The Divine Gift of Jesus
Notes
Transcript
First time in 18 years of marriage to have Christmas at the same house for the 3 years
John records a first time event:
The Word was made flesh
Eternal God became something He eternally was not, remained what He eternally is, to become what He would eternally be
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
Logos - sum of all logic/reasoning
Jesus is what we need
The Purpose of the Gift
The Purpose of the Gift
Gift - What is this for?
And Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judaea, unto the city of David, which is called Beth-lehem; (because he was of the house and lineage of David:) To be taxed with Mary his espoused wife, being great with child. And so it was, that, while they were there, the days were accomplished that she should be delivered. And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn. And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid. And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.
The angel announcing the birth of Jesus, knew the purpose for Jesus made flesh - Jesus is the Saviour!
Now when Jesus was born in Beth-lehem of Judaea in the days of Herod the king, behold, there came wise men from the east to Jerusalem, Saying, Where is he that is born King of the Jews? for we have seen his star in the east, and are come to worship him.
When they had heard the king, they departed; and, lo, the star, which they saw in the east, went before them, till it came and stood over where the young child was. When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceeding great joy. And when they were come into the house, they saw the young child with Mary his mother, and fell down, and worshipped him: and when they had opened their treasures, they presented unto him gifts; gold, and frankincense, and myrrh.
Gold - Deity
Frankincense - Frankincense is a white resin or gum. It is obtained from a tree by making incisions in the bark and allowing the gum to flow out. It is highly fragrant when burned and was therefore used in worship, where it was burned as a pleasant offering to God (Exodus 30:34). Frankincense is a symbol of holiness and righteousness. The gift of frankincense to the Christ child was symbolic of His willingness to become a sacrifice, wholly giving Himself up, analogous to a burnt offering.
Myrrh - Myrrh was also a product of Arabia, and was obtained from a tree in the same manner as frankincense. It was a spice and was used in embalming. It was also sometimes mingled with wine to form an article of drink. Such a drink was offered to our Saviour when He was about to be crucified, as a stupefying potion (Mark 15:23). Matthew 27:34 refers to it as “gall.” Myrrh symbolizes bitterness, suffering, and affliction. The baby Jesus would grow to suffer greatly as a man and would pay the ultimate price when He gave His life on the cross for all who would believe in Him.
The wise men knew that God Himself had come to pay the price for our sins.
The Presentation of the Gift
The Presentation of the Gift
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.
How did God the Son present Himself? Flesh
He looked like a Jew. He walked on his feet. He ate and drank. He slept. He grew tired. He was made flesh.
And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory.
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.
Dwelt - verb eskenosen - comes from the root word - skenoo - sken-oh - tabernacle - used in a verb it means to settle (pitch a tent) v. — to take up residence or dwell in or as if in a tent; sometimes conveying temporariness.
Jesus was made flesh - ordinary
Exploring the Gospel of John: An Expository Commentary A. Incarnation (1:14)
That tabernacle was “all glorious within,” but its glory was a hidden glory. There was no great beauty about the tabernacle’s outward appearance. All the furniture of the outer court was made of ordinary brass (copper). The curtains of the outer court were of unadorned linen bleached white by the sun. The only flash of color was at the gate, which gave access to the brazen altar and hinted at the hidden beauties within. From without, there was nothing particularly glorious about the tabernacle. To the eye of the casual beholder it was just another tent, spaced off from the tents of the common people and more imposing in its dimensions, but just a tent. Even when the tabernacle was moved from place to place, every piece of golden furniture used within the tabernacle itself was carefully covered from the eyes of the curious.
Thus, too, the glory of the Lord Jesus was a hidden glory. When he came to “pitch his tent” among us he did not lay aside his deity, but he veiled his glory.
The Power of the Gift
The Power of the Gift
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.
Exploring the Gospel of John: An Expository Commentary A. Incarnation (1:14)
The inside of the tabernacle, seen only by the priests, was glorious. The inner hangings were of blue, purple, and scarlet, and were fine linen. All the inner furniture was of gold or overlaid with gold. That mysterious shekinah cloud, which overshadowed the camp of Israel, came to rest on the mercy seat in the holy of holies where it bathed all with the light and glory of another world.
Beheld - gazing with a purpose regarding admiration
Glory - How did he kick that ball into that goal? How did she paint that picture?
With Jesus, John mused, that every thing He did was worthy to admire
Full - Completely full - nothing was amiss, everything about Jesus was completely filled with:
Grace -
Unmerited favour - Jesus’ coming was filled with grace!
He implored the Pharisees to repent by grace
He drew the brokenhearted by grace to Himself
He compassionately healed the blind eyes by grace
He was FULL of grace - Thank God!
But thank God that it was not just grace! If it was just grace He could not have been God!
Truth -
He did that which was right
He was tempted, but He as the truth stood firm
Lies were confronted to Him, but He spoke truth
Situations unfolded that demanded truth
He spoke the truth, acted upon truth, and was the very spirit of truth
These 2 incredible attributes is what God founded His decision upon before man was ever created!
As truth, Jesus could pay for our sins, and grace compelled Him to be made flesh as the sacrifice for our sins.
The Divine Gift of Jesus is without equal!
It’s value is greater than any man can imagine, more powerful than the greatest force on earth, and perfectly fitting of every desire and need for eternity!
DL Moody wrote:
The thief had nails through both hands, so that he could not work; and a nail through each foot, so that he could not run errands for the Lord; he could not lift a hand or a foot toward his salvation; and yet Christ offered him the gift of God, and he took it. He threw him a passport, and took him with Him into Paradise.
The perfect gift for me today is Jesus. The perfect gift for you today is Jesus.