Why the Incarnation
Luke 1:35
35 And the angel answered her, "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be called holy— the Son of God.
ESV
The Incarnation of God
(Luke 1:26-28)
Intro:
A. Many of us grew up watching the Charlie Brown Christmas special every year. It was a family tradition for many people and brings back good memories even right now. There is a scene when Charlie Brown is trying to direct the Christmas play when he went and got a sad looking tree to be the Christmas tree and all the kids laugh at him. He shouts, “Does anyone know what Christmas is all about?” That’s when Linus steps to the center of the stage and quotes Luke 2. When he gets done, he turns to Charlie Brown and says, “That’s what Christmas is all about.”
B. It’s not about the tree, the presents, the cookies, the food, the gatherings, the music or anything else. For Linus it was simply about Jesus and that Jesus came into this world as a baby and God celebrated the birth with an announcement from heaven to people who needed to hear it.
C. Is it important to celebrate Christmas as the birth of Jesus? No. Is it important to deny that Jesus was born on Dec. 25? No. Is it important to deeply believe and trust that Jesus came in the flesh, was born of the virgin, lived a life to show us what it means to be a child of God, died on a cross, rose from the grave after 3 days and then ascended back into heaven where he at the right hand the Father making intercession of you and me? YES!
I. The Prophecies of Old
A. Take a journey with me for a moment through the message God gave us in the Old Testament. I want you hear some verses that are important for deeper understanding of why the incarnation of Jesus was necessary.
B. There is no better place to start than when sin entered the world. The consequence was not laid simply upon Adam and Eve, but upon humanity. Satan would not escape the consequence for his part of bringing sin to us. God said to the serpent (Gen. 3:15).
C. From woman will come someone who will deliver a blow to Satan that crushes his head, his power, but even with such a blow, God lets us know that Satan will also inflict pain upon the one that will bring Satan such a blow.
D. Little is said about who it would be, but we know from that moment that it would be a human, a seed or offspring of woman and the war between God and Satan would continue in the world of mankind.
E. I want to continue with great father of faith, Abraham. When God called Abraham he was 75 and Sarah was 65. They had no children, but God promised to make him a great nation. Part of the promise that gets revealed to Abraham is that through his seed will be a child of promise, and through that line would come one from whom all the nations of the earth would be blessed. What God promised would happen through a human being, not an angel.
F. One of the places that gives us the clearest of pictures is the writings of the prophet Isaiah. Listen to what Isaiah would write about 750 BC. READ Is. 7:14, 9:6.
G. When the Magi arrive in Jerusalem looking for the king that was born, Herod knew enough scripture that he understood it was about the Messiah. So calling the chief priests he asked, “Where is the Christ to be born?” Herod knew that Jews put their hope in a Messiah, one anointed by God that would establish a kingdom that would never end. Herod knew that Christ had been born and the Messiah was now alive on the earth. He wanted nothing to do with the Christ child or the kingdom of God. So he asked, where is the Christ to be born? The answer was found in God’s word, Micah 5:2. With that knowledge Herod tried to murder the babe that was foretold from old. Herod tried, but failed. While many little ones where killed, the baby Jesus escaped.
H. Why take you down that journey? Because it’s important for you know, believe and accept that Jesus had to come in the flesh. God had to take on human form for it was all humanity that needed a savior. But our story continues.
II. The Birth of Jesus
A. Linus took the children to the Bible to hear about the birth of Jesus, but let me start before the quote from Linus. The angel Gabriel appears to a young girl named Mary and tells her that she is chosen by God. (READ Lk 1:31-33)
B. While Mary hears this, her human mind knows that in order for her to have a child, she needs to be with a man. While she is betrothed to Joseph, they are not yet married. She questions the angel only to be told that Joseph will not be the father. Instead, the Holy Spirit will come with power upon her and overshadow her so that child born will be called “Holy – the Son of God.” While Jesus would be fully human, come in the flesh, he would also have a miraculous birth because he was not coming from man by and as God in the flesh.
C. When Joseph does find out that Mary is pregnant, he struggles with the fact that he did not get her pregnant. So God spoke to him in a dream (READ Matt. 1:20b-23).
D. When it came time for the birth, the Roman government demanded that a census be taken. So Joseph took the pregnant Mary and went to his hometown of Bethlehem where Jesus was born and Linus quotes Luke 2.
III. Why We Care
A. God has shared that the Christ would be human, would be born in Bethlehem, would be born of a virgin, but why is that important? Forget Dec. 25, why is it important believe that Jesus was human?
B. Let’s keep listening to God’s message. Late in the first century John would write (READ 2 John 7). That’s a bold statement? If I don’t teach about the birth of Jesus and believe it, I become a spiritual deceiver.
C. Listen to these passages of scripture:
1. Col. 1:19-22
2. Heb. 2:14-18
3. Rom. 5:17-18
4. 1 Cor. 15:3-4, 17-21
Conclusion:
A. I know that is a lot of scripture to throw at you. But I want you to see why it’s important to talk about Jesus coming in human form. The day we call Christmas is not any more holy than any other day. What makes it special to many is that it reminds us of the truth that Jesus came from heaven to earth, to walk among us and show us the Father. The death, burial and resurrection of Jesus is the bruising of the head of the serpent even as the pain of the cross was a bruising of the heel of Jesus.
B. As the angel said to the shepherds at the time of the birth, “I bring you good news of great joy for all the people.” I pray you will hold Jesus as your Lord and Savior every day of your life. That you will die to self, be buried with him in baptism, and rise from that water to walk a new life. Jesus came that you might live. This really is good news for all people.
C. If we can help you in your walk with Jesus, then come as we stand and sing.
Because of Jesus,
Jeffrey Dillinger, minister