God in the Flesh? Answering 5 Common Objections | Pastor Daniel Batarseh

I want us to just pray one more time as we open God's Word and

seek His voice at this time for us as His people.

Father, it is with great gratitude that we get to gather

here and to reflect upon Your love in the person of Christ and

Lord. We just ask that the familiarity

of this time would not allow us to sleep, but that we would be

attentive and that we would be alert to hear what your word has

to say to equip us. And so, Lord, we seek you, and

we trust that you will indeed with precision and power,

minister to our hearts. In Jesus name we pray.

Amen. Amen.

It's not difficult to imagine how the festivities and the

commercialization of this time can distract and even dilute the

spiritual significance of the season.

That is not the case for us because we as Christians

understand that this time of the year, this month, traditionally

invites us to turn our attention with greater focus and

meditation upon the person of Jesus Christ.

God the Creator. God, the Sustainer of the

universe, entered into His creation 2000 years ago to

rescue us from the power, to rescue us from the penalty, and

to rescue us ultimately from the presence of sin.

But listen, even as believers who understand that truth can

lose our grasp on the significance of what we know to

be the incarnation of the Lord Jesus Christ, how important is

it to understand and believe this truth?

What kind of contribution does this reality, this historical

event, make on our faith? So important is this truth of

God becoming man that it has been viciously assaulted and

contended against since the inception of the Church.

It was the Apostle John and Second John who tells us the not

few but many have gone out into the world to deceive and to

attempt to disprove the reality of this truth that you and I are

celebrating today. And I want you to see his words

for yourself in the Epistle of Second John in verse 7, to look

at this in detail and to understand just how serious it

is to understand, believe, and adhere to this foundational

tenet of our faith. And second, John verse 7.

The apostle of love writes for many deceivers have gone out

into the world those who do not profess or confess, rather the

coming of Jesus Christ in the flesh.

Such a one is the deceiver and the Antichrist.

Highlight that last part in your mind, the last part of the first

sentence, that there are those who do not confess the coming of

Jesus Christ. Three important words in the

flesh. Now some would say that John is

explaining that there are some then and even now who do not

believe, who deny that Jesus Christ, though eternally

existing as God, was never born to be a true human, and if there

was any manifestation of this Jesus Christ in our world, then

it was merely a human appearance and not an actual embodiment.

There are others who would say What John is explaining is that

there are those who I do not believe that Jesus Christ

currently possesses a body, and they base that out of the fact

that when he says coming in the flesh, that word coming is a

present participle which would translate as still being

manifested in the flesh. While there are others that John

is warning about who would say that Jesus Christ is not

returning in the flesh, He's not coming back physically, and our

friendly Jehovah Witness neighbors adhere to that truth

that when Jesus resurrected, it was a spiritual resurrection, it

was an invisible ascension, and his return also was invisible.

So this is not just some ancient thing that has no relevance,

this is something that is affecting people today.

And what are all those explanations have in common?

One simple foundational concept there is an ultimate rejection

of the notion that God he became a man.

That God took on flesh, a denial of what John testified in his

Gospel account, that the Word became flesh, and later in that

same gospel account that he rose in the flesh again.

This is not a denial of the existence of the person of Jesus

Christ, but rather that he never became truly human.

And if there was historically a person named Jesus Christ, then

he's not what Christians claim him to be, namely, God

Incarnate. And so serious again is the

attempt to dispute that or to deny that willingly, that John

goes on to say in concluding with that explanation that such

a person is the deceiver and the Antichrist.

This is not merely a matter of opinion, innocent subjective

understanding. This is a matter of dangerous

satanic influence. That is not to say that such a

person is the anticipated Antichrist of the last days, but

it is to say that who the he who propagates this heresy then and

now, they reflect the opposing spirit and the evil nature of

the Antichrist to come. So John is using familiar

language, something that you and I might have heard or even said

when we try to maybe describe or point out the vileness of

someone's behavior or character, and we say that person's the

devil himself, that person is Satan.

What John essentially is saying by the Holy Spirit, the person

who says that Jesus Christ did not come in the flesh, is the

deceiver, is the Antichrist and the evil.

One hates this truth to such a degree that he even attempts to

go into our Holy book, the truth of God's Word to try to disprove

it. And the objections concerning

Jesus Christ becoming flesh are objections that still are

resounding today and are sweeping the masses to believe a

false Christ. And this is going to be a

different kind of Christmas message.

I know usually Christmas messages are are more light and

warm hearted. But listen, Jesus being in a

Manger is not just a fuzzy idea. It's not just to make us cozy

and comfortable and to and to feel kind of pure hearted and

light and to kind of forget our troubles.

This is essential to our faith. This is concrete.

This is a mission. This is something that from

eternity past has been planned and was ultimately performed for

a purpose greater than you and I having more holidays out of the

year. This is about salvation.

This is about eternal life. This is about the redemption of

man's soul. And so today, and I want to

speak to you about 5 common objections to God being man to

God becoming man. 5 common objections to what you and I are

celebrating today. And hopefully this will make you

and I equipped. It will cause you and I to

rejoice that the Bible in fact declares this truth, And that

more than that, in God's goodness and favor and grace, he

would probably use this to help others see the light as well.

Concerning this. But before you and I established

this, before we answer these five common objections, let me

let me just explain something else.

Christ becoming man was not a temporary stunt.

It was not something that he did for a moment and then shut it

off and then continued where he began.

The extent of his sacrifice in Redeeming Man includes the fact

that Jesus Christ, glorified, immortal, indestructible, is

body. Now he's in the flesh as we

speak, ascended, seated at the right hand of God.

Yes, sharing in the same divine glory of the Father, yes, but

forever embracing and displaying the tokens of his love with a

body, with the pierced hands and pure side and pierced feet for

us to marvel at for ages and ages to come.

And I want to show you that from the Bible.

I just want to do a quick rapid fire explanation of how it is

that Jesus Christ believed in the Bible and to believed on by

Christians that he is in fact man today.

That God, man, not purely man, not less God, but God, man.

Acts 1730 and 31. I encourage you take note of

these references. I'm sure that they will come in

handy at some point and I'm sure that they will build your faith

even now. Acts 1730 and 31 Paul is

preaching, and he says the times of ignorance God overlooked.

But now he commands all people everywhere to repent, because he

has fixed a day on which he will judge the world in righteousness

by a man, by a man whom he has appointed.

And who is that man? Of this he has given assurance

to all by raising him from the dead.

So there is a man coming to judge the world in

righteousness. Not a spirit body, not a spirit

being, but a real man. A unique man, Yes, not purely,

merely man, sure, but man, the God.

Man, Jesus Christ. Paul also says in First Timothy

1 Timothy 2 · chapter mention

chapter 2, verse five and six. For there is one God, and there

is one mediator between God and man.

The man. The man Christ Jesus.

Not merely the Savior, not merely Lord, not merely God.

The man Christ Jesus. He is currently today the

mediator between God and men. The man Christ Jesus, who gave

himself as a ransom for all, which is the testimony given at

the proper time. Here's one of my favorite ones

at the end of our divine library, Revelation 2216.

This is Jesus himself speaking and Revelation 2216.

He says, I, Jesus, have sent my Angel to testify to you about

these things For the churches, I am the root and the descendant

of David. I am the root and the descendant

of David, the bright morning star.

Now I would understand if Jesus says I am the root of David.

I am the foundation of David. I am the source of David.

I am before David. But he's not just the root.

He is also the descendant of David, implying physical

lineage, implying that he came down from the seed of David.

Did Jesus say this in the Gospel of John?

No, he said this in the Book of Revelation.

Where's Jesus in the Book of Revelation?

He's not on earth. He declared this from heaven,

again implying what? That he is still the descendant

of David? Meaning what?

That he is still flesh. That he's still connected to the

lineage and the heritage of David.

I am the root, and I am the descendant of David now.

And if it doesn't get any clearer than that, that may we

look to the upper room where Jesus appeared shortly after his

resurrection and looked at those terrified disciples who were

baffled at the site. And Jesus says in Luke 2439, see

my hands and my feet that it is I myself.

Touch, touch me and see. For a spirit does not have flesh

and bones as you see that I have A spirit does not have flesh and

bones in Luke 2439. So you can touch me and you will

touch flesh. You can touch me and you will

feel bone. This is Jesus after his

resurrection, and with that same body he went up into heaven.

Jesus Christ is the God man, not was he is the God man.

And here's a taste of the significance of that for us

today. The resurrection of the Lord

Jesus Christ is the unquestionable statement of

God's approval that the payment of the Son of God has been

approved has been accepted. Think about it this way.

Since the wages of sin is death, including the death of our

bodies, then Jesus Christ raising from the dead is the

proof that his redemption was able to effectively cancel that

curse. He overcame the grave with a

body, and this is for you and I to be assured that in Jesus

raising from the dead with a body, he was able to nullify

what has overwhelmingly kept us bound.

And now you and I, looking to the resurrection of Jesus with a

physical body, can be guaranteed that we will have the same grave

conquering fate. I too will be resurrected.

I too will be not partially but completely redeemed.

You see, the extent of Jesus salvation is not just to redeem

your soul and your spirit, but even your body, that body that

has been corrupted, that body that has been polluted with

filth and rebellion and sin, also that body, it won't be put

away with. It will be transformed,

incorruptible, immortal, indestructible, with our God,

man, Jesus Christ, forever and ever.

Five common objections to Jesus Christ coming in the flesh.

You ready? Number one, God cannot be a man.

God cannot be a man. And the Scripture that's often

used for this is Numbers 2319. And with that, if you're taking

notes for Samuel 15, verse 29, and Hosea 11, verse 9.

Hosea 11:9

But the main one is Numbers 2319.

And here's what is said in Numbers 2319.

God is not man, that he should lie or a son of man.

That he should change his mind. God is not man.

Here's the objection. You Christians claim that Jesus

Christ was truly man, and you also claim that he is truly God.

Then how is it that you can also, with this verse, reconcile

those things? If we were told that God is not

man, then how can you say a man is God?

The quick answer to this is very simple.

We do not believe a man became God.

We believe God became a man. And there's nothing in this

verse that would deny the possibility that God could

become a man, that God could become flesh, and interestingly,

no true Christian would ever claim if they understand their

Bible right? I hope that God eternally

existed as flesh. No.

We know by nature he is spirit, but we also know that at one

point in history he descended into our world and he became

flesh and blood for a very specific purpose.

So keep in mind that this also is an Old Testament scripture

along with the other references I mentioned.

Christ does not become man till much later.

So you can even say at this time, yeah it's true, God is not

man. But with the incarnation in

view, no one disagrees that God's essential nature is spirit

and not flesh. God is not man.

What do you think Moses even trying to say?

What do you think the narrator is trying to explain by saying

this? Is he trying to denote that it's

impossible for our God again to become man?

Now he is making a case that God's character is not that a

fallen, inconsistent, corrupt humanity.

That is what he is trying to explain.

And that's why he follows that statement with what God is not

man, that he should lie, that he should lie.

Unlike man, he keeps his word in his faithful.

Unlike man he does not deceive or manipulate.

Unlike man, he has no need to repent of sin.

This is what Moses is saying. And as we know, hundreds of

years after the time of Moses we are told of a prophecy, one that

you and I are very familiar with in Isaiah 9/6.

For to us a child is born, a son is given, and all these amazing

titles are ascribed to this child, and one of them being

what mighty God? A child, mighty God, how can

this me? I had a conversation with a

Muslim about this and when I brought up the scripture I said

explain this. I may not be able to explain the

intricacies of the Trinity and even the complexities of the

dual nature of Jesus Christ, but I believe it because I see it in

my Bible. So explain to me how a child can

be born and be called Mighty God.

You know what his response was? No, no, no.

That's a prophecy about Hezekiah.

OK? Even if it's about Hezekiah.

So Hezekiah is God. That didn't answer anything.

This is in fact about the Lord Jesus Christ, and it's

irrefutable if you're honest and humble to receive it as it is

declared. God cannot be a man.

Remember Christian, we do not believe, and you have to be very

careful with your wording. We do not say a man became God.

We say God became a man. God cannot be a man.

The second common objection is this.

God cannot change. God cannot change.

In other words, if Christians believe that God at some point

chose to become a man, then that would necessitate A drastic

change of some sort and would be irreconcilable with the

assertion of His unchanging nature.

And one of the go to versus proof texts for this argument is

in Malachi chapter 3, verse 6, where the Lord Himself says

Malachi 3:6

something that you and I are familiar with, for I the Lord do

not change. Therefore, you or children of

Jacob are not consumed. I, the Lord do not change.

And I've had people bring this up to me as well.

Your God says He doesn't change. Well, isn't the fact that he

becoming man demonstrated in a very obvious and explosive

manner that he did change? And then they'll quote Malachi.

Do you know how you can clarify a lot of confusion and even

arguments from those who do not believe in our gospel?

One simple thing, Context. You can make a cult out of

taking one verse from the Bible and separate it from its

surroundings. You can you can come up with a

whole different religion if you want.

What's the context of Malachi? A majority of Malachi is mainly

describing Israel's sin and God's declaration of judgment

toward them. And when you read this book, you

realize that there are many ways that Israel has heaped up

offences against God to the point that eventually called for

divine chastisement. And yet, with all the

indictments that God declared through Malachi, you come to the

near the end of this book and the Lord all of a sudden says,

I, the Lord do not change. What's the relevance?

Why is God, in the midst of this very intense confrontation with

his people, wants to profess his changeless nature?

Well, there is relevance when you connect it to the rest of

the verse, for I, the Lord do not change therefore.

Therefore, you, O children of Jacob are not consumed.

So there's something about the changeless nature of God and the

fact that as a result of that, the children of Jacob are not

consumed. Well, it makes sense now when

you understand the broader text. Here's what is being

communicated. The One would be weary of your

constant wickedness and would be content to cast you off forever.

I have made a covenant with your Father's.

I made a promise to them. And because of my changeless

nature, even though I will punish you, even though I will

refine you, I will not ultimately allow you to be

consumed. You will not be consumed even

under my loving chastisement, because I, the Lord, do not

change Again. It's it's echoing what we read

in Numbers 2319. God, when He says something, He

means it. He doesn't.

He doesn't take back his promise.

He doesn't change his mind. He is somebody who is reliable,

someone that we can look to and believe that if he said it, he

will, He will keep it. And for those who would go to

Malachi 36 to try to disprove the deity of the Lord Jesus

Christ don't realize, I have a feeling they don't realize that

the same text actually confirms the deity of Jesus Christ.

So you look at Malachi 36. The Lord says I the Lord do not

change. You just scroll back a few

verses and we're told of another prophecy in Malachi 31.

Behold, I send my messenger now. This is the Lord speaking, this

is Yahweh speaking. Behold, I send my messenger and

he will prepare the way before me.

This is God speaking that messenger that I'm going to

send. He's going to prepare the way

before me. And how is the Lord going to

appear? What is this preparation for?

And the Lord whom you seek will suddenly come to his temple.

So there's going to be some kind of a manifestation, something

that they're able to see and witness with their own eyes.

And the Lord says, there's going to be a time where there's a

messenger who's going to go before me, the Lord Yahweh, and

I will suddenly come to the temple and you'll be able to

recognize it. And the messenger of the

covenant, in whom you delight, behold, he is coming, says the

Lord of hosts. So the Lord of hosts says

somebody's coming, and he's going to prepare the way before

me. And you will know because he

will suddenly come to his temple who was a speaker.

God and Jesus Christ, our Lord, our precious Savior, paraphrase

this prophecy when he sought to clarify and confirm the identity

of his good friend and relative John the Baptist.

And if you want to take this down as a reference, you can but

listen to these powerful words as Jesus pays homage to John.

He says here in Luke 727 an incredible thing.

This is he Jesus says in Luke 727.

This is he of whom it is written.

Behold, I send my messenger before your face who will

prepare your way before you. And then he goes on to say, I

tell you, among those born a woman, none is greater than

John. Why is John greater?

John is greater because he served a role in redemptive

history where he would prepare the way he would fulfill Malachi

3 one and preparing the way for Yahweh.

If the one who is leasing the Kingdom of God is greater than

he saying how does that confirm the deity of Jesus Christ?

Well think about it. If John is the messenger who

prepared the way for Yahweh, and we know that Jesus was the one

who followed the ministry and the message of John the Baptist,

then how and who do we identify Jesus with?

He's Yahweh. He is Yahweh.

Do you understand what Jesus is declaring about himself as he's

paying homage to John? John is the one who was sent to

prepare the way for God. He is that messenger.

Did you get the hint? If he's the messenger and I

followed him and he rejoiced in me eclipsing him, then realize

who I am in light of Malachi's prophecy.

So don't go to Malachi 3 and say God cannot change.

God cannot become a man when Malachi says that the God of

this book, the Hebrew scriptures, will one day visit

his people and he would show it and prepare the people by

sending a messenger First, God cannot change.

Yes, he cannot change in terms of his character, his nature,

and his essence, but that does not mean that he cannot manifest

himself the way he pleases. Third objection.

Third common objection to God taking on flesh.

God cannot be tempted. God cannot be tempted according

to who? Apparently, according to James.

We're in James one verse 13. We are told, Let no one say when

he is tempted. I'm being tempted by God.

For God cannot be tempted with evil, and he himself tempts no

one. And here's how people try to

draw a contradiction from James's statement.

Jesus. If you claim Jesus as God, you

also believe that he was tempted in every way.

In fact, there are there are chapters in different gospel

accounts where Satan himself tempts Jesus.

And yet later in your same book we are told indefinitely that

God cannot be tempted. So then how can Jesus be God if

Jesus himself was tempted? You want to make it more

complicated when you read the Hebrew scriptures.

In some instances you will actually read that God was

tempted. This will be especially clear if

you hold the King James Version in your hands, and maybe the NHB

and the new King James. The ESV uses the word test, But

for the longest time the English world had only one translation

and so it would read this way. Listen to these references in

Psalm One, O 6 verse 14 But lusted exceedingly in the

wilderness, and tempted God in the desert.

Tempted God in the desert. Deuteronomy 616.

In the King James. Ye shall not tempt the Lord your

God, as ye tempted him in Masa. God cannot be tempted.

Well, I had my devotions in Psalm One O 6 14 and I felt like

using the King James today. And I read that God was tempted

in the desert. Earlier I was reading

Deuteronomy 616. I realized that they were

commanded not to tempt the Lord your God because they did tempt

him earlier in master. So never mind this issue of

Christ now we probably have a contradiction in our bibles.

That is not the case. The way we make sense of this is

simply in the following manner. The answer lies in our

understanding of the function of temptation and the function of

temptation. There are two ways you and I can

be enticed to sin. There's an internal enticement

and an external enticement. The internal enticement comes

from our sin nature. You have evil and I have evil

imaginations. We have lustful inclinations.

We have fantasies. We have plots.

We have visitations of ideas that break God's law, and we are

not in need of external sources to arouse those temptations,

right? They can be further inflamed and

excited through external means. But stick man on an island with

no technology and leave him there just with his heart and

his mind, and he can indeed feel temptation.

This is the internal and testament enticement.

There is the external, of course, that comes from the

enemy of our souls, namely Satan, the world, other people.

And what James is explaining here concerning God not being

tempted is solely the description of the impossibility

of an internal enticement. God cannot be tempted in that

there are no inclinations in him to sin.

The ones that you and I are familiar with are completely

foreign to God because he is perfectly good and perfectly

holy. And so God cannot be tempted and

succumb to sin in the way you and I can through what's

happening inside of here. Because inside of God is pure

and clean and without spot or blemish, saying, well, that's a

very nice way of explaining it. But is that what the text says?

Yes. James says in in James 113 God

cannot be tempted. And then he continues to thought

in James 114. What is he saying?

James 114 in light of temptation, this conversation

about sin. But each person is tempted when

he is lured and enticed by what his own desire.

So what James is focusing on now in this, in this idea of

temptation and God not being tempted is internal allurement,

internal enticement, internal stirrings.

Those things are not true of God.

And so it's totally possible to understand that Jesus, while

walking on the earth, was tempted externally, that there

are outside sources trying to bring him to a place of

dishonouring the Father, with his heart being completely pure

and clean before his Father and before the world.

God cannot be tempted, of course, internally.

But men have attempted to test and tempt God in the Old

Testament. They try to do it when he came

in the flesh. So this is no objection when you

understand the depth of Scripture.

Now when these basic arguments are usually given, enemies of

the gospel will tend to reach further into their arsenal and

pull out ammunition from the doctrine of the Trinity.

And they try to cast doubt and to cause confusion.

And those who believe this truth, the truth that this Bible

testifies of. And so with that is this 4th

common objection about God becoming flesh.

One. We talked about God cannot be a

man. Two, we talked about God cannot

change. Three we talked about God cannot

be tempted. 4th God cannot be multi personal, God cannot be

multi personal and one of the go to proof texts though we cannot

spend too much time under this category.

One of the things that people love to latch onto and bring

before Christians is what Jesus says in many instances and one

of the things that he said it was in John 1428.

Let me read it to you, and you can turn there if you'd like.

And in John 1428, Jesus declares you have heard me say to you, I

am going away, and I will come to you.

If you loved me, you would have rejoiced, because I am going to

the Father, for the Father is greater than I.

The Father is greater than I from the lips of Jesus himself.

I don't mean to challenge you. I don't want to come off

aggressive here, but I want you to be stirred at this time.

If somebody comes up to you says how do you believe Jesus is God?

Jesus himself said God is greater than him.

How would you explain it? We need to know what we believe.

We need to understand these things.

Somebody asks you, hey, Jesus says God is greater than

himself. How can he be God?

Here's the objection. No one is greater than God

himself. You Christians claim that Jesus

is God. Then how can Jesus assert that

there is someone greater than him, namely God?

Isn't it clear? So we read this and we might be

disturbed. And I would say if God, if God

is one in essence. Listen very carefully.

If God is one in essence while also being one in person, then

such an objection is valid. But that's not our understanding

of God. We believe God is one in

essence, but he is also three Co equal Co eternal yet distinct

persons. And if that is our view of the

Godhead, then what Jesus is doing here makes complete sense.

With the biblical view of God, we understand that no one is

greater than Him, but that does not negate the possibility of

there being a ranking structure within the Godhead without one

of the persons being pinned against the other as being

greater in value or worth. Because the word greater, as you

know, not just in the original language.

The word greater, and even in the English language, can mean

something besides someone being superior in terms of nature and

essence, right? I can use the word greater.

And it doesn't have to mean that this person is worth more.

This thing is greater in value. And you have that in the same

text in John 1428. This is what Jesus says.

But he says something earlier in John 1412 with the same word

greater that he used in the verse that we just read in John

1412. Look what he says to the same

disciples. Truly, truly, I say to you,

whoever believes in me will also do the works that I do, and

greater works than these will He do greater works?

The same word will will they do because I am going to the

Father. Now here's, here's what we have

to conclude. We have to make a decision.

Here is Jesus explained that after His resurrection,

ascension, and the empowerment of His church that the disciples

and the apostles will go out into the world and do greater

works in terms of quality, that they'll perform greater

miracles, greater demonstrations of divine power.

Or is Jesus explaining by saying they will do greater works that

they would do so in greater not quality but quantity, That being

more in number and having more time on the earth, they would be

able to reach more people and have more opportunity than the

Lord Jesus did with his three-year tenure?

Which one makes more sense? So already we can understand

here that the word greater does not necessarily mean greater in

terms of quality, but in quantity.

And Jesus even makes that clear here.

There's there's no debate around those two possible explanations.

Because what What does he say? He says whoever believes in me

will also do the works that I do.

That's the quality. They're going to do the same

works that I've done. They're going to heal the sick.

They're going to cast out devils.

They're going to raise the dead. But here's where they're going

to do it in a greater way, Greater works in terms of

numeric value. They will spread across the

globe and reach places that I have not reached, and they will

do much more than I did while on earth.

The definition and application of greater already we can learn

does not necessarily have to mean superior.

And that definition is expanded even more in the Bible.

So we heard about John the Baptist when Jesus said that no

one was greater than him, but those who are least in the

Kingdom of heaven will be greater than him in Matthew

1111. I'll just read it again for your

memory sake, he says, Truly, I say to you, among those born of

woman, there is arisen no one greater than John the Baptist,

yet the one who is least in the Kingdom of heaven is greater

than he. Matthew 1111.

Jesus said with the same word greater.

No one born of woman is greater than him, but those should be

under the category. Those would be included in the

Kingdom of heaven. By faith they would be greater.

How is that? Is Jesus saying that John the

Baptist is more human than others?

That John the Baptist is someone who holds greater human dignity

from those before him and those who would come after him?

Let me ask you this way. Is it totally acceptable for me

to say that the mayor of Chicago, no matter what your

opinion about him is, the mayor of Chicago is greater than me.

Yes, you can say that. You know why you can say that?

Because in terms of status, position, and rank, he is

greater. But I am no less human than the

mayor of Chicago. I'm not least deserving less,

deserving of dignity and respect, and so it's totally

possible for me to use the word greater and denoting that

someone can have and possess greater rank than myself while

still holding the same intrinsic value and worth.

And what Jesus said about John in terms of John being greater

and those in the Kingdom being greater than, he is very similar

to how he's applying that in relation to the Father while he

was on earth by virtue of becoming man and humbling

himself to the point of being a slave, Jesus could say in terms

of position, rank and honor, the Father is greater than I, and in

the same way with the Mayor of Chicago myself as an example, I

am no less human than him. Jesus, in saying that the Father

is greater, is no less God. He is no less divine.

He's no less worthy of worship and respect and submission.

Jesus could say the Father is greater than I and still retain

the status of deity. And there will be a day, and

that day has already come, where Jesus even prayed in John 17 and

asked the Father that he would be restored to the glory that He

shared with them before the world even began.

And that He would be in that environment, after enduring

successfully his humiliation on the earth to receive praise and

recognition. And that great status that he

laid aside so that he can come into this world and save a

broken humanity. He's there now and he will be

there forever more. So Jesus could say the Father is

greater than I and it does not imply that the Father is gone

and that he is not. In the same way you can say

greater in terms of numeric value and greater in terms of

position and rank. So this is not a proof text to

say that Jesus is not divine and there are so many texts.

We know so many people take Jesus's words out of context and

if you want to, you go further than that with with John 1420.

Just read the whole chapter and you will come out with this

undeniable unquestionable conclusion that he is God.

Pray and ask my name and I'll answer it.

All these different things he says in John 14 that

emphatically defines his omnipresence and omnipotence.

He is God. God cannot be multi personal.

Of course you can be He's God. And lastly, for the sake of

time, God cannot be man. God cannot change.

God cannot be tempted. God cannot be multi personal.

God #5 cannot die. God cannot die.

This is what the objection is and many people's understanding

of death, their definition of death.

They would say that to die is to cease to exist completely, To

cease to exist completely completely.

And that's where the strength of the argument lies.

You believe that Jesus is God. How in the world can you also

say that God died on a cross? Died God, the eternal 1

self-sufficient died. And this is where mockery and

scorn tends to follow. But is it possible for us to die

and to continue to exist? Absolutely.

To be absent from the bodies to what?

Be present with the Lord. We believe that about ourselves.

And Jesus made these claims about his own death.

That confirms that even though his flesh did in fact die a real

death, he did not cease to exist.

You remember what he said in John 219 to 21, right where he

said destroy this temple and in three days I will raise it up.

And then later on that same text we're told that this temple he

spoke of his body. Did you hear Jesus words

carefully in John 219 to 21 destroy this body and who will

raise it up? Who?

Who's going to raise up Jesus body?

He said. I'm going to do it.

I myself, I'm going to do it. And it's a Trinitarian effort.

We know that the Father did it. We know that the spirit, Romans

8, the same Spirit who raised Christ Jesus from the dead,

lives in us. We know that.

But Jesus at that point at that juncture said, I will raise up

this body, destroy it, do whatever you would with it, but

I will raise it up. Implying what?

Well, hold on, your body's destroyed, but you're how are

you going to raise it up? Because though his body was

destroyed, he was still conscious and still in control.

So even Jesus nailed on the tree does not mean that he ceased to

exist as God. He said I would raise it up.

Well, how are you going to raise it up?

Because I'm still in control. I'm still conscious.

This is going according to my plan perfectly.

I had a conversation with somebody who reached out to me

years ago. They found me online, I guess,

and they knew my, my family from many years before I was even

born, I guess. And based on the language of

this person who is reaching out online, I thought, oh, this

person's a Christian. So began to speak Christianese,

you know. And I quickly realized that this

person is not a Christian. And this person wasn't reaching

out to really have an encouraging conversation.

But they have a debate, an informal one, because I guess

they heard what these messages were all about.

And we hope to proclaim Jesus Christ and him crucified.

You believe Jesus is God? Yes, of course I do.

One objection after the next, one objection after the next.

And it was just back and forth. And at that time something just

rushed into my mind. And this is pretty much the end

of the conversation. Can God die?

Of course not. God is spirit.

God is eternally existing. OK, OK.

Does God have blood? That was the question.

Does God have blood? Of course he doesn't have blood.

He's spirits, and on and on and on, I said.

Then explain to me this verse, and this is the verse that I

call you to turn to in Acts 20 and verse 28.

Paul the Apostle to the elders of the Church of Ephesus.

Pay careful attention to yourselves and to all the flock

in which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers.

To care for the Church of God, to care for the Church of God,

to care for the Church of God which he obtained with his own

blood. Whose blood are we speaking

about here? The blood of God in the person

of Jesus Christ. Does God have blood?

Yes, in nature His Spirit. But he took on a body, and in

that body there was blood, and that blood would be shed.

And through that shed blood there would be forgiveness,

redemption, restoration, salvation.

Yes. And so in that there was like

the text bubble. No text bubble.

Text bubble. No text bubble.

That was it. Because the Bible declares that

our God did become man and he became man.

Because in his great love for men he died.

And that dying you would have life, and dying you would have

hope, and dying you would have forgiveness of sin.

And dying you would have a body glorified, prepared to enjoy the

bliss and the joy that can only emanate from a good and perfect

and holy God. A body prepared to be embraced

by this God who we will look at forever.

And when we see His hands and it's tight in his feet, we will

always remember what he did for us to be in His presence.

Do you know this Jesus Christ whom I declare to you today?

Or you might be familiar with him.

Yet you can be familiar with celebrities and your favorite

sports teams and know where they went to college, what their

stats are. It doesn't mean they know you or

you know them. I'm not asking if you know

statistics about Christianity, nor am I asking you if you are

familiar with the truths about Jesus.

Maybe you knew everything that I just said.

You can know all these things and still go to hell because

your faith is demon faith. It's not a faith that submits to

God. It's not a faith that recognizes

His Lordship that causes you to repent and to put your trust in

him. And so you might be able to

prove the Trinity, you might be able to wax eloquence of

concerning the person of Jesus Christ.

But does he live in your heart? Does he live in your heart?

Are you assured that this Christ who cannot be refuted this book,

this truth that has gone through scrutiny throughout human

history, still stands today? Are you convinced that if you

stand before this holy loving God that he will know you?

If you are not confident of that, what's more important to

this God than you having a wealth of knowledge, even

theological knowledge, is if you know him, If you have bended the

knee and surrendered to him and said I need forgiveness, and you

know that he's given to you because his word says so.

And now you know your heart has been made new because when you

say yes to Christ, he doesn't just come and stamp something on

you invisibly. He transforms you from the

inside out and people say what happened to you?

Now you have this insatiable desire for the word of God.

Now things that were so boring and dull and grim to you are the

ultimate thing for you in this life.

To worship him, serve him and make him known perfectly.

No, we're imperfect. Thank you for the blood.

Christianity is not about you become instantly perfect, but it

is about you having new heart, direction, and it's all based

upon faith. It's all the gift of grace.

What's this Christmas season about?

It's about what you just heard. Christ coming into the world,

taking on flesh, humbling himself as a babe, growing up as

a child and then a teenager and then into adulthood so his body

would be prepared to be a sacrifice for you.

That's what this is about. I know it's cute, I know it's

warm and fuzzy. I know we decorate and it's

nice. I know we have jingles in the

air and it's it's light hearted. But Christmas is about blood.

It is. It's about God having a body so

that he can bleed. And that blood would cover you

and wash you of all your sins. That's what Christians would

love. So if you've not received Jesus

Christ as Lord, that is the greatest gift you can receive on

this side of heaven. And as much as it is a free

gift, can I tell you something in great love?

It has an expiration date on it. We are not universalists.

We're God and His great love, No matter what you believe will one

day bringing everybody into the fold, No, there is a time limit

and while you have breath, you can accept this gift.

But the moment that you are absent from this body and you

stand before him, you won't be able to have that chance to

receive the gift. That's why you need to answer

this today and give your life to Christ.

Believer, do not be ashamed of the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Do not be intimidated by objections.

If this book is true, we believe it is true.

All it requires is some investigation and some hunger to

to know more. And you will be further assured

that you are serving and following the true God, Jesus

Christ as Lord Lord. We thank you for this time and

we worship you as a family. Thank you for the word that has

nourished us. Thank you, Lord, that though

this is in fact about the gospel, we have every right to

feel warm and at peace and excited this time of the year,

and maybe always for the reason that you intended it to be, that

we would remember our salvation is in Christ and Lord.

We ask for the visitor who might not know you.

They would leave here with the overwhelming sense that they

must seek you and they will give their lives to you.

We pray, Lord, that your spirit will do what no man can do in

dealing with the human heart, the deepest parts of who we are.

Again for the believer, the believer who might be familiar,

may there be fresh fire in their bellies to realize again that we

have the truth in our hands and we serve the true and living

God. We pray for our neighbors, our

friends who do not know Christ, who might even have given these

objections to us at some point. Would you touch them this

Christmas season? Would you open their eyes to see

that salvation can only come from God, not by our own efforts

or participation? May they realize it, Lord, may

they realize that somehow, someway in your Providence, use

pastors across this land, church services across the world, and

may you providentially lead lost souls in those places so that

they can hear the gospel and beyond church services.

Lord, use our lives. Help us be equipped so that we

can be light and that people can see that we in fact do have the

truth. Lord, for those this season who

do not anticipate this time of the year because it invites

memories of pain and loneliness, but would you comfort them?

Family members who are no longer with us?

Maybe situations and family that have caused hurt and division

and separation. Lord, we just ask that your

presence, Lord, would flood every home and that we would be

comforted by you. We just ask for those who are

hurting now. And though they might have

salvation, we pray that they would receive your healing touch

and that they would know that you are with them and that you

love them, and that you see every tear, you see every ache

of the heart, and that, Lord, you have not forgotten about

them. Lord, we need you more than

gifts, more than the newest and the latest.

We need your presence. Give us your presence.

In Jesus name we pray. Amen.

Amen. Amen.

Yes, my heart is so full to see you here worshipping the Lord

Jesus with us. And at this time we will give a

final song to him and give him glory.

I want to encourage you today that if something touched you in

the service where you say I want to give my life to Christ,

here's the beauty about what we believe.

You can speak to God even now. You don't have to go through any

minister. You don't have to go through any

person, any religious hoops. In this time, as the song is

being played and people are singing, you can speak to the

Lord Jesus who is alive and well.

And the moment that you give your heart to him, you will be

justified, you'll be forgiven, you'll be redeemed.

And if it's a true confession followed by repentance, then you

will leave here knowing that you have been changed.

The Bible says that the spirit of God bears witness with our

spirit that we are children of God.

There will be a supernatural confirmation the depths of your

soul that you have been saved. Just speak to him, confess your

sin to him. Repent, believer.

You've been saved and you're reminded that this month.

So give him glory. Let's stand together and give

him glory.