May I Present Jesus (Part 6)

If you've been here for any length of time at all and you

know me as a person, you you know Christmas dies hard with

me. I love Christmas, I love the

season. In fact, I have a hard time even

taking down my trees. So yesterday I finally took down

the trees in my house. And that's because spring has

sprung and so I figured it's probably a good time to take

down my Christmas trees. But know this, that before you

brand me a lunatic, understand that if there is no birth, there

is no death. If there is no death, there is

no life and you are still dead in your sins.

So that's why Christmas dies hard for me.

Everything is about the celebration of the the coming of

the Messiah. And that's why John's gospel is

so unique because he, he gives us the Christmas story from the

divine perspective. Seven weeks ago we we told you

about this, that that Matthew and and Luke give us the

Christmas story from earth's perspective.

But John does it from a heavenly perspective.

He does in 4 words. The word became flesh, just that

simple. The word of course, is God.

And the God became flesh, and he dwelt among us.

And everything about John's gospel introduces to us the

Christmas story from a heavenly perspective.

So the Word became flesh. So the question is, why did the

Word come? Why did the Word arrive?

Why? Why did God become man and dwell

among us? That's a good question, and it's

answered quite easily. He, he, the Word became flesh

because he had to redeem humanity.

He could not redeem humanity unless unless he died upon

Calvary's cross. And the Bible tells us that God

so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that

whosoever believes in him should not perish, but have everlasting

life. First Timothy chapter 2.

1 Timothy 2 · chapter mention

Paul says this is good and acceptable in the sight of God

our Savior, who desires all men to be saved and to come to the

knowledge of the truth. For there is one God and one

mediator between God and man, the man Christ Jesus, who gave

himself a ransom for all. So the Word became flesh because

He simply had to redeem humanity.

But but to redeem humanity had to remove iniquity.

So John tells us in first John chapter 3 verse #5 these words,

1 John 3 · chapter mention

you know that He appeared in order to take away sins, and in

Him there is no sin. Why did the Word become flesh?

So He can redeem humanity, but you can't redeem humanity unless

you remove iniquity. So He came to remove iniquity.

But in removing iniquity, He had to ravage the enemy.

That's first. John 3 verse #8 He says the Son

of God appeared for this purpose to destroy the works of the

devil. Very important statement.

In order to redeem humanity, he must remove iniquity.

In order to remove iniquity, he had to ravage the enemy, which

he did at Calvary. Once He ravaged the enemy #4 He

could restore, restore man's dignity.

So John tells us in first John 3 verse #1 See how great a love

the Father has bestowed upon us, that we should be called the

children of God. Why did the Word become flesh?

To remove iniquity, To redeem humanity, To ravage the enemy,

to restore man's dignity. But there was another reason the

Word became flesh, and that was to reveal Deity, God in the

flesh. God dwelt among us.

He is the exact representation of the Father.

And so therefore He came to reveal God to us.

The Word was God, the Word was with God, and the Word became

flesh. And the only way to reveal deity

was for the Word to become flesh and dwell among us.

But note, he also came to reaffirm prophecy so he could

rise in victory. Everything about His coming

reaffirmed the fact that what was said about him is true.

So it reaffirmed prophecy all about the coming of the Messiah,

how he'd come and where he'd come and how he'd die.

So his coming reaffirmed everything that was said about

him prophetically so he could rise in victory.

Mark 831. And he began to teach them, The

Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the

elders and the chief priests and the scribes, and be killed, and

after three days rise again. So not only did He reaffirm

prophecy, but He rose in victory because He revealed Deity in

order to restore man's dignity. To do so, we had to ravage the

enemy, remove iniquity so that He could come and rescue

humanity. But there's another rethinking.

So He could return in glory. So he could return in glory.

Listen to what Matthew says. Matthew 24.

Verse #29 But immediately after the tribulation of those days,

the sun will will be darkened, and the moon will not give us

light, and the stars will fall from the sky, and the powers of

the heavens will be shaken. And then the sign of the Son of

Man will appear in the sky. And then all the tribes of the

earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the

clouds of the sky with power and great glory.

Why did the Word become flesh? So he could return in glory.

And once he returns in glory He will reign in majesty.

In Revelation Chapter 11 it says then the 7th Angel sounded in.

Revelation 11 · chapter mention

There were loud voices in heaven saying the Kingdom of the world

has become the Kingdom of our Lord, and it was Christ and he

will reign forever and ever. So if someone says why did the

word become flesh, you can tell them He came to to redeem

humanity. He came to remove iniquity.

He came to ravage the enemy, to restore man's dignity, to reveal

deity, to reaffirm prophecy, to make sure you'd rise in victory

so you can return in glory, so we can reign in majesty, so that

he could rule for eternity. That's why the Word became

flesh. Now all of that sums up John's

last point in verse #5 of John chapter one, verse 5.

Because everything is about the person of Jesus and his

invincibility. He's absolutely invincible.

He is sovereign. He rules over all.

He cannot be defeated. He is King of kings.

He is Lord of Lords. And so John says, I want to talk

to you not just about his eternality, not just about his

personality, not just about his deity.

I want to talk to you not just about his creativity and his

vitality, all the things that we've covered up to this point,

but I want to talk to you about his invincibility.

And that's where verse 5 comes in of John chapter 1.

John 1 · chapter mention

The light shines in the darkness and the darkness did not

comprehend it. This is his invincibility.

This is why the Word became flesh and and dwelt among us,

because he's the all powerful, all knowing, all sufficient God

of the universe who was absolutely invincible.

Again, he contrasts light and darkness.

Note God is the infinite word, which is light because God is

light and the first thing he created was light.

Genesis chapter 1. So the infinite Word is light,

Genesis 1 · chapter mention

the Incarnate Word is light, and the inspired word is light.

Everything about God is light and life.

He is the God who is light, who became flesh in his incarnation

and enlightened every man that comes into the world.

That's verse 9 of John 1, and he is the inspired word, the word

of God. These are the very words of God

that provide light. They are lightened to our path

or a lamp to our feet and lightened to our path, and they

lightened the way for us. So John once again is going to

contrast life and light. Why?

Because Satan is darkness, right?

He rules the domain of darkness. That's why Colossians once says

that when you're saved, you're transferred from the Kingdom of

darkness into the Kingdom of light, the Kingdom of God's dear

Son. And and note this that that

Ephesians 612 says we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but

against the evil forces, the spiritual forces of darkness.

Everything about our our life resolves around a a continual

wrestling against not your enemy in the flesh, but the forces of

darkness that you cannot see. And that's why that's why Satan

would describe or disguise himself as an Angel of light.

Why? Because he's really dark.

He's the Prince of darkness and he rules this world.

So John once again is going to contrast life in light with

death and darkness because Satan is Apollyon according to the

Book of Revelation, which is the destroyer.

So he wants to contrast light and life again to show you that

this word that would become flesh is invincible.

That's why the Bible says these words.

Verse 5, the light shines in the darkness and the darkness did

not overcome it. That's the best translation.

Not comprehend. I I have news for you.

Every demon who's the subject of Satan completely comprehends the

Messiah. They know Him better than you

know Him. They know Him inside and out.

They are so well acquainted with the Son of God that everything

about their relationship to him on earth explains that.

So we know. It doesn't mean that that the

evil forces of darkness could not understand light.

Oh no, they understand Him perfectly clear.

They just can't overcome Him. See, it's not about accepting

the Messiah, because they accept Him for who He is, but they will

not bow in subjection to Him. That's why they rebelled against

Him. In fact, listen to this.

They understand so much the truth about the Messiah.

Matthew 829 says that the demons cried out, saying, what business

do we have with the Son of God? Have you come here to torment us

before the time? Know what that verse tells you?

They understand His Christology and they understand His

eschatology. They understand who Christ is.

He's the Son of God, the Son of the Most High, and they

understand that there's a time for their judgment.

So they have a really good clean understanding of eschatology as

well as Christology. So it's not that the darkness

doesn't understand the Messiah or this word.

Oh no, they understand him completely.

They just can't overcome him. And then it says in Mark 134

that Jesus cast out many demons and He was not permitting the

demons to speak because they knew who He was.

They understand him, but He would not permit them to speak.

Why? Because demons and Satan can't

do anything without permission. Satan can do whatever he wants

as long as he asks permission. From who?

The invincible king of the universe.

Please understand that Satan is subject to the sovereign King.

Listen to what it says in Luke 441.

Demons also were coming out of many shouting You are the Son of

God. But rebuking them, He would not

allow them to speak because they knew him to be the Messiah.

Interesting. It says this in Luke 434.

Let us alone, said the demon. What business do we have with

each other? Jesus of Nazareth, have you come

to destroy us? I know who you are.

You are the Holy One of God. See that the demons comprehend

the Messiah. They know exactly who He is.

They are not taken by surprise concerning His identity, His

ministry, His eschatology at all.

And yet, although they believe God, they tremble, and because

He is life and light, they have tried to destroy his life and

extinguish his light. They are relentless at trying to

do that. That's why in the Old Testament,

Satan did all he could to destroy the messianic line, but

he could not because of the invincibility of God.

But he tried. So desperate.

And then when you come to the New Testament, he incited Herod

to to to kill all the children two years and younger, thinking

that the Messiah would would be killed and could not go to the

cross. But Herod or Satan failed at

that as well because of the invincibility of the Son of God.

And then at his temptation in Matthew chapter 4, Satan tried

Matthew 4 · chapter mention

to tempt the Christ. Just fall down before me.

Worship me. I will give you all the kingdoms

of the world. You don't have to go to the

cross. Why die?

Why go through all the pain? Just worship me.

I'll give you everything. And of course, Christ resisted

temptation. Satan failed again because

Christ is invincible. And then of course, you have

Peter in Matthew chapter 16, who, having voiced the identity

Matthew 16 · chapter mention

of the Messiah and Christ fulfilling prophecy, tells him

that he's going to suffer and die and rise again.

And Peter says, Oh no, that's not who you are, that's not

going to happen to you. And Christ says, get thee behind

me, Satan. Does he get behind me, Peter?

Because Peter, his best friend, was being used by Satan to

detract him from his ultimate mission, which was to die in

Calvary. Satan tried those tactics as

well, but he failed. He could not.

And so Satan seemingly triumphed at the cross, thinking the

Messiah was dead. That's why, in between his death

and his resurrection, where did Jesus go?

He went down to Hades first, Peter tells us.

To do what? To make a public proclamation

that he's invincible. He is the living one who died

and is alive forever more because the demons that were

taken captive way back at the flood had no idea about the

death, burial, and resurrection of the Messiah.

So he goes down to make a public proclamation, not to preach the

gospel, but to make a public proclamation that I'm the

victor. I win, you lose because I'm

invincible. See, Satan has tried so

desperately to defeat Christ, but he cannot because he's

invincible when Christ comes and returns in glory.

Satan will be bound for 1000 years, then released at the end

of those thousand years, and then he'll be cast into the lake

of fire. Why?

Because the because hell go to Matthew 25 was prepared for

Satan and his angels. Why?

Because he was going to ravage the enemy.

That which was prophesied in Genesis 315 was proven in first

John 3 verse #8 when he destroyed the enemy at the

cross. Remember Genesis 315?

Satan will bruise, the seeds heal, but the heel will crush

the serpent's head. That was a prophecy, but it was

proven at Calvary and then it will be perfected the very end

when Satan is cast into the lake of fire.

So John wants us to know at the outset, because John is not

going to do anything about demon possession in his gospel, but he

wants you to know from the very outset that he's invincible

because the darkness cannot overcome, cannot defeat, cannot

be victorious over the light because the light is invincible.

Determine your Bible, if you would to Mark's Gospel, the the

5th chapter, Mark chapter 5 and as you're turning there, listen

Mark 5 · chapter mention

to the words of Mark one verse 27.

These are the statements of the religious leaders.

What is this a new teaching and authority that he commands even

the unclean spirits and they obey him.

They obeyed Him immediately, instantaneously and totally.

The Pharisees were taken back when Christ cast out demons.

What new teaching, what new authority?

And Christ did no rituals, no routines.

He would just speak the Word and they'd be gone because He's

invincible. So in Mark chapter 5, which is

Mark 5 · chapter mention

also recorded in Matthew 8 and also in Luke 8, read along with

me, they came to the other side, verse number one of the sea into

the country of the Garris scenes.

When he got out of the boat, immediately a man from the tombs

with an unclean spirit met him and he had his dwelling among

the tombs. And no one was able to bind him

anymore, even with a chain, because he had often been down

with shackles and chains, and the chains had been torn apart

by him and the shackle was broken to pieces and no one was

strong enough to subdue him. Constantly, night and day, he

was he was screaming among the tombs and in the mountains and,

and gashing himself with stones. You can imagine the scene.

Nobody can take a walk at night. Nobody can go for an evening

stroll with their children for fear that this one who was demon

possessed what would come out of the tombs who's who's gashed

himself and has blood all over him and, and no one can bind

him. He, he is, he is put to the

locksmith or the chain maker out of business completely because

he he destroys all the shame chains that that they try to

shackle him with. He is powerful.

He is demonic. He is relentless.

He's scary. He lives in your town.

I mean, when you think about this, that the homelessness in

your town is, is the Ritz Carlton compared to the land of

the garrisons where this man lived.

And everybody was afraid for not knowing what what happened to

them. But notice this, seeing Jesus

from a distance, he ran up and bowed down before him.

Why would he do that? He hates Jesus, he despises

Jesus. He does not want to subject

himself to Jesus. So why does he run up to him and

bow down to Jesus? Because they can't do anything

else, for every knee will bow and every tongue will confess

that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father.

They have to. They're not bowing down.

And the word is proscanuo, which means to worship.

Were they really truly going to worship the King?

No, but but they but they had to bow before him because of who he

was, because of who he is. They're in subjection to the

King of kings, the invincible King of kings.

And it says this shouting with a loud voice, he said, what

business do we have with each other?

Jesus, the son of the most high God.

See they, they recognize his deity.

They recognize that he's Christ. Now remember, they've never seen

the second person of the Godhead in the flesh.

They they only know Him from eternity past.

They're not omniscient, they're not omnipresent.

So this was their first glance of the second person of the

triune nature of God in the flesh.

And yet, even though they had never seen him in the flesh,

they knew exactly who he was. Whom exactly, Son of the Most

High God, El Elian. They knew that.

Why? Because they comprehend the

Messiah. They understand the second

person of the Triune God. They understand who Jesus is.

They just can't defeat him. They can't overcome Him, but

they know exactly who he is. And so they say, what business

do we have with each other? Jesus, son of the Most High, I

implore you, by God, do not torment me.

Or when you look at Matthew's account in Matthew chapter 8, it

Matthew 8 · chapter mention

says these words. What business do we have with

each other? Son of God, have you come here

to torment us before the time? Not only do they recognize His

deity, they recall their destiny.

They know where they're going. They know they have no hope in

the future. You come to torment us before

the time. What time?

The time of judgement, the time in which people would be cast

into the lake of fire. Listen, they know it's coming.

Their eschatology is sound. Their Christology sound.

Their identity of the Messiah sound.

They know exactly who he is. They're not taking by surprise.

Have you come 12 minutes before the time?

It's not time yet. We know what the time is.

It's not yet. So why are you here?

Don't torment us again. Subject to his sovereignty.

And so maybe, maybe they think that in his humanity they can

diffuse his power. Maybe they think that in his

humanity they're able to influence Him to sin.

That's why Satan tinted him in Matthew chapter 4.

Matthew 4 · chapter mention

Maybe he's weaker in his humanity than he was before the

incarnation. Remember, Satan is not

omniscient. He doesn't know everything.

He knows what's revealed to him and what he can see, and he

can't see the future all the way.

He knows the future based on the fact that the time has not yet

come. How interesting.

So it says in verse 8, if we've been saying to him, come out of

the man, you unclean spirit, and he was asking him, what is your

name? What is your name?

He said to him, my name is legion for for we are are many.

They began to implore him earnestly not to send them out

of the country. Now there was a large herd of

swine feeding nearby in the mountain.

The demons implored him saying send us into the swine, said we

may enter them. Jesus gave them permission

again. See, Satan can't do anything

without permission. Ask Job.

Satan can do anything to Job without asking permission.

Because Satan is completely subject to the invincible King

of the universe, he has to ask permission.

And so not only they recognize his deity, not only do they

recall their destiny, but they realize His authority.

They understand that he is the all authoritative God of the

universe. And so while they bow before

him, not because of anything other than the fact that they

recognize who he is, they are asking for permission to go into

the swine. And so the Lord grants them

permission, and coming out the unclean spirits into the swine,

and the herd rushed down the steep bank into the sea, about

2000 of them, and they were drowned in the sea.

Hard for me to resist. They just took a swine dive off

the cliffs and committed suicide.

I'm sorry, I need to stay in my own lane and forget about the

comedic act, but it's hard to resist.

Verse 13. Their Hersman ran away and

reported in the city and in the country.

And the people came to see what it was that happened, that they

came to Jesus and observed the man who had been demon possessed

sitting down clothed and in his right mind the very man who had

the legion. And they became frightened and

those who were terrorized, but they were not transformed,

redone. Those who had seen it describe

to them how it had happened to the demon possessed man.

And all about the swine can imagine the stories that were

told. And they began to implore him to

leave their region, Get out of here.

What? The man who just saved them from

the terror of the town? The man who had just exercised

the demons in this man. But you see, they they valued

their material loss more than their spiritual gain.

They had lost 2000 swine into the sea and they didn't want to

lose anything. But they did.

And they did not want to worship the king.

That's just incredible. They implored him to to leave

their region. How, how sad is that?

They they, they, they preferred swine to a savior.

But you see, that's the way the world functions.

If the darkness crisis, if the light in the is darkness, how

great is that darkness? Well, for them it was great, but

but read on it the story gets even better.

As he was getting into the boat, the man who had been demon

possessed was imploring him, begging him that he might

accompany him. Now I want you to know

something. Here's a man who was demon

possessed. Here was a man who was totally

in chains. Now he's changed because

everything that Christ does in the physical realm is symbolic

of what He does in the spiritual realm.

You've been taken captive by Satan, Second Timothy 224 and

25, to do His will. And yet when you are born again,

when you're saved by God, you are transferred from that

Kingdom of darkness into the Kingdom of light, which is the

Kingdom of God's dear Son. There has been a breaking of all

chains because you have been totally changed.

Now note this, when that happens, you want to be wherever

Jesus is. When you are changed, you can't

wait to be wherever Jesus is. I want to go with you.

I want to be with you. Wherever you're going, I'm

there. I want to be with you.

Because when you come to know Christ, your love for Him is

overwhelming. Oh, what manner of love the

Father has bestowed upon us that we should be called the children

of God. Here's a man whose life was

completely and totally changed. And all he could say was, I just

want to accompany you wherever you go.

And you think that Jesus would say, come on, we can travel the

circuit. You can give your testimony.

You can be on CNN, Fox News, give your testimony for all the

world to hear. You'd be the perfect testimonial

for the saving grace of the living God.

But that's not what happens. He did not let him, but he said

to him, go home to your people and report to them what great

things the Lord has done for you and how he had mercy on you.

Go home. Go home and be a living

testimony to the power of God in your life.

You would think that that the Lord would say to them, you want

me gone? OK, Famine all across the land,

No plague. I'm going to corrupt you with a

plague. So you'll beg for me to stay?

No, no, God and his graciousness and compassion left them a

living testimony to the power of God.

So the message would always be before them, constantly.

He'd always be there. Who's that guy?

That's the guy remember, who used to cut himself, who break

broke the chains? That that's the guy who lived in

the tomb. Remember that guy?

He's not there anymore. He's not chained anymore.

He's free, He's known the truth, and the truth has set him free.

He he's, he's good to go. Christ left them a living

testimony, but redone and he went away and began to proclaim

in Decapolis. What great things?

What's the next phrase Jesus had done?

What did Jesus say? He said tell them what great

things the Lord has done for you.

So what did he do? He proclaimed the deity of Jesus

that Jesus is Lord to everybody. What great things Jesus had done

for him. And everyone was amazed.

What? I tell you that story.

Why don't we tie that into John one verse #5 to show you that

the light is invincible, all powerful, all authoritative,

That everything in the World of Darkness is subject to the world

of light. Everything.

And to let you know what happens next, because the first 5 verses

are simply May I present to you Jesus, having seen him in his

eternality and having seen him in his personality, having seen

him in His deity and in His vitality, having seen Him in His

creativity and His invincibility.

Now what? Well, verse 6 tells you now what

for verse 6 says these words. There came a man sent from God

whose name was John, and he came as a witness to testify about

the light, so that all might believe through him.

He was not the light, but he came to testify about the light.

Having presented Jesus to you, what is your responsibility to

testify to the light? Like John, you are not the

light, but John would shine bright as he reflected the

light. And John the Baptist, well.

He was the greatest man ever born of a woman, according to.

Christ's words in. The Gospel of.

Luke, the Gospel of. Matthew Nobody.

Greater than John. And.

John was the last. Old Testament prophet, first New

Testament preacher. And John would testify about the

light. That was his ministry.

He. Was not the light.

But he wanted to. Testify about the light.

And so he would. He would be the one who pointed,

Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world.

John 129. He would point.

People to the Messiah. He would testify to the light.

Because he knew. He knew Jesus.

We've introduced Jesus to you. So now what's your?

Responsibility to point. People to the Messiah.

To testify to the light so that John 20 that I believe.

That Jesus is the. Christ, the Son of God.

The Bible says in John 2021. As the Father has sent me, so

send I you. John had a unique ministry.

How unique? Was John's ministry.

His ministry was uncompromising. His ministry was unorthodox.

His ministry was unequalled. His ministry was unlimited.

His ministry was uninhibited. His ministry was unpopular.

But his ministry was unforgettable.

You can have. That kind of ministry.

If you testify to the light, But that's next week's lesson.

Let's pray together. Father, we thank you for today.

We thank you for the opportunity to be here.

I pray for. Everyone in the room.

They would. Not just recognize.

Who? Jesus.

Is, but they would. Turn and repent of their sin

based on His identity and follow you fully.

We do thank you for. Today and the opportunity.

We have to be together. Truly Lord you are great and

truly Lord you are worthy of praise.

Thank you for the 1st 5. Verses of the Gospel.

Of John that present the beauty and brilliance of the Son of

God. The Word became flesh, and we

have seen. The beauty of Christ.

Maybe leave this place today knowing our marching orders,

that we might testify to the light in Jesus name, Amen.