140-106 God's Purpose for Christmas
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Matthew 1:18-25
Matthew 1:18-25
22 Now over the heads of the living beings there was something like an expanse, like the awesome gleam of crystal, spread out over their heads. 23 Under the expanse their wings were stretched out straight, one toward the other; each one also had two wings covering its body on the one side and on the other. 24 I also heard the sound of their wings like the sound of abundant waters as they went, like the voice of the Almighty, a sound of tumult like the sound of an army camp; whenever they stood still, they dropped their wings. 25 And there came a voice from above the expanse that was over their heads; whenever they stood still, they dropped their wings. 26 Now above the expanse that was over their heads there was something resembling a throne, like lapis lazuli in appearance; and on that which resembled a throne, high up, was a figure with the appearance of a man. 27 Then I noticed from the appearance of His loins and upward something like glowing metal that looked like fire all around within it, and from the appearance of His loins and downward I saw something like fire; and there was a radiance around Him. 28 As the appearance of the rainbow in the clouds on a rainy day, so was the appearance of the surrounding radiance. Such was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the Lord. And when I saw it, I fell on my face and heard a voice speaking.
"What does this have to do with Christmas?" Everything! Ezekiel describes in the best way he could, using human language to describe the indescribable-the glory of God. How do you describe God? Ezekiel did his absolute best. We get the idea-God is not like man.
Job 9
Job begins his discourse in answer to Bildad's unwise counsel who said "Job, you must be sinning b/c God rewards the righteous."
Job begins vv 1-3, 5-12; 32-33-Job speaks the feeling of a sinful race in the presence of infinite holy God. There is the chasm fixed between God and man and appears to be unbridgeable. There is no umpire (daysman) who would impose his will upon both God & man. No creature is capable of being the referee.
14 And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we saw His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth.
God becomes flesh in order to solve the dilemma that man has faced since the fall of Adam.
5 For there is one God, and one mediator also between God and men, the man Christ Jesus,
Incarnation is critically important to humanity. So much that it becomes the standard by which we may discern false teachers
1 Jn 4:2-3 If someone denies the incarnation-they deny God and prove they are not really of Him.
Incarnation is a statement of fact. The Bible never attempts to prove that God became flesh-it merely states "it happened." It is a truth that is accepted and recorded by writers of the NT as well as the many pagan writers that lived around the 1st C. They all knew about Jesus even though they differed on who He is.
God is not like man-so He became. But Why?
Jesus Himself makes 12 direct statements concerning the purposes of His coming including:
Lk 12:49-"to cast fire on the earth" judgment
Lk 12:51- I came not to bring peace but division
Lk 13:7-Came to look for fruit among Israel and individuals
Mt 5: 17- I came to fulfill the law not to abolish it
Mk 1:38-I came to preach
Jn 6:38-I came to do the Father's will
Jn 10:10-I have come that they might have life
Jn 12:27-I came for the hour suffering
Jn 12:46-I come to bring light
These passages and others unfold for us at least 6 reasons—God’s purposes for the birth of Jesus.
1) Born to Die for Sinners
1) Born to Die for Sinners
(and to save them from their sin)
Rom 3:23; Rom 6:23
Death is not just physical death-but more importantly spiritual death. Death involves the separation of the body from the spirit. Sin brings death but God is pure spirit. It is impossible for God to die b/c He does not have a body (like Job says-He is not like man).
Heb 10:4 Sacrifices of OT could not take sin away. Those sacrifices could never get to the root of man's problem which was internal. The sacrifices of an amoral animal could never deal with man's moral offense against holy God. That required a greater sacrifice-only one that God Himself could accomplish-So how can God die? He must become man.
Heb 10:5-10
1 Cor 15:1-4
Alva J. McClain "the goal of Bethlehem was the Place of the Skull. The mystery of the virgin birth can be read only in the blazing light of Calvary. The Incarnation of our blessed Lord was the first historic step of the eternal God on His solemn march to the judgment of the Cross."
The manger and the cross are an inseparable link in the chain of God's redemptive purpose.
Now we speak of and celebrate the Incarnation-the human birth God-Man, rightly so. But we can never leave it at that. The birth of Jesus does not save sinner. Preaching the manger is not the power of God unto salvation but the preaching of the cross. There we see the purpose behind the birth. God became flesh so He could die and save sinners from their sins. Jesus understood this as the purpose. The cross for Him was absolute agony. See Him in Gethsemane sweating blood, crying out to Father "if possible-any other way to accomplish redemption, let this cup pass from Me, but. .. " On the cross, He was abandoned by God as the Father turned His back on the Son. He took upon Himself our sin and bore the full brunt of God's wrath that we deserve. God made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, giving redemption to all who are sanctified (as Heb says).
2) Born to Share His Eternal Life
2) Born to Share His Eternal Life
Jesus has life within Himself (self-existent). He owes His life to no one and nothing else-Jn 1 :4 "in Him was life." Jn 11 :25 "I am the resurrection and the life" Jn 14:6 "Way, Truth, Life."
Jesus has life within Himself-as God, that is why, even in His death Jesus is absolutely sovereign-Jn 10:17-18 Jesus has eternal life within Himself. Eternal life is not a simple matter. Try defining eternal life. What is it?
John 3:16;
28 and I give eternal life to them, and they will never perish; and no one will snatch them out of My hand.
Is it simply life without end-everlasting? Or is there quality in addition to quantity Eternal life is defined as "knowing God" 17:3. It is a deep matter.
Jesus says He came to share His eternal life with men-
10 “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly. 11 “I am the good shepherd; the good shepherd lays down His life for the sheep.
But before He can give His life to the sheep He must give it for the sheep. Obviously a reference to the cross. How do we receive this eternal life? What is the way of life for us? It was the way of death for Christ. Eternal life-or rather, abundant life is now a possibility because of the birth of Christ.
So you have a line of thought that takes us from the human birth of Jesus to the abundant life we receive from Him-no incarnation, no death upon the cross, no death, no atonement, no atonement, no life-no life no abundant life.
3) Born to Know Human Life from Personal Experience
3) Born to Know Human Life from Personal Experience
Only 1 way to have experience-experience. You can read all the books you want about poverty, investigate actual conditions among the poor, study thousands of cases even become the greatest authority on this sociological condition but until you live in poverty you will never come to know it by experience.
Even God Himself-omniscience (say this with utmost reverence) could not know human life from experience until He became man Himself.
9 For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sake He became poor, so that you through His poverty might become rich.
6 who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, 7 but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men. 8 Being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.
Why did God need to experience human life? God needs nothing. He is complete within Himself and lacking nothing. The need was ours-so God came to meet our needs-2 needs:
A Sympathizer
A Sympathizer
Hebrews 2:17-18 If humanity was to have any help when we are tempted, God had to experience temptation from the human side so He could be merciful and understanding. God became our sympathizer-merciful and faithful high priest. MacArthur "He was hungry, He was thirsty, He was overcome with fatigue, He slept, He was taught, He grew, He loved, He was astonished, He was glad, He was angry, He was indignant, He was sarcastic, He was grieved, He was troubled, He was overcome by future events, He exercised faith, He read Scriptures, He prayed, He sighed in His heart when He saw another man in illness, and He cried when His heart ached."
Jesus felt what we feel-b/c He became like us-fully man. And so He endured every trial so that He might come to our aid.
A Judge
A Judge
John 5:22-27
God reserves all judgment for the Son. Why? Not b/c Son is greater or wiser than other members of Trinity-but the answer is in vs 27-He is fl son of man. The judge of men must be a man himself. He must have passed thru the experience of human life. And with this unique qualification, God has given all judgment to the Son. Even in judgment-there is grace beyond compare (full of grace and truth).
4) Born to Provide an Example
4) Born to Provide an Example
What is the ideal life? What would be the perfect life? People don't seem to agree. There is a song that is heard throughout this time of year-"My Grown Up Christmas List"
No more lives tom apart
That wars would never start
And time would heal all hearts
And everyone would have a friend
And right would always win
And love would never end
This is my grown up Christmas list.
People don't know what the perfect life is let alone how to live it. People say "well just live a good life." But what is "goodness"? What is "right"? Jesus is born to show us.
We learn how to live NOW!
6 the one who says he abides in Him ought himself to walk in the same manner as He walked.
21 For you have been called for this purpose, since Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example for you to follow in His steps, 22 who committed no sin, nor was any deceit found in His mouth; 23 and while being reviled, He did not revile in return; while suffering, He uttered no threats, but kept entrusting Himself to Him who judges righteously; 24 and He Himself bore our sins in His body on the cross, so that we might die to sin and live to righteousness; for by His wounds you were healed. 25 For you were continually straying like sheep, but now you have returned to the Shepherd and Guardian of your souls.
We learn what we will be like forever
2 Beloved, now we are children of God, and it has not appeared as yet what we will be. We know that when He appears, we will be like Him, because we will see Him just as He is.
You have never seen a person who will be all that he should be. I’ve heard it said "the only perfect people I know are dead." Take though of this: when He comes we will be like Him-the Lord of Glory.
5) Born to Reveal Himself in Visible Form
5) Born to Reveal Himself in Visible Form
“Eternally visible”
18 No one has seen God at any time; the only begotten God who is in the bosom of the Father, He has explained Him.
Here is a problem for man. We can't see God. God is spirit, He does not have human form. John 14:7-9.
How is that you see the Father when you see the Son?
15 He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation.
eikon-living image. He is the very stamp of God the Father. It is thru the incarnation, death, resurrection ascension that our Lord became for us an everlasting visual of God.
16 “I, Jesus, have sent My angel to testify to you these things for the churches. I am the root and the descendant of David, the bright morning star.”
at this point, the visions John was given on Patmos have been concluded. God's self-disclosure was complete-holy Scripture was finished. The Author Himself authenticates the message for us with His name-"I Jesus" What a precious reminder of His incarnation that we should not forget the great God became man and His name is Jesus.
6) Born to Testify to the Truth
6) Born to Testify to the Truth
37 Therefore Pilate said to Him, “So You are a king?” Jesus answered, “You say correctly that I am a king. For this I have been born, and for this I have come into the world, to testify to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth hears My voice.” 38 Pilate said to Him, “What is truth?” And when he had said this, he went out again to the Jews and said to them, “I find no guilt in Him.
What is truth? That question reverberates thru our culture today as it has every other culture. While our society denies absolute truth-there is still an internal quest made by every human seeking the truth so he asks: "What is truth?"
Jesus came to testify to the truth-bear witness to it. That's what He told Pilate and he turned away from the truth. Either he was convinced there was no such thing or he just didn't want to hear it. That has been the plight of millions who ask "what is truth?" and then they turn their ear away from it when they hear it.
Jesus testifies to the truth-Jn 1:14; Jn 14:6
He speaks the truth about God, Christ, HS, sin, man, salvation, eternity, heaven and hell, judgment, righteousness.
There are people searching for truth. Especially during this time of the year, b/c the large part of our world doesn't share the joy we have. They don't understand the significance surrounding the birth of our Lord and the purpose behind the incarnation of our God.
God has given us His truth-thru the revelation of His Word and the Author of our salvation has put His divine stamp of authenticity upon it telling us this is the truth. To take this one step further-
31 So Jesus was saying to those Jews who had believed Him, “If you continue in My word, then you are truly disciples of Mine; 32 and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free.”
True freedom comes only in the acceptance of the truth-who is J.C. the Son of God-born of the virgin Mary that first Christmas day. We praise God for His birth as it was necessary to save us from our sin, share with us eternal life, give us the confidence that Jesus has experienced human life (making Him a perfect High Priest), providing us an example to follow, revealing God to us in a visible form forever, and testifying to the truth that we might be set free from the bondage and penalty of sin.
As we are admonished in the hymn: O Come Let us Adore Him, Christ the Lord!