God Becomes Flesh
The Life Of Christ • Sermon • Submitted
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Introduction
Introduction
Greetings…
Last week we began a new theme for this year, here on Sunday mornings, titled “The Life Of Christ.”
We looked at what led up to, what the apostle Paul called, the “Fullness Of Time” (Galatians 4:4).
Having examined some of the extraordinary steps God took in creating the fullness of time we find ourselves looking at, today, the purpose of such.
That being, as we know, “God Becomes Flesh.”
Starting today we will look, over the next few weeks, at the few but powerful lessons we have from the information we are given concerning Jesus’ life before his ministry began.
We must then start by looking at his birth.
The Birth Of Jesus
The Birth Of Jesus
The Conception.
The Conception.
The reality is Jesus’ conception was prophesied about for thousands of years.
15 And I will put enmity Between you and the woman, And between your seed and her Seed; He shall bruise your head, And you shall bruise His heel.”
14 Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.
Matthew’s gospel account verifies Isaiah’s prophecy in Matthew 1:22-23.
22 All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet: 23 “Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call his name Immanuel” (which means, God with us).
I must admit that I cannot wrap my head around deity become human and being born of a virgin.
However, I don’t have to be able to I, like you, simply need to know it happened.
Let’s now look at…
The Earthly Parents.
The Earthly Parents.
Joseph and Mary were chosen by God to “train up Jesus in the way he should go” (Proverbs 22:6).
What do we know about these to godly parents.
Before Jesus was conceived by God Joseph and Mary were betrothed.
This meant they were “legally” bound to each other yet without the living together or having yet sexual relations.
Much like “engagements” are today but all the rights of marriage were found except that of what we must mentioned.
With betrothals we find…
It was a time, about a year, wherein the two would spend getting to know each other.
Remember, these were arranged marriages.
The betrothed called each other husband and wife.
24 When Joseph woke from sleep, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded him: he took his wife,
The betrothed had to legally divorce the one that committed fornication against them.
19 And her husband Joseph, being a just man and unwilling to put her to shame, resolved to divorce her quietly.
If the betrothed passed the other party was considered a widow or widower.
At the time of Jesus’ conception, we Joseph and Mary were betrothed to each other.
This is why we read in Matthew 1:19 Joseph, at first, sought to divorce Mary finding her with a child not his.
However, as you and I know Joseph did not divorce Mary due to God intervening which brings us to…
The Birth.
The Birth.
The reality is there is very little information concerning the birth itself.
We know it took place in Bethlehem as prophesied.
2 But you, O Bethlehem Ephrathah, who are too little to be among the clans of Judah, from you shall come forth for me one who is to be ruler in Israel, whose coming forth is from of old, from ancient days.
6 “ ‘And you, O Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah; for from you shall come a ruler who will shepherd my people Israel.’ ”
We know it took place near an inn.
7 And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in swaddling cloths and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn.
We know a few shepherds were told of Jesus’ birth the day he was born.
8 And in the same region there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. 9 And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with great fear. 10 And the angel said to them, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people.
11 For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. 12 And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.” 13 And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying, 14 “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!”
Summary
Summary
The normal and natural birth of Jesus is that which is good to study and know.
The reason being, simply put, if Jesus had not been born things today would be much different.
So…
What If Jesus Had Not Been Born?
What If Jesus Had Not Been Born?
Its Only Sinless Human.
Its Only Sinless Human.
There have been a lot of brave humans wise humans, mighty humans, righteous humans, but only one sinless human.
15 For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin.
22 He committed no sin, neither was deceit found in his mouth.
What if Jesus had not been born, the world would be without…
Its Only Image Of God.
Its Only Image Of God.
The world would be without it’s “exact imprint” of God the Father.
3 He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power. After making purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high,
9 Jesus said to him, “Have I been with you so long, and you still do not know me, Philip? Whoever has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’?
What if Jesus had not been born, the world would be without…
Its Most Powerful Testimony Of God’s Love.
Its Most Powerful Testimony Of God’s Love.
There is no greater testimony of God’s love than that of Jesus’ life here on earth.
16 For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.
8 but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
13 Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends.
What if Jesus had not been born, the world would be without…
Its Greatest Teacher Of All Time.
Its Greatest Teacher Of All Time.
There is no greater teacher than he who literally wrote the laws of God.
14 And they came and said to him, “Teacher, we know that you are true and do not care about anyone’s opinion. For you are not swayed by appearances, but truly teach the way of God. Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar, or not? Should we pay them, or should we not?”
28 And when Jesus finished these sayings, the crowds were astonished at his teaching, 29 for he was teaching them as one who had authority, and not as their scribes.
What if Jesus had not been born, the world would be without…
Its Exclusive Way Back To The Father.
Its Exclusive Way Back To The Father.
The world would be without its only atoning sacrifice for sin.
2 He is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world.
The world would be without its ultimate victory over death.
54 When the perishable puts on the imperishable, and the mortal puts on immortality, then shall come to pass the saying that is written: “Death is swallowed up in victory.” 55 “O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?” 56 The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. 57 But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
These two realities mean if Jesus had never been born the world would have lost its way back to the Father.
6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.
Summary
Summary
The world would be as it was before God became flesh, it would be dead in its sins.
Conclusion
Conclusion
The birth of Jesus, God Becoming Flesh, is most magnificent.
Let each of us never lose sight of the fact that without the birth of our Messiah there is no salvation for mankind.
There is no salvation then for you and I.
But praise be to our God who loved each and everyone of us so much that he sent his son to this earth to be born of woman, live a life of humanity, sacrifice his life for the sins of all of us, and be our Lord and Savior.
Your Savior and mine sits at the right and of God and mediates on our behalf!!!
Invitation
1 Behold, the Lord’s hand is not shortened, that it cannot save, or his ear dull, that it cannot hear; 2 but your iniquities have made a separation between you and your God, and your sins have hidden his face from you so that he does not hear.
6 And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ. 7 It is right for me to feel this way about you all, because I hold you in my heart, for you are all partakers with me of grace, both in my imprisonment and in the defense and confirmation of the gospel.
17 So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.
6 And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.
30 The times of ignorance God overlooked, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent,
32 “Therefore whoever confesses Me before men, him I will also confess before My Father who is in heaven.
8 in flaming fire, inflicting vengeance on those who do not know God and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus.
1 Now I would remind you, brothers, of the gospel I preached to you, which you received, in which you stand, 2 and by which you are being saved, if you hold fast to the word I preached to you—unless you believed in vain. 3 For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, 4 that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures,
3 Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? 4 We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life. 5 For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we shall certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his.
7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin.