Sermon Tone Analysis

Introduction

Thank God for Simbang Gabi speakers.

Beautiful blend/balance of Christmas story and Christmas theology.

Lahat naman alam yung Christmas story, what we call nativity, ipinanganak si Jesus sa Bethlehem.

People celebrate that without understanding the meaning, or yung Christmas theology, what we call the incarnation, the Son of God made flesh, nagkatawang tao ang Anak ng Diyos para tuparin ang pangako at plano ng Diyos para sa ating kaligtasan at para sa kanyang karangalan.

Pero hindi lang sapat siyempre na malaman at maunawaan yung Christmas theology, kundi paniwalaan, panghawakan, at patuloy na paniwalaan hanggang sa dulo.

Kaya sa Hebrews tayo ngayon.

Tinatalakay dito yung supremacy ni Cristo bilang Son of God, at dahil dun ay kailangan nating ituon ang mga mata natin sa kanya para tayo ay magpatuloy sa pananampalataya, at hindi manghina, at hindi tumalikod at lumayo sa kanya.

Maraming tukso, maraming paghihirap tayong haharapin sa araw-araw.

Hindi ‘yan hihinto kapag magpapasko.

Dahil tuloy-tuloy ang mga tukso at paghihirap na nararanasan natin, tuloy-tuloy din dapat na ituon natin ang paningin natin kay Cristo.

Sa kabuuan ng Hebrews, tinatalakay dito kung sa anu-anong paraan evident o kitang-kita ang pagiging “supreme over all” ng Panginoong Jesus.

Dito sa first two chapters ay tungkol sa kanyang supremacy sa lahat ng mga anghel.

Sa chapter 1, higit na dakila siya kaysa sa lahat ng mga anghel dahil siya mismo na Anak ng Diyos ay Diyos

Hebrews 1-2: Christ's supremacy over angels.

As God, divine nature, in chap. 1.

Then as Man, human nature, in chap.

2. We often attribute the glory/greatness of Christ to his divinity.

True, of course.

But we forget, we neglect, the glory of his humanity.

The beauty, the mystery of the incarnation.

God-Man (theantrophos) necessary for him to be our Mediator.

Throughout history of the church, especially the earlier era, responding to Christological heresies, his divinity to the forefront, defending against Arians for example.

Dapat naman talaga nating ipagtanggol 'yan hanggang ngayon.

Pero we must be careful that in doing that, we might relegate his humanity to something trivial, incidental, or what one said as his "humanity being swallowed by his divinity."

Hindi nga tayo Arians, nagiging para tayong practical "Docetists" or "Monophysitists" - yung nag-anyong tao lang si Jesus, pero hindi siya tunay na tao.

O Apollinarianism, may katawang-tao, pero vessel lang para madala yung kanyang divine nature.

No. His incarnation teaches us that he became truly human.

Dahil siya ay tunay na Diyos, tunay na tao, he is the Mediator that we need, he is the help that we need.

"he himself likewise partook of the same things (in flesh and blood)" (v.

14).

"he had to be made like his brothers in every respect" (v.

17)."

Applied Psalm 8 (talking about man) to Jesus (vv.

6-8, 9).

The Word became flesh" (John 1:14).

"He was manifested in the flesh" (1 Tim 3:16).

"taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men" (Phil 2:7).

Totoong tao - may katawan at kaluluwa ng tao.

Kapag sinabing nagkatawang-tao siya, hindi ibig sabihin katawan lang, kundi buong pagkatao.

Hindi rin nagtransform ang pagka-Diyos niya at naging tao, kundi sa pagka-Diyos niya ay idinagdag ang pagka-tao.

So yung incarnation ay hindi subtraction ng kanyang pagiging Diyos, kundi addition ng pagiging tao.

Obvious ang evidences ng pagiging tao ni Jesus.

Nakita siya, nahawakan siya, nakausap siya, nagutom siya, napapagod siya, natutulog siya, naranasan niya ang mga naranasan natin, naramdaman niya ang mga naramdaman natin.

We under-emphasize his humanity, maybe for fear of other groups na nagsasabing tao lang si Jesus.

Minsan nagpost ako tungkol sa sinabi ni Athanasius kung bakit kailangang magkatawang tao ang Anak ng Diyos.

May nagcomment, naniniwala rin po ba kayo na tao si Jesus?

Aba siyempre!

If we over-emphasize his divinity, and neglect his humanity as equally necessary for him to be our perfect Mediator, anong magiging resulta?

Sa tingin natin hindi siya ang kailangan natin, o hindi niya maibibigay ang tulong na kailangan natin.

Yung iba lalapit kay Mary, siya raw ang Ina ng Laging Saklolo, o Our Lady of Perpetual Help.

Where else?

A baka yung iba hindi na iniisip na kailangan natin ng mediator sa Diyos.

May matindi ang pangangailangan sa pinansiyal, kaya umaasa sa tulong na darating na 13th month o Christmas bonus.

O maambunan ng kamag-anak sa abroad.

O sa pulitiko, buti na lang malapit na election.

Depende kasi kung ano ang sa tingin natin ay kailangan natin, kung ano ang pinaka-kailangan natin.

Ano ba talaga ang pinaka-kailangan natin?

At sino ang makapagbibigay ng kailangan natin?

Yan ang mensahe ng pasko, yung purpose ng incarnation.

Christ is the Help We Need

Christ is the help we need, ang tulong o saklolo na kailangan natin.

Heb.

2:16.

"help" (lambano), twice, Thayer's - seize, take hold of, by "a metaphor drawn from laying hold of another to rescue him from peril, to help, to succor," hawakan ang kamay, sagipin parang nalulunod.

Verse 18, "able to help," diff.

word, beotheo, "come to the rescue of," saklolo (Ang Biblia).

Like relief/rescue operations sa VisMin dahil sa bagyong Odette, ibigay ang tulong na kailangan para mabuhay.

For surely, supporting previous verses (vv.

14-15), and succeeding verses (vv.

17-18), why Son of God became man, summarizing also (generalizing) the specific needs that Christ provided help for us.

Maliwanag, obvious point.

negative, it is not angels that he helps.

Context ng chaps.

1-2.

Fallen angelic beings, headed by Satan ("the devil" in v. 14).

They need help.

They need forgiveness, reconciliation, because of their rebellion.

But they didn't get the help they need.

Is God then unmerciful?

He's not obligated to rescue them.

He is perfectly just (justified) in leaving them to their miserable condition.

He can be perfectly justified also if he will not come to our rescue.

Sabi ng iba, hindi naman daw loving ang Diyos kung may kakayahan siyang i-rescue ang mga nalulunod tapos iilan lang ang sinagip niya.

Nakakalimutan nila na hindi lang misery ang problema natin, kundi ang laki ng kasalanan natin sa Diyos.

Wala siyang obligasyong iligtas ang sinuman.

But thanks be to God, he came!

He did not go to hell, became like angels, to rescue angels there.

He came to earth to rescue sinful human beings.

Nang bumaba ang Anak ng Diyos, bumaba ang biyaya ng Diyos.

“Grace and truth came through Jesus Christ” (Jn 1:17).

positively, but he helps the offspring of Abraham.

Human beings, sinful and rebellious and fallen human beings.

Not all human beings, "the offspring of Abraham."

Based on context, not physical lineage, although Jesus came to save his people from their sins.

But offspring of Abraham by faith in Christ (Gal.

3:7).

Jews and Gentiles, "bringing many sons to glory" (v.

10), "children" (vv.

13-14), "brothers" (vv.

11-12, 17).

Kung ikaw ay nakay Cristo, lahat ng tulong na galing sa Diyos sa pamamagitan ni Cristo ay sa ‘yo.

Now, what help do we need?

And how does the incarnation of the Son of God ensures that we will get the help we need?

Important question, kasi sometimes parang hindi visible o tangible yung help na binibigay niya.

Parang mas kailangan natin yung sobre na may lamang pera, o yung naka-gift wrap na regalo, o yung kaibigan mo na nandyan dadamay sa yo, makikinig, mahahawakan.

We at times feel as if Christ is not real.