Reflections on the Incarnation
Notes
Transcript
5 Therefore, when He came into the world, He said:
“Sacrifice and offering You did not desire,
But a body You have prepared for Me.
6 In burnt offerings and sacrifices for sin
You had no pleasure.
7 Then I said, ‘Behold, I have come—
In the volume of the book it is written of Me—
To do Your will, O God.’ ”
Christmas is celebrated on December 25, but on December 25 of last year..It is almost a year since NASA launched the most powerful telescope in the world, the James Webb Telescope
Discoveries so far:
Put images here:
1) The towering pillars of creation – a vast span of sculptured gas and dust located about 6,500 light-years from Earth in the Eagle Nebula
2) The Phantom Galaxy - swirls through space about 32 million light-years from Earth.
3) Mountains of the Carina Nebula - like a cosmic landscape 7600 light-years from earth
4) The Cartwheel Galaxy - Spiral galaxy some 500 light-years from the earth
5) Fiery Hourglass - image of young star that blasts streams of gas into surrounding dust clouds
6) Deepest view of the most distant galaxies
The edge of the Universe
In the midst of the vastness of the universe - we are so tiny.
What is the meaning of life? (What is our life for?)
Scientists try to understand how the universe began, the Big bang, Lerner’s Plasma model, at the core of what these scientists think is that the universe was created by some random process outside the realm of a creator… if so,
What is the significance or value of life? (What is our life worth?)
They are now claiming that the universe is billions of years old, this other scientist Lerner claims the universe is eternal... if what they claim is true that since the lifespan of humans is merely.. 80 to just over a 100 years, compared to billions of years, we are a blip...
What is the purpose of life? (Why are we here? Why do we exist?)
We will never make sense of the meaning, value and purpose of life, the questions of WHAT and WHY will never be answered unless we acknowledge a greater being and a greater purpose.
A greater meaning and purpose in the creation of the universe leads to a particular meaning and purpose for our lives.
In fact, God wants mankind to discover Him through their discoveries of the universe He created.
19 because what may be known of God is manifest in them, for God has shown it to them. 20 For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse,
This is the General Revelation of God. But His revelation does not stop there, there is a special revelation through the Lord Jesus Christ.
Special Revelation is not only God speaking to us, it is about God being with us, living in us, the INCARNATION of the Lord Jesus Christ.
Incarnation - Embodied in Flesh or Taking on flesh. (Basic definition)
But when it comes to the Lord Jesus Christ, incarnation is God becoming flesh and dwelling among us,.
Reflections on the Incarnation of Jesus.
God entering our world speaks of the tremendous value that God saw in us.
“You are worth redeeming.”
5 Therefore, when He came into the world, He said:
“Sacrifice and offering You did not desire,
But a body You have prepared for Me.
Even in ancient times people acknowledged that there is a God. They are compelled to offer sacrifices to God. In Genesis 4, then men began to call on the Name of the Lord.. so God chose Abraham, then His descendants the people of Israel to whom God gave the laws and the commandments. Through Moses, a sacrificial system of worship was established.
But is it the sacrifice and offering that God really desired?
“Sacrifice and offering You did not desire, but a body You gave Me.”
God is not after your sacrifice, your performance, your good works, your religion---
He wants a close relationship with You so much so THAT GOD took on flesh to be with You!
“But a body you have prepared for Me”.
The great lengths God had to go through to reach us..
He did not need to be with us, He did not need anything from us — He is pre-existent and all-sufficient..
2. An All-sufficient God is the source of the meaning of life.
6 In burnt offerings and sacrifices for sin
You had no pleasure.
An all-sufficient God is not appeased by our offerings and sacrifices..
6 But we are all like an unclean thing,
And all our righteousnesses are like filthy rags;
We all fade as a leaf,
And our iniquities, like the wind,
Have taken us away.
Filthy rags - polluted garment
2 But your iniquities have separated you from your God;
And your sins have hidden His face from you,
So that He will not hear.
God is all-sufficient, He did not need us,, BUT WE NEEDED HIM
This is why God condescended
I mentioned, the edge of the universe,, from outside the universe God through Jesus Christ stepped in:
3. Christ’s obedience through the Incarnation gives us Purpose.
7 Then I said, ‘Behold, I have come to do your will, O God,
as it is written of me in the scroll of the book.’ ”
In the Garden of Gethsemane, Jesus prayed to the Father, “not my will, but thine be done” - words of obedience a few hours before He died on the cross.. He knew what was about to transpire, He knew the sufferings He had to endure..the cup of suffering that He had to drink and He said:
39 He went a little farther and fell on His face, and prayed, saying, “O My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as You will.”
But Jesus’ obedience started in eternity --- Behold I have come to do your will O God. He came to our world, entered time and space, became like one of us in His incarnation, and started His journey to the cross ---- although Satan tried to stop Him many times, in obedience — He finished the task, He perfected mankind’s salvation.
And this gives us purpose!!
Jesus finished the work. You are probably wondering, it is Christmas and I should be preaching a message of Christmas.. but Christmas is meaningless without the Cross
If Christ obeyed, so should we!
This is why we need to evangelize..
We should be an Incarnation of the Love of God to our community and to the world.
Story of how Islam spread in Indonesia
We celebrate Christmas, as the birth of our Savior, but the true beginnings of our salvation took place in eternity..
when the Lord Jesus said :
7 Then I said, ‘Behold, I have come to do your will, O God,
as it is written of me in the scroll of the book.’ ”