Sermon Tone Analysis

Introduction

We are continuing a series that we began last week titled ‘Experiencing the Christmas Story’, where we are examining the sights & sounds of what is known as the Christmas story.

As I mentioned last week, the story that we typically know as the Christmas story takes place over the course of about around 3 years.

The First message: ‘What was Heard in the Christmas Story’

Mary Heard Words of Blessing

Joseph Heard Words of Course Correcting

The Shepherds Heard Words of Good Tidings

Herod Heard Words of a Reckoning

Last week we examined: ‘What was SEEN in the Christmas Story’

The Wise Men saw God’s Providence

The Shepherds saw a Phenomenon

Simeon saw a Promise Fulfilled

The Inn Keeper saw a Problem

Jesus saw His Purpose

Today in keeping with our theme, we’re going to examine ‘What was FELT in the Christmas Story’.

And the way that this message developed is likened greatly to the various reactions to what people have when they meet or hear about Jesus.

I. Zacharias Felt Disbelief (Luk.

1:5-20)

The first person we’re going to look at today is a man by the name of Zacharias.

Zacharias is not one mentioned much when speaking about the Christmas story, but he’s part of the amazing lead up to the announcement and the birth of Christ.

That God was Able to Answer His Prayer (v18; 20)

Zacharias found himself in the same situation as another patriarch of the faith - a man by the name of Abraham.

Now we know that Abraham was 100 years old, we don’t know the exact age of Zacharias & his wife Elizabeth, but we do know that ‘…they both were now well stricken in years.’

(v7).

So the Bible is telling us that they were beyond child-bearing age.

Now there’s a couple things that we should point out.

Zacharias was in disbelief when God actually answered his prayer (v20), right?

Zacharias had enough faith to continue praying for a child after it was physically possible (v13)

Zacharias was the priest that was there at the altar burning incense (which is emblematic of prayer) - and the angel appeared right beside the altar.

So he had enough faith to ask the impossible, but couldn’t believe it when God actually answered!

Church, I hope this is a lesson to you - ask the impossible!

Don’t ever get the defeated mindset that ‘well, there’s no way God can answer that’ - OUR GOD SPECIALIZES IN THE IMPOSSIBLE! Mat.

19:26 “But Jesus beheld them, and said unto them, With men this is impossible; but with God all things are possible.”

In fact, the angel said these words unto Mary: Luk.

1:37 “For with God nothing shall be impossible.”

Whatever it is that you’re struggling with whatever it is that is besetting you - Faith can move mountains!

Secondly, I thought about how this pertains to the news of Christ.

If you are like me, you don’t have a problem sugar-coating your depravity.

There’s many people out there who have a problem recognizing the low-down nature of the flesh that we all inherit, but not me.

I know full well the wickedness that I have within my members - thoughts & deeds.

I know where I’ve been, and so when I think of Jesus, I consider the sins in which I’ve committed, I stand in almost disbelief that the God of Heaven, knew my depravity - and yet the blood that He shed on Calvary was SUFFICIENT to wash them away!

His Grace is SUFFICIENT enough to cleanse me through & through!

Zacharias was in Disbelief that God was Able to Answer His Prayer

The Amazing Way God would Answer His Prayer (v14-16)

God wasn’t just going to give him a taste - but God was going to fill Zacharias’ cup till it overflowed!

Look at what the angel of the LORD told him:

His Son would cause Celebration (v14)

The angel tells Zacharias that the child will be a source of joy & gladness unto not only him, but others as well.

This is something that children should consider.

(Children, teens) it should be our desire & goal to be a source of joy & gladness to our parents.

(Ill.)

In my teen years, I was rarely a source of joy & gladness to my parents.

I was a source of heartache & embarrassment most of the time as a teen - because I was self-centered.

But the Bible tells us:

Eph.

6:1-3 “Children, obey your parents in the Lord: for this is right.

Honour thy father and mother; (which is the first commandment with promise;) That it may be well with thee, and thou mayest live long on the earth.”

His Son would cause Celebration

His Son would be Consecrated unto the LORD (v15)

Look at the way John is described:

Great in the sight of the LORD

Separated unto the Work of the LORD

Filled with the Holy Spirit of the LORD

If there is anything I could ask for in my children, this would be it.

I couldn’t care less how much money they made, what kind of house they had, how popular they were - I want my children to be described this way.

Church let me tell you - if you want your children described this way, it will not happen by accident.

It comes through the example you give, the priorities you instill and the prayer that you bathe them in, and finally by the choice THEY make.

They may still choose to fall away from God, but the odds of them making the correct choice are far greater the closer you get them to God!

His Son would be Consecrated unto the LORD

His Son would Convert many Lost Souls to Christ (v16)

What a descriptor of John!

Now I want you to pay close attention to something.

v16 is there, because v15 come before it.

What I mean by that is that John led many to turn unto the LORD because: He was consecrated unto the LORD

We see the Amazing way that God answered His Prayer.

Zacharias felt Disbelief.

Secondly, I want to look at Zacharias’ son John (known as John the Baptist) and see that John felt Delight

II.

John Felt Delight (Luk.

1:39-44)

Just for the record, I am speaking about John the Baptist, who at this point in his life he’s been in the womb of his mother for about 6 months - and there’s a few things we want to recognize:

Elizabeth (his mother) though the inspiration of the Holy Ghost (v41) and recorded in the perfect Word of God referred to John as a Baby and not a Fetus.

Secondly, through the inspiration of the Holy Ghost (v41) and recorded in the perfect Word of God attributed a REACTION to this baby.

I guess God thinks a little more highly of the child inside the womb of it’s mothers then the baby-killing liberals in our society today.

John Rejoiced when Jesus was Presented (v41;44)

So the first thing that we’ll touch on is the FACT that when Jesus was brought into John’s presence, John Rejoiced!

The presence of Jesus made John Glad!

(Ill.)

21 years ago someone presented Jesus unto me, and you know what?

It made me glad!

I rejoiced when Jesus was brought into my presence!’;

And this is one of the reactions to Jesus.

Some people when they hear that:

Jesus loves them, and that He died on the Cross for their sins, and that if they will put their faith in Him & His work of Salvation that they can be forgiven of their sins & have a home in Heaven, SOME people will rejoice!

I know that when I fully understood the gravity of my sins & how if I died in them I’d go to Hell, when I heard about Jesus, I was glad!

I got happy!

AND THAT HASN’T CHANGED!

Just like John, I rejoiced when Jesus was Presented!

John Reacted when the Messenger Spoke

This is important to understand, so I want to make this very clear.

When Jesus was presented, John ‘leaped’

John ‘leaped’ when Jesus was presented