The Theology of Jesus: Who is this Man?

Introduction:

Good morning, here we are the first Sunday of 2017. As I considered this thought, i really had to go check the calendar. I really did.

So as I was praying and seeking the Lord's direction for this beginning of a New Year I thought about Jesus. You know what... you can't go wrong with Jesus can you.

And I thought who is this man, what do we know about Jesus.... His coming, His birth and purpose for this world and just how He would effect the world.

All of these questions are relevant, important and yes we must be able to understand and articulate what we know and believe about Jesus if we are going to be a witness to a world searching for answers to their greatest questions.

Now this morning we are going to look at Jesus. And we will do so from John chapter 1 to begin with.....

So if you have your Bibles, lets turn there and find John chapter 1.

John 1:1 ESV

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

So there it is, the passage we hang onto to for the central core of this message, but we will look at some other passages as well.

So lets begin....

1. The Eternal Jesus....

There is a first thought everyone has to consider when we talk about Jesus, He is eternal...

The name Jesus is synonymous with the thought that He is eternal. This truth is at the core of who He is... in fact listen to John

John 1:1 "In the beginning was the Word...."

The word beginning is a word that throws us off, it tends to make us think that there was a beginning for Jesus, but we know that is not the case.

We have to understand that God ( the Father, Son and Holy Spirit) have always existed, they had no beginning and they will have no ending... eternal.

Now how can we support this truth?

First off lets remember the truth of the Godhead, that God is a "trinity." God the Father, Son and the Holy Spirit.

Looking back to the book of Genesis we find this illustrated in several verses.

Genesis 1:1–2 ESV

In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. The earth was without form and void, and darkness was over the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters.

So, lets think about what we know already. In the beginning God created... the word God there is "Elohim." the only Hebrew word for God that means "gods.' So in the beginning God (the trinity) was involved in the process of creation.

And then moving to verse two you see mention of the Holy Spirit who was hovering over the face of the waters. Wow here is a awesome picture... the earth was formless and void. Incomplete, chaos, confusion, nothing is there. But life is there, where there is no life, we find the the Holy Spirit is there ready to work and bring life to the world.

So God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit are there....

So before the world was.... God (the Trinity) was there...eternal in the heavens.

You have heard me speak of Genesis 1:26 in the past....

Genesis 1:26 ESV

Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. And let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over the livestock and over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.”

Our God who is eternal was there creating man in the image of God... Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

Now jump forward with me to God speaking to Moses after 400 years of silence. The children of Abraham, the children of Israel have grown and become numerous and currently are suffering in the land of Egypt..

As God calls Moses, Moses has one of many questions... who should I tell them has sent me... Exodus 3 has the answer....

Exodus 3:14 ESV

God said to Moses, “I AM WHO I AM.” And he said, “Say this to the people of Israel: ‘I AM has sent me to you.’ ”

So here is the eternal God working for the God of Israel... and then if you jump up to New Testament, listen to what Jesus says as he is teaching the religious leaders there..

John 8:58 ESV

Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I am.”

So there is the Great "I Am" standing in their midst.... and we cannot forget one last years that is important to put the icing on the cake if you will...

Hebrews 13:8 ESV

Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.

Without a doubt when you look at the testimony of the Word of God, we know that Jesus is the eternal God... the one who has always been. The second member of the Trinity, Our blessed Savior who became flesh.

Are you convinced today that Jesus is the eternal God who is our Savior.

Jesus Incarnation...

When considering the thought of Jesus being eternal, the next step has to be a consideration of what God did in the person of the incarnate Christ.

God the Father sent the Son into the world.

The eternal God became flesh...

Incarnate means to be made flesh

Now listen to John 1:14

John 1:14 ESV

And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.

Now the incarnation of Jesus is important.

Why? Because it tells us, makes known to us the truth that Jesus came to earth. The Word that has always been, He came to earth. Luke 2 tells us the day came with Jesus being born in a stable because there was no room at the Inn.

Now one aspect of the coming of Jesus has to be the virgin birth. Mary is called the Theotokos (Greek meaning literally God bearer: the latin refers to her as the Mother of God) We will look at it another time.

I think it is safe to say we know that the testimony of the Word is true... Mary , who had never known a man but only betrothed to Joseph brought forth a son, the Son of God because the Holy Spirit worked in her life so that she could bear the eternal Son of God, bringing Him into the world.

So think about His coming in the flesh...

Let me share you a passage from Philippians 2.

Philippians 2:5–9 ESV

Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name,

Paul gives us a great truth... "emptied himself and taking the form of a servant."

Please do not think the world empty means that Jesus lost who He was.. the word empty means Jesus left the glory and splendor of heaven, from being with the Father. He laid aside His heavenly place, and took upon himself our state... humanities state. But do not forget Jesus is fully God

We call it a "hyperstatic union;" Jesus who is fully God took upon himself our nature, a human body. so he was fully God and fully man.

Now Phil 2:8 - Now the appearance of a "man" - means he was made like us...in the same way , shape and form...flesh and blood, bone and marrow.... He didn't have a "appearance like man" he was made just like man.

Now it is important that we make that distinction... why do I reinforce the idea here that he was made just like man.

if he only appears to be a man... then we cannot rally die for our sins because he only appears to be a man. But to be made as man yet without sin, tells us he can die for our sins.

Now lets move forward....

He arrived here in the flesh....

The Son who is fully God is also fully man and well.

Being made flesh doesn't mean that Jesus was made sinful or weak... no.. he was the only sinless person to inhabit this world in flesh sin free. Jesus dwelt with man....

Now think about God in the Old Testament.

God came down and tabernacled with man. He lived with them, and his presence was seen over the tabernacle in the form of a cloud.

Exodus 40:34 ESV

Then the cloud covered the tent of meeting, and the glory of the LORD filled the tabernacle.

And the world beheld him... Jesus and the fullness of his glory was seen by many, they (humanity) witnessed His life, ministry, miracles, resurrection...

They saw it.... and their testimony went from one person to another and the joy and love of Christ was seen by all...

So there is this truth for us to hang onto too... Jesus the eternal Son of God became flesh.... the Incarnation....

Now let me share another thought with you today...

3. His Satisfying Mission

The incarnation of Christ had but one purpose, to save humanity from sin...

Jesus said it himself in Luke 19:10

Luke 19:10 ESV

For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.”

We have just celebrated Christmas and with it the coming of Jesus into the world. Jesus came from Heaven to earth that he might be our propitiation.

Let me share with you Romans 3:24-25

Romans 3:24–25 ESV

and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith. This was to show God’s righteousness, because in his divine forbearance he had passed over former sins.

Listen to what Paul is saying here..... we are justified by his grace. justified means to to declare righteous... but its better... the verb here in the Greek is present tense so it says this 'He; Jesus keeps on justifying us."

and how is Jesus doing this... two words Paul uses here.... "redemption and propitiation....."

redemption refers to buying back....

what is the payment - propitiation .. our redeeming, saving sacrifice

Jesus death on the cross was the means whereby mankind is saved from their sin

Listen to Paul in Eph 1:7

Ephesians 1:7 ESV

In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace,

The satisfying mission of Jesus was to save mankind from their sin.... that we might stand in front of God in a right state.

The eternal Son of God was made flesh that we might be forgiven of our sin and made well, whole and safe in the sight of God .

Praise the Lord for this man Jesus who loved not his own life but loved us more....

Arent you glad He loved you

THis morning if anything is not right with you and God confess your sin and begin this new year right, let it set the tone for the whole new year.

let us pray