April, 2007
Series: What is Christianity #1
Who is Jesus? Why Did He Come?
Philippians 2:5-11
INTRODUCTION: Today people have a lot of opinions as to who Jesus is and why He came. There is even a lot of controversy within the church, and much effort is made to “explain away” the various aspects of His claims. People want to deny the miraculous events that brought Him into history and to express unbelief toward His plan of salvation. We need to know what scripture says so that we may be strengthened in our faith.
The scripture in Philippians gives us quite a bit of information about Jesus as pre-existent before He came to earth. It is believed that this scripture was an early hymn that Paul incorporated into this letter to the Philippians. Others feel that he wrote it himself. He starts out by telling the Philippians that their attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus and then Christ’s pre-incarnate status is described here.
Part I: Let’s take a look first at the question, “Who is Jesus?”
1. He is God--verse 6 says, “Who being in the form of God thought it not robbery to be equal with God.” He had equal status with God before He came to earth, but when the time came, He laid it aside in order to take on humanity. He laid aside the full privileges of deity to take on the form of man. Many people have difficulty reconciling the divine nature and the human nature. The “form” of God means the outward manifestation of God. He was in very NATURE God. He changed his form to come to earth in HUMAN FORM, however, He didn’t cease to be God when He did. He is still God even though he came in the form of a human. He merely laid aside some of His privileges.
Vs. 7 says, “He took on the form of a servant, and was made in the LIKENESS of man.
When He did this He humbled Himself and became obedient unto death even the despised death of the cross. He made himself of no reputation.
On commentator says, “He emptied Himself, stripped Himself of the insignia of majesty” (Lightfoot) but when occasion demanded it, He exercised his divine attributes.” (Morehead).
We know that he CONTINUED to be God when He came to earth. How do we know this? He took on the form of a servant which does not imply an exchange but rather an ADDITION to what He already is. The NATURE of God couldn’t be given up for GOD cannot cease to be God. Christ became a part of humanity being made in human LIKENESS. The word LIKENESS stresses similarity, but leaves room for difference. Paul is telling us that Christ became a genuine man but there were certain ways in which he was ABSOLUTELY like other men. He was God plus fully human. He did not empty himself of being God but of His manner of existence as equal to God. For one thing, He laid aside His independent use of His divine attributes. You will remember that he would always say, “I seek to do the will of my father, not my own.”
See Luke 4:14, John 5:19, John 8:28, and John 14:10
Outwardly Jesus looked like any other human.
Another scripture that points to his deity is in the book of John. This book gives more emphasis on his deity whereas the book of Mark focuses more on his humanity.
John 1:1-5 describes His preexistence before He came to earth. Jesus is described as the Word. “In the beginning was the Word (logos) and the Word was with God and the Word was God.” (vs. 1). He was with God in the beginning. Verse 10 says he was in the world and though the world was made by him, the world did not recognize him. Verse 14 speaks of the Word--the Word became flesh (human) and dwelt among us.
When John used the Word--the Greek word logos--meaning Word, he was endeavoring to bring out the full significance of the incarnation to the Gentile World as well as to the Jewish world. Jesus had UNIVERSAL rather than just LOCAL significance and He spoke with ultimate authority. He was pre-existent, involved in the very act of creation, and superior to all created beings.
The Word was WITH God indicates both EQUALITY and DISTINCTION of identity along with co-existence with the Creator. Throughout scripture His preexistence is confirmed many times.
John 8:58 says, “Jesus said, before Abraham was born, I AM.”
Colossians 1:15, 16, “He is the image of the INVISIBLE God, the firstborn over all creation. For by him all things were created, things in heaven and on earth visible and invisible.
2. The Virgin Birth--How did Jesus come to earth? There are a lot of people who deny this about Jesus. You might say, “Why does it matter one way or another? What difference does it make?”
The fact of the virgin birth was a part of Old Testament prophecy. Isaiah 7:14 says, “Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign: Behold a virgin shall conceive and bear a son and shall call his name Immanuel (God with us).
Psalm 2:7 says, “Thou art my Son, this day have I begotten thee.” (another Messianic promise).
Matthew 1:18 “she was found with child OF THE HOLY GHOST.”
Matthew 1:23, “behold a virgin shall be with child and shalt bring forth a son and they shall call his name Emmanuel which means God with us.”
Matthew and Luke give references to the virgin birth and gives it as an accepted fact. John does not give a birth narrative. Mark stresses the humanity of Jesus more than the other gospels.
The doctrine of the virgin birth has been believed by the church from its beginning. Ignatious who lived at the start of the 2nd century said, “For our God, Jesus the Christ, was conceived in the womb by Mary according to the dispensation, of the seed of David, but also of the Holy Ghost.’’
Reasons why the virgin birth is a necessity:
1. His preexistence rather than a newly created individual required the divine intervention in his birth.
2. His sinless nature (Luke 1:35). To be a perfect sacrifice he must be without sin.
3. If Joseph had been his biological father, he would not have been able to claim legal rights to the throne of David. How do we know this?
According to prophecy in Jeremiah 22:28-30 there was to be no king in Israel who was a descendent of King Jeconiah, “for no more of his seed shall prosper sitting upon the throne of David and ruling any more in Judah.” Joseph was from the line of Jeconiah (Matthew 1:12).
However, Mary, herself was from the line of David. In Matthew’s genealogy Mary is from the line of David fulfilling OT prophecy. Another interesting thing is noted in Matthew 1:16...”and Jacob begat Joseph the husband of Mary of WHOM WAS BORN JESUS who is called Christ. In this verse it does not say BEGAT Jesus because Jesus was not begotten of natural generation. Jesus was a descendent of Abraham the father of all Jews and a direct descendent of David fulfilling OT prophecy.
One of the problems that people have with the virgin birth is that you have to be able to believe in the miraculous. And why would this be any harder to believe than any of the other miracles in the Bible?
3. The Incarnation--The incarnation simply means his act of his coming to earth in the flesh as a human. He came and “dwelt among us” (John 1:14). Limited by time and space, susceptible to aging and sickness and death. The incarnation is a key factor of who Jesus is. Why? Because He could identify with humanity. He could understand the pain and suffering that people go through. Scripture says that we do not have “a high priest who cannot be touched by the feelings of our infirmities but was in all points temped like as we, yet without sin” (Hebrews 4:15).
ILLUSTRATION: Story about the birds. A man saw birds in a storm. He had food and shelter but they didn’t understand. They were scared of him and would fly away. He flapped his arms like a bird. He put bread down for them. They finally understood. Jesus identified with people when he became human.
In the incarnation he showed us everything about God’s character that can be conveyed in human terms so we could understand.
Part II: Why Did He Come?--
1. TO SAVE--Matthew 1:21 says, “He will save his people from their sins.” He came in order to fulfill God’s plan of salvation for all people. He actually became human in order to identify with our sins. He voluntarily laid aside his divine rights and privileges out of love for His father and died on the cross for our sins so we wouldn’t have to face eternal death.
He came to earth to make atonement for our sins to bridge the gap between God and humankind. The plan of salvation was not a last minute plan. It was first mentioned back in the beginning in Genesis 3:15--the first promise of a redeemer.
For the penalty of sin, a life had to be sacrificed. God chose to provide the sacrifice himself. The sins of the world were removed when Jesus died as the perfect sacrifice. I Corinthians 5:7 says, “for even Christ our Passover is sacrificed for us.” Jesus, the perfect sacrifice, SATISFIED God’s requirement for the removal of sin. Colossians 1:15-23.
2. THE RESURECTION--was an integral part of his mission. Had he died on the cross without the resurrection, it wouldn’t have been enough. This makes Christianity different from any other religion. He couldn’t stay in the grave. The resurrection was also foretold in Mark 8;31, “…after three days rise again.”
The historical fact of the resurrection is the very basis for the truth of Christianity. It has to be a part of Christianity. Paul said, “But if there be no resurrection of the dead, not even Christ has been raised; and if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is in vain, your faith also is in vain” (I Corinthians 15:13-17).
How do we know he arose from the grave?
1. The empty tomb.
2. People saw him on several different occasions
3. When he returned to heaven he sent the promised Holy Spirit. Luke 24:49 and Acts
4. He is still changing lives after 2000 years.
3. TO GIVE US LIFE MORE ABUNDANTLY--”I am come that they might have life and that might have it more abundantly” (John 10:10).
How does he do this? After Jesus fulfilled his mission on earth, he went back to heaven where he is seated on the right hand of God. (Mark 16:19).
Hebrews 7:25 “he ever liveth to make intercession for us.”
In our scripture in Philippians verses 9-11 God “hath highly exalted him and given him a name above every name that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow and that every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord.”
What if he had not been willing to become of no reputation, taking on the form of a servant, coming to earth to become obedient unto death even the despised death on the cross? We certainly would not have the opportunity today to live an abundant life. Acts 4:12 tells us that there is “neither salvation in any other and there is none other name under heaven given among men whereby we must be saved.”
CONCLUSION: Can you believe this today and trust your life to this Jesus? Can you believe that He is God, that He lived from the foundation of the world, that He came to earth, accomplished His mission and has returned to heaven to make intercession for you?
This is Christianity--and what makes it different from all other religions. He lives, he lives, Christ Jesus lives today. He walks with me and talks with me. It is the opportunity for a relationship, not just a religion.
It is for you today. Who would like to receive Him into your life today?
Let us Pray:
