WHAT IS THE INCARNATION OF CHRIST?
“INCARNATION” — is a theological term for the coming of God’s Son into the world as a human being.
When the Lord Jesus went about establishing who He was He had a monumental task.
Put yourself in the Lord’s position.
Illus: Suppose you were the Son of God, but nobody knew you were GOD IN THE FLESH but now it is time for them to know.
Did you know?
(1) Mary the mother of Jesus did not fully know He was the Incarnate Son of God!!!
There are two groups today who have two different ideas about the mother of Jesus whether she FULLY KNEW CHRIST WAS THE INCARNATE SON OF GOD OR NOT!
A. One group believed she knew WHO HE WAS based on…
Luke 2:9-11 And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid. And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.
That sounds very convincing like she knew…doesn’t it?
Especially these words in verse 11, For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.
Some use this passage of scripture to state she knew who He was because of the angel of the Lord spoke these words in this passage to her.
Here is the problem with using that passage of scripture, the angel did not appear unto Mary in this passage of scripture the angel appeared to the shepherds in the field.
Luke 2:8 And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night.
When the Lord appeared to Mary it is in Luke chapter one.
Look at Luke 1: 27-33 And in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God unto a city of Galilee, named Nazareth, To a virgin espoused to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David; and the virgin's name was Mary. And the angel came in unto her, and said, Hail, thou that art highly favoured, the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou among women. And when she saw him, she was troubled at his saying, and cast in her mind what manner of salutation this should be. And the angel said unto her, Fear not, Mary: for thou hast found favour with God. And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name JESUS. He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David: And he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end.
What the angel of the Lord said to Mary was that she WAS HIGHLY FAVORED AND SHE WAS TO NAME THE CHILD JESUS WHICH SHE DID!
Just as the disciples came to understand whom they followed.
• Mary realized day by day,
• Revelation by revelation,
that she had indeed given birth to the Son of the living God.
B. Another group (Including myself) believed she did not fully know at Christ birth that the child she was to bare as a virgin was going to be the INCARANATE SON OF GOD.
WHY DO SOME OF US DOUBT SHE FULLY KNEW THAT JESUS WAS THE INCARNATE SON OF GOD?
Look at Luke 2:19 But Mary kept all these things and pondered them in her heart.
Let me explain why I align myself with the group that she did not fully know.
The mother of Jesus when the angel of the Lord appeared to her this was the most outstanding day of this young girl’s life.
(1) She is thinking about her wedding that is soon to take place with this young man call Joseph.
(2) She has kept herself pure for marriage…SHE WAS A VIRGIN.
During this exciting time in her life some outstanding things in her life took place as a young lady.
While the Bible does not specifically state how old Mary was when Jesus was born, most Christian historians speculate that she was around 15—16 years of age at the time of Jesus’ birth.
According to Jewish customs at the time, a young woman might become betrothed to a young man as early as 12 years of age, though the consummation of their marriage through ceremony and physical intimacy would not happen until they were legally married, many months or even years later.
In the life of this young teenage lady…
-An angel of the Lord appeared to her. (That by itself would be overwhelming.)
-Being a virgin she is going to have a baby. (That by itself would be overwhelming.)
-How will she explain being a virgin this to her parents and fiancé she was a virgin! (That by itself would be overwhelming.)
This is a day of JOY and CONFUSION FOR HER.
This young lady had a lot on her mind when the angel of the Lord appeared to her.
The scripture tells us in Luke 1:29, And when she saw him, (Angel of the Lord) she was troubled at his saying and cast in her mind what manner of salutation this should be.
One translation says when she heard this, they interpret this verse she was, “Confused and disturbed, Mary tried to think what the angel could mean.”
When she heard these things from the angel of the Lord giving birth as a virgin in (Luke 2:8-20), the Bible tells us she pondered these things.
IT IS IMPORTANT THAT WE KNOW WHAT THE WORD PONDER MEAN?
What does the word PONDER mean?
The word Ponder means “to think about: reflect on the events of the day.”
HOW DO WE KNOW THAT MARY DID NOT KNOW THAT JESUS WAS THE INCARNATE SON OF GOD?
She knew she was a virgin and that she was going to give birth to Jesus, but she did not fully understand the significance of that birth.
She even said HOW CAN I BEING A VIRGIN GIVE BIRTH TO A CHILD?
Let me illustrate in two ways why I do not believe Mary fully understood that Jesus was the Incarnate Son of God.
(1) Years later, Jesus stayed behind at the Temple in Jerusalem to listen to and speak with the teachers in Luke 2:41-52.
His parents, however, did not understand His desire to be in His "Father's house." In fact, they chastised Him for causing them to worry.
Illus: Barnes notes on the Bible tells us in Luke 2:49 And he said unto them, how is it that ye sought me? Wist (Don’t you know) ye not that I must be about my father's business?
In other words, Jesus was saying don’t you know who I am and I must be about my Father’s business.
If Mary knew He was the Incarnate Son of God, she should have known…
• That the Son of God was safe; that his heavenly Father would take care of him,
• And that he would not do anything inappropriate.
But yet she was all upset as any mother would do when her child has been missing for one day.
He said to her He must be about My Father's business.
Some think that this should be translated "in my father's house" -- that is, in the temple.
Jesus reminded them here that he came down from heaven; that he had a higher Father than an earthly parent; and that, even in early life, it was proper that he should be engaged in the work for which he came.
He did not enter, indeed, upon his public work for eighteen years after this; yet still the work of God was his work, and always, even in childhood, it was proper for him to be engaged in the great business for which he came down from heaven.
This is evidence she did not know…
(2) Here is the REAL PROOF that Mary did not fully know the significance of his birth!!!
• If Mary had fully known that He was the INCARNATE SON OF GOD when she scolded Him for missing, she would have been SCOLDING GOD!
If she really knew who He was the incarnate Son of God would she be doing such a thing!
• Now suppose she spanked Him; she would have been SPANKING GOD IN THE FLESH.
But instead, she as a mother treated him like any child in the flesh would have been treated.
But this teenage girl (Mary the mother of Jesus) seems to me she was more concern about trying to explain to her parents and fiancé she was a virgin.
As a child He played with His brothers and sisters.
• The Bible tells us in Matthew 13:55 that Jesus had four brothers: James, Joseph, Simon, and Judas.
• The Bible tells us in Matthew 13:56 that Jesus had sisters, but they are not named or numbered.
The Lord was raised in a large family.
• Maybe He looked like them physically.
• He ate and slept with them.
• If He fell and got hurt, He bled like them.
But there is one difference He never committed a sin as a child or as an adult.
Now at the age 30 He is to establish the fact that He is the INCARNATE SON OF GOD.
I do not believe that Mary His mother fully knew He was the INCARNATE SON OF GOD.
Later on, I will show you when she fully understood he was the incarnate son of GOD.
Not only did Mary the mother of Jesus fully know He was the INCARNATE SON OF GOD…
(2) His own friends did not know He was the Incarnate Son of God.
When He began to declare WHO HE WAS they thought He had lost His mind.
Look at Mark 3:21, we read, “And when his friends heard of it, they went out to lay hold on him: for they said, He is beside himself.”
In our text today Jesus’ friends HEARD HE WAS DECLARING HIMSELF TO BE THE INCARNATE SON OF GOD concerned about what they were hearing about him came to take him away.
Having come to “take him away” was a mild way of putting it. The actual language was they came to “seize” him.
To seize means to lay hold of.
Illus: One commentator suggests it is used in the same way as in “seizing a prisoner.”
The reason for “seizing” and taking him away is because they said, “he is beside himself.”
Being beside himself means he was “out of his mind.”
Some translation says Jesus was “mad.”
So, it seems Jesus’ friends thought he was in trouble, and they came to take him home so he could get his head on straight again.
(3) Jesus biological brothers did not believe in Him as the INCARNATE SON OF GOD.
Look at John 7:5 " for neither did his brethren believe in him."
They were thinking who does Jesus think he is?
• This is not the boy who grew up in our home.
• This is not the humble craftsman working quietly in his workshop.
Something must be wrong with Him!!!
That’s incredible!!! Those who had lived with Jesus for 30 years really did not know him.
Illus: Not one of Jesus’ brothers is mentioned as a disciple:
When did His mother, friends and brothers come to believe in Him?
• It was not during his pre-crucifixion ministry.
• But after his resurrection and ascension, there they are in the upper room worshiping him as God even his mother.
Look at Acts 1:14 These all continued with one accord in prayer and supplication, with the women, and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with his brethren.
After His ascension the Bible tells us Mary and His brethren were now praying and believing that He was the incarnate Christ.
Yes, this was a monumental task for the Lord Who looked like an ordinary man to establish the fact that He was the Son of God.
Illus: There is an old saying:
• If it looks like a duck!
• Quacks like a Duck!
• Walks like a Duck!
• It must be a Duck!
Jesus looked like an ordinary man, but He was the Incarnate Son of God.
That is He was…
• He was claiming to be the WAY to salvation
• He claimed to be the DOOR that men must enter to inherit eternal life
The incarnation of Christ is the greatest act of humility that has ever taken place on the face of the earth.
(1) First of all, consider the humility of the incarnation itself, the second person of the Trinity, the eternal Son of God, taking on humanity with all of its limitations, with all of its pain and sorrow and suffering.
Listen to how Paul describes it:
2 Corinthians 8:9 For ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that, though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, that ye through his poverty might be rich.
What does that mean?
This means He relinquished all of the riches of heaven, in order to become one of us, in order to save us from our sins.
Illus: He gave up that glory in order to become a human baby. Not even an adult. That would be humility enough, to give up the glory of heaven to become a man.
But instead he became a helpless little infant.
But think of it:
• The baby Jesus, completely at the mercy of Mary and Joseph. Unable to feed himself, unable to move about, to communicate. Unable to do anything except eat and sleep and dirty his diaper.
• And here’s the irony of it all. He is dependent upon the man and woman he made to now take care of him.
• Those hands which had formed galaxies and set the stars in place, those hands that had spun the earth on its axis, now just waving around ineffectually.
• The mouth that had spoken the universe into existence, now just babbling and cooing.
• The sovereign Lord of creation had now become the very picture of weakness and powerlessness and inability – a little baby.
• Not even a royal baby, not the son of a king; not a wealthy baby, the son of money and privilege. But instead, a peasant child born to poverty and want, raised in a very humble circumstance.
• Surrounded not by God’s holy angels and the glory of heaven, but instead surrounded by sinful, fallen human beings and a stinking, dirty barn.
Illus: Think about it: when people are struck with a serious illness, something progressively debilitating, so that they know over time they’re going to become less and less able to care for themselves, one of the things they fear most is losing control.
Having to rely on other people for the basic necessities of life – to dress them, and feed them, and bathe them.
Yet Jesus voluntarily took on this kind of complete helplessness, the kind that we fear so much!!!
Here’s a question for you:
Everyone he came into contact with truly was his inferior, including his own parents. Yet he never grumbled or complained, he never rebelled.
Instead, he humbled himself and willingly yielded to their authority over him. He respected their authority, not because they necessarily deserved his respect. But because it was the right thing to do, because God the Father had placed himself in a position of subjection to them.
Jesus was willing to give up the privileges of deity in order to become one of us, in order to give his life for our sins.
• He looked like an ordinary man,
• He dressed like an ordinary man,
• He walked like an ordinary man,
• He talked like an ordinary man,
But HE WAS MUCH MORE THAN THAT! HE WAS THE INCARNATE SON OF GOD!!!
If you were in His shoes, how would you go about establishing that you are the SON OF GOD?
Your parents, friends and brothers and sisters who had no idea you are the incarnate Son of God.
The Lord started this quest by doing two things:
(1) The Lord performed miracles to support the fact that He was the Son of God.
Illus: The Lord performing miracles which got the attention of Nicodemus as to who he was.
Look at John 3:2 The same came to Jesus by night, and said unto him, Rabbi, we know that thou art a teacher come from God: for no man can do these miracles that thou doest, except God be with him.
Also the Lord in establishing Who He was…
(2) Asked a question to his disciples “WHOM DO MEN SAY THAT I AM?”
Look at Matthew 16:14-16. We read, “And they said, Some say that thou art John the Baptist: some, Elias; and others, Jeremias, or one of the prophets. He saith unto them, But whom say ye that I am? And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God. And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God.”
There has always been a variety of answers as to who people said He was.
• Some said that He was the carpenter’s son
• Some said that He was God in the flesh
• Some said that He was the devil
• Some said that He was an impostor or a deceiver
• Some said that He was one of the prophets
We know that He is the Son of the living God, and we assume that people have always known that, but that is not so.
At this stage in His life and ministry, He was beginning to make the claim He was the Son of God, but everyone was not receiving that claim with joy.
Today, let’s look more closely at the RELIGIOUS crowd He had to deal with. They were His worst enemies as His reputation began to spread that He was the INCARNATE SON OF GOD!!!
The Lord was not going to let them attack His deity without responding.
We need to consider two things:
I. HIS REVELATION
While we consider the Lord Jesus to be the Christ, the Son of the living God, they many thought of Him differently.
Illus: This is one of the problems that the missionary has when they take the gospel to people in foreign lands who worship idols. These missionaries have the awesome task of having to convince these people the gods they worship is no more than a piece of wood or marble and that Jesus is the ONE who they should be worshipping not these idols.
But while most of us in America know that Jesus is the Son of God during bible times, they did not know this.
WHO DID THEY THINK HE WAS?
Look at Mark 3:22, we read, “And the scribes which came down from Jerusalem said, He hath Beelzebub, and by the prince of the devils casteth he out devils.”
This was a very serious charge!
WHO IS BEELZEBUB?
• Originally Beelzebub was an idol god of the Philistines.
• The name Beelzebub actually means, “THE GOD OF FLIES.”
• The Jews called Beelzebub the idol of filth or dung.
• Later on the name, Beelzebub, was given to Satan in Rev. 12:7-9.
It is one thing to say that someone is influenced by Satan, but they did not say that. They went beyond that and said HE WAS THE DEVIL IN FLESH!
Never has anyone as HOLY as Jesus walked on the face of the earth. Yet the most HOLY person who ever walked on this earth was being accused of being NOT GOD IN THE FLESH BUT SATAN IN THE FLESH!!!
These insulting words had to hurt!
Illus: Someone said, “Sticks and stones may break my bones but words will never hurt me.” The fellow that said this must have been drunk, because no one in his right mind would say such a thing.
Words can be destructive, and very painful.
Illus: You can slap me, and it will only hurt for a minute or so, but you can say unkind things to me, and it will hurt me for days and years!
There were so many unkind things said to Him.
• In John 10:20 we read, “And many of them said, He hath a devil, and is mad; why hear ye him?”
• In John 8:48 we read, “Then answered the Jews, and said unto him, Say we not well that thou art a Samaritan, and hast a devil?”
The reason they attacked Him verbally was because they knew they could not attack Him on His message.
If a person can’t attack the message, then they attack the messenger.
For example, they could not discredit him:
• He was healing the sick
• He was opening the eyes of the blind
• He was causing the deaf to hear
• He was raising the dead
• He was casting out devils
All the supernatural things He was doing supported who He claimed to be. There was some who KNEW HE WAS THE SON OF GOD.
Illus: In Mark 9 chapter, the disciples spoke of a man who professed to be a follower of the Lord and was casting out devils. These disciples felt like someone should stop him.
Look at the Lord’s response to this in Mark 9:38-40, we read, “And John answered him, saying, Master, we saw one casting out devils in thy name, and he followeth not us: and we forbad him, because he followeth not us. But Jesus said, Forbid him not: for there is no man which shall do a miracle in my name, that can lightly speak evil of me. For he that is not against us is on our part.”
The Lord more or less said, “Leave him alone, he is on our side!”
But there were a lot of folks during the days of Christ when He was ESTABLISHING who He was were not on the Lord’s side.
But their argument does not hold up.
No man could do the miracles He did and not be who He said He was!
If we had the time, I could produce 37 miracles that the Lord did to prove He was the INCARNATE SON OF GOD.
These miracles convinced many that Jesus was Who He said He was!!!
THESE INDISPUTABLE MIRACLES REVEALED HE WAS THE INCARNATE SON OF GOD.
But to prove the Lord was who He said He was we need to also look at…
II. HIS REBUKE
The religious crowd of that day was trying to DESTROY HIS CLAIM THAT HE WAS THE SON OF GOD by claiming He was Satan incarnate.
The Lord did not allow them to attack His claim of deity without responding.
He asked them in verse 23, “How can Satan cast out Satan?”
This is a good LOGICAL question.
(1) If He is the devil, WHY then WOULD He cast out devils?
(2) If He is Satan and He is casting out devils, how can He advance wickedness that way?
He would be taking one step forward and one step backward and getting nowhere.
Look at Verses 23-27, we read, “And he called them unto him, and said unto them in parables, How can Satan cast out Satan? And if a kingdom be divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand. And if a house be divided against itself, that house cannot stand. And if Satan rise up against himself, and be divided, he cannot stand, but hath an end. No man can enter into a strong man's house, and spoil his goods, except he will first bind the strong man; and then he will spoil his house.”
The flaw in their logic is: SATAN PROMOTES EVIL, HE DOES NOT TRY TO STAMP IT OUT.
Jesus proves their accusation against Him is illogical.
The Lord REBUKES these charges made against Him.
Conclusion:
Listen lost person, the Holy Spirit of God is dealing with your heart. He is trying to lead you to the Lord Jesus for salvation.
The worst sin that a person can commit is to reject the Lord Jesus as the INCARNATE SON OF GOD who gave up everything for you in order to be saved.
We categorize sin. Some as bad and some not so bad.
But did you know…
• A person can commit adultery. God will forgive you for that
• A person can commit thievery…God will forgive you for that
• A person can commit homosexuality…God will forgive you for that.
But God will not forgive you for rejecting His Son who became flesh and died for your sins…This is unpardonable!
We have looked at:
I.HIS REVELATION
II.HIS REBUKE
Pentatonix - Mary, Did You Know? (Official Video)
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Nov 11, 2014
