Sermon Tone Analysis

Ravi Zacharias, in "Questions I Would Like to Ask God," writes:

I have often referenced the quote by the talk show host Larry King, in his response to a particular question: "If you could select any one person across all of history to interview, who would it be?"

Mr. King's answer was that he would like to interview Jesus Christ.

When the questioner followed with, "And what would you like to ask him?"

King replied, "I would like to ask him if he was indeed virgin-born.

The answer to that question would define history for me."

Why is this such an important day...

I mean the day we celebrate the birth of Christ?

What is all the fuss about?

Some may wonder and say Shane... Why is it that you find a way to bring it up every single Sunday?

You make an effort to talk about his birth and death every Sunday.

Here at Central every Sunday is Christmas and Easter.

This is the most wonderful time of the year... but for our world and culture…is it really because of the birth of Jesus?

Or is it about great parties, great food, great decorations, and great presents?

If it is not .... it sure does seem that way.

Are we losing one of the most important Christian celebrations of the year?

Are we losing one of the most important doctrines of Christianity that is sooo important that it should be highlighted in every single sermon preached?

This is one of the most important essentials to understanding the beauty of the gospel.

It is a must ... there is no Christianity without the birth of Jesus... don’t believe me... let’s ask the scriptures.

5 oHave this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus,1 6 pwho, though he was in qthe form of God, did not count equality with God ra thing to be grasped,2 7 but semptied himself, by taking the form of a tservant,3 ubeing born in the likeness of men.

The grass withers the flower fades, but the Word of our God stands forever.

The Significance of the Virgin Birth

Did He have to Be Human?

Did We Lose it this Year?

The first thing we will look at today is the significance and importance of the virgin birth.

The second thing we will explore deeper is the necessity of the humanity of Jesus and why it is vital to our faith.

Finally, as we take a good look at ourselves this season, we can always look to Christ and find hope for the holidays.

Thesis: Though sin and the pattern of this world cause us to lose sight of Christ during the holiday season, it is the truth of the scriptures and the power of the Holy Spirit that will rekindle our vibrancy for the truth and joy we find in Christ the light of the world.

I.

The Significance of the Virgin Birth

- With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.

A. First of all, it shows that Salvation belongs to the Lord.

- I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring; he shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel.”

- The understanding that Jesus was born of a virgin makes it clear that salvation comes by the work of God.

This is impossible with man but it is possible with God.

This is not humanly possible.

It brings us to our knees in understanding that it takes sooo much more than we have to save ourselves.

B. Second, this helps us to understand Jesus as God and Man (theanthropon).

If he was created in heaven and descended, we may have a hard time believing that he was human.

If he was born of both man and women then infused with divinity, then we may have a difficult time believing that he was God... too normal to be special.

God in his divine wisdom helps us by using both human and divine influences in the birth ... we can see the human part in birth and divinity in the virgin conceived by the Holy Spirit

C. Third, Christ inherited no sin from Adam…because he was Conceived by the Holy Spirit “imputed sin” was not on his account... he was not born in sin like we are.

We are??

Yes, I am afraid so.

Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned—

Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, and in sin did my mother conceive me.

The wicked are estranged from the womb; they go astray from birth, speaking lies.

- With Christ there was a break in the chain and he did not carry the guilt and corruption that we inherit from Adam as our representative or federal head.

And the angel answered her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be called holy—the Son of God.

- No Incarnation no salvation.

D. It is an absolute beauty to see a truth so wonderfully represented here.

That God’s ways are not our ways and we continue to see how the works of His hands are not to be figured out but to be beheld in awe and wonder.

The very reasons the skeptics say why they won’t believe are the reasons that make us rejoice in hope.

They say it is impossible, but we rejoice because God said that He is the God that is able to do the impossible.

The more the world cries that’s impossible, the more the church cries Jesus is the Son of God.

E. Sure, the Virgin birth continues to boggle the minds of many in this world with our continued conclusions of the reality of paradox.

Many stand bewildered, squinting their eyes in skepticism at this…but Christian today we stand awestruck, eyes wide open in wonder at this amazing thing.

The wonderful paradox…Jesus comes into this world by way of a virgin womb, he departs by way of an empty tomb, He comes through the sign of no entrance, he departs though the sign of no exit.

The world cries that’s impossible, the church cries Jesus is the Son of God.

F. This is the awesome way of our Lord.

His ways are not our ways.

His thoughts are not our thoughts.

I love the bewilderment.

The more He astonishes the move my faith is increased.

The day I figure out the Lord in every way, is probably the day I will doubt that He is God.

If He is God than he will do the extraordinary.

That is what the virgin birth is, something extraordinary.

This is why when the world cries that’s impossible, the church cries Jesus is the Son of God.

II.

Did He have to Be Human?

- To deny the humanity of Christ is to deny something at the very heart of Christianity – Dr. Wayne Grudem

A. If Christ was not human as well as divine, then we have no salvation.

The apostle John makes this very clear with a very important warning.

3 But if someone claims to be a prophet and does not acknowledge the truth about Jesus, that person is not from God.

Such a person has the spirit of the Antichrist, which you heard is coming into the world and indeed is already here.

B. Interestingly, it was the attack on Jesus’ humanity which was the first heresies…Docetism.

The first thing under attack was not the deity of Christ but His humanity and what John was directly addressing.

This is vital to understand.

C. First of all, Christ becoming human because our representative, like Adam was, but yet Christ would be successful where Adam failed.

Therefore, as one trespass led to condemnation for all men, so one act of righteousness leads to justification and life for all men.

For as by the one man’s disobedience the many were made sinners, so by the one man’s obedience the many will be made righteous.

He was our representative... and He lived the life we should have lived.

No representation ... no salvation.

D. He was our Substitute - He died the death we should have died, and he could die “for” us because he was a man.

For surely it is not angels that he helps, but he helps the offspring of Abraham.

Therefore he had to be made like his brothers in every respect, so that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in the service of God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people.

- If he was not man... his death would not have mattered.

God was not going to let us pay him with Gum, Master Card or Visa.

Payment for the many?

That’s why he needed to be God as well...infinite value of sufferings for us all.

He died the death we should have died.

No propitiation... no salvation.

E.

He was to be our mediator between us and God the Father.

Because of Sin ... we were alienated from our Holy God.

He is holy.

We needed mediation.

Like a mutual friend trying to get his friends to bury the hatchet and be friends again.

We needed a mediator who could represent us to God and who could represent God to us.

- For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus,