The Real Jesus - Mighty God
Notes
Transcript
The Real Jesus - Mighty God
His First Advent - MIGHTY IN MEEKNESS
The Real Jesus - Mighty God
His First Advent - MIGHTY IN MEEKNESS
Isaiah 9:6 “For a child will be born for us, a son will be given to us, and the government will be on his shoulders. He will be named Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace.”
For me the incarnation, Jesus taking on humanity, showcases Him as Mighty God more than almost anything else. Think about this,
Jesus is so confident in the mission, in the plan, in the Father, and the Spirit, that He can come as a helpless child.
There are not many things as helpless as a child. They have no defense, they cannot walk, cannot talk, and can do anything for the first few years. This is what Jesus choses, to not rely on His own power because He knows He wins.
The Incarnation and the kenosis of the self emptying of Christ showcase just how mighty He is.
Instead he emptied himself by assuming the form of a servant, taking on the likeness of humanity.
The word emptied here in Greek is kenoo and means to empty or to lay aside. Jesus chose to lay His divinity aside.
Now all this took place to fulfill what was spoken by the Lord through the prophet:
See, the virgin will become pregnant and give birth to a son, and they will name him Immanuel, which is translated “God is with us.”
Is this crazy? Yes, but the foolishness of God is wiser than the understanding of humanity.
because God’s foolishness is wiser than human wisdom, and God’s weakness is stronger than human strength.
Jesus came as a baby and this demonstrates just how mighty He is.
If He was a baby that means He also had to grow and learn. He had to go through what everyone else in His day did but He did it without sin.
And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and with people.
By Jewish custom, at around age 13 a boy becomes responsible for keeping the Law. Jesus, though sinless and the very author of the Law Himself, fully entered into this human experience. He learned Scripture as a child, recited it, memorized it, and lived it perfectly.
Jewish boys would receive tefillin—small boxes holding key Scriptures—reminding them daily of God’s commands and covenant:
• Kadesh – Remembering the Exodus (Ex. 13:1–10)
• VeHaya ki Yiviecha – Passing the faith to the next generation (Ex. 13:11–16)
• Shema – God’s unity and our love for Him (Deut. 6:4–9)
• VeHaya im Shemoa – Blessings of obedience (Deut. 11:13–21)
He then goes through the rest of His schooling and learning a trade like His earthly father Joseph.
Then Jesus travels around for 3 years when He formally starts His ministry. He has no home, no money, He has nothing of value, and no appearance to be desired.
He grew up before him like a young plant and like a root out of dry ground. He didn’t have an impressive form or majesty that we should look at him, no appearance that we should desire him.
What this means is that when Jesus comes on the scene He just looks like an ordinary guy. He was not standing out in a crowd, except for His understanding, teaching, and authority.
because he was teaching them like one who had authority, and not like their scribes.
He does all of this, He comes in meekness, because He is that mighty. He is that able, He is that confident, and He is that good.
No one else would even dream of such a wild thing. The King of all, coming tender and mild. The Captain of the Host of Heaven coming as a babe.
Yahweh Saboath The Lord of Host
This is the mighty God, the one who comes as a babe but has all power and might.
This was His advent.
Advent means arrival. Specifically, the arrival of a notable person and there is none more notable than Christ.
His Second Advent - MIGHTY IN GLORY
His Second Advent - MIGHTY IN GLORY
His second advent, the second coming of Christ is different. He does not come back as a helpless babe. He will come in fullness. He will come in power.
When Jesus comes back He is described differently than His first coming,
Then I turned to see whose voice it was that spoke to me. When I turned I saw seven golden lampstands,
and among the lampstands was one like the Son of Man, dressed in a robe and with a golden sash wrapped around his chest.
The hair of his head was white as wool—white as snow—and his eyes like a fiery flame.
His feet were like fine bronze as it is fired in a furnace, and his voice like the sound of cascading waters.
He had seven stars in his right hand; a sharp double-edged sword came from his mouth, and his face was shining like the sun at full strength.
When I saw him, I fell at his feet like a dead man. He laid his right hand on me and said, “Don’t be afraid. I am the First and the Last,
He is seen by John as the Might God He is and it causes John to drop like a dead man.
We can red the descriptions, we can do our best to imagine it, but we really cannot understand it. Jesus must be experienced.
I remember a few years back I was sitting outside praying about something and wrestling with God on something. It was raining and there was lightening and thunder around me. I honestly do not remember what it was but during the wrestling, during the struggling, during the tension, there was this loud thunder clap. It was so close that I felt it in my whole body. The vibration went through me like a wave of energy. My heart skipped a beat. It felt like it rattled my insides and in an instant I knew God was not playing with me. In a moment I felt closer to true power and might than I ever have before. My only response, the only thing I could muster was, Yes Lord.
This is the Mighty God we serve. This is Jesus. He is mighty, He is powerful, He is awesome and great. He is the Lord. This is why Isaiah falls down before Him and says,
Then I said: Woe is me for I am ruined because I am a man of unclean lips and live among a people of unclean lips, and because my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of Armies.
Woe is me is the only response we have before this Mighty God. I hear people say things like, when I get to heaven I am going to give God a piece of my mind. No you are not. You are going to be speechless and bow that is what you will do.
For this reason God highly exalted him and gave him the name that is above every name,
so that at the name of Jesus every knee will bow— in heaven and on earth and under the earth—
and every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
We will first bow and then we will be so awestruck,
The MercyMe song I can only imagine says,
Surrounded by Your glory
What will my heart feel?
Will I dance for You Jesus
Or in awe of You be still?
Will I stand in Your presence
Or to my knees, will I fall?
Will I sing hallelujah?
Will I be able to speak at all?
I can only imagine
I have a feeling I will drop to my knees and find myself like John, laying there like a deadman.
This is the God we serve. This is the Lord. This is the Mighty God.
LIVING BETWEEN THE ADVENTS
LIVING BETWEEN THE ADVENTS
But what about now? Where is the Mighty God when while we are here in the middle.
He is just as mighty now as He was then and as He will be when He comes back?
But we look around and we see pain, we see suffering, we see violence, we see things that should not be.
The thing is right now Jesus is drawing people to repentance. His kingdom is here and it is advancing but it is advancing more like His first coming and less like His second one. There is power, there is justice, there is might but it is much more meek than it will be.
Right now we sit in a now-not-yet tension. The tension sometimes feels like it will be the end of us, but there is hope. The kingdom is here but we wait in hope.
Now in this hope we were saved, but hope that is seen is not hope, because who hopes for what he sees?
It is in the middle that we are formed. Like we spoke about last week there is a forming, a chiseling, a revealing that is occuring.
We have two choices in the middle. We can wait in hope or we can become dull. The waiting produces something, so what will it produce in you?
“At that time the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the groom.
Five of them were foolish and five were wise.
When the foolish took their lamps, they didn’t take oil with them;
but the wise ones took oil in their flasks with their lamps.
When the groom was delayed, they all became drowsy and fell asleep.
“In the middle of the night there was a shout: ‘Here’s the groom! Come out to meet him.’
“Then all the virgins got up and trimmed their lamps.
The foolish ones said to the wise ones, ‘Give us some of your oil, because our lamps are going out.’
“The wise ones answered, ‘No, there won’t be enough for us and for you. Go instead to those who sell oil, and buy some for yourselves.’
“When they had gone to buy some, the groom arrived, and those who were ready went in with him to the wedding banquet, and the door was shut.
Later the rest of the virgins also came and said, ‘Master, master, open up for us!’
“He replied, ‘Truly I tell you, I don’t know you!’
“Therefore be alert, because you don’t know either the day or the hour.
Will we be like the 5 who kept oil for their lamps or will we be like the 5 who let their oil burn out?
Will we be faithful or will we be unfaithful? We can dress it up with all sorts of language but that is what it comes down to.
He is coming back, so what will He find in you?
I tell you that he will swiftly grant them justice. Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?”
This is the Real Jesus, this is who He is.
Faith in Action
Faith in Action
The Real Jesus is the Mighty God— in the manger, in majesty, and in your life today.
When He returns—and He will—will He find faith in you?
