Sermon Tone Analysis

THE GREATEST GIFT

*TEXT: John 3:16-18*

*INTRODUCTION:*  I always enjoy rereading the famous short story The Gift of the Magi by O. Henry.

The tale features a young couple living in deep poverty in New York City about 100 years ago.

Being very much in love, they each desire to give the other a wonderful Christmas present, but they barely have enough money to survive, much less for Christmas presents.

In an act of great sacrifice, the young husband hocks his only valuable possession, his father’s gold watch in order to buy his wife a set of expensive combs for her long beautiful hair.

Meanwhile, the loving young wife cut her hair and sells it to a wig maker in order to buy her husband a gold chain to replace the string on his prized watch.

The point of the story is that what is given is not nearly so important as why it was given.

The motivation for giving a gift is vastly more important than the object we give.

The giving of gifts during the Christmas season seemingly has its roots in the gifts of "*gold, frankincense, and myrrh*" given to Jesus by the Persian magi in Matthew 2:11.

The more modern story of Santa Claus comes from the tradition of Saint Nicholas, an anonymous benefactor who gave presents to children each Christmas.

In various cultures founded upon Christianity, there are traditions of giving gifts on different days of the season.

Of course, today Christmas shopping is a commercial necessity.

Many retailers depend on gift buying for survival.

I read that Americans spend approximately 40 billion dollars each year just on Christmas gifts.

In 1998, the average household spent $964 on Christmas presents.

Most of us spend too much on gifts.

You probably buy presents for a long list of people.

Larry Wilde said it this way, "*Christmas has turned into the season when people run out of money before they run out of friends."*

Today, I want to focus on a very familiar passage and gain some insight on the greatest gift ever given.

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I.          THE MOTIVATION FOR THE GREATEST GIFT

!! A.        What Motivates Us to Give Gifts during the Holidays?

!!! 1.      /We give some gifts because of OBLIGATION./

Sometimes we give just because it is expected.

I’ll bet you buy gifts for some co-workers, relatives or other acquaintances and you don’t even like them!

!!! 2.      /We give some gifts because of EXHIBITION/.

Sometimes we give gifts for show, to impress other people.

Jesus said of the Pharisees, "¼¼*they have their reward*."

I read about a boy who spent several hundred dollars on his girlfriend and little on anyone else.

The day after Christmas she dumped him for another guy.

!!! 3.      /We give some gifts because of COMPENSATION/.

We expect something in return.

Have you even given your boss a gift in order to curry favor?

!!! 4.      /We give some gifts because of COMPASSION/.

During the holidays, most of us have given to someone in need.

We have pitched in the Salvation Army’s red buckets or aided a family fallen on hard times.

!!! 5.      /We give some gifts because of APPRECIATION/.

Some of you have given us gifts that are a token of your appreciation for our ministry.

!!! 6.      /We give some gifts because of LOVE/.

There are a few people in our lives that we love more than anyone else.

Our gifts to them are motivated by our love.

!! B.        What was God’s motivation for giving us Jesus, the Greatest Gift?

!!! 1.      John 3:16 is perhaps the most familiar verse in the Bible.

We see it on placards, on T-shirts or even painted on someone’s chest at sporting events.

Just because it is familiar does not mean it is unimportant.

!!! 2.      Note the first phrase, *"For God so loved the world*¼¼" God not only "*loved the world*," He "*SO To a great extent; to such an evident degree:  loved the world*."

His love is deep and wide

!!! 3.      The term "*world*" or kosmos represents all of creation.

God created the "*world*" to reflect His goodness and glory.

He created man to bear His image, to share His love and fellowship.

However, even in the dawn of creation, man rebelled against God and the whole "*world* the whole creation was marred by sin.

Even so, God SO loved the world He sent His Son to set it straight.

!!! 4.      Rom.5:8

says, "*/But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us/*."

!!!! a)      After Elaine and I dated for several years, I bought her an engagement ring to "*demonstrate*" my love.

God’s gift of love is Jesus.

!!!! b)      Jesus demonstrated His love by dying on the cross.

The wedding  is coming later

!!! 5.      Eph.2:4-5

says, "*But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved*)."

!!! 6.      Titus 3:4-5 speaks of the coming of Christ, "*But when the kindness and the love of God our Savior toward man appeared, not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit*."

!!! 7.      1 John 3:1 says, "*Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called children of God*!"

!!! 8.      1 John 4:9 says, "*In this the love of God was manifested toward us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him*."

!!! 9.      God’s love is eternal.

It has always been.

Jeremiah the prophet wrote, "*The LORD has appeared of old to me, saying: ‘Yes, I have loved you with an everlasting love; Therefore with lovingkindness I have drawn you*’" (Jer.31:3).

Once a pastor felt led to preach a sermon on the love of God.

He was frustrated because the subject was so broad and there were so many verses in the Bible that spoke of God’s love.

He prayed all week about how to make the message simple and effective.

Finally on Sunday, when the congregation gathered, he had all the lights extinguished.

He lit a candle and placed it before a small manger.

He lit another candle and placed it before a crudely woven crown of thorns.

He lit yet another candle and placed it before a rough wooden cross.

He turned to the people and said, "This is the love of God."

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II.

THE QUALITY OF THE GREATEST GIFT.

!! A.        We are not always Pleased with the Gifts we Receive.

!!! 1.

It is said that the busiest days for retail stores take place in the weeks between Thanksgiving and Christmas.

The second busiest time is after Christmas when many of the gifts are exchanged or returned!

!!! 2.      Every year we receive clothing or other items for Christmas: sweaters, slacks, etc¼¼ We end up exchanging some items either because they didn’t fit or they weren’t my taste.

!!! 3.      Sometimes we return items because they just don’t work.

!! B.        No One ever Regrets Receiving Jesus, the Greatest Gift.

!!! 1.      John 3:16 not only tells us God’s motivation for giving us the greatest gift, but the quality of the gift as well.

He "*so loved*" us that He gave "*His only begotten*" or His "*one and only Son*" (NIV).

!!! 2.      God did not merely create a Savior for us.

He didn’t create a perfect man.

He didn’t send an angel that looked like a man.

No, He sent His own precious Son.

!!! 3.      The Bible tells us that Jesus is "*the brightness of His glory and the express image of His person*" (Heb.1:3).

Jesus said, "*I and My Father are one*."

Col.1:15 says, "*He is the image* [icon, photograph] of *the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation*."

He said in Jn.14:9, "*He who has seen Me has seen the Father*."

!!! 4.      That’s why Isaiah foretold and the angel could say to Joseph, "*they shall call His name Immanuel*" or "God with us" (Is.7:14;

Mt.1:23).

God didn’t create a Savior.

He came Himself, in a human body to save us.

Martin Luther wrote, "*The mystery of the humanity of Christ, that He sunk Himself into our flesh, is beyond all human understanding*."

During the darkest hours of WWII in England, Hitler's Luftwaffe dropped tons of bombs causing death and destruction in London.

There was a legitimate fear felt for the safety of the King, George VI, and his family.

His staff, therefore, made arrangements to transport the royal family to safety in Canada.