HoHum:
One of 1995’s biggest singles was Joan Osborne’s “One of Us.” It made a virtually unknown singer an overnight sensation. It’s a song of spiritual questioning and about conceiving of God in a modern age. These are some of the words of that song: “If God had a name, what would it be,
and would you call it to his face, if you were faced with him, in all His Glory,
what would you ask if You had just one question…Chorus: What if God was one of us? Just a slob like one of us? Just a stranger on a bus, trying to make his way home.
Those lyrics concerned some conservative Christians groups because of their irreverent tone. I’m not claiming that the song has any of the right answers, But that question, “What if God was one us?” could very well be the most important question ever asked this side of heaven. The central question in all of history.
WBTU:
Many marvelous things surrounding the birth of Christ. That he was born in Bethlehem.
Angel came and told shepherds and they went to the scene. Providential but not miraculous
Miracle is an event that is contrary to the established laws of nature. Not really miracles until we talk about the star. “After they had heard the king, they went on their way, and the star they had seen in the east went ahead of them until it stopped over the place where the child was.” Matthew 2:9, NIV.
Virgin birth is a miracle. Experienced only by Mary. Joseph had a struggle.
But the incarnation of the Son of God was the greatest miracle of Christmas. Didn’t talk specifically about John 1:14 last week. Focusing on this one verse this morning.
Thesis: From vs. 14 let’s talk about the incarnation, the identification, and the intervention of the Son of God.
For instances:
The Incarnation (The Word became flesh)
The meaning of the word incarnation. The word come from Latin and means “in the flesh.”
Jewish thinking of God coming in the flesh. “We are not stoning you for any of these,” replied the Jews, “but for blasphemy, because you, a mere man, claim to be God.” John 10:33
The Gentile thinking of God coming in the flesh. “What the king asks is too difficult. No-one can reveal it to the king except the gods, and they do not live among men.”” Daniel 2:11, NIV.
The longing for it among mankind. “When the crowd saw what Paul had done, they shouted in the Lycaonian language, “The gods have come down to us in human form!” Barnabas they called Zeus, and Paul they called Hermes because he was the chief speaker.” Acts 14:11, 12. A legend had it that in that region an elderly couple named Baucis and Philemon (not in NT) gave hospitality unawares to Zeus and Hermes, visiting incognito.
Stories of the Gentiles gods coming to earth disguised as humans, never would they be born as a baby and limit themselves in that way. They did this to have malicious fun with mankind or to experience pleasure of a sensual nature with men or women. Stories of them having children by these lovers. Nothing of holiness or righteousness in these accounts.
The Word was made flesh.
What is flesh? It is human nature. For Jesus Christ, it meant being confined to the flesh in time (left heavenly time, eternity, and came into the time of creation- Max Lucado points this out - When Jesus came to earth he heard for the very first time as phrase never used in heaven - He heard, “Your time is up”. Think about that. As a child he had to leave the Temple because His time was up. As a Savior he had to die because his time was up. Imagine what it would be like to never have to know about schedules or appointments or calandars and suddenly have to follow the clock) space (limited because now he could no longer be everywhere but only at one place at that point in time), and abilities (because part of our time and space).
It is weakness, fatigue (Jesus got tired), sorrow (“he began to be deeply distressed and troubled. “My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death,” he said Mark 14:33, 34), and suffering (“But this is how God fulfilled what he had foretold through all the prophets, saying that his Christ would suffer.” Acts 3:18).
The identification
With us ( made his dwelling among us). ““The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel”--which means, “God with us.”” Matthew 1:23, NIV.
Meaning “he tabernacled among us” For 33 years Jesus Christ tabernacled among us. The word "dwelt", means to pitch his tent and it's the idea that He really came to live with us. He reduced Himself to become a part of our system, a part of our culture, a part of our world, a part of what we are. He was one of us. Mary Ellen Ashcroft- "As Christians we have focused on the saving death of Christ but thrown out the Incarnation in our Christmas wrappings. As we cover God with Christmas, we hide what is most distinctive about Christianity. And this is the tragedy: What many don’t know about Christianity is that God has chosen to identify with their pain, their humanness, their flesh.”
He was no ghost or make believe person.
“This is how you can recognise the Spirit of God: Every spirit that acknowledges that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God,” 1 John 4:2, NIV.
“Many deceivers, who do not acknowledge Jesus Christ as coming in the flesh, have gone out into the world. Any such person is the deceiver and the antichrist.” 2 John 1:7, NIV.
He was a real person who lived a real life. “That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked at and our hands have touched--this we proclaim concerning the Word of life.” 1 John 1:1, NIV.
With God (We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father)
The manger tends to hide His glory. Mary did you know that your baby boy is Lord of all creation? Mary did you know that your baby boy would one day rule the nations? Did you know that your baby boy is heaven's perfect Lamb? This sleeping child you're holding is the great I am
what caught John's attention was the glory that he saw inside. That is what he says was remarkable. Ever walk around a campground at night and see lights inside the tents glowing like jewels in the darkness as they shone through the fabric? That is descriptive of what John saw when he saw Jesus: he saw a glory inside.
the chorus from Angels We Have Heard on High, “Gloria in excelsius Deo.” Hark! The Herald Angels Sing begins and ends with “Glory to the newborn king.” Vs. 2 and 3 of O Come All Ye Faithful sings, “Glory to God, all glory in the highest,” and then “Jesus, to thee be all glory given.” Silent Night speaks of “glories stream from heaven afar.” Joy to the World refers to the “glories of his righteousness.” What constitutes His glory?
The intervention (full of grace and truth)
Sin in the human race made this necessary. “But when the time had fully come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under law,” Galatians 4:4, NIV.
Son of God intervened in human history.
He brought us grace
acrostic that defines grace: God's Riches At Christ's Expense -- G-R-A-C-E.
let's face it, if God dealt with us for what we deserved, it would be pretty sad, wouldn't it? If God just gave us justice, it would be pretty sad because we rebel against Him, we're stubborn, we despise His ways, we walk in our own paths, we do the things that are Satanic, we follow the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, the pride of life, disobedient to God. If God just dealt with us on the basis of that He could wipe us out and start with a whole new generation. But God doesn't deal with a sinner on the terms of justice. He deals in the terms of grace. And Christ came as the expression of grace.
““Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favour rests.”” Luke 2:14, NIV. Unmerited “favour.”
He brought us truth.
Truth is manifestation of reality, the unveiling of what is actually there, the stripping off of all the illusions, veils, shams, phoniness, the facades, and getting down to what is actually there. Jesus was full of both grace and truth. He was the ultimate revelation of what is really there in life; and he is the fullest expression of love giving itself, pouring out, reaching out to others.
The OT only had partial truth. And who was the full truth? Jesus Christ. What happens to the person today who was raised in Judaism who knows all of the truth of the Old Testament and rejects Jesus Christ? Half truth is no truth. Christ came as full truth. And in the Old Testament it was only shadows and prophecies and types and all came to fulfillment in Jesus Christ. He was full truth. And it was all partial before that. They were all looking forward to it, weren't they? Now it has happened. He's full truth. That's why He said, "I am the way...the truth,"
“For no matter how many promises God has made, they are “Yes” in Christ.” 2 Corinthians 1:20, NIV.
He brought us salvation.
Need both grace and truth. Those are the two combinations of salvation. Those are the two attributes of glory, or the two distinctives of glory that designate salvation. “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith--and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God--” Ephesians 2:8, NIV. Through faith in what or who? The truth of Jesus Christ. That's the essence of salvation.
Plan of salvation
