Sermon Tone Analysis

Title: Christmas Faith

Theme: The Faith of Mary, Submission to God’s Will

Series: The Cast of Christmas

“In the sixth month, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee, to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David.

The virgin's name was Mary.

The angel went to her and said, ‘Greetings, you who are highly favored!

The Lord is with you.’

Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be.

But the angel said to her, ‘Do not be afraid, Mary, you have found favor with God.

You will be with child and give birth to a son, and you are to give Him the name Jesus.

He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High.

The Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David, and He will reign over the house of Jacob forever; His kingdom will never end.’

‘How will this be,’ Mary asked the angel, ‘since I am a virgin?’

The angel answered, ‘The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you.

So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God.

Even Elizabeth your relative is going to have a child in her old age, and she who was said to be barren is in her sixth month.

For nothing is impossible with God.’ ‘I am the Lord's servant,’ Mary answered.

‘May it be to me as you have said.’

Then the angel left her.” (Luke 1:26-38)

Submission to the Lord’s will is an absolute essential before a Christian can grasp the truths surrounding the Christmas story

Little information is given about Mary in the Word of God.

However, what is said is striking and sets before every Christian a Biblical example of true submissiveness to God’s will.

Submission to the Lord’s will is an absolute essential before a Christian can grasp the truths surrounding the Christmas story.

I would propose to you that there are several simple truths that the Holy Spirit of Christ would like to place deep within your mind and burn deep within your spiritual heart.

Just what are those truths and how can they be a blessing to the children of God?

Truths worth grasping this Christmas season

One truth worth grasping this Christmas season is that no matter where you live and no matter what circumstance you find yourself in, the Lord can reach into your life and make you a valuable part of the building of the kingdom of God.

Our text says, “God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee.”

(Luke 1:26)

There is much that the Holy Spirit of Christ wants you to grasp in today’s message.

In this first division of the message He wants you to grasp the significance of Nazareth.

This city is not mentioned in the Old Testament.

It was the home of Joseph and Mary (Luke 2:39) and Nazareth was where the angel announced to the virgin the birth of the Messiah.

(Luke 1:26-28) Nazareth is where Jesus grew to manhood (Luke 4:16) and where He began His public ministry in the synagogue.

(Matthew 13:54) (The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia: Easton’s Bible Dictionary) Those are powerful truths to cling to.

Unfortunately, Nazareth around the time of the birth of Christ had established a rather poor reputation in morals and religion.

(The New International Dictionary of the Bible) This why we read of Nathaniel of whom Jesus said, “…[was] a true Israelite, in whom there is nothing false,” saying this, “Can anything good come from [Nazareth]?” (John 1:47,46)

Many Christian historians tell us that by the time of the birth of Christ, Nazareth had become an unimportant town.

(The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia) Nazareth and the people living in her were despised by Romans and Jews.

Nazareth of Galilee bordered Gentile and heathen nations and those living in her were considered a conquered people.

(The Preacher’s Outline & Sermon Bible)

Evidence of the citizen’s spiritual condition in Nazareth is found in their treatment of Christ during His ministry.

The Bible says that He returned to Galilee in the power of the Holy Spirit.

(Luke 4:14) The Bible says after Jesus was finished teaching in the Synagogue on a Sabbath day, after reading from the Book if Isaiah, “[The people] spoke well of Him and were amazed at the gracious words that came from His lips…” But, then they begin to question, “…Isn’t this Joseph’s son?” (Luke 4: 16-22) After Jesus had spoken more to them they “…drove Him out of town, and took Him to the brow of the hill on which the town was built, in order to throw Him down the cliff.”

(Luke 4:29) It was because of their lack of belief that Jesus could not do many miracles in Nazareth.

(Matthew 13:58)

Symbolically, the significance to all this is that Nazareth in Jesus’ time represented no reputation for religion or anything significant.

Jesus having His connections to Nazareth shows us symbolically that He desires to show His favor on the Gentile world.

Jonah, Elijah and Elisha were very much conversant in Galilee and were known to be great prophets to the Gentiles.

This shows us that God is just as able and willing to send His message to an area that is not willing to receive the message as well as to a place that is searching for God.

God had sent His messenger to Nazareth as well as He did Jerusalem, where Gabriel foretold to Zechariah of the birth of John the Baptist which came about as the result of Divine intervention.

(Luke 1:5-25)

God’s messenger, Gabriel was entrusted with a Divine message to Mary, to Zechariah, and also to the Prophet Daniel.

The purpose of Gabriel being sent to Daniel was for the purpose of giving meaning to visions.

In Daniel 9:21-23 we read of Daniel saying, “While I was speaking and praying, confessing my sin and the sin of my people Israel and making my request to the LORD my God for His holy hill--while I was still in prayer, Gabriel, the man I had seen in the earlier vision, came to me in swift flight about the time of the evening sacrifice.

He instructed me and said to me, ‘Daniel, I have now come to give you insight and understanding.

As soon as you began to pray, an answer was given, which I have come to tell you, for you are highly esteemed.

Therefore, consider the message and understand the vision: (Daniel 9:21-23)

There is so much for Christians to grasp this Christmas season if they will die to self, cast off the business of this world, and meditate upon the lives of those physically involved in the life of Christ.

Gabriel means “man of God” and it can mean “the strength of God.” (Who’s Who in the Bible; The Complete Word Study Dictionary) Let the Holy Spirit place these truths deep within your heart.

As part of Gabriel’s message he told Daniel that he was highly esteemed, (Daniel 9:23) he told Mary that she had found favor with God (Luke 1:30) and Elizabeth said, “In these days [God] has shown His favor [to me].

(Luke 1:25)

No matter whether you are doing the work of a prophet like Daniel, offering worship in the house of God doing the Lord’s work like Zechariah, or living a faithful life before God like Mary and Elizabeth, the Lord can get His message to you anytime and any place you are when you need it.

While you are serving the Lord in the church or out in the work place where there seems to be no interest in the work of God, or even be a hostile attitude to the true works of Christ.

God can still get His message to you and it will strengthen you to accomplish your part of the Great Commission and in everything the Lord has called you to do.

Benefits of a circumcised heart

Those who have the faith of Mary can enjoy the Lord meeting them right were they are and they can enjoy the benefits of a circumcised heart.

Romans 2:28-29 says, “A man is not a Jew if he is only one outwardly, nor is circumcision merely outward and physical.

No, a man is a Jew if he is one inwardly; and circumcision is circumcision of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the written code…” (Romans 2:28-29)

Mary was a virgin, representing that which is pure, that heart that is sold out to the will of God and willing to die to self for the purposes of God.

She represents that heart that is hungry for God.

Circumcision of the spiritual heart has always been on the heart of God.

It is not only a New Testament revelation for mankind but found in Old Testament several times.

(Jeremiah 4:4; 9:25-26) The Bible is clear on what God can and will do.

Deuteronomy 30:6 says, “The Lord your God will circumcise your hearts and the hearts of your descendants, so that you may love Him with all your heart and with all your soul and live.”

(Deuteronomy 30:6)

Mary, who is a representation of a heart after God gave birth to a Son who walked upon this guilty sod, remained sinless, and got victory over sin and death so you and I do not have to be enslaved to sin and eternal damnation, but rather eternal life in Christ.

Many do not know and have true Christmas joy because they try to live by outward circumcision, outward showing of religious acts.

They listen to the Word of God, they try to obey God’s Word while punishing everyone with their attitudes and religious piety.

Still, they are unable to get a joyous victory over sin, the world and the lies of the devil.

Christians who have true Christmas joy have revelation and illumination of what the Apostle Paul wrote in Colossians 2:11, “In [Christ they are] circumcised, in the putting off of the sinful nature, not with a circumcision done by the hands of men but with the circumcision done by Christ.

(Colossians 2:11)

This circumcision allows them to have spiritual fellowship with the Holy Spirit of Christ.

Romans 8:10 tells us, “But if Christ is in you, your body is dead because of sin, yet your spirit is alive because of righteousness.

And if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit, who lives in you.”

(Romans 8:10) The Holy Spirit takes the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God, (Ephesians 6:17) and washes the heart with the written Word.

(Ephesians 5:25b) Jesus Christ was born to die so that we may have life abundantly.

This is enjoyed by accepting Jesus Christ to be both Savior and Lord and by allowing Him to sanctify us as the Holy Spirit brings life to the Written Word of God in our hearts.

The Bible is a better cleanser than that which is advertised on the radio or television.

It takes out and can keep out the soiled spots in the heart.

I taught my sons, Derek, Caleb and Josiah how to properly clean a horse stall.

They had to dig down deep to find that spot where urine lays deep and hard to find, but if left alone will work its way to the surface with a terrible acid smell that makes your eyes water, burns the skin of horse flesh, and causes hoof disease.

All national champions have someone who properly cleans their stall, keeping out those impurities that can prevent a horse from achieving all it can.

I have done farrier work in some the best horse barns in the world, and no matter how well they clean the stall one day, it begins to get a nasty smell and needs to be cleaned the next day.

When Christians become born again it is like having our hearts all cleaned up, but because of the sinful nature that is in all of us, we need a constant cleaning so we can remain in a healthy condition, thus becoming champions in and for Christ.

Just as a dedicated horseman does what it takes to enable a horse to achieve the goals set before it, the Holy Spirit of Christ remains in the child of God, constantly cleaning the spiritual heart with the Word of God.

The child of God that has the faith of Mary becomes all the Lord desires for him to be.

Their heart cry is like the Psalmist who wrote, “How can a young man keep his way pure?

By living according to your Word.

I seek you with all my heart: do not let me stray from your commands.