Sermon Tone Analysis

Message of HOPE!

Beginning today, and for the next few Sunday mornings, I want to preach a series which revolves around the real reason for the Christmas season.

I would like to take the focus off fat guys in red suits; off pretty packages under decorated trees; off fictional characters like Rudolph the Red-nosed Reindeer, Frosty the Snowman and the Grinch; and place it squarely where I believe it needs to be.

We have so many crazy things that people seem to focus on this time of the year and ultimately it culminates around giving gifts to people we don’t like or giving gifts to people that we do like that they don’t need.

I want us to look at a series I am calling Christmas Redemption.

What is redemption?

- an act of redeeming or atoning for a fault or mistake, or the state of being redeemed.

This may seem like a strange place from which to preach a Christmas sermon.

Yet, here in the midst of man’s greatest tragedy, is the revelation of man’s greatest hope.

For it is in this tale of sin, judgment and death that we meet the message of the saving Gospel and the Person of the Lamb of God for the first time.

Ill.

The Context.

The Bible, along with history begins in Genesis chapter 1 culminating with God making man in His image.

We find out in Genesis chapter 2 that God created man in perfect innocence and placed him in a perfect environment.

Adam has been given dominion over the Lord’s entire creation and he has been presented with a perfect companion, a woman called Eve.

They live an idyllic existence, free from pain, disease, death and sorrow.

Every need they have is met and they enjoy unbroken, unhindered fellowship with God Himself, Gen. 2:8–9.

Genesis 2:8–9 (KJV 1900)

8 And the Lord God planted a garden eastward in Eden; and there he put the man whom he had formed.

9 And out of the ground made the Lord God to grow every tree that is pleasant to the sight, and good for food; the tree of life also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of knowledge of good and evil.

The only restriction they have regards one tree which is located in the Garden of Eden.

This tree is called “the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.”

Adam is warned to stay away from this tree, for to eat its fruit will bring death into the world, Gen. 2:15–17.

Genesis 2:15–17 (KJV 1900)

15 And the Lord God took the man, and put him into the garden of Eden to dress it and to keep it.

16 And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat: 17 But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.

Well, for an undefined period of time things go well in the Garden, until one day when Eve finds herself confronted by a serpent controlled by Satan.

This serpent tells her that God is holding out on her and Adam.

He tells Eve that God does not want them eating of the fruit because God knows that when they eat the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, they will be like him.

Eve succumbs to the temptation of the devil and eats of the fruit.

Adam also falls for the lie and eats as well.

In an instant, everything changes!

They are no longer innocent and pure, but they have become sinners; they have become fallen beings.

Immediately, they are aware that everything has changed.

They become ashamed because of their naked condition and seek to cover themselves with fig leaves, v. 7.

In the midst of this tragedy, God comes into the Garden to fellowship with Adam and Eve.

He calls out to them because they have hidden themselves from them, v. 8.

God knows what they have done and extracts a confession from Adam, v. 10–12.

Genesis 3:10–11 (KJV 1900)

10 And he said, I heard thy voice in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked; and I hid myself.

11 And he said, Who told thee that thou wast naked?

Hast thou eaten of the tree, whereof I commanded thee that thou shouldest not eat?

Then the blame game begins.

Adam blames Eve and God, while Eve blames the serpent, v. 12–13.

Genesis 3:12–13 (KJV 1900)

12 And the man said, The woman whom thou gavest to be with me, she gave me of the tree, and I did eat.

13 And the Lord God said unto the woman, What is this that thou hast done?

And the woman said, The serpent beguiled me, and I did eat.

God immediately pronounces judgment upon Adam, Eve and the serpent, and God casts them out of the Garden of Eden.

Yet, right in the middle of this tragedy is a flicker of hope.

Verse 15 shines out of this darkness like a great beacon, illuminating the amazing grace of God.

This verse has been called the “Protevangelium.”

That is a Latin word that means “First Gospel.”

Here, in seed form, is the Gospel of salvation through the grace of God.

Here, for the first time, we see a glimpse of the Lamb of God Who will later give Himself on Calvary’s cross to redeem a lost and dying world.

Here we can see the first stitch in the scarlet thread of redemption that courses its way through the entire Word of God.

This precious verse gives us the very first promise in the Word of God regarding the coming Lamb.

I would like to take a few minutes to look into this passage as I try to preach on The Hope of a Lamb.

This passage reveals some precious truths regarding the promised Lamb.

The Lamb’s Personality

Genesis 3:15 (KJV 1900)

15 And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel.

Unique Origin

We are told that this One Who is coming will the “the seed of the woman.”

This is a strange statement because by God’s very design the “seed” is provided by the male members of every species.

Here, we are told that the woman will produce an offspring without the aid of a man.

This verse gives us the first kernel of a great truth that will be more fully revealed down the road.

This verse is the first prophecy of the Virgin birth of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Satan did not understand it, Adam and Eve did not understand it; but God indicates that He will send His Lamb into the world through a woman without the involvement of a man!

Of course, we know this is how the birth of Jesus came about.

Isaiah prophesied it,

and the angel Gabriel announced it to Mary,

and to Joseph,

Why is this important?

The Bible clearly teaches that sin and the sin nature are handed down through the man,

Romans 5:12 (KJV 1900)

12 Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned:

Every person who has entered this world through the old fashioned method of a sexual union between a man and a woman has inherited a sin nature, and is in fact a sinner at birth,

Galatians 3:22 (KJV 1900)

22 But the scripture hath concluded all under sin, that the promise by faith of Jesus Christ might be given to them that believe.

The birth of Jesus was, however, very different.

Since He came into this world without a human father, He was born without the taint of sin!

He was born pure and sinless, thus He was qualified to die for the sins of humanity, 2 Cor.

5:21.

2 Corinthians 5:21 (KJV 1900)

21 For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.

Of course, what makes the birth of Jesus particularly unique is the fact that He was no ordinary baby, but He was, and is, God in the flesh,

Genesis 3:15 (KJV 1900)

15 And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel.

Unique Occupation

This Lamb was coming into the world to do battle with the forces of evil.

We are told that He was coming to “bruise” the serpent’s head.

This refers to a fatal injury.

This Lamb was coming to this world not to show men a better way to live.

He was not coming to improve their environment.

He was not coming to improve their social standing.

He was coming to defeat evil.

That was His sole mission,

John 18:37 (KJV 1900)

37 Pilate therefore said unto him, Art thou a king then?

Jesus answered, Thou sayest that I am a king.