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Christmas Thoughts : The Threefold Purpose Of The Incarnation
Contributed by Dr. Stanley Vasu on Dec 25, 2012 (message contributor)
Summary: THE THREEFOLD PURPOSE OF THE INCARNATION : COMPREHENSION - DEMONSTRATION - SALVATION
THE THREEFOLD PURPOSE OF THE INCARNATION : COMPREHENSION - DEMONSTRATION - SALVATION
OUTLINE
1. COMPREHENSION
2. DEMONSTRATION
3. SALVATION
INCARNATION
The birth of the Lord Jesus Christ was an incarnation. He was God who took the form of a human being. Even before his birth , the prophets revealed His name which signified his deity. When Jesus lived in this world , He was God living among men as a human being.
SCRIPTURE REFERENCES
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JOHN 1:1 , 14
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.
MATTHEW 1 :22-23
All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet:
“The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel” (which means “God with us”).
For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
THE MESSAGE
THE THREEFOLD PURPOSE OF THE INCARNATION : COMPREHENSION - DEMONSTRATION - SALVATION
1. COMPREHENSION
The Lord Jesus , the Son of God , took the form of a human being in order for man to have a comprehension and an understanding of the nature of God and for God to experience every trial and tribulation faced by man. By looking at Jesus , man could understand the nature of God and remove all misunderstandings and false notions of God from his mind. God was not far away and beyond human reach and understanding. Through the incarnation , God dwelt among men and enabled man to comprehend God.
Through the incarnation , the Lord Jesus experienced the trials and tribulations and temptations faced by mankind. God was not far away without any comprehension of what mankind faced in this evil world. Jesus was tested in every way and yet lived without sin. Whatever sufferings we may face in our life . the Lord Jesus has faced it in an even greater way. Therefore He is a high priest who can sympathise and emphathise with our struggles and have compassion on us and shower us with His grace and mercy to meet every need in our lives.
NOTE : kindly also read the article 21 THOUGHTS FOR MEDITATION ON THE CRUCIFIXION OF JESUS CHRIST by clicking on the following link
http://sermoncentral.com/print_friendly.asp?ContributorID=&SermonID=37158
SCRIPTURE REFERENCES
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No man hath seen God at any time, the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him.
If you really know me, you will know my Father as well. From now on, you do know him and have seen him.”
Philip said, “Lord, show us the Father and that will be enough for us.”
Jesus answered: “Don’t you know me, Philip, even after I have been among you such a long time? Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’?
Don’t you believe that I am in the Father, and that the Father is in me? The words I say to you I do not speak on my own authority. Rather, it is the Father, living in me, who is doing his work.
Believe me when I say that I am in the Father and the Father is in me; or at least believe on the evidence of the works themselves.
HEBREWS 4: 14-16
Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has ascended into heaven, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess.
For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet he did not sin.
Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.
2. DEMONSTRATION
The Lord Jesus , the Son of God , took the form of a human being in order to demonstrate by his own example how we should live our lives in this world. Every commandment that the Lord has given us , He fulfilled it in his own life when He lived in this world. Through his own example , he demonstrated for us how to live a godly life and a fruitful life . He demonstrated the power of God in his own life and ministry by bringing healing and deliverance to the multitudes. He demonstrated a life of service and sacrifice. He is our prime example and model for us to follow.
