God with us

Introduction

As today marks the day that Jesus was welcomed to Jerusalem as the king of the Jew, by the same people who later agitated that He must be crucified at all cost we are going to explore the cross and what it means for the church.

For the purpose of this message we are going to be looking at the

Persona of Jesus; His Divinity and humanity briefly

The suffering and false accusation

What it meant for us

Conclude by inviting you to share in His glory

Key text

John 19:1–16 NKJV

So then Pilate took Jesus and scourged Him. And the soldiers twisted a crown of thorns and put it on His head, and they put on Him a purple robe. Then they said, “Hail, King of the Jews!” And they struck Him with their hands. Pilate then went out again, and said to them, “Behold, I am bringing Him out to you, that you may know that I find no fault in Him.” Then Jesus came out, wearing the crown of thorns and the purple robe. And Pilate said to them, “Behold the Man!” Therefore, when the chief priests and officers saw Him, they cried out, saying, “Crucify Him, crucify Him!” Pilate said to them, “You take Him and crucify Him, for I find no fault in Him.” The Jews answered him, “We have a law, and according to our law He ought to die, because He made Himself the Son of God.” Therefore, when Pilate heard that saying, he was the more afraid, and went again into the Praetorium, and said to Jesus, “Where are You from?” But Jesus gave him no answer. Then Pilate said to Him, “Are You not speaking to me? Do You not know that I have power to crucify You, and power to release You?” Jesus answered, “You could have no power at all against Me unless it had been given you from above. Therefore the one who delivered Me to you has the greater sin.” From then on Pilate sought to release Him, but the Jews cried out, saying, “If you let this Man go, you are not Caesar’s friend. Whoever makes himself a king speaks against Caesar.” When Pilate therefore heard that saying, he brought Jesus out and sat down in the judgment seat in a place that is called The Pavement, but in Hebrew, Gabbatha. Now it was the Preparation Day of the Passover, and about the sixth hour. And he said to the Jews, “Behold your King!” But they cried out, “Away with Him, away with Him! Crucify Him!” Pilate said to them, “Shall I crucify your King?” The chief priests answered, “We have no king but Caesar!” Then he delivered Him to them to be crucified. Then they took Jesus and led Him away.

Prayer - Our Heavenly Father i thank you for the opportunity you’ve given to learn from you again today.

I ask that every ear be open and heart be attentive to your voice and that your word will be clear and understood.

I commit myself to you that i will not speak of myself but that you will use me to communicate your word unto us this morning in Jesus name.

The Begotten of the Father

For the purpose of this message will be focusing of the humanity of Jesus, but for proper context it is worth noting that Jesus is fully God and fully man.

Begotten means that He is originated by “birth” from the Father which is proved by His conception which was of the Holy Spirit Matt 1:20

Matthew 1:20 NKJV

But while he thought about these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take to you Mary your wife, for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit.

Luke 1:34–35 NKJV

Then Mary said to the angel, “How can this be, since I do not know a man?” And the angel answered and said to her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Highest will overshadow you; therefore, also, that Holy One who is to be born will be called the Son of God.

John 10:30 NKJV

I and My Father are one.”

The Humanity of Jesus Christ

This is the highest demonstration of God to humanity that He is with us, implying that He identifies with our plight that He off Himself to us.

Philippians 2:6–8 NKJV

who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross.

John 3:16 NKJV

For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.

Romans 5:8 NKJV

But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

When Pilate presented Him to the people He did not present God but a man John 19:5

John 19:5 (NKJV)

Then Jesus came out, wearing the crown of thorns and the purple robe. And Pilate said to them, “Behold the Man!”

The humanity of Jesus expresses relevance, as God enters into our sufferings and pain and share them with us, not just to suffer but in the hands of those He created and loved.

Hebrews 2:10–11 NKJV

For it was fitting for Him, for whom are all things and by whom are all things, in bringing many sons to glory, to make the captain of their salvation perfect through sufferings. For both He who sanctifies and those who are being sanctified are all of one, for which reason He is not ashamed to call them brethren,

For this reason you can say that Divinity, humanity and Salvation all come together in Christ as rightly fully expressed by the Apostles creed Which comes from the the Latin word (Credo) “i believe and trust” They summarise the essential teaching of the 12 Apostles which states that

The Apostles' Creed

I believe in God, the Father almighty, creator of heaven and earth. I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord, who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried; he descended to the dead. On the third day he rose again; he ascended into heaven, he is seated at the right hand of the Father, and he will come to judge the living and the dead. I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy catholic Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. Amen.

Hebrews 2:14–18 NKJV

Inasmuch then as the children have partaken of flesh and blood, He Himself likewise shared in the same, that through death He might destroy him who had the power of death, that is, the devil, and release those who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage. For indeed He does not give aid to angels, but He does give aid to the seed of Abraham. Therefore, in all things He had to be made like His brethren, that He might be a merciful and faithful High Priest in things pertaining to God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people. For in that He Himself has suffered, being tempted, He is able to aid those who are tempted.

The reason we can say God with us is because Jesus Christ who had a divine origin became man so that He can restore humanity with God. Having been separated through sin. Gen 2:17

Genesis 2:17 NKJV

but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.”

False accusation

Blasphemy and Treason, which are at the very centre of human sin.

Blasphemy: is can also be classified as slander which will include any word or action that insults or devalues a being., or the Act of effrontery in which the name of God is insulted by man.

He was accused of insulting God because He drew a reference to His Divinity John 10:30-33

John 10:30–33 NKJV

I and My Father are one.” Then the Jews took up stones again to stone Him. Jesus answered them, “Many good works I have shown you from My Father. For which of those works do you stone Me?” The Jews answered Him, saying, “For a good work we do not stone You, but for blasphemy, and because You, being a Man, make Yourself God.”

John 19:7 NKJV

The Jews answered him, “We have a law, and according to our law He ought to die, because He made Himself the Son of God.”

Satan tipped Eve over to disobey by inferring insult to Him Gen 3:5

Genesis 3:5 NKJV

For God knows that in the day you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.”

The next accusation was “treason” which is an act of rebellion against a ruling authority in this context “against” God John 19:12

John 19:12 NKJV

From then on Pilate sought to release Him, but the Jews cried out, saying, “If you let this Man go, you are not Caesar’s friend. Whoever makes himself a king speaks against Caesar.”

Genesis 3:6 NKJV

So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree desirable to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate. She also gave to her husband with her, and he ate.

The promises of God are … only profitable to us when they are confirmed by the blood of Christ.

John Calvin

Satan does not tempt us to do wrong things; he tempts us in order to make us lose what God has put into us by regeneration, viz., the possibility of being of value to God.

Oswald Chambers

Conclusion

God is not just with us He’s is for us, because He did not just identify with our sin predicament, He identified with it and it’s consequences to effectively deliver us from it.

As God He suffered as man in the hands of those He created and loved.

He took our place so that we would not have to Heb 2:14-15

Hebrews 2:14–15 NKJV

Inasmuch then as the children have partaken of flesh and blood, He Himself likewise shared in the same, that through death He might destroy him who had the power of death, that is, the devil, and release those who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage.

God sent Jesus to be in the trenches of pain and suffering which are the consequences of the sin nature in man. So that He can deliver and restore us to our Kingdom mandate.

He inviting you to come today Matt 11:28-30

Matthew 11:28–30 NKJV

Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.”

Isaiah 53:4–5 NKJV

Surely He has borne our griefs And carried our sorrows; Yet we esteemed Him stricken, Smitten by God, and afflicted. But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; The chastisement for our peace was upon Him, And by His stripes we are healed.