Christ Before Bethlehem - pt. 5

Introduction

Christ Before Bethlehem - pt.1

I. Christ, the Founder

Before the World, there was Christ (Joh. 8:58; 2Tim. 1:9; Joh. 1:1)

Christ is Elohim (Joh. 1:1; Heb. 1:8)

Christ is Eternal (Joh. 1:2; Mic. 5:2)

Because of Christ, there was the World

Jesus is Creator of All Things (Joh. 1:3; 10; Col. 1:15-17; Heb. 1:2; Eph. 3:9)

Christ is Outside of Time

II. Christ Foreordained

Consider the Ramifications:

Before Creation, was Knowledge:

Of Man; His Choice to Sin; God’s Plan of Redemption - One of Necessity, not Choice; Christ’s Willingness to Pay It

Christ Before Bethlehem - pt.2

I. Salvation Through Faith in Christ

The Constant Throughout the Bible (Heb. 11)

II. Christ Foreshadowed

Explicit Connections

Jacob’s Ladder (Gen. 28:10-22; Joh. 1:51); The Bridge Between Two Worlds

John 1:51 “And he saith unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Hereafter ye shall see heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of man.”

Bread from Heaven (Ex. 16:4; Joh. 6:31-35); Sustenance in the Wilderness

John 6:35 “And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst.”

The Rock in the Wilderness (Ex. 17:5-6; 1Cor. 10:3-4); The Stricken who Supplies

1 Corinthians 10:3–4 “And did all eat the same spiritual meat; And did all drink the same spiritual drink: for they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them: and that Rock was Christ.”

Melchesidec (Gen. 14:18-20; Heb. 5:6-10; Heb. 6:20-7:28); The Priestly King

Christ Before Bethlehem - pt.3

I. Christ Foreshadowed (cont.)

Explicit Connections

The Passover Lamb (Ex. 12:1-14; 21-23; 29-31; Joh. 1:29-30; 1Cor. 5:7; 1Pet. 1:18-19); The Sacrifice for Salvation (1Pet. 2:24; 2Cor. 5:21)

A Specific Lamb (v5); A Spotless Lamb (v5); A Slain Lamb (v6); A Substitute Lamb (v7;12-13)

Jonah (Jon. 1:17; Mat. 12:38-40); The Risen One (Mat. 28:1-8)

The Brazen Serpent (Num. 21:4-9; Joh. 3:14-15); Those with Faith to Look will Live (Joh. 3:16)

Sin Brought Judgment (Rom. 6:23); Faith Brought Salvation (Rom. 3:23-25)

Christ Before Bethlehem - pt. 4

I. Christ Foreshadowed (cont.)

Explicit Connections

The Tabernacle (Ex. 25-30; Heb. 9:1-14); The Complete Picture

One Door (Ex. 27:9-19); A Blood Sacrifice (Ex. 27:1-8); The Sanctifier (Ex. 28:17-21; 38:8; Joh. 13:1-17); One Path (Joh. 14:6); Plain Exterior, but Beautiful Interior (Isa. 53:2); One Light; The Basis for Fellowship; The Interceder; The Separator between Man and God; A Vessel for the Divine; A Sufficient Covering

I. Christ Foreshadowed

Pictures of Christ

Implicit Connections

We have thus far looked at explicit connections from the New Testament to the Old Testament, namely those connections that are specifically stated as being such in the New Testament.

Today we're going to look at some implicit connections. The list of these is very long. We're only going to study three but I encourage you as you read the Old Testament to look for these things because the Bible is polluted with them.

Implicit connections are those that aren't necessarily stated directly but when you examine the story, you can see Jesus throughout it. So it's the same thing, just not specifically stated.

A Singular Salvation (Gen. 6-8)

This is the story of Noah's Ark.

The totality of the story of Noah's Ark covers three chapters; however, we are going to look at the Ark specifically and mainly focus just on chapter six.

With this point we're going to look at a singular salvation and the word we're going to focus on is one.

One Ark (Gen. 6:13-14)

I want to qualify this by saying that there are in the Bible three different arks.

The Ark of Noah, the Ark of Moses, and the Ark of the Covenant.

However when I say that there's one ark I'm speaking about for this time in these people.

God did not tell Noah to make an ark and then Jim Bob or Melech Ahim, Hiney Ho. There wasn't three, four, or five arcs floating around the water that day. There was only one.

Let me say this: there is only one Jesus. One true Jesus. One right Jesus. One Jesus that is able to see you through the storm.

(Ill.) There’s a church organization called “The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints”. Now, know this: Though they call him the same thing we do, that Jesus they speak about is NOT the same Jesus I preach about. They teach their Jesus:

Was a created being - the ‘Spirit child’ of God the Father, the ‘spirit brother’ of Lucifer.

God was once a man like you and I, and we can become a god like unto him.

Let me just say this: Only one of those Jesus’ can withstand the storm.

Matthew 24:23–24 “Then if any man shall say unto you, Lo, here is Christ, or there; believe it not. For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect.”

There’s only one Ark

All Sufficient (Gen. 6:15; 19-21)

The Bible tells us right here how big the ark was. If I was God, I might have worded it a little differently.

If someone asked me how big the Ark was, I'd just say it's big enough.

That Ark was about to hold all the people, animals food & such until the Judgment was through.

Church, Jesus is big enough to “Save You to the Uttermost”! And you, and you and you as well!

He’s big enough to save sinners like my wife, and they He’s big enough to save the vilest of offenders like me!

Jesus is All Sufficient!

One Door (Gen. 6:16b)

You notice, in order to get into this ark, there was only one door. There were three floors and multiple signs to the Ark but there was only one door to get in.

Church, let me say this: there's only one way to get inside of Jesus.

John 10:7 “Then said Jesus unto them again, Verily, verily, I say unto you, I am the door of the sheep.”

The door to get in Jesus is “By Grace, through Faith”

Ephesians 2:8–9 “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.”

There wasn’t another door on that Ark that said ‘Works’ above it.

There wasn’t another door on that Ark that saw ‘Law Keeper’ above it.

There’s only one door - and if you’re to get in the Ark, it’s by the Grace of God, through the Faith of God!

One Pitch / Sealant (Gen. 6:14)

Pitch was a slimy substance that was used to ‘fill in the cracks’. It was For all intents and purposes caulking.

It was imperative that the pitch be applied inside and outside to make sure that it was sealed good so that the waters of judgment could not enter in.

In that pitch, that sealant, we see a picture of the blood of Christ. That agency that protects us from the judgment of God.

Ephesians 1:7 “In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace;”

Romans 5:9 “Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him.”

Ephesians 2:13 “But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ.”

There is no other substance that has the power to keep the Judgment waters from creeping in.

There was One Pitch / Sealant

One Window (Gen. 6:16a)

(Ill.) I have seen children's books when they depict the ark of Noah and one just comes to mind that shows the various different animals, heads sticking out of windows, multiple across the top.

Let me just say that that's not the way it was. You got to remember this was not a cruise ship where they were just taking a trip upon the waters. This was a horrifying, terrifying judgment and there was only one window that looked straight up.

This is symbolic of the fact that once we're in Christ, we have direct access unto heaven. There are no obstructions or hindrances but we have a clear path unto God.

Not only does it speak to access, but also to focus.

Our focus should be fixed upon God!

There was only one window.

One Salvation (Gen. 7:19-23)

(This is similar but different.) I've already mentioned how there was one Ark but I want to make it clear that there was only one Salvation.

Yes there was only one ark not three, four, or ten but there was also no other hot air balloons, or airplanes, or any other contraption that would keep them safe from the judgment of God.

The Bible tells us: John 14:6 “Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.”

Allah, Buddha, Mohommad, works - none of these or anything else will save you from the Judgment of God, save Jesus!

One Salvation - in Jesus Christ

A Spotless Substitute (Gen. 22:1-14)

For this point we're going to turn our attention to the story of Abraham and Isaac.

Many people look at this and see Jesus but in a different way. For you have a father and a son and The father is willing to sacrifice the son. However, that's more or less where the similarities end.

We're going to look at it from a little different perspective. Yet we will still see Jesus in this story.

Judgment Pronounced (Gen. 22:2)

The judgment was pronounced upon Isaac. Isaac was under the judgment of God. We see this in the burden that was upon Isaac's back in the wood. This judgment was something he would carry.

Isaac here is not a picture of Jesus but rather you and I.

You and I, in our natural state, are under the judgment of God. The reason we are under the judgment of God is because we're sinners.

Hebrews 9:27 “And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment:”

We are all sentenced to death, which was the Judgment Given unto Adam, which is fallen down unto every man since

Judgment was pronounced.

God Provided Sacrifice (Gen. 22:7-8)

Notice the confidence in Abraham, the faith that he had in his God.

Abraham knew that God would provide a sacrifice and that's just exactly what he did.

God provided a sacrifice.

A Unearned Provision (Gen. 22:13)

(Finish the story) God would stay the hand of Abraham and this boy, that was under the judgment of God, was supplied a substitute.

This is the main reason why I say that this picture in Abraham and Isaac is best illustrated as Isaac, as you and I, and Jesus as the ram. Isaac ultimately did not suffer the judgment of God but the ram did.

And notice the ram was "caught in a thicket by his horns." What this indicates is he did not have any blemishes otherwise. Making him a worthy sacrifice. A worthy substitute.

Another thing to note is that Isaac didn't do anything to warrant the stay of judgment upon himself. God supplied the ram and the ram bore the punishment.

You and I don't deserve the substitute that we have in Jesus Christ. But I'm so glad that God supplied him so that he would take our place and bear our punishment.

We see an unearned provision.

A Selfless Succorer (Ru. 1-4)

Succor (def) One who comes to the aid of another

This is the story of Ruth and Boaz, what's known as the Kinsman Redeemer.

I called this the Selfless Succorer because Boaz GAVE. He wasn’t interested in what he could get, but what he could give. And he came to the aid of one in desperate need.

Not only in desperate need, but an outsider at that. (Ruth the Moabites)

(Set it up / Tell the story) Naomi went away during a famine with her husband and two sons. 10 years later, Naomi came back, a widow with 2 dead sons and one of his sons widow that came with her.

Naomi had a property inheritance to redeem. This was to keep it within the family. So not just anybody could redeem it.

That leads me to the first stipulation: He had to be Qualified.

He’s Qualified (Ru. 2:20)

In other words, he was a close relation. Therefore, the land would stay within the family as God intended.

Leviticus 25:25 “If thy brother be waxen poor, and hath sold away some of his possession, and if any of his kin come to redeem it, then shall he redeem that which his brother sold.”

There had to be a close relation.

How does this apply to Jesus? He had to be ‘close relation’.

John 1:1–3 “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.” John 1:14 “And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.”

Hebrews 4:15 “For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.”

Jesus is close relation unto you and I because He - being the God of Creation - came down to be born of a woman and wear this mortal coil. He became man so that He could be qualified to save us.

He was flesh like us

He was tempted like us

He hungered and thirsted like us

He lived like and us faced death like us

Jesus was Qualified

He’s Able (Ru. 2:1)

Not only qualified, but able.

Boaz was a rich man. He was able to buy up / redeem the land for Naomi.

Guess what - Jesus was Rich too! Not monetarily, but in something far more important: Ephesians 2:4–5 “But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;)”

Christ was Able to save us

He’s Willing (Ru. 3:11; 4:6)

We’re told that when Ruth presented herself unto Boaz, he said ‘Yep, I will surely marry you!’, but there was a problem: There was another who was closer relation. There was another who was both Qualified and Able… but he lacked this third stipulation: He had to be willing. This man wasn’t willing.

The Bible tells us: Romans 5:6–8 “For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. For scarcely for a righteous man will one die: yet peradventure for a good man some would even dare to die. But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.”

Jesus was willing to come and redeem you and I.

Listen, we have a good God!

Conclusion