Introduction:
Today we conclude our short series on Christology – the study of Christ. We have learned over the past three weeks about Jesus’ humanity and His deity; how they are two separate natures, yet one in the person of Jesus our Lord. There is still one more very important thing to consider, that if we left out of our study of Christology the study would be incomplete. Today we examine this act of becoming flesh, allowing Him to become a member of humanity while still being God.
Let us pray.
Body:
A. Most Important Historical Event?
1. What is the most important historical event in the history of this world? (pause for a moment). I want you to think about that for a moment.
There have been millions of very significant events, or moments, in the history of this world that have affected its course. What is the most important?
Some people would say the rise and fall of the Roman Empire is the greatest, others say the development of agriculture. Some scholars believe it is the development in technology: tools being made of iron instead of stone, being ran of gasoline engines instead of pulling horses. Some say it was the development of gasoline or diesel engines – all of these things are result in the advancement of technology.
Some people say the most important thing is the rise of religions: the spread of Christianity, Islam, Judaism, Buddhism, and Hinduism – all of which, in theory, ought to lead to a more moral life.
Others say it is the development of warfare.
Others say the most important thing in the history of the world rests in individuals – people who changed the world. Adolph Hitler changed the world, he did so be means of the spread of religion, immigration and migrating, warfare, and technology used for warfare. Some people say Constantine or Alexander the Great were the most important. Others say President Harry S. Truman was the most important person to ever live. He dropped the atomic bombs on Japan, ending a world-wide war, and ushering the planet into a new technological state of warfare.
All of these things, along with millions of others, are extremely important to the history of our world, but none of them are THE most important.
To find this ever-most-important event we must not look in any history book, but rather look at the book authored by the One is witness to all history, we must look at the Bible.
2. “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God…” and now here comes the most important event in the history of the world, skipping down to verse 14, “And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory…”
I have just listed for you a few things that people would say are the most important things in the history of the world, but this recording of the Word becoming flesh was not on the list. Some scholars were semi-correct in their thinking that the most important thing in the history of the world was an individual. They got the individual wrong.
“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God…And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us…” My friends that is the absolute most important historical event to ever happen. The very act of God reaching down into the planet which He created by becoming one of us (and the Word became flesh), is called the incarnation. The incarnation of Jesus Christ leading up to His life, death and resurrection, is the single most significant event to ever happen: it has affected the greatest number of people than any other event in history.
Now let’s get to a little “meatier subject”.
B. Incarnation
1. From our study over the past three weeks it is easily determined that Jesus Christ is The God-Man. That is, He is the Eternal, Uncreated, Son of God, forever co-existent with and co-essential with God the Father and with God the Holy Spirit. But Jesus Christ is likewise the Incarnate God. That is, He is God manifested in human flesh. He is as much Deity as God, and just as human as mankind. But He is not two separate persons, God and man. He is one Person, combining the two natures.
We need to gain an understanding of the concept of the God-Man. The Christian faith does not teach that Jesus Christ is God AND Man, but, rather, that He is the God-Man. In His birth, through the Holy Spirit, the Divine One, and the Virgin Mary, the human one, is the perfect blending of the two Natures. By this we understand the concept of the truth of the Incarnation. In this He is ONE as to His Person, but TWO as to His nature, with those two natures distinct, both complete and perfect in themselves. At the same time they are so perfectly blended in unity as to be the essence of every part and every action of that one Person.
We must note the following:
[1] The Perfect Union is seen in His nature.
“Of Whom are the fathers and from whom, according to the flesh, Christ came, who is over all, the eternally blessed God. Amen.” [Romans 9:5]
“Paul, a bondservant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, separated to the gospel of God which He promised before through his prophets in the Holy Scriptures, concerning His Son Jesus Christ our Lord, who was born of the seed of David according to the flesh, and declared to be the Son of God with power according to the Spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead.” [Romans 1:1-4]
“According to the flesh…” speaks to His humanity; while “…the Son of God…according to the Spirit of holiness…” speaks to His Deity.
[2] The Perfect Union is seen in His lineage.
As a man, He has descended from the loins of David. [Revelation 22:16] As God, He is the Origin of the family and kingdom of David.
“I, Jesus, have sent my angel to testify to you these things in the churches. I am the Root of the Offspring of David…”
[3] The Perfect Union is seen in His emotions.
As man He wept over the grave of His friend Lazarus.
“Therefore, when Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who came with her weeping, He groaned in the spirit and was troubled…Jesus wept.” [John 11:33,35]
As God He raised Lazarus from the dead.
“Now when He had said these things He cried with a loud voice, ‘Lazarus, come forth!’ And he who had died came out bound hand and foot with grave-clothes, and his face was wrapped with a cloth. Jesus said to them, ‘Loose him, and let him go.’” [John 11:43,44]
4] The Perfect Union is seen in His passion.
As man He suffered and died. [read Mark 15:34-39]
As God He rose from the dead and came out of the grave.
“No one takes it from Me, but I lay it down of Myself. I have the power to la it down, and I have the power to take it up again. This command I have received from my Father.”
[John 10:18]
God could not and does not sleep, but the God-Man did. God could not die, but the God-Man did. On the Cross God did not die, neither was it a mere man that died. It was the God-Man that died, but rose again in final and absolute triumph over sin, death, and hell.
Conclusion:
In conclusion, Jesus Christ is the God-Man. He is 100% God, and 100% man. We have seen evidence of this in the three previous weeks. Today we saw that the incarnation of God is the single most important event to ever happen in the history of this world.
This act of god becoming one of us, taking on the form of a human being, by become one, forever changed the world. It led to His life of perfection, persecution, purging, death, and ultimately His resurrection and fulfillment of Scripture. Right now, He is sitting at the right hand of God the Father as He said He would.
The incarnation of the Living God is the most joyous, most celebrate-worthy, event to ever take place in the history of the world. Jesus Christ is the most important individual to ever walk on this earth.
Let us now celebrate the most wonderful most joyous thing ever…let us sing Hymn number 533!
