Sermon Tone Analysis
Overall tone of the sermon
This automated analysis scores the text on the likely presence of emotional, language, and social tones. There are no right or wrong scores; this is just an indication of tones readers or listeners may pick up from the text.
A score of 0.5 or higher indicates the tone is likely present.
Emotion Tone
Anger
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Disgust
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Fear
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Joy
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Sadness
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Language Tone
Analytical
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Confident
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Tentative
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Social Tone
Openness
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Conscientiousness
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Extraversion
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Agreeableness
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Emotional Range
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Tone of specific sentences
Tones
Emotion
Language
Social Tendencies
Anger
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Mary & Joseph left Nazareth, 1,200' above sea level.
To get to Bethlehem, they walk 8+ hrs.
/ day for 90 miles in winter's dusty cold.
70 mi.
later, at Jericho, they've descended to 800' below sea level.
But from Jericho, the 15 miles to Jerusalem is a hard, steep 3,600' climb.
The last 5 miles to Bethlehem aren't hard.
But after the 1st 85 miles, they're spent.
And poor Mary is 9 months pregnant!
Finally, they reach a relative's house in Bethlehem.
Upstairs are two bedrooms.
One is a guest room.
But with everyone coming home to register, it's already full.
And that's when Mary finds out.
Joseph didn't tell anyone they were coming!
No reservations!
They'll have to sleep downstairs <slide> with the animals.
And that's when Silent Night began.
Let's look at Lk 2:1-20, the real story.
1aIn those days Caesar Augustus (Octavian) ruled all the inhabited earth.
He's a great-nephew of Julius Caesar.
A born fighter, he clawed his way to power by thrashing Mark Antony & Cleopatra.
By genius & force, he founded Pax Romana.
Peace-or else!
He brutally beat every foe into submission to keep a peace that lasted centuries.
He was the 1st Caesar titled 'Augustus.'
'Holy,' 'Revered.'
Till him, only gods got the title.
Now, he's so powerful people gave it to him.
Some Asian Greek cities call him 'savior' & make his 9/23 birthday their new year's day.
Archeologists found an inscription calling him 'savior of the world.'
When he died, many comforted themselves that he's 'a god, & gods don't die.'
This world's ruler is a self-proclaimed, widely accepted god & savior.
To fund his ambitions, he squeezes taxes out of everyone.
Even tiny towns at his empire's ends .
That 1bAugustus issued a decree.
1cTake census of the entire Roman world.
Register everyone for taxes.
2(It's the 1st census while Quirinius was Syria's governor.)
3Everyone went to his hometown to register.
4Joseph went up from Nazareth, Galilee, to Bethlehem, Judea, David's hometown.
Why?
He belongs to David's house & line.
It's his hometown.
5He went there to register with Mary, betrothed to him & expecting a child.
Wearily, they arrive at a relative's house.
Just in 6time for the baby to be born.. Urgently, they need a room.
But 7bthere's no upper room for them.
They'll stay downstairs.
She's only 13-14yo, & at 1st doesn't recognize her labor pains.
Pain erases doubt, she tells Joseph, crying.
Giving birth to God's son isn't supposed to be this way!
Joseph goes to find a midwife.
As he hunts in vain, he cries too, from shame.
Her pain, the animal stink, their poverty, people's indifference, their utter helplessness...
He sobs in shame.
He can't even provide for Mary in her labor!
As she labors, the Lord, God's Son, our Creator rises from His glory.
He pauses at the universe's edge & dives thru the galaxies.
Past the Milky Way.
Finally, He plunges into Earth's atmosphere.
In Joseph's absence, Mary keeps looking to God for help as she labors.
Her pain mutes the stink of sweat, blood, manure, & stale straw.
Beneath her, cold, hard ground.
Around her? Suffocating odors.
Animals huddled for warmth.
God's Son chooses that moment to enter the world He created.
Born into poverty.
The Creator, one of His creatures.
The Lord once asked Job, "Where were you when I laid earth's foundation?
Tell me, if you understand..." (Job 38:4, 9).
This is incarnation's wonder.
The omnipotent, omnipresent, omniscient God becomes a baby!
All so He can live perfectly for 30 years, then offer his life to pay for our sin.
Before Joseph can return, 7aMary gives birth to her 1stborn, a son.
To keep Him warm, 7bShe swaddles him in cloths.
The only crib?
She 7cplaces him in a manger.
Meanwhile, 8ashepherds are living out in the fields nearby.
As usual, they're 8bkeeping watch over their flocks at night.
But tonight, it's different.
As they huddle close to a fire, 9aan angel of the Lord appears.
In His mercy, God held back the rest.
For even one angel, 9b they're terrified as the Lord's shekinah glory suddenly shines around them.
It's as if the sun explodes in the sky above.
In fear, the shepherds fall face down.
10aThe angel speaks.
"Don't be afraid.
Easy for him to say!
Not so easy to do when God's glory bursts into the dark night sky! 10bI bring you good news of great joy.
At this, shepherds look up.
The good news came 1st to people despised by good, respectable Jews.
But the news isn't just for them.
10cIt'll be for all the people.
All.
Everyone, everywhere.
11aToday in David's town (Bethlehem) a Savior is born to you.
A Savior!
In Bethlehem?
Not far away.
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