The Word
December 30, 2007, Sunday Evening Service
Immanuel Baptist Church, Wagoner, OK
Rick Boyne
Message Point: Jesus Christ: more than a Babe lying in a manger.
Focus Passage: John 1:1
Supplemental Passage: Hebrews 13:8 Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.
Introduction:
Matthew tells us about the birth of Christ from Joseph’s perspective. Mark skips the Christmas story altogether. Luke gives it from Mary’s perspective. And John tells us about the birth of Christ from the heavenly Father’s viewpoint, which begins with the identity of Christ Himself. He is the “Word” – God’s ultimate communication to this planet.
I. Jesus’ Pre-existence
a. The life of Jesus Christ did not begin with His birth in Bethlehem
b. Genesis 1:26 “Then God said, ‘Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness;’”
c. John 1:3 “Al things came into being through Him, and apart from Him nothing came into being that has come into being”.
II. Jesus’ Co-existence
a. Jesus is co-equal with the Father and the Holy Spirit
b. John 5:18 “For this reason therefore the Jews were seeking all the more to kill Him, because He not only was breaking the Sabbath, but also was calling God His own Father, making Himself equal with God.”
c. Philippians 2:6 “who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped”
III. Jesus’ Divine Existence
a. Jesus was and is the very God of very God.
b. John 14:7 “If you had known Me, you would have known My Father also”
c. John 14:9, “He who as seen Me has seen the Father”.
d. John 10:30, “I and the Father are one”.
Jesus began His ministry by being hungry, yet He is the Bread of Life.
Jesus ended His earthly ministry by being thirsty, yet He is the Living Water.
Jesus was weary, yet He is our rest. Jesus paid tribute, yet He is the King.
Jesus was accused of having a demon, yet He cast out demons.
Jesus wept, yet He wipes away our tears.
Jesus was sold for thirty pieces of silver, yet He redeemed the world.
Jesus was brought as a lamb to the slaughter, yet He is the Good Shepherd.
Jesus died, yet by His death He destroyed the power of death.
Gregory of Nazianzus, A.D. 381.
Invitation: Jesus Christ is God Himself, the Master. Our lives should revolve around Him, and we should keep our eyes continually on Him, we should leap to do His bidding, and we should bring our crowns and trophies and lay them at His feet.
