Sermon Tone Analysis

Text: John 20:1-8;18; Luke 24:36-53

Theme: The practical significance of the resurrection to the every-day life of the believer.

Date: 12/14/14 File name: Incarnation5.wpd

ID Number: 97

Over the last month we’ve celebrated a festival called Advent.

Advent is a tradition that has been observed by the church for over 1500 years.

It is a corporate spiritual journey by the members of a local congregation that calls us to wait expectantly and with readiness for the coming of Christ — and then to celebrate joyfully on Christmas — the day that commemorates God coming in the flesh into this world.

The word Advent is a Latin word that means Coming.

Celebrating the Advent through the reading of Scriptures, the singing of hymns and the lighting of candles each of the four Sundays before Christmas reminds us that the focus of the season is about God invading this world in the flesh.

Celebrating Advent reminds us that we are saved and redeemed not because we have successfully made the effort to come to Him, but because He has made the surprising effort to come to us.

When the local church travels this road called Advent and treats it as a spiritual journey, the joy of Christmas is immeasurably intensified.

Why did God come in the flesh?

• He came to Redeem us.

• He came to Reveal God’s character and nature to us.

• He came to Reconcile us with Himself.

• He came to make us Righteous.

Through Christ in you, God sees you through the blood of Jesus shed on the cross.

Ultimately, God came in the flesh in order to die and rise again.

The incarnation would make no sense if it were not for the resurrection.

The two are inextricably linked.

It is impossible to separate one from the other.

Jesus was born to live a specific life — a sinless life that he might become the Spotless Lamb of God, fit as the perfect substitutionary offering for his people.

Jesus was born to die a specific death — an atoning death as a sweet sacrifice for the sins of sinners who come to him by faith.

Jesus was born to rise from the grave, as the firstborn from among the dead providing the promise that all who believe in him will live again.

So his incarnation is inextricably linked to his resurrection.

But it’s also inextricably linked to our resurrection as well.

Our Lord conquered death.

He rose again.

This was the culminating reason for the incarnation.

It's something we celebrate every Sunday.

But in practical terms, what does the resurrection mean to us today?

I. THE RESURRECTION OF JESUS MAKES POSSIBLE THE PRESENCE OF CHRIST

1. the great mystery of the Gospel is "Christ in us"

a. out of His sovereign grace and divine mercy, God has chosen to indwell all those who call upon the name of His only begotten son

1) Paul writes in Colossians 1:27-28 that this mystery was hidden ... from generations, but now is made known to his saints . . .

which is Christ in you, the hope of glory:

b. the resurrection of our Lord guarantees the presence of Christ in the lives of believers

1) that presence is just as real as the presence of the person sitting next to you this evening

2. God has always desired a presence among His people

a.

He frequently came to stroll with Adam and Eve in the Garden – in the cool of the day – before their fall

b.

He regularly came and visited with Abraham in the form of an angel

c.

He was with the exodus wanderers in the pillar of fire and the pillar of smoke

d.

He was with His prophets through the still small voice

e.

He was with the nation of Israel as the Shekinah glory in the temple at Jerusalem

f.

He walked with His disciple in the presence of Jesus

3. what's the point?

A. GOD WANTS TO HAVE FELLOWSHIP WITH HIS SAINTS

1. our passage reveals that resurrection Sunday had come

a. Jesus was alive

b. the Disciples just didn’t know it

2. our texts tells us of our Lords appearances

a. Mary Magdalene had excitedly told the apostles that Jesus had appeared to her at the tomb

b.

Peter and John had run to see for themselves, discovered the tomb empty, then stepped inside to see the discarded grave shroud

1) they did not know what to make of it

c.

next, the two disciples who had seen Jesus on the road to Emmaus have hurriedly returned to report their experience

3. the burning question of the hour is: Could all these reports be true?

Could the Master really be alive?

4. suddenly their question is answered — Jesus is in their presence!

a. Peace be with you! is his message

b. the disciples are at first terrified

1) at the very least they think they are hallucinating

2) at the very worst they think they are seeing a ghost

c. they are unbelieving and in shock until he shows them his nail-scared hands and sword-pierced side

5. what is the spiritual application?

a. Jesus desires fellowship with each one of us

ILLUS.

Some denominations have the tradition of keeping a red light burning in the sanctuary at all times which represents the eternal presence of Christ in his church.

b. the good news is that you don't have to come to church to experience the presence of Christ in your life

1) every Christian is the temple of the living God

“What agreement is there between the temple of God and idols?

For we are the temple of the living God.

As God has said: “I will live with them and walk among them, and I will be their God, and they will be my people.”

(2 Corinthians 6:16, NIV)

2) we don’t need to have an ever-burning candle in the church, because Jesus — who is the Light of Life — indwells His Church; every true believer’s life

c.

because Jesus is the resurrection and the life we can experience his presence and fellowship

6.

The Resurrection of Jesus Makes Possible the Presence of Christ

II.

THE RESURRECTION OF JESUS MAKES POSSIBLE THE PROGRAM OF GOD

Luke 24:44-48

1. what is the program of God?

2. Jesus makes it very clear in what we call The Great Commission

“Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you.

And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.””

(Matthew 28:19–20, NIV)

A. THE PROGRAM OF GOD WILL NEVER TAKE PLACE WHEN OUR FOCUS IS ON SELF

1. to focus the disciple's attention on God's program Jesus had to open their minds

a. the first thing Jesus had to do was get their minds off of their self-pitying attitude

2. some believers are so pre-occupied with self that they never exercise their faith to participate in God's Kingdom work

3. we come up with all kinds of excuses to alleviate ourselves of the responsibility of doing God's work

a.

I don't understand the Bible