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Mar 11, 2010 - 9:20:54 PM |
John 1:1-14
A father put his four-year-old son to bed. Having finished prayers, stories, and all the little bedtime things, he kissed his son and turned the light off. His son started sobbing, "Don’t leave me. I’m scared and don’t want to stay here alone." The father tried to encourage the little boy by reminding him of God’s presence and reminding him that they had had devotions. The little boy said, "I want somebody with skin on." This is the great message of the Incarnation! Jesus came in flesh!
At one point in time, in space and in history, God became man. At one point in the history of this universe God entered time space as a baby and became part of the human race.
There is a story told about a king and a maiden. The king loved that humble maiden, dressed in all her rags, her lack of education and etiquette – despite all of this, he loved her. He set his royalty aside, gave up the palace, his royal pleasures and privileges and lived as a peasant in order to prove his love for her and to win her hand. He became as ragged as the one he loved, so that she could be united with him forever. It was the only way. His raggedness became the very signature of his presence.
Luke 2:12 "And this shall be a sign unto you: ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger."
Philippians 2:5-8 "Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: But made Himself of no reputation, and took upon Him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: And being found in fashion as a man, He humbled Himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross."
This is the God who, in His majesty, emptied Himself, wrapped a towel around His waist and washed His disciples’ feet. This is the One of whom Isaiah said “He had no form or majesty that we should look at Him, nothing in His appearance that we should desire Him.”
Read the scripture in John chapter 1.
The Word – who is this Word? Who is this that John speaks of? Looking at verse 1 – this Word is the Creative, Sustaining, Directing and Guiding force, One Power behind all that is in this universe. In fact, The Word is not mentioned from verse 1 till verse 14. A description of all that He is and does is compacted into 13 verses but then, with startling, almost vulgar terms John states “the Word became flesh.” We could say that God became flesh.
John says the Word (Jesus) became flesh – he deliberately used the Greek word for 'flesh' (sarx) and not the word for man or person. It is the same word which the apostle Paul uses to describe man in all his weakness and in all his liability to sin. John uses sarx because it is the Greek word which stands for the whole person. He deliberately bypasses the word for 'man' or 'a body' to use sarx, 'in the flesh.' John wants his hearers, and us, to understand that when the Word became flesh, Jesus took on human existence in all its frailty and vulnerability, yet without sin. So John says the Word which in verse 1 is 'One with the Father in divinity', and in verse 14, 'He is one with us in humanity.' That is an astounding statement. In fact, in John's day, to the Jews, it was a blasphemous statement, and to the Greeks it was a foolish statement. Yet John deliberately chooses to state "The Word became flesh." - God became human.
I. THE TEACHINGS OF THE INCARNATION
Jesus was fully God. God became a man in the person of Jesus Christ. Jesus has all of the attributes of God and is said to do things that only God can do:
• He always existed. He never began to exist and will never cease to exist: John 1:1; 8:58.
• He created all things (John 1:3)
Col 1:16 “For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by Him, and for Him."
- He knows all things
- He has all power over all things
- He has all authority over everything
Mat 28:18 “And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power [authority] is given unto me in heaven and in earth.”
- Authority over Life and Death
- Authority over Sickness and Disease
- Authority over the Environment
- Authority over Laws of Nature, and
- Authority over Demons
• He depends on nothing outside of Himself for life: John 1:4; 14:6; 8:58. John 1:4 "In Him was life; and the life was the light of men."
The Incarnation Teaches That Jesus Was All Man
John 1:14 "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."
Phil. 2:5-8 "Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: But made Himself of no reputation, and took upon Him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: And being found in fashion as a man, He humbled Himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross."
1 John 4:3 "And every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God: and this is that spirit of antichrist, whereof ye have heard that it should come; and even now already is it in the world."
Jesus was as completely human as the rest of us.
• He had a human body: Luke 24:39.
• He had a human mind: Luke 2:40, 52.
• He had a human soul: Matthew 26:38.
II. THE IMPLICATIONS OF THE INCARNATION
The Fact of the Incarnation Gives Us Assurance That...
A. We Can Know God in a Personal Way
I John 1:1 4 "That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, of the Word of life; For the life was manifested, and we have seen it, and bear witness, and show unto you that eternal life, which was with the Father, and was manifested unto us; That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you, that ye also may have fellowship with us: and truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with His Son Jesus Christ. And these things write we unto you, that your joy may be full."
(Our Daily Bread, May 5, 2006) Author Dorothy Sayers put it this way:
"[God] can exact nothing from man that He has not exacted from Himself. He has Himself gone through the whole of human experience, from the trivial irritations of family life and the cramping restrictions of hard work and lack of money to the worst horrors of pain and humiliation, defeat, despair, and death. When He was a man, He was fully man. He was born in poverty and died in disgrace and thought it well worthwhile."
The incarnation of Jesus Christ is the irrefutable proof that God will do anything to draw near to us.
B. God Understands Our Every Need (Heb 2:17-18)
“Wherefore in all things it behooved Him to be made like unto His brethren, that He might be a merciful and faithful High Priest in things pertaining to God, to make reconciliation for the sins of the people. For in that He Himself hath suffered being tempted, He is able to succor [help] them that are tempted."
God entered time and space to make a nonverbal statement. He didn't come to keep us from suffering; He came to suffer as we suffer. He didn't come just to keep us from being afraid; He came to be afraid as we are afraid. He didn't come just to keep us from dying; He came to die as we must die. He didn't come to keep us from being tempted; He came to be tempted as we are tempted.
C. We Have a Helper for Every Need (Heb 4:14-16)
"Seeing then that we have a great High Priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession. For we have not an High Priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need."
D. We Have The Perfect Atonement For Our Sins (Heb 7:25 28)
"Therefore He is also able to save to the uttermost those who come to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them. For such a High Priest was fitting for us, who is holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners, and has become higher than the heavens; Who does not need daily, as those high priests, to offer up sacrifices, first for His own sins and then for the people’s, for this He did once for all when He offered up Himself. For the law appoints as high priests men who have weakness, but the word of the oath, which came after the law, appoints the Son who has been perfected forever."
E. We Have a Model to Live Our Life (Eph 5:1)
"Therefore, be followers of God as dear children, and walk in love as Christ also has loved us; and offering and a sacrifice to God..."
The incarnation of our Lord Jesus accomplished several things. His coming clearly declared the love of God the Father for the world (John 3:16). He taught us great spiritual truths. He set a glorious example by which we are to pattern our lives. All this is true, but the primary reason for His coming into the world was to die for our sins! Consider:
"But Jesus answered them, saying, ‘The hour has come that the Son of Man should be glorified…. Now My soul is troubled, and what shall I say? ’Father, save Me from this hour’? But for this purpose I came to this hour. Father, glorify Your name.’ Then a voice came from heaven, saying, "I have both glorified it and will glorify it again." John 12:23, 27-28 (NKJV)
May we glorify God with our lives on this earth. Merry Christmas!
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To All My Liberal Friends:
Please accept with no obligation, implied or explicit, my best wishes for an environmentally conscious, socially responsible, low-stress, non-addictive, gender-neutral celebration of the winter solstice holiday, practiced within the most enjoyable traditions of the religious persuasion of your choice, or secular practices of your choice, with respect for the religious/secular persuasion and/or traditions of others, or their choice not to practice religious or secular traditions at all. I also wish you a fiscally successful, personally fulfilling and medically uncomplicated recognition of the onset of the generally accepted calendar year 2010, but not without due respect for the calendars of choice of other cultures whose contributions to society have helped make America great. Not to imply that America is necessarily greater than any other country nor the only America in the Western Hemisphere. Also, this wish is made without regard to the race, creed, color, age, physical ability, religious faith or sexual preference of the wishee.
To My Conservative Friends:
Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!
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HELPFUL LINKS FOR LEADERS:
Houses Of Prayer On Every College Campus
Dickens vs. Darwin
Mississippi - Most Religious State
D.H.H.S. Soft On Prostitution
It's Not About The Manger
The Wonder of the Incarnation
An Assault On Press Freedom
One Solitary Life
Perversion 101: GLSEN In Our Schools
Same Sex Marriage Bill Signed In A Church
Religious Restrictions In One Third Of All Countries
Top News Stories According to Religious Newswriters
Firefighters Required at Candlelight Service
Islamic Mosque Built at 9/11 Ground Zero
School Goes Ballistic With 2nd Grader's Picture of Jesus
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December, the last month of the year, is here. The days grow shorter, the sky grows darker, and the wind turns cold, nipping at our cheeks. Bird and beast seek out their nests, and the thoughts of man turn to home and family. It is a good time to reflect on the accomplishments of the past year.
Many who come to visit the League office in Augusta will see the back issues of our journal, The RECORD. Looking back over the years, the careful reader will notice that in our one hundred and twelve year history, no year has been more important and eventful than 2009; and in no year did the League win a greater victory. Let us list a few of the League's accomplishments in 2009.
In 2009, the League
• Helped prevent the establishment of a casino in Oxford County
• Assisted Vassalboro residents with their opposition to the Grand View topless donut shop
• Spoke out against a plan to offer contraceptives to high school students in North Berwick
• Stood shoulder-to-shoulder with Maine’s Pro-Life movement
• Supported a prayer vigil outside an abortion mill in Augusta
• Opposed the epidemic of drug use in our public schools
• Exposed the increase in crime associated with the Hollywood Slots casino in Bangor
• Supported the Maine’s Woman's Christian Temperance Union by hosting their annual meeting
But by far, the greatest accomplishment in 2009 was the League's successful opposition of Governor Baldacci's same-sex marriage law. Homosexual marriage was a far greater challenge than the League's original mission of combating the liquor industry and gambling. The League defended marriage and the family against a very well-funded and militant homosexual rights lobby. Righteousness prevailed. We won.
Yet recently we learned that a homosexual rights group (Equality Maine) intends to pursue a strategy of de-centralized educational meetings throughout the state over the next year. In addition, they will campaign for those legislators who voted for same-sex marriage in 2009; and they will submit another same-sex marriage bill in late 2010 for the next legislative session in early 2011.
But who is to be thanked for our accomplishments in 2009? First, we may thank the Divine Providence of God during this time of celebration for the birth of His Son, our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. With Him, all things are possible. Additionally, the visionary leadership of our past Executive Director, Mike Heath, and the faithfulness of the League's past Board President, Dallas Henry are to be noted. And, of course, we owe these victories to you, the friends and supporters of the League.
Dear friend, did you ever stop to think that with your prayers and donations to the League, you were helping to protect the God-ordained institution of marriage, throughout America, and yes, the world? But that is exactly what your prayers and donations to the League accomplished in 2009.
As we noted, the days now grow shorter, and the dark nights seem long. But there is darkness in society which is deeper and more terrifying than a change of seasons. It is the forgetfulness of a prodigal society which willfully turns its face from God. Trusting in the false gods of ‘progress’ and materialism, this orphaned society wanders the night, trudging on to spiritual oblivion.
All the woes we see in contemporary society, drug use, broken homes, gambling, rampant crime - all these are mere symptoms of an underlying disorder, and that is the loss of faith. The Christian Civic League, your League, pledges to continue be the beacon lighting the way home, home to faith in a kindly Father and His Son, Jesus Christ. The first emblem of the League was a lamp, and we are happy to say that never has our light shone brighter. Help us to lift this lamp on high in Maine.
At this time of year, will you consider a gift today of $50, $100 or more to support this most important work of the Christian Civic League? Will you consider personally pledging to support the League in 2010 at $50 monthly, or more? Will you ask your church to include us in its mission’s budget for 2010, or to increase its support if already faithfully giving to the League?
Please note: an end-of-the-year gift to our Maine Family Policy Foundation is tax deductible.
We thank you in advance for your gift, and we wish you a merry and blessed Christmas.
Yours Truly,
Michael G. Hein
Administrator
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