Sermon Tone Analysis

Babies are so sweet!

There’s just something about a baby that makes you smile.

Here at Crosspoint, we are blessed with several babies in our nursery.

We love every one of them!

Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judaea in the days of Herod the king, behold, there came wise men from the east to Jerusalem,  2  Saying, Where is he that is born King of the Jews? for we have seen his star in the east, and are come to worship him.

O Come let us adore Him!

We need to get back to showing respect to one another.

We can disagree and still show respect and honor.

We can even show respect while not supporting the choices of another person!

The Bible tells us about a birth so spectacular it was foretold hundreds of years before it came to pass.

The event was announced by heavenly messengers as the angelic host appeared to shepherds.

Babies are so sweet!

There’s just something about a baby that makes you smile.

Here at Crosspoint, we are blessed with several babies in our nursery.

We love every one of them!

The Bible tells us about a birth so spectacular it was foretold hundreds of years before it came to pass.

The event was announced by heavenly messengers as the angelic host appeared to shepherds.

This birth was like none other because for the first time ever, God became a man.

Society has adopted the mentality that as long as I like someone and/or they are doing something for me, then I will show them respect, but if they no longer seem to be adding anything to my life or if they do something I don’t like, they are trash.

Even the heavens themselves could not contain the news.

A star shone so brightly that it was clearly distinguished from the others.

Men who had studied astronomy, philosophy, religion, and distant cultures knew the prophecy and recognized this as “his star.”

This birth was like none other because for the first time ever, God became a man.

It is easy to see how self-centered this mentality is and how we who are believers in Jesus Christ and called to reach every person with the Gospel cannot afford to allow this to be our mindset.

We should respect and honor a person for many reasons, the most basic reason is because God loves them and He wants us to love them too.

You will strive to honor those you truly love.

That is regardless of what they do or don’t do.

We are commanded by God to honor our leaders and pray for kings and for all that are in authority.

I recently met a man who is running for Congress.

He said that he would be honored to have my support in the race.

I told him that I look forward to getting to know him better to see if his policies and positions were in line with the Word of God.

It led them to Israel.

They went to the king’s palace to find this special baby.

I cannot just say that I will vote for him because He is a nice guy or because of his party affiliation.

As Americans, God has blessed us to live free and to have certain freedoms that must be stewarded wisely.

God with us

  Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judaea in the days of Herod the king, behold, there came wise men from the east to Jerusalem,  2  Saying, Where is he that is born King of the Jews? for we have seen his star in the east, and are come to worship him.

If I am going to support someone or follow a leader I want to know some things about them.

Even the heavens themselves could not contain the news.

A star shone so brightly that it was clearly distinguished from the others.

Men who had studied astronomy, philosophy, religion, and distant cultures knew the prophecy and recognized this as “his star.”

You cannot blame them for assuming that a child who was born king would be born in the palace - especially one who was declared to be a great deliverer.

One so great would surely be introduced to the world with all the comforts and protections afforded to royalty, but no, not this child!

Here in Scripture, we find a miraculous event.

The prophets foretold it, the angels announced it, and now the wise men were declaring that there was a baby Who was born King of the Jews.

Everything about this Child was unique and unusual.

It led them to Israel.

They went to the king’s palace to find this special baby.

Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judaea in the days of Herod the king, behold, there came wise men from the east to Jerusalem,  2 Saying, Where is he that is born King of the Jews? for we have seen his star in the east, and are come to worship him.

A lot of people are doing those online ancestry searches, subscribing to services that are plugged in to the archives to help you learn who might be you your great-great aunt or your seventh cousin twice removed.

You can discover that you came from a long line of heroes or villains!

Born King!

You would think that when God chose the family through whom He would send His Son that He would have chosen a devout family whose members all lived lives of holiness and righteousness.

However, that is not what He chose.

When God chose His family, He picked one that had quite a variety of colorful characters.

You cannot blame them for assuming that a child who was born king would be born in the palace - especially one who was declared to be a great deliverer.

One so great would surely be introduced to the world with all the comforts and protections afforded to royalty, but no, not this child!

It was unusual for women to be found in genealogies in those days, but Jesus had four women specifically named in His.

  … Where is he that is born King of the Jews?…

Everything about this Child was unique and unusual.

A lot of people are doing those online ancestry searches, subscribing to services that are plugged in to the archives to help you learn who might be you your great-great aunt or your seventh cousin twice removed.

You can discover that you came from a long line of heroes or villains!

When Herod the king had heard these things, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him.

Tamar (the widowed daughter-in-law of Judah (the son of Jacob) who had a son by him)

You would think that when God chose the family through whom He would send His Son that He would have chosen a devout family whose members all lived lives of holiness and righteousness.

However, that is not what He chose.

When God chose His family, He picked one that had quite a variety of colorful characters.

Rahab (the harlot of Jericho who helped the Israeli spies in the book of Joshua - great story!)

Why would Herod and all Jerusalem be troubled at the news of the newborn King?

It was unusual for women to be found in genealogies in those days, but Jesus had four women specifically named in His.

Ruth (the Moabitess damsel who moved to Bethlehem with her Hebrew mother-in-law after their husbands had died)

Herod was an Idumean - of the lineage of Esau.

God had said that Jacob (Israel) would be blessed and that Esau would serve his brother.

Herod recognized that his was an illegitimate reign.

He was given the position by the Roman emperor due to his connections to Marc Antony.

Strings were pulled, favors were granted.

Herod knew that he had gained this position by his schemes.

Tamar (the widowed daughter-in-law of Judah - the son of Jacob - who had a son by him) Rahab (the harlot of Jericho who helped the Israeli spies in the book of Joshua - great story!)Ruth (the Moabitess damsel who moved to Bethlehem with her Hebrew mother-in-law after their husbands had died)Bathsheba (the wife of Uriah who committed adultery with King David).

Bathsheba (the wife of Uriah who committed adultery with King David).

Naming these in His genealogy speaks of the grace of God.

He shows that anyone can be a part of His family - not by good deeds but by grace!

All because God came to us.

These reasons left him with a great sense of insecurity that so overwhelmed him that he even murdered his wife and two of his sons (one being his eldest son Antipater) because he thought they were going to attempt to usurp him and take his crown.

He accused them of rebellion and treason and had them executed.

Naming these in His genealogy speaks of the grace of God.

He shows that anyone can be a part of His family - not by good deeds but by grace!

All because God came to us.

The wise men (also called magi) were possibly kings from the East who were well versed in various cultures and their teachings.

Having studied the Jewish religion, they were aware of the prophecies of the coming King of the Jews.

The wise men (also called magi) were possibly kings from the East who were well versed in various cultures and their teachings.

Having studied the Jewish religion, they were aware of the prophecies of the coming King of the Jews.

I shall see him, but not now: I shall behold him, but not nigh: there shall come a Star out of Jacob, and a Sceptre shall rise out of Israel, and shall smite the corners of Moab, and destroy all the children of Sheth.

The wicked flee when no man pursueth: but the righteous are bold as a lion.

I shall see him, but not now: I shall behold him, but not nigh: there shall come a Star out of Jacob, and a Sceptre shall rise out of Israel, and shall smite the corners of Moab, and destroy all the children of Sheth.

They said,…

So this news of a baby who was born king struck a very uncomfortable nerve with King Herod.

They said,…

… for we have seen his star in the east, and are come to worship him.

… for we have seen his star in the east, and are come to worship him.

Being born king says that he has this position by birthright