Jesus Came To Deliver us from the Wisdom of this Age

Introduction:

The Good News of Jesus is really good news.

Unfortunatley we have often made it pretty good news by making so small it fits on a bumper sticker.

Joy to the world the the Lord is come

Let earth recieve her King.

Joy to the world, the savior reigns

Let me their songs employ.

Christmas is the birth announcment that God has come to Save Humanity in and through Jesus.

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Last week we discussed how Jesus redeemed us from the powers and principalities.

Next week Todd will talk to us about how Jesus came to redeem us from sin and death.

Today, I want to show you that Jesus also came to redeem us from the wisdom of this age.

The wisdom of demons - the wisdom of the fallen sons of God.

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To Understand the good news of the Birth of Jesus in full, we need to understand that there are two kinds of Wisdom.

The wisdom of God - And

The Wisdom of demons -

The Wisdom of demons -

James 3:13–18 ESV

Who is wise and understanding among you? By his good conduct let him show his works in the meekness of wisdom. But if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast and be false to the truth. This is not the wisdom that comes down from above, but is earthly, unspiritual, demonic. For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there will be disorder and every vile practice. But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial and sincere. And a harvest of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace.

James 3:13–18 NLT

If you are wise and understand God’s ways, prove it by living an honorable life, doing good works with the humility that comes from wisdom. But if you are bitterly jealous and there is selfish ambition in your heart, don’t cover up the truth with boasting and lying. For jealousy and selfishness are not God’s kind of wisdom. Such things are earthly, unspiritual, and demonic. For wherever there is jealousy and selfish ambition, there you will find disorder and evil of every kind. But the wisdom from above is first of all pure. It is also peace loving, gentle at all times, and willing to yield to others. It is full of mercy and the fruit of good deeds. It shows no favoritism and is always sincere. And those who are peacemakers will plant seeds of peace and reap a harvest of righteousness.

The WISDOM of this age is not from God and it does not originate from Humanity!

It is seen by God as foolish, dangerous, and it always leads to death.

God calls us to pull it down and dethrone the wisdom of this age.

2 Corinthians 10:3–5 ESV

For though we walk in the flesh, we are not waging war according to the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds. We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ,

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So, Where Does This “Wisdom of this age” come from? How has Jesus redeemed us from it?

Let me tell you a little story.

Genesis 6:1–5 ESV

When man began to multiply on the face of the land and daughters were born to them, the sons of God saw that the daughters of man were attractive. And they took as their wives any they chose. Then the Lord said, “My Spirit shall not abide in man forever, for he is flesh: his days shall be 120 years.” The Nephilim were on the earth in those days, and also afterward, when the sons of God came in to the daughters of man and they bore children to them. These were the mighty men who were of old, the men of renown. The Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intention of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.

Gen 6:

Genesis 6:11–12 ESV

Now the earth was corrupt in God’s sight, and the earth was filled with violence. And God saw the earth, and behold, it was corrupt, for all flesh had corrupted their way on the earth.

Genesis 6:11 ESV

Now the earth was corrupt in God’s sight, and the earth was filled with violence.

After the sons of God took human women to have sex with, we are told -

that the wickedness of man was great

and every intention of their heart was only evil continually.

The earth was now filled with violence

And the way of humanity was fully corrupted.

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The Story of the sons of God in the writings of the most ancient.

Fertile Cresent - Akkadians and Sumerians

Same story with different results.

Sons of the gods came , took wives, gave great wisdom to the world

Their children would be seen as the linage of the babylonian kings

They taught man the arts of seduction, War, Astrology, Sorcery

Off spring known as ancient heros - Gilgomesh - etc.

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The 2nd Temple writings - Books of Enoch etc.

The Books of enoch were very popular during the days of Jesus

Quoted in the book of Jude and possibly 2nd Peter.

The Watchers - entrusted to watch over the affairs of humanity

Make covenant on mount Hermon to rebell against God and to take the women

Children were the ancient so called heros of the past - Greek sons of the gods

Enoch give them credit for teaching humanity -

Illicit sexual relations

Seduction for the purpose of manipulation

War and the creation of the tools for mass killing

Sorcery and Astrology to learn forbidden secrets.

The book of Enoch said - Due to wars, illicit sex, and seduction disease was introduced into humanity.

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The Gospel of Mattew Addresses This Corruption of Wisdom

Showing Jesus as the means God will reverse this “Wisdom of the Age”.

The Women of Jesus’s Geneology:

Taking the evil wisdom to reverse it’s affect.

Tamar - Judah -father-in-law - seduction - Illicit sex - Saved the blood line of the Messiah

Rahab - Caininite prostitue - Seduction - Illicit sex - Saved the spies and mother of Boaz

Ruth - Moabite - Woemn known for seduction and war - Went to Boaz under the cover of night - uncovered his feet and lay with him (Euphmism for naked) - Left Boaz under the cover of darkness - Seduction and illicit sex - Saved the linage of Jesus.

Wife of Uriah - Bathsheba - Raped by David - Husband uriaha was murdered in war by the orders of David - Illicit sex, seduction through power - War. She gave birth to Solomon - Jesus had to come through the linage of David.

In the geaneology of Jesus God uses the wisdom of the Watchers to bring about the one who would destroy the wisdom of the Watchers.

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The 5th woman - Mary

Virgin - Impregnated by God - How - Holy Spirit over shadows - Birth of Immanuel - god with us.

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The Magi -

Matthew 2:1–3 ESV

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 saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.” When Herod the king heard this, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him;

Magi - Sorcery

Looked to the stars - Astrology to learn secrets

From the East - Babylon or Ur most likley

Again God allows the forbidden wisdom of the Watchers to be used for it’s own destruction.

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Matthew Portrays Jesus as the one who came to redeem us from the sins of the Watchers.

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Jesus Showed Us True Wisdom

1 Corinthians 1:22–25 ESV

For Jews demand signs and Greeks seek wisdom, but we preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and folly to Gentiles, but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. For the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men.

1 Cor 1:

Illicit Sex - Go and sin no more

Matthew 5:27–28 ESV

“You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’ But I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lustful intent has already committed adultery with her in his heart.

Matt

War - Love your enemies

Matthew 5:9 ESV

“Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.

Disease - Healed many of their disease

Matthew 4:23 ESV

And he went throughout all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom and healing every disease and every affliction among the people.

Idolatry -

Matthew 6:24 ESV

“No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money.

James the brother of Jesus summerizes the Wisdom of Jesus

James 3:17–18 ESV

But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial and sincere. And a harvest of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace.

Jesus came to Save us from the Spiritual Principalities and Powers

A Wisdom of Righteousness

Jesus came to Save us from the Spiritual Principalities and Powers

Jesus came to redeem us from the Wisdom of demons

Jesus came to fully set us free

Jesus came to fully redeem us in all areas of LIFE.

Jesus came to give us LIFE - JOY - Beauty.

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John 10:10 ESV

The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.