The Greatness of Our God
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Introduction
Introduction
He Gets Us
This year, the He Gets Us campaign released another commercial during the Super Bowl. The tag line was “Jesus showed us what greatness really is.”
In this commercial, we see various depictions of what “serving other” and “loving our neighbor” looks like.
Let’s assume for a minute there was no other motivation behind those pictures. Why should anyone care? What benefit is there is selflessly serving and loving those around you?
I actually completely agree with the tagline of this year’s commercial. Jesus does show us what greatness really is
In Many Portions and Ways
The supremacy of Christ is revealed in …
I. His Kingly Authority (v. 2)
I. His Kingly Authority (v. 2)
The King of kings, and Lord of lords
When we see the title deed of planet earth in Revelation 5, it is presented with the question “Who is worthy to open the scroll?” And as John looks around he records this:
3 And no one in heaven or on the earth or under the earth was able to open the book or to look into it.
5 and one of the elders said to me, “Stop weeping; behold, the Lion that is from the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has overcome so as to open the book and its seven seals.”
There is nothing that has happened, nothing that is happening, and nothing that will happen that Jesus is not in complete control of.
This is why Jesus asks what good it is to worry?
26 “Look at the birds of the air, that they do not sow, nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not worth much more than they? 27 “And who of you by being worried can add a single hour to his life?
Think about what worries you in this life:
Worry about finances
Worry about marriages
Worry about politicians and leaders
Worry about inflation
Worry about retirement
Worry about health
Jesus says, “What good is it to worry? Does it add anything to your life?”
Now, if Jesus was just some moral teacher or revolutionary, that statement would be meaningless.
But Jesus said that as the King of kings and the Lord of lords. Jesus said that as the heir of all things. There is nothing that surprises Him. There is nothing outside of His control.
The supremacy of Christ is revealed in …
II. His Unlimited Creation (v. 2)
II. His Unlimited Creation (v. 2)
World’s Most Beautiful Buildings
If you look up the “most beautiful buildings in the world,” you will find places such as:
St. Paul’s Cathedral (England)
St. Basil’s Cathedral (Russia)
Taj Mahal (India)
Neuschwanstein Castle (Germany)
Petra (Jordan)
When we go on vacations, we take time to visit attractions that have historical or aesthetic significance.
We marvel at beautiful or record-breaking pieces of architecture.
We spend incredible amounts of money to preserve these attractions:
After a fire in 2019, $1 billion was pledged to restore the Notre Dame Cathedral to its former glory.
No matter where the building is or what it looks like, they all share something in common: someone who designed and created them.
Jesus Christ as Creator
Jesus is the reason for everything you see and can’t see.
1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God. 3 All things came into being through Him, and apart from Him nothing came into being that has come into being.
Apart from Jesus, nothing would exist.
How did He create it all?
He spoke and it came into being.
Jesus Christ created everything out of nothing.
The Bible teaches that in God created the worlds in six days, and at every step He declared it is good!
We think our earth is big, but in the grand scheme of things, we’re just a tiny little speck in the universe
Scientists estimate the entire universe could be 7-trillion light-years in diameter.
One trillion — if you stacked a trillion pennies in a tower, they would reach 870,000 miles high, the same distance as traveling from earth, to the moon, and back again. Counting to 1 billion would take you 31 years counting one number per second. Counting to 1 trillion would take you 31,000 years counting one number per second.
One light-year — 5.8 trillion miles
Seven trillion light-years — 3.96 x 10^25
When was the last time you stopped, looked around you, and stood in awe of a your Creator God?
Jesus created you
“Science” today would have you believe that after enough time and enough chance, over millions and billions of years, the cosmic sludge of the universe coincidentally happened to come together to form you.
From the perspective of “science” you are nothing more than a happy accident. From the perspective of Scripture, you are a wonderful creation:
13 For You formed my inward parts; You wove me in my mother’s womb. 14 I will give thanks to You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Wonderful are Your works, And my soul knows it very well.
The supremacy of Christ is revealed in …
III. His Radiant Glory (v. 3)
III. His Radiant Glory (v. 3)
The Power of the Son
Our sun is an incredibly powerful star
The temperature in the core of the sun tops 27 million degrees Fahrenheit
The ultraviolet rays the sun release can damage your eyes, without even looking directly at it.
The spectrum of electromagnetic energy our sun releases could be visualized by stretching a deck of cards from our earth to the next galaxy (the Andromeda Galaxy). If you took 2-3 cards out of the middle of the deck, that would equate to the spectrum of “visible light.” And it just so happens that 70% of all the sun’s energy is compressed in the incredibly narrow range.
In the new heavens and the new earth there will be no need for the sun
5 And there will no longer be any night; and they will not have need of the light of a lamp nor the light of the sun, because the Lord God will illumine them; and they will reign forever and ever.
This is why I see no problem with the order of creation. Some people say, “Well, the sun wasn’t created until day four, but somehow plants existed on the earth.” The could exist because Jesus Christ was there radiating the fullness of His glory for the entire universe to see.
Remember when Saul was on the road to Damascus? What if that blinding light he experienced was Jesus giving him just a glimpse of the glory He radiates at all times?
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.
The fullness of Christ’s glory is more than just light. John says when the Word, when Jesus, took on human flesh, we were able to see the glory of God — full of grace and truth.
The supremacy of Christ is revealed in …
IV. His Perfect Identity (v. 3)
IV. His Perfect Identity (v. 3)
The Exact Representation
The exact representation is like taking a seal and pressing it into wax so that the resulting image is exactly the same.
When you study the person of Jesus Christ, you begin to see exactly who God the Father is.
7 “If you had known Me, you would have known My Father also; from now on you know Him, and have seen Him.” 8 Philip said to Him, “Lord, show us the Father, and it is enough for us.” 9 Jesus said to him, “Have I been so long with you, and yet you have not come to know Me, Philip? He who has seen Me has seen the Father; how can you say, ‘Show us the Father’?
We struggle to understand the full nature of God.
We use words — words like love, justice, mercy, holiness, righteousness — to describe the nature and character of God. But because we’re human beings, we can start to compartmentalize those attributes and portion them out.
God exhibits everyone of those attributes perfectly and simultaneously.
We think words like justice and love are opposites. But when God judges, He does so lovingly. And when God loves, He does so justly.
And if we ever want to know how God would respond, we need look no further than Jesus Christ.
The fullness of the nature and character of God the Father is exhibited perfectly in His Son, Jesus Christ.
The supremacy of Christ is revealed in …
V. His Sustaining Word (v. 3)
V. His Sustaining Word (v. 3)
Holding All Things Together
16 For by Him all things were created, both in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things have been created through Him and for Him. 17 He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together.
Have you ever considered the implications of this verse?
Why is it that the earth you live on remains on a fixed course around the sun?
Why is it that you stay rooted here on this rock we call earth instead of floating off into space?
Gravity — sure but who holds the law of gravity in place?
What keeps your lungs inflated and allows them to breathe in oxygen?
What keeps the blood pumping from your heart and through your veins?
Jesus, the King, the Creator, is the One who is holding everything you see and can’t see together.
The Power of the Word
The Word of God holds everything together.
In John 6, when many of those following Jesus leave Him, Jesus asks:
67 So Jesus said to the twelve, “You do not want to go away also, do you?” 68 Simon Peter answered Him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have words of eternal life.
This word of life promises to conform us to the image of Christ
29 For those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brethren;
This word of life is able to grant us a new identity
20 “I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me.
10 and have put on the new self who is being renewed to a true knowledge according to the image of the One who created him—
How is this accomplished?
Through filling yourself with the Word
12 For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart. 13 And there is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are open and laid bare to the eyes of Him with whom we have to do.
To what end?
The Purpose
That you may be presented blameless in His sight
21 And although you were formerly alienated and hostile in mind, engaged in evil deeds, 22 yet He has now reconciled you in His fleshly body through death, in order to present you before Him holy and blameless and beyond reproach—
This is why Paul urges Timothy, a young pastor, to “preach the Word”
2 preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort, with great patience and instruction.
The supremacy of Christ is revealed in …
VI. His Purifying Sacrifice (v. 3)
VI. His Purifying Sacrifice (v. 3)
The Ultimate Sacrifice
The supremacy of Christ is revealed in …
VII. His Majestic Reign (v. 3)
VII. His Majestic Reign (v. 3)
6 For a child will be born to us, a son will be given to us; And the government will rest on His shoulders; And His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace. 7 There will be no end to the increase of His government or of peace, On the throne of David and over his kingdom, To establish it and to uphold it with justice and righteousness From then on and forevermore. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will accomplish this.
1 Thus says the Lord, “Heaven is My throne and the earth is My footstool. Where then is a house you could build for Me? And where is a place that I may rest? 2 “For My hand made all these things, Thus all these things came into being,” declares the Lord. “But to this one I will look, To him who is humble and contrite of spirit, and who trembles at My word.
Quotes Taken From the Websites of “He Gets Us” & “Come Near”
“It wouldn’t be hard to guess that many of those collaborating with He Gets Us believe that Jesus is who the Bible says he is. He Gets Us is a project under Come Near, a nonprofit startup, who believe that Jesus was human and divine, he rose from the dead, and more.” (emphasis added)
He Gets Us claims many in its campaign believe Jesus is “who the Bible says he is,” yet nowhere do they explain what that is or what it means. If Jesus is the Son of God (and He is) it should be front and center of everything they proclaim.
“FAQs: Who Does He Gets Us Believe Jesus Is?”
hegetsus.com
“We see people who claim to be followers of Jesus taking his open invite and turning it into an exclusive club … Jesus was not exclusive. He was radically inclusive.”
“Jesus Invited Everyone to His Table,” hegetsus.com
“[A] respectable Jewish teacher wouldn’t dare consider taking a female student under his instruction. He would also not engage with someone who had a chronic illness or disability, since it was believed to be a testament of poor character and lineage … Yet, Jesus—who, as a religious Jewish teacher, had these expectations tenfold—didn’t follow any of these rules. In fact, he went out of his way to break them.”
“Jesus Was Exclusively Inclusive,” hegetsus.com
“Today, Jesus’ legacy continues to challenge us to be inclusive in a real way, to reach past people’s physical and mental struggles, gender, and ethnicity so that we may really see them. And once we do, we might just find—much like those who knew Mary Magdalene in her time—that the people who are considered the least of us will impact us the most.”
He Gets Us referenced Galatians 3:28, which reads, “There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free man, there is neither male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.”
The playing field has been leveled, but the conditional element is in Christ Jesus.
“Jesus Was Exclusively Inclusive,” hegetsus.com
“On multiple occasions, Jesus used the term ‘childlike’ to refer to a humble and trusting attitude. In one instance, he told a group of followers, ‘unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven’ — the Christian notion of ultimate eternal life and fulfillment.” (emphasis added)
Notion — an individual’s conception or impression of something known, experienced, or imagined (Merriam Webster)
“Jesus Didn’t Want Us to Act Like Adults,” hegetsus.com
“He [Jesus] was very vocal about what he believed. He spoke truth to power, defended the poor and the marginalized, and represented his identity to others consistently.” (emphasis added)
“Jesus Didn’t Want Us to Act Like Adults,” hegetsus.com
“We live in an era of social trends and influencers who mold the culture around us. Considerations about the impact of influencer voices greased the cogs in our mind and shifted our attention to one of the most famous influencers to ever live.” (emphasis added)
Influencer — a person who inspires or guides the actions of others
“Did Jesus Face Criticism?,” hegetsus.com
“Did you know Jesus asked hundreds of questions and, according to biblical scholars, directly answered less than five in the Gospels? His constant questioning approach in search of beauty and truth is one we hope to embody. We don’t have all the answers, but would love if you would join us on a journey of discovery.” (emphasis added)
Come Near is the non-profit now behind the He Gets Us campaign.
Jesus’ questions were not out of ignorance or uncertainty,
“Jesus Had Questions Too,” comenear.org
“[W]e’re working to raise the public conversation about Jesus because we believe he has merit for all people today, regardless of their beliefs.” (emphasis added)
Jesus certainly has merit for all people regardless of their beliefs, but this is meaningless if those same people don’t come to understand their beliefs are wrong, that Jesus is the one Way, the one Truth, and the one Life, and no one comes to the Father but through Him.
“What is Our Connection With He Gets Us?”
comenear.org
“We believe the person of Jesus is the key to interpreting history and human purpose. He is more than just a historical figure, and more than a philosophy or a set of rules. By studying his life, death, and resurrection, we discover his cadence, his emotional core, his steps toward others, and the acts that defined him.” (emphasis added)
“What Drives Us?”
comenear.org
“Our team and partners come from different backgrounds and hold diverse perspectives on religious, political, and social issues. But all share a common belief in the transformative power of Jesus’ life and love.”
“Who is the Team Behind the Scenes?”
comenear.org
