GOD IS INCARNATION
“GOD COMES TO US”
FOUNDATIONAL STONES –Trinity – Revelation – Image – Creation – Judge - Covenant
GOD IS INCARNATION - Latin = “becoming flesh” - Jesus Christ became flesh.
The Word Made Flesh
And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us; and we saw His glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth
John 1:14 (NASB)
Why Jesus Incarnate?
1. Reveal God’s character. – Theory v. Reality – we hear it –modeled it – we do it – That’s Discipleship: Tell – Show - Do
2. Fulfill God’s covenant promises to:
- Adam promised the Messiah - the seed of the woman (Genesis 3:15).
- Abraham promised nation produce the descendant to save the world. (Genesis 12:3).
- David promised kingship and his heir would be eternal King. (2 Samuel 7:12).
- Mary promised her son would be the savior of the world. (Luke 1:31-33).
- Us promised Jesus would bring salvation. (Romans 15:8-9)
3. Fulfill the Law of Moses & OT Prophesies.
4. Prepare His Bride.
5. Die for the sins of the world.
6. Return to heaven so Holy Spirit could come.
How did God come into human history?
- Virgin birth first prophesied by God in Genesis 3:15
“And I will put enmity (open hostility) Between you and the woman, And between your seed (offspring) and her Seed; He shall [fatally] bruise your head, And you shall [only] bruise His heel.”
Genesis 3:15 (Amplified)
- Virgin birth in Matthew and Luke – first 2 chapters.
Was Jesus FULLY God?
1. God the Father said Jesus was God.
Hebrews 1:8:
But of the Son he says, “Your throne, O God, is forever and ever, the scepter of uprightness is the scepter of your kingdom.
Hebrews 1:8 (ESV)
2. Jesus Transfiguration, the Father declares:
5 While he was still speaking, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them, and a voice from the cloud said, “This is My beloved Son, with whom I am well-pleased and delighted! Listen to Him!”
Matthew 17:5 (Amplified Bible)
3. Jesus confronted with stoning by the Jews:
I and the Father are one.
John 10:30 (NASB)
NOTE: demons declared Jesus was God.
Just then a man in their synagogue who was possessed by an impure spirit cried out, “What do you want with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are—the Holy One of God!”
Mark 1:23-24 (NIV)
SIDE NOTE: Who would demons say you are?
11 And God was doing extraordinary miracles by the hands of Paul, 12 so that even handkerchiefs or aprons that had touched his skin were carried away to the sick, and their diseases left them and the evil spirits came out of them. 13 Then some of the itinerant Jewish exorcists undertook to invoke the name of the Lord Jesus over those who had evil spirits, saying, “I adjure you by the Jesus whom Paul proclaims.”
14 Seven sons of a Jewish high priest named Sceva were doing this. 15 But the evil spirit answered them, “Jesus I know, and Paul I recognize, but who are you?” 16 And the man in whom was the evil spirit leaped on them, mastered all of them and overpowered them, so that they fled out of that house naked and wounded.
Acts 19:11-16 (ESV)
Was Jesus FULLY Human?
- Human genealogy.
- He was born of a woman, had brothers and sisters, and was racially Jewish.
- Jesus grew physically, spiritually, mentally.
- He worked, celebrated holidays and parties, loved his mom, worshiped, obeyed his stepfather Joseph and God the Father.
- He suffered and died “in the flesh.”
Incarnate Jesus LIKE us?
Tempted – Pain – Sorrow – Joy – Love - Fun
Complex family - Blended family - stepfather, siblings and mom thought He was insane, and home folks rejected Him.
Incarnate Jesus UNLIKE us?
Without sin. Was tempted. Shows how to escape temptation.
Hebrews 2:17–18 says:
“Therefore, he had to be made like his brothers in every respect, so that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in the service of God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people. For because he himself has suffered when tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted.”
YOU ARE NOT “ONLY”
“I’m only human.”
- Excuse to sin - Live below the spiritual radar - Alibi in waiting.
- Degrade God’s gift of the Holy Spirit.
- Jesus was “only human” until indwelled with Holy Spirit.
- Receive Holy Spirit you are no longer “only human”.
- Your natural body is a vessel for the supernatural.
- You have the same spiritual authority as did Jesus incarnate.
-Both have Holy Spirit.
-Both know the Father
-Both have keys to kingdom of heaven.
-Both have power to bind and loose.
-Both operate in miracles, healings, prophecies, and gifts.
-Both share testimony of death, burial, and resurrection (water baptism & Jesus actual resurrection)
-Both make disciples.
-Both will live forever worshipping God the Father.
-Both will judge the world and angels.
2 Or do you not know that the Lord’s people will judge the world? And if you are to judge the world, are you not competent to judge trivial cases? 3 Do you not know that we will judge angels? How much more the things of this life!
1 Corinthians 6:2-3
-Both know the mind of God. 1 Corinthians 2:15-16
15 The person with the Spirit makes judgments about all things, but such a person is not subject to merely human judgments, 16 for, “Who has known the mind of the Lord so as to instruct him? But we have the mind of Christ.
1 Corinthians 2:15-16
- Jesus said you’d do even greater things on earth than He did!!
Truly, truly I say to you, the one who believes in Me, the works that I do, he will do also; and greater works than these he will do; because I am going to the Father. And whatever you ask in My name, this I will do, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask Me anything in My name, I will do it.
John 14:12-14 (NASB)
NOTE: Are you doing those greater things, or you stuck with mindset that you’re only human?
NOTE: You Are More Than Only Human – You Are Victors and Over-comers
For everyone who has been born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith.
1 John 5:4
Comments