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- Preaching
the Living WORD through the Written WORD - 2 Tim 4:2 - |
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THE PURPOSE BEHIND CHRISTMAS - THE INCARNATION (Mt 1:18-25; Heb
2:14-18) 12/24/06 Pastor I.
THE CHRISTMAS NARRATIVE (Mt 1:18-25) II. THE INCARNATION A. Definition of
Incarnation 1.
The word, “incarnation” comes from two Latin words, in - in and carne - which means flesh. So incarnation means in the flesh. 2.
Incarnate then, means to be invested with bodily form and
human nature. 3.
In Christian theology, the word is applied to the humanity
of Christ. B. Theological
Definition of Incarnation 1.
The Incarnation took place when the Word (Christ), became
flesh, being born to a virgin by the Holy Spirit. He continued to be fully
God and became in addition, perfect (sinless) humanity (Jn 1:1, 14; Phil
2:6-8; 1Ti 3:16 cp. 1Jo 4:2 - Vulgate in
carne - in the flesh). 2. [The Incarnation] …denotes the act whereby the eternal Son of God
took to Himself an additional nature, humanity, through the virgin birth. The
result is that Christ remains forever unblemished deity, which He has had
from eternity past; but He also possesses true, sinless humanity in one
Person forever (Enns, P. P. (1997, c1989). The Moody Handbook of
Theology) 2.
The Son of God,
the second person in the Trinity, being very and eternal God, of one
substance and equal with the Father, did, when the fullness of time was come,
take upon Him man's nature, with all
the essential properties and common infirmities thereof, yet without sin;
being conceived by the power of the Holy Ghost, in the womb of the Virgin
Mary, of her substance. So that two whole, perfect, and distinct natures, the
Godhead and the manhood, were inseparably joined together in one person,
without conversion, composition, or confusion. Which person is very God, and
very man, yet one Christ, the only Mediator between God and man. (WCF 8.2) C. The Incarnation
in the Christmas Narrative 1.
Christ’s Birth - “by the Holy Spirit” (18-20) a)
When speaking of Christ’s human birth, reference is made
to the Holy Spirit as the agent (“by” ek
- lit. “out from” - 18, 20) who brought about Christ’s supernatural
conception in the womb of a virgin (Lk 1:35). b)
It was the Third Person of the Trinity who added humanity
to the Second Person of the Trinity under the direction of the First Person
of the Trinity. 2.
Christ’s Deity - “Immanuel” (23) a)
When the angel instructed Joseph to name the Messiah,
“Jesus,” the angel correlated the name with a Messianic prophecy. b)
Isaiah recorded in Isa 7:14 that the Messiah would not
only be born of a virgin, but that the Messiah was God. c)
Isaiah identified the Messiah’s divine nature and said he would
be called, “Immanuel” (Greek transliteration from the Hebrew, immanu - “with us” & el - God) which Matthew translates as,
“God with us.” This leaves no doubt that Christ is God manifest in the flesh
(1Ti 3:16). 3.
Christ’s Humanity - “Jesus” (21-25) a)
Both Joseph (Mt 1:21) and Mary (Lk 1:31 cp. Lk 2:21) were
told by an angel to name the child in Mary’s womb, “Jesus.” Therefore,
“Jesus” is Christ’s human name. b)
However, implied in Christ’s human name is the
understanding of his deity. c)
“Jesus” (Iesous)
is transliterated from the Hebrew name Yehoshua
or Joshua, which literally
means, YHVH (Yahweh) - Jehovah
& yasha - saves. Therefore,
even Christ’s human name is a reference to his deity and means “Jehovah
saves.” Indeed Jesus is the Christ (Christos
- anointed one, i.e. Messiah), God, and Savior (Mt 1:1, 16, 21; cp. Rom
1:1-4; 2Pe 1:1). III. THE RESULTS OF
THE INCARNATION (Heb 2:14-18) A. Renders the
Devil Powerless (14) 1.
Christ, the eternal Son (Isa 9:6), took on humanity and
partook (metecho - have together with
or share in; aor. act. ind.) of mankind’s flesh and blood (Gal 4:4); i.e. the
Incarnation. 2.
God cannot die. Therefore, Christ’s ultimate purpose for
becoming human was so that he could experience death (Heb 2:9; Jn 8:52) as an
atoning sacrifice for man (Rom 6:23; Rom 8:3). All other results spring out
of Christ’s Death on the cross, to which none could have been accomplished
without the Incarnation. 3.
One of the results from Christ’s Incarnation and Death on
the cross was that he rendered the devil powerless (katargeo - to render inoperative or make cease). 4.
The devil (diabolos
- malicious slanderer - Job 1:6; Rev 12:9-10) caused man to sin and then
demanded God’s judicial punishment of death against man. The devil’s “power
of death” over man was rendered inoperative when Christ paid man’s penalty
through death on the cross (Heb 2:9; 2Ti 1:10; 1Jo 3:8). B. Gives Freedom
from the Fear of Death (15) 1.
Another result of Christ’s Incarnation and Death was to
“free” (apallassō - release or
liberate) man from the “fear of death”. The fear of death is not so much the
idea of dying, but a fear of what happens after death; i.e. God’s judgment. 2.
Because Jesus took our condemnation (Rom 8:1) and
conquered death, the believer does not have to be in “slavery” to the fear of
death (Jn 14:19; 1Co 15:54-56; Rev 1:18). C. Became Priest
& Propitiation (16-17) 1.
Through Christ’s Incarnation (became “like his brethren”
to “help” men not angels, Heb 2:11-12) and Death, he became the mediator
between God and man (1Ti 2:5). 2.
In this way, the Son become the ultimate “high priest” (a theme of the book of
Hebrews), who as the God/Man could be “merciful” and “faithful.” 3.
However, not only would the Son be the high priest, but he
also would be the sacrifice. The Son, by becoming a man and sacrificing
himself, made “propitiation” (hilaskomai
- to satisfy the righteous indignation of God; cp. “mercy seat”; hilasterion - Heb 9:5; Ex 25:17-22;
Rom 3:25) for the “sins” of man. D. Aids Believers
in Temptation (18) 1.
Another result of Christ’s Incarnation and Death was that
he is able to sympathize and aid believers in their times of temptation. 2.
The Son was “tempted” (peirazō
- test with evil intent cp. Mt 4:1) and “suffered” (paschō - Eng. Paschal Lamb - 1Pe 3:18) to prove that he was
man’s righteous and sinless sacrifice (Heb 2:10; Heb 4:15). 3.
Because of Christ’s Incarnation and sinless example, he is
able to aid the believer during temptation. a)
Christ sympathizes (sumpatheō
- feels with) with the believer in temptation. b)
Christ gives grace during temptation because he sits on a
throne of grace. c)
dChrist comes running (boêtheia
- one who runs to the aid of one who cries for help) to help “in the nick
of time” when the believer is tempted (Heb 4:16). |
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