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
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Anger
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A story full of wonder
Creative writing
I love a good book
Vivid verbs, rich vocabulary, descriptive adjectives.
We ate some different types of tasty fish.
Our party dined upon a tantalizingly-wide array of piscatorial delights.
Movies are similar (epic genre): rules
Involve several locations
Never go back the way you came
Include danger and narrow escapes
Creative writing - book or movie - is important, but it can only enhance what is already there.
Great plot, characters, backstory, message are all necessary
Like lousy movies with amazing special effects
Today’s passage has all the elements of a creative movie epic
prophetic backstory with mystery and intrigue
exotic locations
memorable characters
narrow escapes
tragedy, crisis, and room to write in a few, lovable furry critters
- all in just 12 verses!
(Matthew 2)
Like creative writing, this only enhances what’s there - don’t want to miss what’s there: the story of God coming to Earth as a baby.
Christmas through the eyes of the magi
Their experience
Reminds that
The birth of Jesus invites our response.
Arrived after the fact - so do we today
Jesus’ birth invites us to him.
How can we follow the wise men’s example?
Pay attention
Magi were masters at paying attention.
Their history:
A line of wise men in Babylon since the time of Daniel
(Susa, Iran said to contain his tomb - Jewish traveler Benjamin Tudela visited this location around 1160, 100 years before Marco Polo)
Daniel was highly revered.
Became “chief magi”
Magos was a priestly caste system in Babylonia
Magi - same root as magician; Wise men - old term was wizard.
Kings?
Ref to kings came in 3rd century
Ps 72 about Solomon, Ps 72:10-11
Jesus said someone greater than Solomon had come
What did they pay attention to?
The past - history
Daniel’s words and his Scriptures
Daniel’s reputation - paid attention for 500 years
Daniel’s words and Scriptures and God
Balaam - lived in Babylonia, by the Euphrates
Perhaps well-familiar.
Maybe Balaam was one of their order of magi.
Multiple ancient sources connect Balaam with the magi.
Balaam’s successors.
Knew Balaam’s story
Paid attention to the present
Circumstances
Movement of the stars - we don’t use this for signs.
God still worked through this practice
starofbethlehem.net
- one explanation
Jupiter (planet of kings) and Regulus (star of kings) meet in conjunction once every 12 years.
“Retrograde” motion means rarely Jupiter will appear to double back and touch Regulus again.
In 3/2 B.C., this happened a third time!
However it happened, it was of God
Point - they paid attention
Paid attention to the future - prophecy was about what this King would do.
“One from Jacob shall exercise dominion”
There is a second advent coming
Encyclopedia of 7700 Illustrations (3030 Experience Again and Again)
3030 Experience Again and AgainThe School of Experience is a pretty tough institution.
And it’s a lot tougher when we fail to learn our lessons.
You remember the case of the school principal who protested to his superintendent because he wasn’t given a certain promotion.
“After all,” he said, “I’ve had twenty-five years’ experience.”
“No, Joe,” said the superintendent, “that’s where you are wrong.
You have had one year’s experience twenty-five times!”—Sterling
W. Sill
Paying attention involves growth and preparation.
Are you growing in wisdom and experience?
Is your life a reflection of growth?
Pack your bags
The magi traveled.
Arduous 500 mile journey.
Dangers, guards, large retinue
No immediate audience with Herod
Herod heard - troubled - “all Jeru.
with him.”
When Herod ain’t happy, ain’t nobody happy.
(Tracy Byrd lyrics, 1998)
Assembled chief priests and scribes - BIG meeting
“he who has been born king of the Jews” (v 2) is associated with “the Christ” (v 4)
Distrust: Herod prevented any action from the meeting.
Fear that the religious leaders would support the Messiah.
Secret audience with Herod
Information about timing of star’s appearance
Reconnaissance mission under false pretense: “that I too may come and worship him” (v 8)
Final 1% of journey.
Coming to Jerusalem was not enough.
Headed 5 mi. to Bethlehem, but did not know where to go there.
Reappearance of the star.
We do not always know the destination of the journey.
Jeremiah 29:13–14 (ESV)
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