Incarnation – God becomes Man

Our Father God, we thank you so much for your many gifts to us.

We thank you, Father, for the gift of people.

And not least, we do thank you, Father, for our mothers,

for those who have cared for us over many years,

who provide for us, who sacrifice their lives, giving their time and energies.

Father, we thank you so much, and we pray that for every mother here today,

that they would know your help and your grace

to be instruments of your love and your kindness

to their children and to their families.

Father, encourage them greatly.

And Father, would you please encourage us all this morning

that by your Holy Spirit's power,

you would open up our minds to have the capacity to understand your word.

But we also want to experience it and feel it in our hearts.

We want to meet God today.

So Father, help us.

We pray this in Jesus' name.

Amen.

Well, when I was a single guy, many moons ago,

in college, one of my housemates came back

very, very excited.

Johnny, he says, I found the right woman for you.

She's tall.

She's got brown eyes.

She's sporty.

Don't know what happened there.

She wants to serve God.

But after a week of doing absolutely nothing,

he arranged for Kirsty to meet me.

You see, the best way to get to know someone

is to be introduced to them in person.

That's the only way we will fully and completely know who they are.

Well, in a sense, that's what God has been doing for us.

Throughout the story, God has been gradually revealing and introducing

who he is and what he is like.

In fact, God has been promising all the way along

that one day he will come in person into the world.

One of those promises is found in Isaiah chapter 7 and verse 14.

Isaiah 7 · chapter mention

Here's the promise.

Therefore, the Lord himself will give you a sign.

What is the sign that God's coming?

Here it is.

The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son

and will be called Emmanuel.

Emmanuel.

The promise continues.

Chapter 9, verse 6.

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.

And so with great expectation,

the people, as they heard the promises,

looked forward to the coming of God.

And as we turn the pages of the story,

we are brought to a nervous teenager,

a young, unknown girl called Mary.

And in Matthew's Gospel,

God promises that she will have a child.

Look at Matthew chapter 1, verse 21.

Matthew 1:21

Matthew chapter 1, verse 21.

Matthew 1:21

God has come to Mary by the angel.

And we read in verse 21,

She, that's Mary, will give birth to a son

and you are to give him the name Jesus.

Jesus means the Lord or God saves

because he will save his people from their sins.

This great saving God that we've seen

throughout the story

who intervenes time and time again

in the lives of so many people

and throughout history

is going to come in person

to save us,

to save the nations.

Verse 22.

All this took place to fulfill

what the Lord had said through the prophet,

the prophet Isaiah that we've just read of.

The virgin will be with child

and will give birth to a son

and they will call him Emmanuel,

which means God with us.

It's what theologians have come to call

the incarnation.

Jesus, the God-man.

Not 50% God and 50% man.

No, Jesus is fully 100% God

and 100% man.

Listen to how the New Testament writers

have understood it.

Who, speaking of Jesus,

being in very nature God,

but being made in human likeness

and being.

He, that's Jesus,

is the image

of the invisible God.

For in Christ,

all the fullness of the deity

lives in bodily form.

The Son, Jesus,

is the radiance of God's glory

and the exact representation

of his being.

Jesus is fully God

and fully man.

One writer put it like this.

Jesus is one person

in two natures,

God and man.

The two natures

are united in Jesus

without mixture,

confusion,

separation,

or division.

And each nature

retains its own attributes.

All that is in us

and all that is in God

is and always will be

truly and indistinguishably

present in the one Christ.

That's why we need to pray

to ask God

to help us comprehend.

So why did Jesus,

the God-man,

come to us?

Well, first,

Jesus comes

to reveal God

to us.

Have a look at John's Gospel.

John chapter 1.

John 1 · chapter mention

John chapter 1,

John 1 · chapter mention

verse 1.

Throughout the story

and in the past,

God's introduction to us

has been partial

and incomplete.

But now God has fully

and completely introduced us

to himself in Jesus.

Verse 1.

In the beginning

was the Word

and the Word

was with God

and the Word

was God.

Now, do you remember

how the story

of the Bible starts?

It's very similar,

isn't it?

The very first sentence,

the very first verse

in the Bible

is this.

In the beginning,

God

created the heavens

and the earth.

How did God

create?

By His Word.

God spoke His words

into the vast emptiness

and He spoke the universe

into existence.

There was nothing

and He spoke

and it came to be.

By His Word

He formed the planet

and He began

to fill each space.

He filled the universe

with the sun

and the moon

and the stars

and the planets.

He filled this earth

with the mountains

and the rivers.

He filled the seas

with fish.

He filled the skies

with the birds

and He filled the earth

with people

because God's Word

is living.

It is powerful.

It is active.

But more than this,

the Word

is a person.

Read again verse 1.

In the beginning

was the Word

and the Word

was with God

and the Word

was God.

He, this person

was with God

in the beginning.

This Word

is a person

but is also

identified as God.

You see,

Jesus didn't suddenly exist

as He was born

from Mary.

Jesus has existed

from before time began.

So just as God

existed from eternity past,

the Word existed

from eternity past.

Just as God

created the world,

the Word

created the world.

Look at verse 3.

through Him,

through the Word,

through the person

of Jesus,

all things were made.

Without Him

nothing was made

that has been made.

Everything that God is,

the Word is.

And look what happens

to this Word.

Verse 14.

The Word

became flesh

and made His dwelling

among us.

The Word

that created

the universe

takes on Himself

flesh and bone,

joint and sinew.

God takes on

human form.

He clothes Himself

in humanity

and He has given

the name

Jesus.

Jesus.

I love the way

the author,

Philip Yancey,

puts it.

Unimaginably,

the maker

of all things

shrank down

and down

and down

so small

as to become

an ovum,

a single fertilized

egg,

barely visible

to the naked eye,

an egg

that would divide

and re-divide

until a fetus

took shape,

enlarging cell

by cell

inside

a nervous

teenager.

All of God

in His vastness

and greatness

is squeezed

down

into the person

of Jesus.

The all-powerful,

almighty God

cries

and needs

His nappy

changed.

The all-knowing,

all-sustaining,

all-providing

God

needs fed

and cradled

to sleep.

Why

would God

do that?

Well,

first,

so that we

could know

God.

Look at

verse 18.

No one,

throughout the

whole story

that we've

been looking at,

no one

has ever

seen

God.

But God,

the one

and only,

the Son

who is at

the Father's

side,

has made

Him known.

That's the

primary reason

Jesus came,

so that we

can know

God

intimately

and personally.

In Jesus,

the invisible

God is made

visible.

So,

in Jesus,

we see

all of

God's

greatness

and His

power

and His

beauty

and His

authority

is all

on display.

As Jesus

goes about

His life

and His

ministry,

God is

tangibly

present.

Well,

you say,

that's great.

That was

great

for the

people

then.

What about

now?

How do

I get

to see

Jesus?

how can

I see

God

myself?

Well,

keep your

finger in

John chapter

one and

go to

the very

end of

the book

because

he tells

us

how we

can

know

God

and

see

God.

Throughout

John's

gospel,

Jesus has

been

performing

all his

signs,

his

wonders.

And this

is after

his

resurrection,

after his

death,

and Thomas

verse 28

said to

him,

when he

sees the

risen

Jesus,

he says,

my

Lord

and my

God.

Then

Jesus

told him,

because you

have seen

me,

you have

believed.

Blessed

are those

who have

not seen

me

and yet

have

believed.

And

Jesus

did

many

other

miraculous

signs

in the

presence

of his

disciples,

which are

not

recorded

in this

book,

but these

are written

that you,

people like

us,

may believe

that Jesus

is the

Christ,

the Son

of God,

and that by

believing you

may have

life in

his name.

You see,

the disciples

were the

first eyewitnesses

of Jesus.

They heard

him,

they saw

him,

they touched

him,

they ate

with him.

And all

that they

saw and

heard,

they wrote

down so

that we

too can

know God.

You see,

everything that

God has to

say about

himself has

been revealed

in the

person of

Jesus.

And everything

that we need

to know about

Jesus has

been recorded

for us in

scripture.

In other

words,

there's nothing

more to know

about God

than what we

see in

Jesus.

Jesus.

And there

is nothing

more that

we can

ever know

about Jesus

than what

we read

in the

Bible.

So it's

as we

engage with

God's

word,

as we

read it,

the Holy

Spirit of

God takes

that word

and he

gives us

that experience

of God

himself in

Christ.

If you

want to

know God,

if you

want to

see him

and understand

him,

it's as

we read

his word

that we

encounter

the living

God,

the Lord

Jesus

Christ.

So Jesus

came so

that we

might know

him for

ourselves.

But he

came second

so that we

can experience

God's love

and grace.

Go back

to the

beginning of

John's

Gospel,

chapter 1

and verse

14.

the word

Jesus

became

flesh

and made

his dwelling

among us.

It's like

God has

come and

he's moved

into our

neighbourhood.

God is

not far

and distant

and removed

and uncaring

and uninvolved.

God loves

us so

much that

he came

to live

among people

like you

and me.

he moves

into the

mess of

our world

and into

the brokenness

of our

lives.

He's not

immune from

the sufferings

and the

struggles

that each

one of

us face.

And because

God took

on flesh,

he understands

us.

He identifies

with us.

And as we

follow the

story of

Jesus,

we see

that he

experienced

the same

kind of

things that

we experience

in life.

He felt

the frustrations

and the

limitations

of a

human being.

Jesus

got tired

and he

needed

sleep.

He was

hungry

and he

was thirsty.

He felt

alone and he

was isolated,

homeless and

ignored.

He was

misunderstood

by people,

abandoned by

his friends,

considered mad

by his

family.

body.

He

wept at

the grave

of his

friends and

he grieved

over those

who rejected

God his

father.

He faced

opposition and

persecution.

He suffered

physically and

mentally and

emotionally.

He faced

physical suffering

to a degree

we will never

have to and

he experienced

the pain of

death itself.

God is

not distant

and unremoved

from your

life and

what you go

through yourself

right now.

And because

he is God,

he understands

us better than

we understand

or know

ourselves.

He loves

us so much

that he

enters into

our sin

cursed

world to

walk with

us so that

we can

experience his

grace in

our lives.

Look at

verse 16,

it's just a

snippet but

it tells us

something of

him from

the fullness

of his

grace.

We have

all received

one blessing

after another.

The grace

of God

ministers

to us as

he identifies

with us in

our life.

And Hebrews

tells us that

we can now

go through

Jesus to

the Father

and receive

the grace

and mercy

that we

need in

our time

of help.

And God

himself,

because he

knows what

we need,

will pour

out his

grace into

your life

and into

my life.

So,

Jesus reveals

God to

us.

Second,

Jesus came

to represent

us before

God.

In the

beginning,

when God

created the

world,

the pinnacle

of his

creation was

to create

mankind.

And the

first man

that God

created

was Adam.

And from

Adam comes

the whole

human race.

if we

go back

far enough

in our

own

family

history

and follow

the line,

we discover,

well,

we're actually

all related

to Adam.

Whoever we

are, no

matter the

colour of

our skin,

our nationality,

we go back

to Adam.

He is the

father of

the nations.

But there's

a huge

problem with

that.

There's a

huge problem

being related

to Adam.

Have a

look at

Romans

Romans 5:12

chapter 5

verse 12.

Romans

Romans 5:12

chapter 5

verse 12.

We trace

our line

back far

enough,

we come

to Adam.

We're

related to

him.

But there's

a problem

verse 12.

Therefore,

just as

sin entered

the world

through one

man,

Adam,

and death

through sin.

And in

this way,

death came

to all

people,

because all

sinned.

You remember

how the story

started at the

beginning?

The beautiful

garden,

Adam living

in relationship

with God,

and then Adam

rebelled

against God.

Adam wanted

to get rid

of God

and say,

I want

to be like

him.

I want

to be the

one who

has authority.

I want

to be the

one who

has the

rules.

And they

get rid

of God

by saying

no to

God.

But the

problem was,

as we have

seen,

as we've

gone through

the story,

it didn't

stop with

Adam.

His children

followed suit.

They said

no to

God.

And what

has happened

is Adam

has produced

a family

of rebels.

The whole

human race

over the

history and

the course

of time

has rejected

God.

Adam's

first sin

in the

garden

was like

the first

rumble

in the

deep

that causes

a tsunami.

And throughout

history and

with every

new generation,

this tsunami

has gained

momentum,

bringing with

it devastation

and destruction

as people

live sinful

lives,

ruining this

world and

ruining their

lives and

ruining everything

that God

has given

to them.

And this

wave of

human rebellion,

it seems,

is just

unstoppable.

You see,

we are all

just like

Adam because,

look at

verse 12,

the very end,

because we

have all

sinned.

And so

Adam was

removed from

the garden,

separated from

the very

presence of

God.

And likewise,

we too have

been separated

from God.

Like Adam,

we live now

in a sin-cursed

world.

And now we

face the

judgment of

God.

And left to

ourselves,

we can do

nothing about

it.

Throughout the

course of

history and

over the

time,

people have

tried to

make lives

better.

They've

tried to

make the

world a

better place,

but still

it continues

in its

mess.

But that's

why Jesus

came, to

stop the

tsunami of

sin and

its destruction.

Jesus came

into the

world as

the new

Adam, the

perfect Adam,

the perfect

man who

comes to

represent us

before God.

let's see

how he

does this.

First, Jesus

dies our

death for

us.

Look at

verse 18.

Consequently,

just as the

result of

one trespass

was condemnation

for all

men.

You see,

like Adam,

we're all

under God's

just and

fair

judgment.

We've all

added to

the mess

and the

brokenness

of this

world.

Our

destiny,

God tells

us,

is hell.

But God

has intervened

into our

lives through

Jesus.

Let's read

verse 18.

Consequently,

just as the

result of

one trespass

was condemnation

for all,

so also the

result of

one act of

righteousness

was justification

that brings

life for

all men.

That one

act of

righteousness,

that one

great act,

that one

great event

was the

death of

Jesus Christ

on the cross

for our

sins.

Jesus

comes into

the world

as the

second Adam.

He comes

in to

represent us.

He comes

in and he

takes the

place of

Adam's

children,

people like

you and

me,

and he

takes on

himself the

judgment that

we deserve

so that we

might receive

life.

Jesus,

who is

perfect and

without sin,

becomes sin

for us.

And on the

cross as we

picture Jesus

with his arms

open wide,

he absorbs

the punishment

that you

and I

deserve.

it's as if

the tsunami

of judgment

crashes in

upon Jesus

at that

moment in

time.

And he

bears it

all for

you and

for me.

Every

rebellious

thought and

word and

action has

all been

taken on

by Jesus.

He dies

our death

for us so

that we

might receive,

as it says

in verse

18,

justification,

that declaration

from God

to say,

you are

now right

before God.

And you

can enter

into his

presence

without fear.

No one

in all of

history could

do that.

God had

sent many

people,

people like

Moses,

people like

David,

people like

Joshua,

all these

great people

all along,

but they

could never

deal with

it.

Only Jesus,

the God

man,

can represent

us before

God and

deal with

all our

sin.

So he

dies our

death,

but he

comes to

live the

perfect life

for us.

Look at

verse 19.

for just

as through

the disobedience

of the

one man,

the many

were made

sinners.

You see

again,

our likeness,

just like

Adam,

disobedient.

We don't

live as God

intends.

We don't

do what he

wants.

But Jesus

comes as the

perfect Adam

for us.

Look at the

rest of

verse 19.

for just

as through

the disobedience

of the

one man,

the many

were made

sinners,

so also

through the

obedience

of the

one man.

That's

Jesus.

The many

will be

made

righteous.

You see,

Jesus comes

as that

great

representative

for us,

the one

who obeys

God

perfectly

for us.

Where Adam's

children have

failed and

fallen throughout

history,

Jesus has

followed

obediently.

Where Adam

failed in

the garden

to obey

God as he

should,

Jesus in

the garden

of Gethsemane

obeyed God

and he says,

not my

will,

but your

will be

done.

Here is

the perfect

Adam,

the perfect

man,

who did

everything

right.

And Jesus

now takes

his perfect

obedience.

And just

as he was

clothed in

humanity,

so he

clothes us

with his

perfect

obedience,

he wraps

us in

his

obedience,

so that

we might

be accepted

and welcomed

and treasured

by God,

that we

might become

his children,

brothers and

sisters with

the Lord

Jesus Christ.

How on

earth is

that possible?

How could

God do

such a thing?

Well, you see,

just as we are

related to Adam

because of

our sin,

we can now

be related

to Jesus,

the perfect

Adam,

through our

faith.

In Jesus

is our

hope,

simply by

trusting him.

You see,

through Jesus

the curse

is broken

and the

blessings

continue

to flow.

Look at

verse 21,

so that

just as

sin reigned

in death,

so also

grace

might reign

through

righteousness

to bring

eternal

life

through

Jesus

Christ

our

Lord.

Through

the whole

story,

it's just

been this

endless

cycle

of failure

and disappointment

and things

going wrong

and God

coming to

save and

it going

round and

round and

round and

then Jesus

comes

because who

him the

curse is

broken

and the

blessings

now begin

to flow.

Just as

that single

act of

Adam caused

death and

destruction,

so the

single act

of Jesus

brings life

and transformation.

No one in

the history

of the world

could do

that.

Only Jesus,

the God

man,

can represent

us before

God and

live the

perfect life

for us.

Jesus reveals

God to

us so

that we

can know

him intimately

and personally.

Jesus

comes and

he represents

us before

God so

we can

get to

know him.

And where

does that

leave us?

Well,

we know

God through

him.

But there

is a world

out there

that does

not know

God.

And in

a sense,

we are to

go,

and to

live

incarnational

lives in

the world.

So where

you go

tomorrow,

if you

are with

your children

tomorrow,

if you

are in

college

tomorrow

with your

fellow

students,

where you

are at

work

tomorrow,

we are

to live

incarnational

lives.

That is,

just as

Christ

crossed

over all

those

barriers

and entered

into our

suffering and

frustrations

and difficulties,

so we

identify with

the world

and the

people around

us,

we get

close to

them,

so that we

can bring

the hope

of Christ,

so that

people can

get to know

this God,

man,

Jesus Christ,

and see their

lives changed

and transformed

as we bring

the hope

of God

with us.

Emmanuel,

God with

us.

May God

give us

the grace

that we

might bring

God

to those

who need

to know

him.

Let's pray.

our Father

God,

we are

struggling at

times to

find words

and pictures

to see

and describe

all that

has taken

place and

all that

you have

done.

And so

we pray,

Father,

that by

your Spirit

you would

breathe life

into it

and open

up our

minds to

grasp and

to know

and to see

you.

we pray

and ask

that as

we read

your word

and as

we listen

to it

that we

would come

and experience

the living

God,

that we

would experience

Jesus,

the God

man who

has come

to give

life.

And we

ask,

Father,

that you

would help

us as we

go into

the world,

that you

would help

us to

cross over

those barriers,

to enter

into people's

frustration

and suffering,

to show

them a

God who

cares and

a God

who loves,

a God

who wants

to know

them and

for them

to know

God,

to show

them that

their wildest

dreams are

met fully

and completely

in Jesus,

the one

who deals

with the

brokenness

and the

sin and

the heartache,

the one

who comes

to give

life to

all who

will trust

him.

Father,

help us,

go with us

by the

power of

your spirit,

we pray.

Amen.

We're

going to

sing

a song

that reminds

us that

in Christ

is our

only hope.

If you

look at

the second

verse

of