the Lord is with you; blessed are you among women!"

[29] But when she saw him, she was troubled at his saying, and considered what manner of greeting this was.

[30] Then the angel said to her, "Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God.

[31] And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bring forth a Son, and shall call His name Jesus.

[30] Then the angel said to her, "Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God.

[31] And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bring forth a Son, and shall call His name Jesus.

[32] He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Highest; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David.

[33] And He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of His kingdom there will be no end."

[34] Then Mary said to the angel, "How can this be, since I do not know a man?"

[33] And He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of His kingdom there will be no end."

[34] Then Mary said to the angel, "How can this be, since I do not know a man?"

[35] And the angel answered and said to her, "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Highest will overshadow you; therefore, also, that Holy One who is to be born will be called the Son of God.[36] age; and this is now the sixth month for her who was called barren.[37]

For with God nothing will be impossible."

[38] Then Mary said, "Behold the maidservant of the Lord!

Let it be to me according to your word."

And the angel departed from her.

[36] Now indeed, Elizabeth your relative has also conceived a son in her old age; and this is now the sixth month for her who was called barren.

[37] For with God nothing will be impossible."

[38] Then Mary said, "Behold the maidservant of the Lord!

Let it be to me according to your word."

And the angel departed from her.

I have heard many say, “I hate Christmas!”

He said that because he didn’t like

waiting to get his Christmas presents.

As a child, I loved Christmas and I still do.

I love to hear the Christmas Carols like Silent Night,

O Holy Night, Away In A Manger and many others.

I love the Christmas Lights Displays.

However, Christmas took on a new meaning this year.

since the death of my wife Pat.

A miracle birth in our family

and decorating my house with all the stuff we used to use though.

Some might think I’m an Old Scrooge or the Grinch.

Not so!

that they run on the Hallmark Channel.

I’ve lost count of how many Christmas movies they have.

All of those movies include beautiful Christmas lights scenes.

There’s always lots of snow on the ground and snow in the air.

Watching those movies helps me get in the Christmas spirit.

This year, they call those movies “The Miracles of Christmas”.

Just about every one of those movies

features someone who needs a miracle in his or her life..

Sometimes it’s a young widow or a young widower

who meets someone, falls in love, and gets married.

Sometimes it’s a person with a serious health problem

who experiences a miraculous healing at Christmas.

Other times, it’s a person with financial problems.

Each featured person in those movies experiences a miracle.

They say, “Christmas is a time for miracles”.

Think about that for a moment.

The Christmas Story is a story of miracles.

Let’s find out just what is a Miracle?

Is it a last second basket that wins a basketball game?

Is it a long pass with seconds left that wins a football game?

NO!

A miracle is an event not explainable by natural or scientific laws.

Webster’s Dictionary defines it this way: An extraordinary event manifesting divine intervention in human affairs.

The Christmas story is loaded with miracles!

Point #1.

The First Miracle Is The Virgin Birth.

[26] Now in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, [27] to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David.

The virgin's name was Mary.

Mary was a young Jewish girl living in Nazareth.

She was engaged to marry a man named Joseph.

Jewish girls were expected to be virgins before marriage.

If they got pregnant before marriage,

it was a disgrace to the whole family.

If a Jewish man married a girl and discovered on the wedding night

that she wasn’t a virgin, he could get a divorce.

So Mary was definitely a virgin!

Let’s read further in Luke chapter 1.

28] And having come in, the angel said to her, "Rejoice, highly favored one, the Lord is with you; blessed are you among women!"

[29] But when she saw him, she was troubled at his saying, and considered what manner of greeting this was.

[30] Then the angel said to her, "Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God.

[31] And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bring forth a Son, and shall call His name Jesus.

Mary experienced a miracle

when the Holy Spirit overshadowed her,

and she conceived a baby through the power of the Holy Spirit.

That hadn’t happened to anyone before

and hasn’t happened again since.

It was a miracle made for Mary.

Her miracle was one of many Christmas miracles

that remind us that “nothing is impossible with God!”

When it comes to Christianity,

the virgin birth is an essential aspect of our beliefs.

If Jesus came into this world the same way you and I did,

then He was born with original sin like you and I are.

If He was born with original sin as we are,

then He was not qualified to be the sinless sacrifice for sins.

The miracle of the virgin birth has made our salvation possible!

Hundreds of years before Mary became pregnant

said: Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a Son, and shall call His name Immanuel.