Da Vinci Code: Loving Truth And Ignoring Fiction / The Divinity Of Christ

Turn Your Bibles to John 1:1 and verse 14

Title: Loving Truth and Ignoring Fiction

Theme: The Divinity of Christ

Introduction: I had a friend in Christ send me a cartoon this week. In the background of this cartoon was a movie theater with a sign saying, “The Da Vinci Code.” It showed lots of people running to get in to watch the film for their own entertainment. Lying on the ground is a man that was trampled under foot with footprints leading to the theater door. The man lying on the ground had a beard and you could see two feet sticking up out of the dirt that had nail scars on them. The point I got from looking at the cartoon was that Jesus is getting stepped on and trampled down underfoot for the pleasure and greed of mankind.

Proposition: I would propose to you that what you believe about Jesus Christ is determines where you are going to spend eternity. The beloved John wrote down these words spoken by Jesus Christ in His discourse with the Pharisees (John 8:13), "…You are from below; I am from above. You are of this world; I am not of this world. I told you that you would die in your sins; if you do not believe that I am the one I claim to be… (John 8:23-24)." Jesus is speaking to all who live in an attitude of unbelief, those you resist Biblical revelation of God about Christ. To reject Christ as God in the flesh is to completely reject His person and His claims about Himself. (The Expositors Bible Commentary)

Listen to what the beloved John wrote about Jesus, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The Word became flesh and made His dwelling among us(John 1:1, 14).” Let us Pray!

In the book “The Da Vinci Code,” Dan Brown’s character, Sir Leigh Teabing has many positive things to say about Jesus Christ. He calls Jesus a great historical figure and perhaps the most inspirational leader the world has ever seen. This is nice but not pleasing to God. Muslims and Bahais consider Jesus to be a great prophet. Hindus, Buddhists and even some atheists find many of our Lord’s teachings respectable.

The Da Vinci Code makes a startling charge: that Jesus’ followers only considered our Lord to be a human being until Emperor Constantine “upgraded” His status to deity almost three hundred years after His death.

Interrogative Sentence: Who do you think Jesus Christ was? Was He a myth, a great man, just a wise teacher, a prophet or God who became man? Can you fulfill your Christian mandate and give a Biblical reason for the hope you have in Christ? (1 Peter 3:15)

Transitional Sentence: The Christ of the Bible must be understood in both aspects, being fully man and fully God. “The Da Vinci Code” charges Emperor Constantine with omitting gospels that portrayed the human side of Christ. A simple look at the Word of God shows us this is not true. Before Constantine we have the writings of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John and they tell us this about Jesus’ human traits.

Luke 2:6-7 says, “[When it came time] for the baby to be born, [Mary] gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped Him in cloths and placed Him in a manger…”

Here we see the fulfillment of Old Testament prophecy, "But you, Bethlehem… though you are small among the clans of Judah, out of you will come for Me one who will be ruler over Israel, whose origins are from of old, from ancient times (Micah 5:2). " Doctor Luke gets right down to the little human details in giving us the account of the birth of Christ being perfectly human while being manifested as God in the flesh.

Jesus grew as a normal child except without sin. Dr. Luke gives us a report of those silent years when Jesus was growing to adulthood. He writes, And Jesus grew in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men (Luke 2:52).” Wisdom (sophia) meaning He grew in purity of heart and life before God. As Jesus grew into manhood he was given understanding, insight, common sense, prudence and discretion. He understood the practical application in applying God’s truths in different matters. He was able to grasp the great truths of life. He could see answers to problems of life and see the difference between good and evil.

In his investigation into Jesus’ life on earth as being fully man, Luke took notice how Jesus grew in “stature” (helikias) meaning with full vigor, in normal development mentally, physically, socially and spiritually for all these are what is involved in growing to manhood. Our Lord was certainly all man.