Sermon Tone Analysis

Giving Failures

The Babylon Bee is a humorous website that puts out funny fake news stories.

A recent one had a picture of the 3 wise men at the manger and reported this from Bethlehem:

Three wise men visited the baby Jesus, presenting gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh to his mother Mary.

Afterward, the wise man who brought myrrh confronted the other two wise men since it had been his understanding there was an agreed-upon spending limit for the newborn king of the Jews.

“We all said before this, since we’re buying gifts for God among men, that there would be a temptation to go overboard,” said Caspar, the wise man who brought myrrh.

“That’s why I distinctly remember us setting a denari limit on the gifts.

What happened?”

“Well...

I thought she’d like gold,” replied Balthazar, the wise man who brought gold.

“Of course she’d like gold!” shouted Caspar.

“That’s not the point.

We weren’t supposed to try to show each other up here.

But instead, she’s like ‘Wow! Gold!’ right before she opens my gift where she’s all, ‘Oh.

What’s this?’”

“She seemed to like the myrrh once you explained it to her,” Balthazar said.

“Yes, she was very polite about it,” Caspar responded.

“But do you know what you don’t have to explain to people?

Gold!”

“Hey, I got showed up too,” said the wise man Melchior, who gave frankincense.

Caspar pointed an accusing finger at him.

“You were also over budget.”

“Hey, you get to give gifts for the birth of the Messiah only once,” said Balthazar.

“It’s time to splurge a little.”

“Or, at the birth of the man who will judge all our sins, maybe it’s time to keep your word,” Caspar responded.

“I’m just saying.”

They did all agree the baby was very cute.

Our sermon series has set out to point out that we don’t have much to offer Jesus in the way of gifts.

Most of us came to Jesus at the ends of our ropes.

We were exhausted and spent.

We learned the reason for that is that we are born into a world of sin and that we needed a Savior.

God Knows How to Give a Good Gift

Each Christmas our family would gather around the Christmas tree and read this story.

It is a story about the greatest gift that has ever been given – the baby Jesus.

Luke 2:1-

Because we have all experienced Christmas, we know that when it comes to gifts, expectation exceeds realization.

The toy, the outfit, the truck, or the diamonds all fade.

With God’s gift of Jesus Christ there is no disappointment in Jesus.

He grows bigger and bigger and better and better with each day that we know Him.

The reason for that is that Jesus Christ, God’s gift, gives life.

2 In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world. 2 (This was the first census that took place while Quirinius was governor of Syria.) 3 And everyone went to their own town to register.

4 So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David.

5 He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child.

6 While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, 7 and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son.

She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no guest room available for them.

8 And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night.

9 An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified.

10 But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid.

I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people.

11 Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord.

12 This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.”

13 Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying,

14 “Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.”

15 When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let’s go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.”

16 So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger.

17 When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, 18 and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them.

19 But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart.

20 The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told.

21 On the eighth day, when it was time to circumcise the child, he was named Jesus, the name the angel had given him before he was conceived.

Because we have all experienced Christmas, we know that when it comes to gifts, expectation exceeds realization.

The toy, the outfit, the truck, or the diamonds all fade.

With God’s gift of Jesus Christ there is no disappointment in Jesus.

He grows bigger and bigger and better and better with each day that we know Him.

The reason for that is that Jesus Christ, God’s gift, gives life.

His Son Gives Us Life

In the Gospel of John there is a description of an interesting situation.

One of Jesus’ dear friends has passed away, leaving his two sisters grieving.

His name is Lazarus.

Let me tell you a little bit about Lazarus.

First of all, the name Lazarus in Hebrew means “God is my helper”

Secondly, Lazarus became sick and died.

This is the story of all of us.

Because of Adam’s sin, we all became sick and died.

We were dead in our sins.

Next comes good news!

Dead men are good candidates for resurrection.

You can’t be resurrected if you’re not dead.

Lazarus is dead – flatlined.

He is wrapped up and sealed inside the tomb.

After 4 days, Jesus goes to the house and meets the women.

The rabbis taught that the soul hovered near the deceased for three days after death and then returned to God (SB, II, 544); thus, on the fourth day death was assured.

As if to emphasize this belief, Martha told Jesus not to roll back the stone, for the body had already begun to putrefy.[1]

On his arrival, Jesus found that Lazarus had already been in the tomb for four days.

Next comes good news!

Dead men are good candidates for resurrection.

You can’t be resurrected if you’re not dead.

Lazarus is dead – flatlined.

He is wrapped up and sealed inside the tomb.

After 4 days, Jesus goes to the house and meets the women.

The rabbis taught that the soul hovered near the deceased for three days after death and then returned to God (SB, II, 544); thus, on the fourth day death was assured.

As if to emphasize this belief, Martha told Jesus not to roll back the stone, for the body had already begun to putrefy.[1]

This sermon series has been about the Gift Exchange.

We have very little to offer, but God has so much.

Because of our sins, we can only offer death to Jesus but He offers life.

Now, what is about to happen in our story about Lazarus is a bigger picture about the gift of life that Jesus makes available to each of us.

John 11:25-2

“If Jesus Christ had only been in a swoon, or in a sleep, there would have been no glory to God in his awakening.

Christ Jesus came into this world to save sinners.

It would bring no glory to Him to give life or salvation to those who did not need it.

Before the Apostle Paul could say, “Now I live,” he had to say, “I am crucified.”