The Great Blessing Of Not Having Jesus With Us

THE GREAT BLESSING OF NOT HAVING JESUS WITH US

John 16:5-8

Dorn Ridge & York Manor June 24, 2012

INTRODUCTION:

1.) If you had the privilege of choosing what period of time you could live in, would you consider it a greater privilege to be alive now and in your present time, or when Jesus physically walked on this earth?

2.) Perhaps from a spiritual perspective, each one of us might choose to have seen Jesus personally, than to live by faith in the present.

3.) But Scripture would paint a far different picture of living during the actual time of Jesus compared with today.

A.) Jesus said: “It is for your good that I am going away.”

B.) Today, I want us to look at these words of Jesus, and try to understand why it would be better from a spiritual perspective to live here and now instead of having Jesus walk with us physically.

4.) To understand this, I want us to look at two pictures of God together with man.

I. THE PICTURE OF GOD WITH US.

1.) At the dawn of creation God was with man.

A.) In the Garden of Eden Adam walked and talked with God in the Garden.

aa.) Can you even imagine what that must have been like?

ab.) What a blessing that must have been, to have had that kind of fellowship and closeness with The Creator of the Universe!

aba.) But unfortunately this wonderful presence of God, and the blessed fellowship with Him did not last.

B.) Sin brought an end to the beauty of Eden, including the personal fellowship with God.

ba.) Even more than the beauty, what made Eden Paradise was the perfect communion with God.

2.) After that fellowship was severed by sin, there were still occasional times throughout the Old Testament, God was seen to be with man.

A.) The prophets received visions and dreams, from God.

aa.) Certainly this was not an everyday event, but whenever God would choose to speak with man, it was a special event.

B.) One of the few people who could talk one on one with God was Moses.

ba.) The relationship between Moses and God was a special one.

baa.) It was a relationship not given to many, and it was a tremendous honour and privilege.

bb.) God and Moses would speak with each other face to face.

bba.) Ex. 33:11

3.) Later on, the temple and more specifically the Ark of The Covenant within the temple represented God with man.

A.) In a symbolic presence, God was here with His people at all times.

aa.) His presence with Israel gave them great strength and comfort.

ab.) In fact, there were times when it seemed the people even worshipped God’s presence more than God Himself.

B.) But God’s presence was not to be considered a casual thing, or to be taken lightly.

ba.) It was not just anyone who could enter into the presence of God, but only the High Priest, and then only once a year, and even then, the regulations on how he would come in were very stringent.

bb.) To enter into the presence of God by any other person, or in any other manner would mean death.

bba.) God would give judgment and require that person’s death.

bc.) Later on, the hope of the presence of God became more real and personal to man.

4.) The Prophet Isaiah received a vision in which God would become personal and be with us in a physical and personal manner.

A.) That vision was a vision and prophecy of the coming of Jesus Christ to become Immanuel: God with us.

aa.) Is. 7:14

B.) Isaiah went on to describe the impact it would have on the world for God to be with us in a physical person of Jesus.

ba.) Is. 9:1a., 2, 6-7

baa.) Isaiah paints for us a powerful picture of the blessing of that day of Immanuel – “God with us.”

bab.) It was the picture of a then future world of God in fellowship with man.

bb.) Certainly there were many aspects of this prophecy that would be revealed when Jesus came the first time.

bc.) There are other aspects of this prophecy that will be fulfilled when Jesus comes back the second and final time.

bd.) But regardless of when these aspects would be fulfilled regarding God with us, the reality of the human race is that the world is a different place because of Jesus coming into this world as God with us.

bda.) Through the person of Jesus the world came to know God.

5.) The fulfillment of Isaiah`s prophecy came 750 years later at Bethlehem.

A.) A young couple named Mary and Joseph was engaged to be married, and Mary was found to be pregnant.