The Tabernacle of Flesh

greetings, and thank you for Your mercy and Grace this morning. I hope that you stayed home and stay warm and stay safe. We are recording this message from Blackstone to be played on our Facebook page website. And we are beginning Advent today. We're looking in a series of who is Jesus, and the first message comes from the Gospel of John. John wrote his gospel so that you might believe everything that you wrote from the beginning, to the end of it was so that you could believe that Jesus Christ was the son of God. he wrote differently than all of the others, he didn't start with the genealogies, like, Matthew and like, Mark He didn't start the genealogies like Luke did. I didn't start his gospel story in the same way that Mark, that he started it in a very, very different way. He started it at the beginning. In fact, when you open the scriptures and you read the book of John and you started, John one, wanted it question. He says in the beginning was the word and that phrase in the beginning. Take us back to Genesis in the beginning, God created the heavens and the Earth, John started at the beginning like Genesis 1:1 does because That's where God was. He leave the Incarnation with the word and he goes back to the beginning when there was just God Any links, John 1:1 and the word with God at the beginning and Only God because God is at the beginning and other religions and other myths, we read of the creation of the different gods but in Genesis 1:1, we see that there is no creation of God, God was he is resistant. God the father was pre-existent. God the son, not eating human flesh but God the son, Jesus was pretty existence and it was God, the holy spirit that Trinity the Triune God. Existence exists, not created until John starts. His gospel different than the others and he does it. So that we might believe. So he might believe that Jesus Christ is God that he is the Son of God that he was not a man that was chosen to become God, but that he very much was God who became an. So if you have your Bible, even open it to John chapter 1. Verses 1 through 14. In the beginning was the word and the Word was with God and the Word was God, he was in the beginning with God. All things were made through him and without him nothing was made. That was made in him was life. And the life was the light of men in the light shines in the darkness and the Darkness did not comprehended. It was a man's hidden from God's name is John. This man came for a witness to Bear witness of the life that all through him might believe he was not that why. But was sent to Bear witness of that light, that was the True Light, which gives light to every man, coming into the world, he was in the world and the world was made through the world. Did not know him. He came to his own and his own did not receive him, but as many as received him to them, he gave the right to become children of God. To those, who believe in his name, still born. Of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor the will of man. But if God, And the word became flesh and dwelt among us and we beheld, his glory to glory. As of the only begotten of the father. Grace, and Truth spray. All right, thank you for your word that I pray today. That as we begin Advent, as we begin looking toward the coming of Jesus, Christ, the birth of Jesus Christ, that you will help us to see who Jesus is not just who he was from the beginning. But who he is, God, help us to understand what he did for us. In all of these roles, the fact that he was pretty assistant. There was never a time when he did not exist and yet now in this text receive that he became man so that we Could be said Thank you in Jesus name. We pray. Amen. Beginning was the word and the Word was with God and the Word was God. There are so many theological truth. Their first of all, one of the things we see is that Jesus Christ is pre-existing that he was in the beginning. That there is never a time that Jesus did not exist. He existed before the world began. He existed actually even before there was time, Jesus Christ. In the beginning, was the word we've got understand. First of all that, that this phrase, the word is talking about. Jesus Christ is not talking about some in an object. If I talk about words on a page, is talking about Jesus Christ, the son of God, then beginning was the word and the Word was with God. That phrase they're actually kind of is that he was toward God. He was

Not just with him. But he was, he was a part of him, he and we see that even evidence of the Moor and the Word was God. Now, what you got understand is this phrase is not telling us that Jesus Christ, the son was God, the father he is fully God and yet, he is not God. The father, he is fully God, and that he has not, got the spirit. God, the spirit is fully God, and he is yet. He is not God. The Father God, the spirit is fully God and yet, he is not as God in the sun. In the beginning was the word and the Word was with God. And the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. There's never a time when either one of them did not exist. God, the Father God, the son, and God, the spirit or eternally existent, they were not created. And Jesus Christ was in the beginning with God, Rexburg, first Reese's, all things were made through him and without him nothing was made. That was made. I love the way he says this. You look at the phrase, they're all things many minutes. Would you say everything? It was made was made through him. But John doesn't write it that way. He doesn't write it that way because He wants to know that there is not one single thing that was made that was not made by Jesus Christ. And we see some simple fact and that that if Jesus Christ was made, then he would have had to have made himself. And so we see evidence in just this text that Jesus Christ is uncreated That he was not a created being. All things were made through him without him. Nothing was made. That was made. They're all kinds of things that were made. You go back to Genesis again and God created the heavens and the Earth, he created all the creatures, he created the land in the sea, so pretty light from Darkness separating, the oceans from the land. Jesus Christ was involved in every bit of that. It doesn't mean that God was not involved in it and just means that Jesus Christ was also involved.

In him was life and the life was the light of men and him was like, this is one of the things we see in the Book of John.

One of the biggest things in the Book of John, is that we get our life, our spiritual life from Jesus, John 3:16 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 Everlasting. Like this is this is a theme of a big theme in the Book of John that Jesus Christ came to give us life. He came as God into flash, so that those of us who were dead and Stan could have life in him, was life, and the life was the light of men in the light shines in the darkness, and the Darkness did not comprehend it You got to see something else. Hear this word comprehend music did not accept it. Now, we, we look at this and I will see that down a bit further. He was in the world, and world was made through him in the world, did not know him. He can't kill zone in his own, did not receive him. Both of those quite simply mean the same thing. The darkness did not accept. It did not receive it. The light shines in the darkness and the Darkness did not comprehend. It did not overcome. It did not accept it, did not receive it rejected it. When it seems we know about line is you take a flashlight in the darkroom, you can shine a flashlight. It overcomes, the life Darkness doesn't do the same. You can't shine Darkness into light and make the light become dark. It does not accept, it does not receive. It does not comprehend it. And those who are we're walking in darkness, they saw a great light, but many of them still did not receive it. They didn't accept that. Jesus Christ was the son of God. Was a man sent from God, does things as John know we call this man, John the Baptist but the scripture here says that he came for a witness to Bear witness of the light that he was a witness. Even even John himself says so himself. He says that he

He is here to give testimony that he is one of the voice of one crying in the wilderness. Make straight the way of the Lord. But we we call him the baptizer, the Baptist, because that's what was Sam doing baptizing. We see him also baptizing Jesus in in, in 1:29, 234 but his main role, was not to baptize, his main role was to call people to repent and to Be a witness bear, witness to Bear, witness of the life of Jesus Christ. Why that all might believe? Because that's what John wanted everybody to do to believe, John the author of The Gospel and of course John the witness wanted everybody to do, believe that Jesus Christ was the son of God, John came into the world. He wasn't God, but he was sent from God. And he came for a witness to witness. Of the lights. Jesus Christ. So that everybody We believe that Jesus was alive. John wasn't the light. The author of The Gospel wants to make sure that that we understand that that John the witness John, the Baptist wasn't the life but his job was different. It was somebody to Bear witness of the light to make sure people knew. And you see in John 1, John look to Jesus and said, Behold the Lamb of God in 29, he saw him and said, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world. Every time he sees Jesus, he points out the fact that he's the Lamb of God. He says, I have, he must increase, I must decreased. I must decrease, his job was to be a witness of the light. That light that he's talking about was the True Light in other words of the Jesus Christ.

The True Light that gives light to every man coming into the world. Now we got to got to talk about this a little bit because every man Doesn't get the light every man doesn't understand not every man every human except the fact that Jesus Christ is the light of the world. Not every man believes that as we look at this text says that Jesus was the True Light, which gives light to every man coming into the world. Who got to see is this? Maybe. We need to understand this live differently by coming into the world. Jesus gives light to every man, not that they accept it, not, they receive it, not that they trust him but that he makes it possible for them to trust to receive By coming into the world. Jesus Christ, gives light to every man. He Jesus, the word was in the world and the world was made through him in the world. Did not know him. He says that often of the scribes in the Pharisees and the Sadducees. If you, if you knew who I was, you would believe you believe in God believe. Also in me and yet, they did not know who you was interesting that the Jewish people Have waited. for thousands of years, for the Messiah to come John the Baptist is probably, the is considered to be the last Old Testament prophet and up into that time. There was four hundred years of silence. And then and then a couple thousand years before that, when the prophets were talking about Jesus, the Jewish people were waiting, they were watching, they were waiting, they were ready for their Messiah to come in yet even when he came into the world. They didn't recognize. They did not receive him refuse to believe that. This baby born in a manger was truly the Messiah that they were watching for that. They were waiting for The Bible says, he came to his own, his own course of the Jewish people, the Hebrew people, and his own did not receive him. One of the things we see here is that, that this

Verse 11. He came to his own, that could be interpreted his own things or his own people and it could fetch, were they? A plurality of people there and his own did not receive him. That, when there would be singular, he came to his own things, his own people, his own country, his own land, and his own people did not receive him, but then we have this good news a 12, but as many as received him to them, he gave the right to become children of God. To those, who believe in his name is John 3:16 17 and 18 tells us that God loved the world so much, that he gave his only begotten, son, that whoever believes in him. Should not perish but have everlasting life. In 17 says, for God, did not send his son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through him might be saved. Do that tells us that God doesn't want anybody to perish? But that all should come to repentance in the Bible that says, he who believes in Him is not condemned but he who does not believe is condemned already. Because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten, Son of God that word believe there. Is not a noun. It's not a thing. That word believe there is a verb is an action word in means to place your faith in someone or something, you've heard and seen the examples of a of somebody saying, they have faith in that chair. And they look at the charity, say, I believe that you was going to hold me up. I really do. I think I could hold you up and then you sit on the floor, they believe with their head. But they don't show evidence of that. With their actions. Believe is not just a mental assent, to Something to Believe. In Jesus Christ is to take action, to take action to say, Jesus. I believe that you're the Son of God. I know that And because you are the Son of God and because you died to save me from my sins Jesus, I confess my sins to you. I ask you to forgive me today. I want you to be the Lord Of My Life. Come into my heart, forgive me. And my sense that this is not just a snot, that's not a magic prayer. Okay. That's not an Abracadabra kind of thing. That's not how that works, to pray. That prayer is a prayer of faith, believing putting your faith in him, an action that you take to confess Christ as Lord. But his videos received to them, he gave the right to become so early. I just see, that's not right. We can take our selves, we cannot force him to give us that right, but he gives us that right. Why? Because we believe in his name and we put our faith in him in Jesus Christ, as our Lord and our savior. Princess Theatre three other things. Universe 13, who are born, not a blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of, man. But I've got three things there that, that, that we sometimes think might give us Salvation, Army, lineage, Bernardo blood, maybe the Hebrew people believe that, guess what? And they did, they believe that that they were sons of Abraham. And so they were okay. And then have to worry about anything, this is? No, it's not. Because you were sons of Abraham, not a blood, they're going out of line or the will of the flesh, not anything, any work that you can do. I'm going to make you acceptable to God. Nor of the will of, man. You're not born because man, decided spiritual anyway, that you were going to be born. You were born of God, why? Because God is the one that gives you life through Jesus Christ.

A 14-7, the word became flesh and dwelt among us and we beheld his glory glory. As of the only begotten of the father. In truth. We we we, we look at this and we see the word became flesh. Jesus Christ, who was Britt from eternity past up until the time of his birth, he was He was with God in the presence of God and in order for him to be that, perfect sacrifice for our sins. It had become flesh. He had to be God, because he had to be perfect. The sacrifice had to be perfect, but he had to be man. Also because I had to be able to identify with us. He had to be able to be tempted. Like we were, if he was only, God, God can never be tempted by sin. So we had to become Man. Also he had to be born in the flesh, as of the word became flesh, and dwelt Among Us that were dwelt, a very confusing word because that word really means and tabernacled among us. Anytime we see that word Tabernacle, we ought to anyway, as leaders of the scripture, and we ought to think immediately to the time of the Hebrew people in the desert, On their way, their 40-year wandering to take the promised land. When God gave Moses the plans for the Tabernacle to the place where God would dwell on Earth in the presence of his people. It's very appropriate. Very it is just perfect picture that God weld in a tent, a Tabernacle in the presence of his people there on Earth. And now, God is dwelling in Flash, he's Tabernacle in among them in the flesh, so that they can behold his glory. And in the Tabernacle, that's what they did. They off the smoke in the fire when God would come down into the Tabernacle and beheld, His glory

and here, it says we beheld his glory to glory as of the only begotten of the father I beheld, his glory than 48, as of the only begotten of the father full of grace and truth. Is he? That's what Advent. That's what Christmas is about, is about Jesus Christ. The Eternal becoming Jesus Christ in the flesh, so that he can dwell Among Us Tabernacle among us. So we can see the glory of God. Then we can understand more the grace that he offers through his son, Jesus Christ.

as well as we prepare, we begin to repair on this first Sunday of Advent for The celebration of the birth of Christ. I pray that, you know, Jesus Christ. And that you are not like those in the world who did not receive him. Those in the world, who who?

Did not understand, do not accept this light of the world. I pray that you are one of those who Receive him and who received the right to become children of God.

That's what Christmas is about me. Look at any of these.

Gospel accounts of the birth of Jesus Christ. We always have to look beyond the manger to the Cross, because that's what it's about. It's about Jesus Christ, the word god becoming flesh, so that Jesus Christ, the word of God, the flash could be offered on the cross. So that our sins could be washed away, is interesting to me that the sacrifices in the Old Testament were made. How often? And all those did was cover their sense. Because even though the animals were, Thoughtless. Even though they they had no claim, there were no illness in them, there was no lameness, they were not blind. They were perfect. If you will They still because they were animals. they still could not wash away the sin of mankind, it took Jesus Christ, the son of God, and that's what it takes for you. That's what it takes for me. And my prayer is that as you begin Preparing for the celebration of Christmas of Christ's birth. what was the very first thing you do is you repent, you confess Christ as Lord and you become one of his not born of blood, or the will of Flesh, nor the will of man but But again, I thank you for your word. I thank you for the chance to look into this text that I pray that you will make it real to us that you help us understand it. That although, Jesus In the Flesh had a beginning Jesus, the son of God never had a beginning. He is eternal with God in the heavens and he gave that up for a time to become Flash in to Tabernacle Among Us and the dog on the cross so that we could have eternal life. Thank you, Father.