Sermon Tone Analysis
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The anticipation level in our house is increasing.
There are only 17 days until Christmas.
Around our house the decorations are all up, the Christmas candles are lit, Christmas music is on constantly, and the only thing left to do is wrap the Christmas presents that have already been purchased.
Around the world, many people find themselves in a similar position in which they are waiting for this glorious day.
Now think about all the anticipation we all have for Christmas day and finally for being able to open our presents.
Can you imagine the disappointment if you didn’t receive anything you needed, or worse you received nothing you wanted!
We anticipate Christmas because we know that we will receive a gift worth waiting for.
Tonight we are going to look at a gift that is waiting for us and was worth the wait.
Jesus is God’s Gift - A Gift Worth Waiting For
What is so special about Jesus?
What is so special about the birth of another baby?
Babies are born everyday
Worldwide there about 385,000 babies born each day
In 2019, that number was only 10,267 babies.
Any parent will tell you that there was anticipation and excitement with the birth of their child.
Each child was special in their own way as the parents waited and planned for their baby’s arrival.
But what is so special about Jesus that each of us and people around the world would agree that Jesus is God’s gift, a gift worth waiting for?
Luke records the timing and the details surrounding the birth of Jesus
The Timing of His Birth
On the surface we would say there is nothing special about the birth of Jesus.
He was just the firstborn son of a Jewish woman named Mary who was recently married to Joseph
But the verse talks about the timing of Jesus’ birth
Galatians 4:4 “But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law,”
Jesus was not just the son of Mary
Jesus is also God’s son.
Jesus is both fully human, born of a woman and fully divine
He is the son of God
He is God became flesh, the creator born to live among creation
Jesus was no ordinary child
He was the “God/man” born fully human, but also fully God
That’s a gift worth waiting for
Jesus is one of a kind; no other child in all human history was born in such a way.
Jesus is God’s gift, a gift worth waiting for.
A gift worth waiting for, both Luke and Paul refer to the timing of Jesus’ birth
Luke is referring to the natural time of child birth - 9 months
Paul on the other hand is referring to the completion of God’s eternal plan.
When we think of all God’s gifts He has given us,
His timing is always perfect
God sees and knows the personal details and events of our life
He is aware of the individual times and seasons of our lives.
God is working in and through our lives with the perfect knowledge of His eternal timetable
For us the idea of waiting even 17 days now seems like forever!
Being married and sharing the same Amazon account, I know all my gifts and I know that they have already arrived.
I get notifications when they are shipped and delivered.
Despite that, my wife is still making me wait until Christmas to open gifts that I could be using right now! Gifts that I desperately need/want!
To me, 17 days is almost an eternity
The Bible tells us that from the fall of Adam and Eve to the birth of Jesus there was 4,000 years of waiting
Even with the close of the last prophet, the people endured 400 years of God’s silence until this very night an 8 pound child of God cried out and spoke!
Simeon - Waiting for Comfort
We’re introduced to Simeon in Luke 2:25-28
He was righteous before people, and he was devout in His relationship with God
Things weren't going well for the nation of Israel
They had not heard from God for many years under Roman rule
They lost their political independence and were living in fear of King Herod wondering if the Messiah would ever come.
According to verse 26, Simeon would not die before he had seen the Messiah in the flesh.
Simeon’s expectation focused on the comfort Christ would bring
Among the Jews of Simeon’s day, one of the popular titles of the Messiah was Comforter.
They were longing for the messiah to come and bring His comfort to them
The desire to be comforted is a universal human need.
We all struggle with loneliness, emptiness, insecurity, even desperation.
In fact, the Christmas season is one of the major crisis times of the year for depression and suicide.
After 6 weeks of his birth, Mary and Joseph took Jesus to the Temple where they encountered Simeon.
As he broke out into praise, he acknowledged that God had not only fulfilled the individual promise to him, but also the promises of the prophets to send the Anointed One to comfort both Jews and Gentiles.
Anna - Waiting on Forgiveness
The other Christmas Character waiting with anticipation was Anna
After her husband had died, she dedicated herself to fasting and praying in the temple
The Bible even tells us that she never left the temple, she worshipped day and night
She was looking forward to the same person as Simeon was
But with a different orientation
Instead of looking for comfort, Anna was looking for forgiveness.
The word redemption is related to the idea of captivity
When Anna saw Jesus, she gave thanks to God and spoke of Him to all who were waiting for redemption
Here, at last, was the one who would save His people from their sins
Jesus provides what we need
When Jesus came, He provided the very things that Simeon and Anna were waiting for
God’s comfort and His forgiveness
What are you waiting for this Christmas?
Whatever it is, Jesus can give it to you
Can you identify with Simeon?
Are you hurting right now?
Are you feeling lonely, empty, afraid, and maxed out?
Do you need some comfort?
Counseling?
A fresh sense of God’s presence?
If so, you can find what your looking for in Jesus
Or do you identify more with Anna?
Are you plagued with guilt this Christmas because something you’ve done or the way you’ve been living?
Do you feel trapped in a pattern of sin that you can’t break out of?
if you need forgiveness, Jesus can give it to you tonight.
There is no better time than Christmas to do just that
There are three actions steps from this passage that will help you experience God’s comfort and forgiveness this Christmas
Become a Marveler
Luke 2:33 “And Joseph and his mother marvelled at those things which were spoken of him.”
When Joseph and Mary tried to process everything that was happening, they marveled at what was said about Jesus.
Websters Dictionary defines “marveler” is one that is filled with wonder, astonishment, and surprise.
Are we marvelers this Christmas?
Or are we too caught up in the busyness and stress of the season?
Have we been running around because of the holidays or are we taking time to make Christmas a holy day?
Here’s an idea that may help you recapture the marvel of Christmas.
Pick one of the Christmas characters and put yourself in their sandals.
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