The Nazarene

Introduction

The first book that I preached through when I got here was the book of Mark. And I wasn’t sure why I was preaching through Mark, but I just trusted the Lord that Mark was where we needed to be. I wanted us as a church, myself included, to have an accurate view of the life and ministry of Jesus.

Then, at the end of this year, just before we launched into the Christmas season, we finished the book of Acts. At the beginning of the book of Acts, we enter into what is called the “church age.” That is the place in time that we live right now, and we are eagerly expecting the return of Jesus Christ. We are living our life for His glory and for His honor because the mystery of the gospel has been revealed to the world.

Now, since we have examined the life of Jesus, and we have walked through the book of the Acts of the Apostles, we should have an understanding of how the local church began and what our purpose is here on earth.

Now I believe that is in our best interest to go back to the beginning…all the way to the book of Genesis. Beginning in February, we will begin in Genesis 1.

Tonight, I want to revisit some of the truths of the gospel, so as we walk through the book of Genesis, we can see Jesus every step of the way.

We will be all over tonight, but, if you will, find the gospel of John 1:29.

The Christmas story is now gone, and Jesus is about to be revealed as the Messiah and savior of the world.

From this verse, there are three truths about Jesus Christ that I want you to see

I. The Lord of Wonder

When we discussed Isaiah 9:6, we highlighted that Jesus is wonderful. It literally means that He is full of wonder. Even though Jesus is a personal God, He is a God that is high above anything that we could ever obtain on our own.

Now, there is John the Baptist…and He sees the Lord of Wonder, and this is what he says…

John 1:29 NKJV

The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, “Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!

The announcement of John is to “Behold” Jesus. That simply means to “look on Him.”

Now, each of the four gospels allow us to see Jesus in a different way.

A. Matthew

The gospel of Matthew portrays Jesus as the King of the Jews

Matthew was a Jew himself and wrote from the Jewish perspective. Of the four gospels, Matthew cites the Old Testament the most, which gives us a clear indication that his audience was the Jewish people.

If you want to view the fulfillment of the Old Testament prophecies, the book of Matthew is where to find them.

What Matthew does is highlight the reality that Jesus came to establish the kingdom of Heaven here on the earth.

Matthew 4:17 NKJV

From that time Jesus began to preach and to say, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”

His purpose for writing his gospel was to show that Jesus was not merely another prophet, but that He was the long-expected King of Israel

B. Mark

1. The gospel of Mark portrays Jesus as the Servant King

Mark’s Gospel is filled with the miracles of Jesus. This was to show His authority and His character.

That, while our God is a God that has all authority over Heaven and earth, our God is a God that is concerned with the everyday struggle of humanity.

That when Jesus died, He died for the sins of the world, but He also died for the personal sin that we carry.

Mark 10:45 NKJV

For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.”

Mark portrays Jesus as both God and man to show that Jesus came to serve the people physically, mentally, and emotionally, but that He also serves them spiritually.

This is a large part of what it means to be a Christian.

That we serve the world physically by means of providing humanitarian aid for the poor, that we serve the world mentally by being light bearers and being advocates for the truth, and that we serve the world emotionally by being friendly, kind, genuine, welcoming, and fair in everything that we do.

Most importantly, we are to serve the world spiritually. The best way to serve the world spiritually, to show the world that they need Christ, to soften the heart of the unbeliever is to first serve them physically, mentally, and emotionally. If you don’t serve them first, then they will not be open to spiritual truth This is what Jesus did, and it opened the pathway to the heart of the sinner.

And, if you do not share with the spiritually, then the physical, mental, and emotional relief that you have provided them is meaningless.

In our church, and in our lives, we must understand that evangelism, that is sharing Jesus with people, is the fuel that allows the church to keep on going.

If we give someone food without sharing the gospel, then we haven’t done a mission, we’ve provided humanitarian aid.

If we counsel someone through their problems but don’t bring them closer to Jesus, then we’ve just made them feel better on their way to Hell.

If I preach without sharing Jesus, then I’ve given a pep talk.

And we sing for ourselves and not in a spirit of praise to God, we haven’t had a worship service, but we’ve simply put on a concert.

So, not only does Mark portray Jesus as the Servant King, his gospel portrays the sacrifice Christianity requires.

2. Marks Gospel also portrays the necessary sacrifice of Christianity.

Mark 8:31 NKJV

And He began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things, and be rejected by the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and after three days rise again.

In an act of ultimate humility, Christ sacrificed Himself for us.

Salvation is easy, but discipleship is hard. Discipleship means becoming like Jesus Christ, to be so submissive to God that we will follow Him to death.

This might sound dramatic, but even as we live, Jesus has reminded us to die to ourselves and to our sin everyday.

Mark 8:34–38 NKJV

When He had called the people to Himself, with His disciples also, He said to them, “Whoever desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake and the gospel’s will save it. For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul? For whoever is ashamed of Me and My words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of him the Son of Man also will be ashamed when He comes in the glory of His Father with the holy angels.”

The Christian life is a sacrifice of worldly pleasure for the promise of a future glory. That’s what Jesus exemplified, and that’s Who we are following.

C. Luke

The Gospel of Luke portrays Jesus as the Son of Man.

a. The gospel of Luke shows us the humanity of Jesus Christ.

Luke’s account of the Christmas story is the most informative, and it highlights for us the reality that Jesus came to live as the ones that He came to save.

The gospel of Luke often uses those that are undeserving according to the world to portray God’s love and affection for the race of man.

Luke 5:31–32 NKJV

Jesus answered and said to them, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance.”

God used Luke to highlight that Jesus came to live as a man, to suffer as a man, and to die as a man, so that we could understand that God is a personal God, one that cares for us, and to provide us an example of how we should love our fellow man.

D. John

The Gospel of John portrays Jesus as the Son of God

John does not include the Christmas story in his Gospel, he begins his account far before the Christmas story took place

John 1:1–5 NKJV

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. And the light shined in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it.

Several times in his gospel, John highlights the deity of Jesus.

In chapter 8, Jesus declares that He is the great I AM.

John 8:58 NKJV

Jesus said to them, “Most assuredly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I AM.”

In chapter 10, Jesus declares that He is the Son of God.

John 10:36 NKJV

do you say of Him whom the Father sanctified and sent into the world, ‘You are blaspheming,’ because I said, ‘I am the Son of God’?

And in chapter 20, John reveals his purpose for writing, and tells us why he included the seven miracles of Jesus in his Gospel account

John 20:30–31 NKJV

And truly Jesus did many other signs in the presence of His disciples, which are not written in this book; but these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in His name.

And as the gospel of John opens, we find the ministry of Jesus beginning on there in the first chapter.

John 1:29 NKJV

The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, “Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!

John describes Jesus as the Lamb of God, and he announces His arrival to the crowd saying, “Behold!”

Now, when we consider the person of Jesus, we must know that He is perfect in every way.

1. When you behold Jesus, you will see the perfect example of kingship.

2. When you behold Jesus, you will see the perfect example of a humble servant.

3. When you behold Jesus, you will see a man that is perfect in all His ways.

Yet, today, even as I grow in my faith, it is better for me to behold Jesus now than when I was first given understanding of who Jesus was.

You might think that the closer you grow to the Lord, the less time you need to spend with Him, but just the opposite is true.

No wonder the psalmist penned these words in the 34th Psalm

Psalm 34:8 NKJV

Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good; Blessed is the man who trusts in Him!

Now, Christmas has come and gone, but, if you’re like me then your appetite is still there and now it’s time to try and shake it before you do some real damage.

But, how many of you, when you tasted something that you loved didn’t go back for a second serving?

I mean, when we taste something that is good, we want it again and again. We want it in a to-go box so we can get in the fridge that night and have another serving!

Well, Jesus is the same way. Once you’ve really been connected with Him, it’s like you begin to crave Him and His presence in your life. Just like something about that dessert or that side that got your mouth watering, the power and the influence of the Holy Spirit will draw you to drink from the well spring of life, Christ Jesus.

And, He is not a hard God to find…His presence is near and His word is living and active, showing us how to live for Jesus.

Let me ask you this…Did you know that every part of the Bible is pointing to Jesus?

Here are some themes from the Bible.

In the book of Genesis, you will see that Jesus Christ is the substitution for our sin.

If you read in the book of Exodus, you will see that Jesus is our spotless lamb and worthy sacrifice which allows the wrath of God to Passover our lives.

The book of Ezekiel shows us that Jesus Christ is coming soon to reign as King and give us hope.

The book of Zephania shows us that Jesus is a mighty savior, one who will never abandon His people.

1 Thessalonians tells us that He is our Lord who is coming soon.

And 1, 2, 3 John remind us that He, Jesus Christ, is our advocate with God our Father.

Just like we can never stay full when our appetite is good, we can never be too filled with the knowledge and grace of Jesus Christ.

II. The Lamb of God

John 1:29 NKJV

The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, “Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!

The Lord Jesus is the promised Lamb. He is the Lamb that God set apart as a substitution for us. He is the Lamb that was sacrificed on the altar of God’s wrath. He is the Lamb, sufficient for all sin, and spotless in every way. He is the Lamb of God!

A. Promised Lamb

We have just finished Christmas, and with Christmas comes pastors scrambling to find some new angle to approach the Christmas story from…the story has only been the same for 2,000 years.

When we we come to Matthew 2, and looking in v. 6, we see the prophecy that allowed the wise men to understand where Jesus was to be born.

Matthew 2:6 NKJV

‘But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, Are not the least among the rulers of Judah; For out of you shall come a Ruler Who will shepherd My people Israel.’ ”

We see the first promise of a coming Christ in Genesis 3:15, where God says to that serpent in the Garden

Genesis 3:15 NKJV

And I will put enmity Between you and the woman, And between your seed and her Seed; He shall bruise your head, And you shall bruise His heel.”

We see the final promise, 400 years before the Christmas narrative, in Malachi 4:2

Malachi 4:2 NKJV

But to you who fear My name The Sun of Righteousness shall arise With healing in His wings; And you shall go out And grow fat like stall-fed calves.

Not only is Jesus the Promised Lamb…

B. Substitutionary Lamb

When we consider Jesus Christ as our substitute, two biblical narratives come to mind.

First, it is the story of Abraham and Isaac, found in Genesis 22.

Isaac is the long-expected son of Abraham, he was a miracle child, born to a father and mother that were far to old to have children.

God then calls Abraham to sacrifice this miracle child on Mount Moriah, where God, instead of allowing Isaac to be sacrificed and suffer death, provides a substitutionary lamb, caught in the thicket in the eyesight of Abraham, which Abraham sacrifices instead.

Second, is the story of the Passover.

The Israelites are slaves in Egypt.

Moses, the deliverer has come to set them free.

The Pharoah did not want them to be set free, so the Pharoah, instead of allowing the Israelites to be free, chooses to suffer through ten plagues, ending with the Judgement of Egypt, the death of everything first born.

However, instead of death, God allowed for a substitute, a sacrificed lamb, with the blood of that lamb painted on the lintel and the two doorposts. When God saw the blood, when He saw the substitute, He passed over their house, and reserved His wrath for those without a substitute.

This is exactly what Jesus did for us, He has spilled His blood on calvary, and if we paint His blood on our sin stained heart, then God will give us life because our sin has been paid for.

He is the Promised lamb, the substitutionary Lamb, and He is the…

C. Sacrificial Lamb

Isaiah 53 NKJV

Who has believed our report? And to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed? For He shall grow up before Him as a tender plant, And as a root out of dry ground. He has no form or comeliness; And when we see Him, There is no beauty that we should desire Him. He is despised and rejected by men, A Man of sorrows and acquainted with grief. And we hid, as it were, our faces from Him; He was despised, and we did not esteem Him. 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. All we like sheep have gone astray; We have turned, every one, to his own way; And the Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all. He was oppressed and He was afflicted, Yet He opened not His mouth; He was led as a lamb to the slaughter, And as a sheep before its shearers is silent, So He opened not His mouth. He was taken from prison and from judgment, And who will declare His generation? For He was cut off from the land of the living; For the transgressions of My people He was stricken. And they made His grave with the wicked— But with the rich at His death, Because He had done no violence, Nor was any deceit in His mouth. Yet it pleased the Lord to bruise Him; He has put Him to grief. When You make His soul an offering for sin, He shall see His seed, He shall prolong His days, And the pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in His hand. He shall see the labor of His soul, and be satisfied. By His knowledge My righteous Servant shall justify many, For He shall bear their iniquities. Therefore I will divide Him a portion with the great, And He shall divide the spoil with the strong, Because He poured out His soul unto death, And He was numbered with the transgressors, And He bore the sin of many, And made intercession for the transgressors.

He was sacrificed on our account.

He is the Promised lamb, the substitutionary Lamb, the sacrificial Lamb…

D. Sufficient Lamb

Colossians 2:10 NKJV

and you are complete in Him, who is the head of all principality and power.

Hebrews 10:14 NKJV

For by one offering He has perfected forever those who are being sanctified.

That is, because of His perfect and sinless life, His sacrifice was sufficient for the sins of the whole world. The sin of yesterday, today, and tomorrow, they can all be covered under the blood of His sufficient sacrifice.

He was promised, substitutionary, sacrificial, sufficient…and He is

E. Spotless Lamb

Hebrews 7:26–28 NKJV

For such a High Priest was fitting for us, who is holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners, and has become higher than the heavens; who does not need daily, as those high priests, to offer up sacrifices, first for His own sins and then for the people’s, for this He did once for all when He offered up Himself. For the law appoints as high priests men who have weakness, but the word of the oath, which came after the law, appoints the Son who has been perfected forever.

Jesus is the Lord of Wonder, the Lamb of God, and He our victory over the world

III. The Victory over the World

John 1:29 NKJV

The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, “Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!

Jesus took away the sin of the world by rescuing us from the power of darkness. He traded His glory and His splendor for our sin and our shame…and He did it all to gain victory over the world.

Matthew 2:1–3 NKJV

Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the East came to Jerusalem, saying, “Where is He who has been born King of the Jews? For we have seen His star in the East and have come to worship Him.” When Herod the king heard this, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him.

The Bible says that Herod, and all Jerusalem were troubled at this little baby.

So, we see this major contrast in the Christmas story.

Of course, we know Luke 2:14 that says, regarding the birth of Jesus Christ, “Glory to God in the highest, peace on earth and good will towards men.”

When we celebrate the birth of Christ, we associate it with good times, we associate it with the reality that God has come to the earth to save us, and we associate it with the Lamb of God that takes away the sin of the world!

But, not all were excited at the birth of Christ, not all were ready to receive the Lord of Lords and the King of Kings

Herod and all Jerusalem were troubled because of what they were going to lose. They were troubled because of what the coming Kingdom of God represented, and they were troubled because they were a wicked people!

Don’t get it in your mind that Jesus is all love and no judgement. Don’t get it in your mind that Jesus is all savior and not a righteous judge.

What is good news for those who put their faith in trust in Jesus Christ, is bad news to those who neglect to give their heart and their life to Jesus Christ.

1 Peter 2:7–8 NKJV

Therefore, to you who believe, He is precious; but to those who are disobedient, “The stone which the builders rejected Has become the chief cornerstone,” and “A stone of stumbling And a rock of offense.” They stumble, being disobedient to the word, to which they also were appointed.

Even when we think of the book of the Revelation this reality applies. Did you know that the book of the Revelation is intended to be the most encouraging book to the Christian? Not only is it the most encouraging book to the Christian, it is the most troubling book to the non-Christian.

It is by faith and through divine revelation, that those who have trusted in Jesus Christ as their savior, turned from their sins, and have come to the full understanding that it is only by His blood, by His sufficiency, His sacrifice, His spotlessness, His substitution, and His promise, that we are saved, and have yielded their life, given their life over to His mission and His preferences that their sins are removed.

Conclusion