1 00:00:00,440 --> 00:00:03,520 For many of you, what you're about to hear, you've heard 2 00:00:03,520 --> 00:00:05,600 before. For some of you, it's going to 3 00:00:05,600 --> 00:00:07,840 be the first time. For some of you, you think 4 00:00:07,840 --> 00:00:09,280 there's nothing more you can learn. 5 00:00:09,480 --> 00:00:12,360 You're the ones I'm deeply concerned about because this is 6 00:00:12,360 --> 00:00:17,400 the living Word. And there's so much here in this 7 00:00:17,400 --> 00:00:20,520 Colossians text. In fact, the longer you know 8 00:00:20,520 --> 00:00:25,640 Christ, the more in awe you should be, the louder your voice 9 00:00:25,640 --> 00:00:29,000 should be, or the deeper the contemplation as you treasure 10 00:00:29,000 --> 00:00:32,360 these things in your heart because you learn more about 11 00:00:32,360 --> 00:00:36,360 your sin, more about your brokenness, more about your need 12 00:00:36,360 --> 00:00:40,320 for Jesus, not less. And the Savior, this baby in the 13 00:00:40,320 --> 00:00:43,600 Manger becomes bigger and bigger, and may he swell. 14 00:00:43,600 --> 00:00:46,720 Today in the season, in our lives, I'm going to be preaching 15 00:00:46,720 --> 00:00:48,600 from the same text we were in last week. 16 00:00:48,600 --> 00:00:51,040 If you weren't here, there will be things that I don't touch on 17 00:00:51,040 --> 00:00:53,760 because I touched on in the last week, so maybe you'll need to 18 00:00:53,760 --> 00:00:56,080 listen to that as well. But this is one of the most 19 00:00:56,080 --> 00:01:00,080 remarkable statements ever written about the identity of 20 00:01:00,080 --> 00:01:03,200 Jesus Christ. I've added a few verses to the 21 00:01:03,200 --> 00:01:05,400 text. I'll begin at verse 15 of 22 00:01:05,400 --> 00:01:09,320 Colossians One. Read through 23, and then I will 23 00:01:09,320 --> 00:01:14,360 also read chapter 29 and 10. Paul wrote these words carried 24 00:01:14,360 --> 00:01:19,160 along by the Holy Spirit. He, Jesus, is the image of the 25 00:01:19,160 --> 00:01:22,280 invisible God, the first born of all creation. 26 00:01:22,720 --> 00:01:26,240 For by Him all things were created in heaven and on earth, 27 00:01:26,640 --> 00:01:31,520 visible and invisible, whether Thrones or dominions or rulers 28 00:01:31,520 --> 00:01:34,640 or authorities. All things were created through 29 00:01:34,640 --> 00:01:38,720 him and for him. And he is before all things, and 30 00:01:38,720 --> 00:01:42,640 in Him all things hold together, and he is the head of the body, 31 00:01:42,640 --> 00:01:45,400 the Church. He's the beginning, the first 32 00:01:45,400 --> 00:01:48,120 born from the dead, that in everything He might be 33 00:01:48,120 --> 00:01:51,360 preeminent. For in Him all the fullness of 34 00:01:51,360 --> 00:01:56,080 God was pleased to dwell, and through him to reconcile to 35 00:01:56,080 --> 00:01:59,920 Himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace 36 00:01:59,920 --> 00:02:04,360 by the blood of His cross. And you who once were alienated 37 00:02:04,360 --> 00:02:09,039 and hostile in mind, doing evil deeds, He is now reconciled in 38 00:02:09,039 --> 00:02:13,960 His body of flesh by His death, in order to present you holy and 39 00:02:13,960 --> 00:02:16,680 blameless, and above reproach before Him. 40 00:02:17,160 --> 00:02:21,200 If indeed you continue in the faith stable and steadfast, not 41 00:02:21,200 --> 00:02:24,320 shifting from the hope of the gospel that you heard, which has 42 00:02:24,320 --> 00:02:28,080 been proclaimed in all creation under heaven, and in which I, 43 00:02:28,080 --> 00:02:31,720 Paul, became a minister. Now chapter 29 and 10. 44 00:02:32,400 --> 00:02:36,680 For in him all the whole fullness of Deity dwells bodily, 45 00:02:37,080 --> 00:02:41,560 and you have been filled in Him who is the head of all rule and 46 00:02:41,560 --> 00:02:44,200 authority. This is the word of the Lord. 47 00:02:44,880 --> 00:02:55,070 Thanks be to God. Please be seated during the 48 00:02:55,070 --> 00:02:57,470 season of Advent, which is such a gift. 49 00:02:58,910 --> 00:03:02,990 I love doing the same things over and over and over again. 50 00:03:02,990 --> 00:03:06,510 I love tradition. I love that I'll be here this 51 00:03:06,510 --> 00:03:11,630 evening for the concert, which is a highlight every Advent 52 00:03:11,630 --> 00:03:14,590 season. When we first moved here in 53 00:03:14,670 --> 00:03:18,640 2003, that first season of Advent, I don't want to 54 00:03:18,640 --> 00:03:21,640 embarrass him, but I remember receiving a letter from Frank 55 00:03:21,640 --> 00:03:26,400 Purcell, one of our members, who had a list with very specific 56 00:03:26,400 --> 00:03:30,640 details of many of the things that were available for people 57 00:03:30,640 --> 00:03:35,200 to do around Dallas when choirs would be singing at North Park 58 00:03:35,200 --> 00:03:39,280 Center, which different plays might be play. 59 00:03:39,280 --> 00:03:42,360 All sorts of things were on this very detailed list. 60 00:03:42,560 --> 00:03:47,280 We loved receiving that list. It was helpful because we enjoy 61 00:03:47,280 --> 00:03:50,800 doing the same things over and over again, but also new things 62 00:03:51,360 --> 00:03:55,160 like this Wednesday night we're going to Christmas at the Wind 63 00:03:55,160 --> 00:03:56,840 Spear, first time it's ever been held. 64 00:03:57,160 --> 00:04:02,120 It's being produced by one of our members, Yon Zonka, who has 65 00:04:02,120 --> 00:04:06,680 a desire to see people calm, for all the glitter, to hear the 66 00:04:06,680 --> 00:04:09,280 true meaning of Christmas. Perhaps if you don't have 67 00:04:09,280 --> 00:04:10,840 anything going on Wednesday night, you would want to be a 68 00:04:10,840 --> 00:04:13,840 part of this first time event. Maybe it will become a tradition 69 00:04:14,840 --> 00:04:18,120 we love, doing the same things over and over, but also inviting 70 00:04:18,120 --> 00:04:19,920 new things that our eyes might see anew. 71 00:04:19,920 --> 00:04:23,600 The wonder of the gospel of Jesus Christ. 72 00:04:25,840 --> 00:04:29,960 For a moment, I want you to think about what it would be 73 00:04:29,960 --> 00:04:36,720 like to have someone in your car who has never heard the story of 74 00:04:36,720 --> 00:04:40,840 Christmas. They've never heard about 75 00:04:40,840 --> 00:04:44,400 Christ. They have some remote idea about 76 00:04:44,400 --> 00:04:46,720 how we in the West might celebrate Christmas. 77 00:04:46,960 --> 00:04:49,560 But I want you to imagine for a moment that there is an 78 00:04:49,560 --> 00:04:52,040 individual in your car. Maybe it's a foreign exchange 79 00:04:52,040 --> 00:04:54,520 student from a land where they don't celebrate this holiday. 80 00:04:55,440 --> 00:04:58,760 And while you're in your car, you decide that on this Friday 81 00:04:58,760 --> 00:05:00,720 night or Saturday night or Sunday night, we're going to 82 00:05:00,720 --> 00:05:04,880 actually drive through many different neighborhoods looking 83 00:05:04,880 --> 00:05:07,920 at Christmas lights. Now, why don't you imagine the 84 00:05:07,920 --> 00:05:10,200 individuals? No idea what you're talking 85 00:05:10,200 --> 00:05:15,160 about and while he or she is in the car with you, you have one O 86 00:05:15,160 --> 00:05:20,880 2.1 playing or the apples essential Christmas playing and 87 00:05:20,880 --> 00:05:25,880 suddenly the individual that you are hosting begins to see things 88 00:05:26,080 --> 00:05:28,160 all scattered through different yards. 89 00:05:29,160 --> 00:05:33,800 He sees the big man in the red suit with the white flowing 90 00:05:33,800 --> 00:05:36,520 beard and wants to know if is that Santa Claus? 91 00:05:36,520 --> 00:05:42,920 Yes, next to him he sees Frosty, then he sees Rudolph, and then 92 00:05:42,920 --> 00:05:48,680 he sees a Manger, and he doesn't understand why there is this 93 00:05:49,280 --> 00:05:54,040 baby in this Manger with a mom and a dad and some cattle 94 00:05:54,040 --> 00:05:58,240 around, maybe an Angel that is above hovering and he's just 95 00:05:58,240 --> 00:06:01,080 overwhelmed, or she's overwhelmed by what she sees. 96 00:06:01,120 --> 00:06:04,840 What does it all mean? Imagine if you don't know what 97 00:06:04,840 --> 00:06:09,600 kind of confusion would be going in through your eyes. 98 00:06:10,600 --> 00:06:12,080 But what about what they're hearing? 99 00:06:12,840 --> 00:06:17,000 Unless you have selected a playlist that says Sacred 100 00:06:17,000 --> 00:06:22,200 Christmas Hits, they're going to hear some crazy things. 101 00:06:23,200 --> 00:06:26,320 They're going to hear What Child Is This? 102 00:06:26,960 --> 00:06:33,920 Followed by Grandma Got Ran Over by a Reindeer, A song sung by a 103 00:06:33,920 --> 00:06:36,720 snowman who came to life one day. 104 00:06:37,440 --> 00:06:41,640 A foggy night where Santa needed a reindeer with a glowy nose to 105 00:06:41,640 --> 00:06:46,160 guide his sleigh. Next hit, Oh, holy night. 106 00:06:47,960 --> 00:06:51,560 That's what we present. That's amazing. 107 00:06:53,040 --> 00:06:54,880 Think about it. You've never seen it. 108 00:06:55,600 --> 00:06:59,960 And suddenly you hear, oh, that's the Grinch that stole 109 00:06:59,960 --> 00:07:02,240 Christmas. What does this? 110 00:07:02,240 --> 00:07:12,120 What does that mean? At some point his interest is 111 00:07:12,120 --> 00:07:16,200 deep enough or her interest is deep enough to say what is true. 112 00:07:17,720 --> 00:07:23,920 And the truth is, both stories really come across as fantastic. 113 00:07:25,280 --> 00:07:29,080 The sacred story? Jesus Christ was born of a 114 00:07:29,080 --> 00:07:34,440 teenage virgin, and he was fully God and fully man. 115 00:07:36,880 --> 00:07:42,440 That's a tabloid headline. And we believe it's true because 116 00:07:42,440 --> 00:07:45,720 we believe his word is true and only he could do it. 117 00:07:48,040 --> 00:07:53,880 Speaking of new things that came across an Advent devotion, I'm 118 00:07:53,880 --> 00:07:57,600 making my way through now, written by a pastor who died in 119 00:07:57,600 --> 00:08:01,360 his 50s in the 70s, I think 1975, he died. 120 00:08:01,360 --> 00:08:05,960 His name is Harold Kahn and he served in Michigan and was a man 121 00:08:05,960 --> 00:08:08,800 of the land and a poet and an artist. 122 00:08:09,600 --> 00:08:13,360 He has a section titled The Tinsel and the Hay. 123 00:08:14,240 --> 00:08:17,560 He writes. Two of our common Christmas 124 00:08:17,560 --> 00:08:21,840 decorations serve to remind us of the meaning of Christmas. 125 00:08:22,520 --> 00:08:27,480 Tinsel glittering on the Christmas tree, symbolic of a 126 00:08:27,480 --> 00:08:30,600 superficial celebration of this holy day. 127 00:08:30,960 --> 00:08:35,000 While hay and the Manger lies there. 128 00:08:35,000 --> 00:08:39,159 The figure of the infant Savior signifies the essential 129 00:08:39,159 --> 00:08:43,960 significance of Christmas. Tinsel represents the 130 00:08:43,960 --> 00:08:48,480 glistening, showy things of the world and stands for superficial 131 00:08:48,480 --> 00:08:51,160 riches. Fanfare, gaudy, displays the 132 00:08:51,160 --> 00:08:55,160 power that dazzle and astound. Tinsel represent Herod and 133 00:08:55,160 --> 00:09:00,840 Caesar Augustus and all those of Jesus day and ours whose first 134 00:09:00,840 --> 00:09:05,480 interest is surface glamour. This is the world of secondary 135 00:09:05,480 --> 00:09:08,960 matters, the world of incidentals that overlook 136 00:09:09,040 --> 00:09:15,080 elementals, of powers that time erodes, the world that comes and 137 00:09:15,080 --> 00:09:18,120 goes while Christmas comes to stay. 138 00:09:18,840 --> 00:09:22,680 It is the world we see today in artificial icicles and 139 00:09:22,680 --> 00:09:28,600 artificial snow that are pretty decorative and impressive, but 140 00:09:28,600 --> 00:09:34,040 non essential and so secondary that we can pack them away in 141 00:09:34,040 --> 00:09:39,560 boxes when Christmas is over and label them Christmas decorations 142 00:09:40,080 --> 00:09:43,880 and store them away to use but once a year. 143 00:09:44,560 --> 00:09:49,680 The deeper meaning of Christmas are represented by hay in 144 00:09:49,680 --> 00:09:54,080 Bethlehem's Manger. Who's in that Manger? 145 00:09:56,160 --> 00:10:04,280 How confident would you be to explain to the individual who is 146 00:10:04,280 --> 00:10:16,000 in your car who that baby is? Today from this passage, I want 147 00:10:16,000 --> 00:10:22,880 to speak and preach about this Jesus, the one in the Manger who 148 00:10:22,880 --> 00:10:30,560 is fully God and fully man, true God and true man. 149 00:10:31,600 --> 00:10:36,560 Then I want to answer the question, why does it matter? 150 00:10:37,800 --> 00:10:44,800 Why did he have to be a man and why did the Savior have to be 151 00:10:44,800 --> 00:10:48,120 God? I hope that by the time you 152 00:10:48,120 --> 00:10:51,880 leave today, you're going to have greater confidence in being 153 00:10:51,880 --> 00:10:56,840 able to answer that question. Don't rely upon your own 154 00:10:56,840 --> 00:11:02,520 history. Don't rely upon your own 155 00:11:02,520 --> 00:11:05,880 faculties. Trust the Holy Spirit, even in 156 00:11:05,880 --> 00:11:08,560 this moment to show you something new. 157 00:11:09,160 --> 00:11:13,880 The same God who in a quiet, silent moment, if you're in 158 00:11:13,880 --> 00:11:18,240 Christ, called you to Himself, made today in a similar silent 159 00:11:18,240 --> 00:11:20,720 way. May He open your eyes to see you 160 00:11:20,720 --> 00:11:25,080 knew the wonder of who He is. The text tells us with these 161 00:11:25,080 --> 00:11:31,480 most phenomenal words in verse 19 for in him that's Jesus all 162 00:11:31,480 --> 00:11:37,160 the fullness of God was pleased to dwell when we speak of Jesus 163 00:11:38,160 --> 00:11:43,960 and the incarnation him becoming flesh, the word becoming flesh. 164 00:11:44,440 --> 00:11:48,280 What we are saying and this is really important and it's 165 00:11:48,280 --> 00:11:51,880 created controversy throughout, especially the early church. 166 00:11:53,720 --> 00:12:01,520 We are saying that this man Jesus is true God and true man. 167 00:12:02,320 --> 00:12:10,040 He is fully God, not just part God and fully man. 168 00:12:10,800 --> 00:12:19,760 He has two natures, the divine nature and his manhood nature. 169 00:12:20,400 --> 00:12:30,200 He is fully God, 100%. Not 95, not 90, not 50, not a 170 00:12:30,200 --> 00:12:36,600 mix. He's fully God, always was and 171 00:12:36,600 --> 00:12:44,200 always is. And He is 100% man, not part 172 00:12:44,200 --> 00:12:51,040 man, not some parts of him a man, all of him, a man, just 173 00:12:51,040 --> 00:12:54,480 like you and me. Except He was not born in 174 00:12:54,480 --> 00:12:58,120 corruption. He was not born in sin like all 175 00:12:58,200 --> 00:13:05,440 the rest of mankind. These two natures are in this 176 00:13:05,440 --> 00:13:08,480 one person. Listen to some things that have 177 00:13:08,480 --> 00:13:15,440 been said about that. He's always God, never ceases to 178 00:13:15,440 --> 00:13:19,480 be fully God. Now imagine you're hearing that 179 00:13:19,480 --> 00:13:21,480 for the first time, and maybe some of you are. 180 00:13:21,680 --> 00:13:23,640 This is what we believe the Word of God teaches. 181 00:13:25,240 --> 00:13:32,680 All that is always true of God is always true of Jesus. 182 00:13:33,600 --> 00:13:38,000 Do you hear that? All that is always true of God 183 00:13:38,000 --> 00:13:43,320 is always true of Him who has these two natures in one person. 184 00:13:44,200 --> 00:13:50,800 The baby in the Manger is at that moment as a baby, a full 185 00:13:50,920 --> 00:13:56,480 newborn baby that will not survive without his mother's 186 00:13:56,480 --> 00:14:01,960 milk. But that baby in the Manger at 187 00:14:01,960 --> 00:14:09,000 that moment is also fully God. Just let it blow your mind. 188 00:14:09,920 --> 00:14:12,280 If it's not blowing your mind, no matter how long you've been 189 00:14:12,280 --> 00:14:15,400 doing Jesus, pray that God would blow your mind. 190 00:14:16,000 --> 00:14:22,480 This is mind blowing truth. The one who is nursing at his 191 00:14:22,480 --> 00:14:25,800 mother's breast is the one who made that woman. 192 00:14:27,080 --> 00:14:33,920 The one who is clinging to his earthly father's finger is the 193 00:14:33,920 --> 00:14:38,080 one who by his own finger in his own word, is upholding the 194 00:14:38,160 --> 00:14:43,880 universe by the word of his power in that Manger. 195 00:14:47,640 --> 00:14:51,520 How do you know what that means? That noise I made, it's just 196 00:14:51,600 --> 00:14:59,800 mind blowing. The baby in the Manger from Joel 197 00:14:59,800 --> 00:15:02,680 Beeke, his wonderful systematic theology series. 198 00:15:03,520 --> 00:15:06,480 So good. The baby in the Manger is at 199 00:15:06,480 --> 00:15:11,200 that moment fully God since the beginning of the incarnation. 200 00:15:11,760 --> 00:15:18,000 He is both at the same time, one person existing in two natures. 201 00:15:20,680 --> 00:15:27,360 He is not less of God, and He is not less of man. 202 00:15:28,080 --> 00:15:34,200 BB Warfield says this. The glory of the Incarnation is 203 00:15:34,200 --> 00:15:37,120 that it presents to our adoring gaze. 204 00:15:38,000 --> 00:15:40,640 When I read that, I thought, I hope that's true of me. 205 00:15:41,360 --> 00:15:44,080 I hope that my gaze right now in this season is adoring. 206 00:15:44,080 --> 00:15:47,040 And not just this season. Every season the glory of the 207 00:15:47,040 --> 00:15:50,760 incarnation is that it presents to our adoring gaze not a 208 00:15:50,760 --> 00:15:57,960 humanized God or a deified man, but a true God, man, one who is 209 00:15:58,120 --> 00:16:03,800 all that God is and at the same time all that man is on whose 210 00:16:03,800 --> 00:16:11,240 almighty arm we can rest and to whose human sympathy we can 211 00:16:11,240 --> 00:16:15,440 appeal. Right now, where do you need to 212 00:16:15,440 --> 00:16:16,520 rest? On his arm? 213 00:16:17,040 --> 00:16:21,080 Right now where do you need to appeal to his sympathy? 214 00:16:21,080 --> 00:16:27,840 He is the high priest, He is the king, he is the prophet, 215 00:16:29,320 --> 00:16:32,400 Warfield says. We cannot afford to lose either 216 00:16:32,400 --> 00:16:35,640 the God and the man or the man and the God. 217 00:16:36,280 --> 00:16:40,320 Our hearts cry out for the complete God, man, whom the 218 00:16:40,320 --> 00:16:45,960 Scriptures offer. The Scriptures do offer this, 219 00:16:47,040 --> 00:16:50,560 not just in Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, but all the way back 220 00:16:50,560 --> 00:16:53,240 to Genesis and all the way through Revelation. 221 00:16:53,880 --> 00:16:57,680 The prophets foretold that one Messiah would be both. 222 00:16:58,320 --> 00:17:01,800 So this is the Old Testament. The prophets foretold that one 223 00:17:01,800 --> 00:17:05,359 Messiah would be both. Eternal God meaning always 224 00:17:05,359 --> 00:17:12,400 exists, and a covenant servant. The prophets foretold that he 225 00:17:12,400 --> 00:17:18,119 would be a needy child and at the same time mighty God, that 226 00:17:18,119 --> 00:17:25,200 he would be born in lowly Bethlehem and yet eternal and 227 00:17:25,200 --> 00:17:31,080 omnipotent, that he would be born a son of David and David's 228 00:17:31,600 --> 00:17:36,480 Lord. And the Gospels we see that 229 00:17:36,480 --> 00:17:41,040 Jesus hungered, He had to eat and he was thirsty, He had to 230 00:17:41,040 --> 00:17:47,760 drink that he got tired. But we also see that he called a 231 00:17:47,760 --> 00:17:55,280 dead man to rise. He bled, He suffered. 232 00:17:55,280 --> 00:18:02,280 The Gospels teaches he died, but all the while he had all 233 00:18:02,720 --> 00:18:12,240 authority in heaven and earth. He rose with feet that could be 234 00:18:12,240 --> 00:18:17,440 touched. He ascended in a body that he 235 00:18:17,440 --> 00:18:22,840 still has. He no longer walks upon this 236 00:18:22,880 --> 00:18:29,880 earth, but he is present wherever two or three gather in 237 00:18:29,880 --> 00:18:34,920 his name. The Epistles teach us, like here 238 00:18:34,920 --> 00:18:39,880 in Colossians, that this is God's Son and the Son of David 239 00:18:40,640 --> 00:18:45,440 who dies, who gives all spiritual gifts, who is promised 240 00:18:45,440 --> 00:18:53,560 the Spirit. We can say of Jesus that he was 241 00:18:53,560 --> 00:18:58,560 about 30 years old when his ministry started, but that he 242 00:18:59,240 --> 00:19:05,160 eternally existed. We can say of Jesus that he was 243 00:19:05,160 --> 00:19:11,840 tired and asleep and still upholding the universe by the 244 00:19:11,840 --> 00:19:17,120 word of his power in the boat, when the disciples said to him, 245 00:19:17,800 --> 00:19:21,520 Don't you care, teacher, that we are going to die, that we are 246 00:19:21,520 --> 00:19:26,960 drowning? He was sleepy, he was exhausted, 247 00:19:27,320 --> 00:19:29,840 but he stood up and rebuked the wind in the sea and they were 248 00:19:29,840 --> 00:19:36,640 calm from the bottom of that vessel. 249 00:19:37,200 --> 00:19:43,280 He slept as a man, but remained Almighty God, upholding 250 00:19:43,360 --> 00:19:48,480 everything in the world from the boat but also from the Manger. 251 00:19:50,880 --> 00:19:55,600 Why did he have to be true God and true man? 252 00:19:57,160 --> 00:20:00,200 How would you answer that question as you're driving 253 00:20:00,200 --> 00:20:02,200 through the neighborhood, as your friend begins to ask 254 00:20:02,200 --> 00:20:04,680 questions, as he begins to see that you take much more 255 00:20:04,680 --> 00:20:10,480 seriously that which is pictured in the stall and in the Manger, 256 00:20:10,600 --> 00:20:13,720 with the wise men, with the angels, with the star? 257 00:20:14,480 --> 00:20:18,360 How would you answer the question when your friend asked, 258 00:20:18,360 --> 00:20:24,520 why did he have to become a man? Why did he or why must he be 259 00:20:24,520 --> 00:20:32,400 God? Jesus had to be man because of 260 00:20:32,400 --> 00:20:38,240 the horrible reality of sin. Back to the text in Colossians 261 00:20:38,240 --> 00:20:43,800 one verse 21, Paul says as he speaks to this church at Callasi 262 00:20:44,240 --> 00:20:48,680 and you who once were alienated and hostile in mind doing evil 263 00:20:48,680 --> 00:20:50,920 deeds. He that's Jesus has now 264 00:20:50,920 --> 00:20:54,800 reconciled in his body of flesh by his death in order to present 265 00:20:54,800 --> 00:20:58,000 you holy and blameless above reproach before him. 266 00:21:01,360 --> 00:21:04,160 Adam was our first representative. 267 00:21:05,200 --> 00:21:09,720 First Adam sinned and when Adam sinned, sinned, entered into the 268 00:21:09,720 --> 00:21:14,800 world and therefore every person, every child born from 269 00:21:14,800 --> 00:21:17,880 that moment forward was born and sent except Jesus. 270 00:21:17,880 --> 00:21:20,640 That's why there had to be the conception of the Holy Spirit, 271 00:21:20,640 --> 00:21:26,760 the virgin birth. You and I weren't born just sick 272 00:21:27,640 --> 00:21:31,720 and a little bit immoral with a little bit of selfishness. 273 00:21:32,400 --> 00:21:38,120 We were born in sin, which means that we were dead in our 274 00:21:38,120 --> 00:21:42,480 trespasses and sin. We weren't just sick, Paul tells 275 00:21:42,480 --> 00:21:46,560 the church at Ephesus. But God, being rich in mercy 276 00:21:46,560 --> 00:21:50,760 because of the great love with which he loved us, made us alive 277 00:21:50,760 --> 00:21:55,080 together in Christ. Because of sin, we were 278 00:21:55,080 --> 00:21:57,520 separated from God. And this is true of all of us. 279 00:21:59,080 --> 00:22:00,800 We all, like sheep, have gone astray. 280 00:22:01,120 --> 00:22:04,560 All of us, each of us has turned to his own way, and the Lord has 281 00:22:04,560 --> 00:22:06,480 laid on him the iniquity of us all. 282 00:22:07,720 --> 00:22:14,360 God is a holy God. The incarnation was necessary 283 00:22:14,360 --> 00:22:18,680 for our salvation because God's holiness and righteousness 284 00:22:18,680 --> 00:22:24,720 demanded that satisfaction be made for sin by blood sacrifice. 285 00:22:25,120 --> 00:22:28,880 This was God's plan from Genesis to the end. 286 00:22:28,880 --> 00:22:33,920 It was God's plan. There has to be payment for sin. 287 00:22:33,920 --> 00:22:38,400 There has to be a sacrifice, and the sacrifice has to be perfect. 288 00:22:40,800 --> 00:22:45,040 Jesus had to be man because we needed representative obedience. 289 00:22:46,080 --> 00:22:49,520 The one who's going to be sacrificed had to obey the law 290 00:22:49,520 --> 00:22:51,720 perfectly. And Jesus never sinned. 291 00:22:52,560 --> 00:22:55,800 Walking along at some point in his life, he would have stubbed 292 00:22:55,800 --> 00:22:59,200 his toe and bled, and it would have hurt just like it would 293 00:22:59,200 --> 00:23:03,040 hurt you. But he's also fully God. 294 00:23:04,360 --> 00:23:09,280 He never sinned. He never responded to things 295 00:23:09,280 --> 00:23:12,040 that way. You and I might find our nature 296 00:23:12,040 --> 00:23:14,920 wanting us to respond. He didn't have a sinful nature, 297 00:23:15,360 --> 00:23:20,680 but he was tempted constantly by the evil 1 and he never fell. 298 00:23:22,000 --> 00:23:25,880 We needed that perfect, righteous, representative 299 00:23:25,880 --> 00:23:29,120 obedience. That's why Jesus is called the 300 00:23:29,120 --> 00:23:33,760 second Adam. We needed a substitute sacrifice 301 00:23:34,200 --> 00:23:38,520 because we couldn't make the sacrifice for ourselves. 302 00:23:39,280 --> 00:23:43,320 We needed a mediator because Robbie mentioned a gulf. 303 00:23:43,560 --> 00:23:46,040 There was a real gulf between God and man. 304 00:23:46,640 --> 00:23:48,440 Because of sin. We were separated. 305 00:23:48,440 --> 00:23:52,040 We were not in relationship with him anymore, and there had to be 306 00:23:52,040 --> 00:23:59,120 a mediator, one like us, who would build and be that bridge. 307 00:23:59,960 --> 00:24:02,080 We needed a sympathetic high priest. 308 00:24:02,480 --> 00:24:07,640 We needed his example and his pattern, and he had to be a man 309 00:24:08,280 --> 00:24:16,600 in order to do all those things. The mediator had to be both a 310 00:24:16,600 --> 00:24:22,280 perfectly righteous man, because the justice of God requires that 311 00:24:22,280 --> 00:24:26,600 the same human nature which has sinned should likewise make 312 00:24:26,600 --> 00:24:31,320 satisfaction for sin. And one who is himself a Sinner, 313 00:24:31,320 --> 00:24:34,840 that's another human being like just like me, one who himself is 314 00:24:34,840 --> 00:24:38,640 a Sinner, cannot satisfy this for others. 315 00:24:39,160 --> 00:24:46,600 So therefore the Mediator must also be God, true God, that he 316 00:24:46,600 --> 00:24:51,320 might, by the power of his Godhead, sustain in his human 317 00:24:51,320 --> 00:24:57,800 nature the burden of God's wrath, and might obtain for and 318 00:24:57,800 --> 00:25:01,920 restore to us righteousness in life. 319 00:25:02,720 --> 00:25:06,640 I know that's a lot, but it's important. 320 00:25:09,040 --> 00:25:15,320 Jesus Christ, true God and true man is not just a worldview, it 321 00:25:15,320 --> 00:25:20,280 is that, but it's not just that. It's not just an idea and an 322 00:25:20,280 --> 00:25:23,880 example of a moral man that we had our own flesh can follow. 323 00:25:24,800 --> 00:25:33,960 It is that God, bringing about His plan of salvation, created 324 00:25:34,520 --> 00:25:41,640 this plan by sending His Son who was always God, never not God. 325 00:25:42,080 --> 00:25:48,040 He was not a God who shedded his skin like a snake and then 326 00:25:48,040 --> 00:25:51,480 became less God for 33 years and then ascended to heaven. 327 00:25:52,320 --> 00:25:56,040 He was fully God. He is fully God. 328 00:25:56,240 --> 00:26:00,480 He was fully God when he walked up on this earth and fully man 329 00:26:01,040 --> 00:26:05,920 when the incarnation took place. Now he is fully man and fully 330 00:26:05,920 --> 00:26:08,400 God in heaven. We will see his flesh. 331 00:26:08,400 --> 00:26:13,560 We'll see his hands, the nails where they were, and his feet 332 00:26:13,560 --> 00:26:23,640 and his side. Salvation meant that it had to 333 00:26:23,640 --> 00:26:29,760 be a man like us, but also that it had to be a God, the God. 334 00:26:30,520 --> 00:26:34,800 Why? Remember Jonah chapter 2 verse 335 00:26:34,800 --> 00:26:38,680 9? Salvation belongs to the Lord. 336 00:26:39,160 --> 00:26:42,680 It's God's idea. Only God could provide a 337 00:26:42,680 --> 00:26:46,200 mediator that could bring us back to Himself. 338 00:26:47,080 --> 00:26:52,640 Only God could reveal Himself to us in the word made flesh. 339 00:26:53,480 --> 00:27:00,720 Only the divine has the power to bear the weight of the just 340 00:27:00,720 --> 00:27:07,240 penalty of sin. So what does this mean? 341 00:27:08,440 --> 00:27:11,800 Now this is where it gets amazing, as if it hadn't been 342 00:27:11,800 --> 00:27:19,920 already that one in the Manger is given to us as a gift. 343 00:27:23,880 --> 00:27:33,200 A gift that never grows old. A gift that truly gets better 344 00:27:33,200 --> 00:27:36,200 with age and will for all eternity. 345 00:27:36,960 --> 00:27:41,880 A gift that we would never choose to open unless the Holy 346 00:27:41,880 --> 00:27:51,880 Spirit, in a silent way behind the scenes, draws us to Himself 347 00:27:52,280 --> 00:27:55,600 as He causes our dead hearts to beat. 348 00:27:56,360 --> 00:28:01,600 And when we rest and receive Him alone for salvation, what 349 00:28:01,600 --> 00:28:07,960 happens? We become one with Him, one with 350 00:28:07,960 --> 00:28:13,560 the one who is fully God, one with the one who is fully man. 351 00:28:14,440 --> 00:28:17,840 In chapter 2, verse 10, I'll do both 9 and 10. 352 00:28:17,840 --> 00:28:21,480 Paul writes. For in Him the whole fullness of 353 00:28:21,480 --> 00:28:25,920 deity dwells bodily. And you Speaking of those who 354 00:28:25,920 --> 00:28:31,320 are in Christ, you have been filled in Him who is the head of 355 00:28:31,400 --> 00:28:34,840 all rule and authority. And if you're in Christ and 356 00:28:34,840 --> 00:28:38,000 you've been filled with him, what does that mean? 357 00:28:38,600 --> 00:28:45,760 Go back to verse 22, chapter 1. He, Jesus, has now reconciled in 358 00:28:45,760 --> 00:28:50,080 order to present you by His body of flesh and His death, in order 359 00:28:50,480 --> 00:28:56,240 to present you holy and blameless and above reproach 360 00:28:56,680 --> 00:29:04,920 before Him. Yesterday I surprised my wife 361 00:29:04,920 --> 00:29:09,080 with the Christmas present. I have always struggled to wait 362 00:29:10,680 --> 00:29:14,240 once I've got a gift that I know she or someone else is going to 363 00:29:14,240 --> 00:29:17,760 love. Waiting till the 25th is hard. 364 00:29:18,160 --> 00:29:21,720 Some of you are like that. I had a plan to wait. 365 00:29:22,160 --> 00:29:25,200 I even told her yesterday morning, I've got you a great 366 00:29:25,200 --> 00:29:27,360 gift for Christmas. I'm going to wait till 367 00:29:27,360 --> 00:29:29,560 Christmas. But then the gentleman who 368 00:29:29,560 --> 00:29:32,000 created it before we called me and said it's ready. 369 00:29:33,440 --> 00:29:36,360 And so I went. I asked this gentleman who has a 370 00:29:36,360 --> 00:29:42,680 shop at Forest and Marsh. His billboard just says TV/VCR 371 00:29:43,760 --> 00:29:46,400 found him. His name's Bill and he converted 372 00:29:46,600 --> 00:29:52,600 28 tapes from the 90s and early 2000s when our children were 373 00:29:52,600 --> 00:29:57,160 born and their first Christmases. 28 tapes and 374 00:29:57,160 --> 00:30:01,480 there's about 100 more to go. I'm not giving those to him yet 375 00:30:02,040 --> 00:30:03,880 and based on the price, I'm not sure I will. 376 00:30:05,560 --> 00:30:08,800 But I couldn't wait. It's on the disk. 377 00:30:08,880 --> 00:30:12,800 I plugged it in the TVI saw what I saw and I couldn't believe it. 378 00:30:13,680 --> 00:30:17,880 There's our first born daughter, Kara in the hospital. 379 00:30:18,760 --> 00:30:22,800 Next tape was our last Christmas in Saint Louis, 2002, and it 380 00:30:22,800 --> 00:30:27,000 snowed so deep. Our next Christmas was here in 381 00:30:27,000 --> 00:30:30,000 Dallas. It snowed once since we've been 382 00:30:30,000 --> 00:30:35,040 here since 2002. But what I saw on the tape and 383 00:30:35,040 --> 00:30:39,320 we have lots to watch, what I saw on the tape was a mom and 384 00:30:39,320 --> 00:30:46,720 dad young telling their children in the best way we could what I 385 00:30:46,720 --> 00:30:50,920 just told you about the wonder of who the Savior is. 386 00:30:51,480 --> 00:30:56,760 And the next year, the same message was given, so much so 387 00:30:56,760 --> 00:30:59,440 that they could begin to repeat the truth. 388 00:30:59,560 --> 00:31:02,120 Now with their own children, they will. 389 00:31:05,400 --> 00:31:13,040 The gift that we have been given in Christ is beyond our ability 390 00:31:13,040 --> 00:31:19,320 to explain, but one of the best attempts I've ever heard. 391 00:31:19,760 --> 00:31:24,680 I want to leave with you now. And it comes from John Calvin in 392 00:31:24,680 --> 00:31:27,760 his Institutes. This is what he says. 393 00:31:30,520 --> 00:31:38,240 This is the wonderful exchange, the measureless benevolence of 394 00:31:38,240 --> 00:31:49,960 God, when Christ, becoming the Son of man with us, made us sons 395 00:31:50,040 --> 00:31:54,240 of God forever. My word with Him. 396 00:31:55,760 --> 00:32:01,480 By His descent to earth He has prepared an ascent to heaven for 397 00:32:01,480 --> 00:32:06,520 us. By taking on our mortality, He 398 00:32:06,520 --> 00:32:10,000 has conferred His immortality upon us. 399 00:32:10,920 --> 00:32:14,880 Accepting our weakness, He has strengthened us. 400 00:32:14,880 --> 00:32:21,080 By His power, receiving our poverty unto Himself, He has 401 00:32:21,080 --> 00:32:27,280 transferred His wealth to us, Immeasurable wealth. 402 00:32:28,480 --> 00:32:34,360 Your wealth can be counted, so can mine not the Lord's. 403 00:32:35,320 --> 00:32:41,720 Lastly, taking the weight of our iniquity upon Himself, He has 404 00:32:41,720 --> 00:32:45,680 clothed us, clothed us with His righteousness. 405 00:32:47,800 --> 00:32:53,800 That baby in the Manger, clothed by his mother Mary, was God, 406 00:32:55,040 --> 00:33:01,400 full and true. That man would grow and live on 407 00:33:01,400 --> 00:33:04,880 this earth for 33 years. He would die the death we all 408 00:33:04,880 --> 00:33:07,920 deserve to die after living the life we could never live. 409 00:33:08,520 --> 00:33:09,920 He would be raised from the dead. 410 00:33:09,920 --> 00:33:12,440 He would ascend to heaven. He reigns now as our King and is 411 00:33:12,440 --> 00:33:17,720 going to return. If you know him, you know the 412 00:33:17,720 --> 00:33:22,880 true God and true man. If you don't know Him, then what 413 00:33:22,880 --> 00:33:27,800 I have been speaking to you is a gift that you have not yet 414 00:33:27,800 --> 00:33:32,320 opened. So imagine you're listening to 415 00:33:32,320 --> 00:33:36,560 music with someone who has never seen or heard music like this, 416 00:33:37,080 --> 00:33:40,480 and you're seeing things that are both secular and sacred. 417 00:33:41,120 --> 00:33:44,160 But imagine as you pull the car back into your drive for the 418 00:33:44,160 --> 00:33:48,160 last time, the individual that has been seeing these sights and 419 00:33:48,160 --> 00:33:52,120 hearing these sounds. Here's the last song, the one we 420 00:33:52,120 --> 00:33:55,520 sang third today, a little town of Bethlehem. 421 00:33:58,200 --> 00:34:00,400 And they're the truth of that third stanza. 422 00:34:00,400 --> 00:34:05,880 Silently, silently, the Lord draws people to himself. 423 00:34:07,600 --> 00:34:11,400 Maybe that's why you're here today is that even though you 424 00:34:11,400 --> 00:34:17,920 have heard and seen many things, silently, the Spirit of God is 425 00:34:17,920 --> 00:34:25,080 revealing to you the truth about Jesus, the true God, true man. 426 00:34:25,800 --> 00:34:29,239 If you want to know more, come talk to us. 427 00:34:29,360 --> 00:34:33,000 Talk to somebody you came with. If you want to know right now 428 00:34:33,000 --> 00:34:37,400 what it means to be with him forever, then pray the prayer 429 00:34:37,600 --> 00:34:42,480 that simply admits you are a Sinner and need of a Savior. 430 00:34:43,120 --> 00:34:46,320 He's the only one. If you pray that prayer today or 431 00:34:46,320 --> 00:34:51,120 sometime soon, let us know. If you've prayed that prayer 432 00:34:51,120 --> 00:34:58,560 before, then may you and I be in awe and wonder of what He has 433 00:34:58,560 --> 00:35:03,320 given us in Himself. Hark the Herald, angels sing. 434 00:35:03,760 --> 00:35:08,320 Glory to the newborn King. Father, thank you for this 435 00:35:08,320 --> 00:35:13,720 congregation, their patience, this day, all that you're doing 436 00:35:13,720 --> 00:35:17,080 in our midst. And Lord, would you enable us to 437 00:35:17,080 --> 00:35:22,480 see new things and hear new things and be eternally changed 438 00:35:22,480 --> 00:35:26,360 by the truth of the gospel. We pray in Jesus name, Amen. 439 00:35:26,480 --> 00:35:27,040 Please stand.