Sermon Tone Analysis

Can you believe Christmas is this weekend?

My kids have been counting down for weeks.

We have been watching Christmas movies.

We have done shopping and planning.

And soon, we will be going to spend time with family.

The typical American Christmas.

These are the activities of the American Christmas.

But what is Christmas all about?

We talked about this at youth group on Thursday evening, and the kids came up with a great list of what American Christmas is all about.

It included things like: Family, Food, Presents, Love (ie.

Romance), Giving (ie.

Generosity), Happiness, and Peace.

But all of the talk of the spirit of Christmas is truly like empty rhetoric isn’t it?

Just the past week we had more threats of violence in the schools.

Families are bickering.

People buy gifts begrudgingly.

Is love really about Romance?

Why does it seem that happily ever after is ending in divorce more often than not?

Are people really happy?

And, where is Peace on Earth?

All of the hustling and bustling.

All of the fighting; All of the hatred and bitterness; All of the posturing and attacking; There is no peace.

The American Christmas is falling short of its lofty goals.

It missing something.

For all of its lofty aspirations, it has not delivered.

What is missing?

The Happy Holidays are missing the only One who can deliver that for which people are longing.

Christ is the only One who can deliver Peace.

As believers, Christmas is a good time for us to reflect.

It is good for us to examine how much this world has influenced us, and to return to the basics of our Faith.

Over the past weeks, we have talked about Remembering the truth about certain topics of which Christmas is a great reminder.

Things to Remember at Christmas

Hope

Faith

Joy

Peace

As we saw when the angel Gabriel appeared to Zechariah, Christmas should be a time we remember the Hope that the Lord has for us.

When Gabriel appeared to Mary, we saw her faith, and are reminded to trust the Lord even when our situation seems impossible.

When we looked at Zechariah after nine months of silence because of his lack of faith, we saw Joy.

No word of the Lord shall ever fail, as the angel said.

Christmas is a time to remember the joy that is ours because the Lord is faithful.

He is faithful even when we are not.

Remembering that will bring us Joy in the Lord.

Today, we will be looking at the Shepherds to whom the angel appeared.

The appearance of the angel and then the heavenly hosts was both awesome and frightening.

Yet, the message they brought was one of peace; peace on Earth.

As we look at this passage, we will be reminded of the only true source of Peace, the babe that was born in Bethlehem, the true Prince of Peace.

Let’s read the account, and then see what God has to say about Peace.

In those days, Caesar Augustus

I was struck by the contrast that Luke sets up for us in this chapter as I studied this week.

A contrast that was very real to Luke and his contemporaries who were not far removed from Caesar Augustus, who ruled the Roman empire from 27 BC to AD 14.

Caesar Augustus, was previously known as Octavian - the adopted son of Julius Caesar.

Following the assassination of Julius Caesar, Octavian defeated Marc Antony and Cleopatra to become the next Caesar, or ruler over the Roman Empire.

Name Augusutus given him in 27 BC by the Roman Senate meant divine.

He was thought by many to have been the best ruler of the Roman empire.

He brought about many good reforms, and ushered in an era of peace in the world through the strength of his empire.

Called the bringer of peace and Savior of the world

the Myrian inscription: “Divine Augustus Caesar, son of a god, imperator of land and sea, the benefactor and savior of the whole world.…”

Following Julius Caesar, he did not necessarily want to be deified and worshipped himself.

He saw the hatred that Julius Caesar had brought through his policies.

However, Caesar Augustus did continue to assert the divinity of Julius Caesar and allowed himself to be called “Son of God.”

He also permitted the worship of powers of peace, victory, liberty and security which he exerted.

Though he did not seek worship for himself, it was given, and emperor worship was found throughout the empire.

The Gospel of Luke (2.5.2.

The Angelic Message and the Shepherds (2:8-20))

Paullus Fabius Maximus, proconsul of Asia, proposed beginning the new year on Augustus’s birthday, he observed:(It is hard to tell) whether the birthday of the most divine Caesar is a matter of greater pleasure or benefit.

We could justly hold it to be equivalent to the beginning of all things …; and he has given a different aspect to the whole world, which blindly would have embraced its own destruction if Caesar had not been born for the common benefit of all.

In their decision to honor Augustus in this way, the provincial assembly explained:Whereas the providence which divinely ordered our lives created with zeal and munificence the most perfect good for our lives by producing Augustus and filling him with cirture [sic] for the benefaction of mankind, sending us and those after us a saviour who put an end to war and established all things; and whereas Caesar [sc.

Augustus] when he appeared exceeded the hopes of all who had anticipated good tidings …; and whereas the birthday of the god marked for the world the beginning of good tidings through his coming.…53

What I find interesting in all of this is the similarities between the accolades given to Caesar Augustus and the One born in a manger who was also said to be the God of the world, and because of whom the angels sang of good tidings through his coming.

Did Caesar Augustus bring Peace?

He did bring peace through his military conquests, and then through the strength of his military which kept everyone under control.

The Stoic philosopher Epictetus said, “While the emperor may give peace from war on land and sea, he is unable to give peace from passion, grief, and envy.

He cannot give peace of heart for which man yearns more than even for outward peace.

This was certainly true in Israel.

They did not have peace in this day.

As Warren Wiersbe describes the times, Taxes were high, unemployment was high, morals were lax and getting worse, and the Romans military state was in control.

The Romans were in control, and it was felt by all in the empire.

There was no equality.

Romans were on top, and others were under their rule and authority.

The very fact that Joseph was going to register in the census shows the lack of peace brought by Augustus.

On top of this, as I mentioned in previous weeks, the Jewish priesthood was corrupt.

The Pharisees rose up to try to restore the Jewish law, but ended up oppressing the Jewish people under their traditions and standards.

There was not peace from Caesar.

He could not give men and women true peace.

He may have domineered, but there was not justice for all, and there was not peace in the land.

There was not peace in men’s hearts.

Then, into this world where men spoke of peace but yet still lacked it, the Lord sent God the Son, born of a virgin.

This is what the angels announced to the Shepherds.

The Messiah brings Peace

Peace in the World

Longfellow wrote I heard the bells on Christmas Day.

Midst of Civil war.

I heard the bells on Christmas day

Their old familiar carols play;

In music sweet the tones repeat,

“There’s peace on earth, good will to men.”

I thought how, as the day had come,

The belfries of all Christendom

Had rolled along th’ unbroken song