151220 The Reason for the Season (2)

 Luke 2:8-14  And in the same region there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. ⁹ And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with great fear. ¹⁰ And the angel said to them, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. ¹¹ For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. ¹² And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.” ¹³ And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying, ¹⁴ “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!”

We might think that a Royal announcement should be made in a palace but God chose instead to have the birth of his Son proclaimed in a field among the common people. Jesus, being born of a woman, was fully human and at the very same time fully God. You might ask, “How can that be?” I hate to disappoint you but I don’t know “how”. I only know that what the Bible tells me is true. We are taught that he is God beginning with the promise in Genesis that the “seed of the woman” would crush the head of the serpent and going right way through to the end of Revelation where Jesus proclaims, “I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end.”

There are many passages in the Bible demonstrating that Jesus is God. He is not just a “son of God” as Adam was. He is God’s only unique Son, born of a woman, born under the law, sent to redeem us in our need. (Galatians 4:4-5) We are going to look at several of the passages which show his divinity.

The Gospel of John begins by claiming that he is God. I can imagine John, the apostle, looking at the other Gospels and thinking to himself, “There are many things that need to be included. I will write it down for others to know beginning in the beginning.” And so he started to write, John 1:1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. In the original language, Greek, the word order is different. Instead of saying, “the Word was God” it could be translated “God was the Word”. The two words “God” and the “Word” are synonyms and are interchangeable. A few verses down, at verse 18 we find in the older and better manuscripts this statement. No one has ever seen God; the only God, who is at the Father’s side, he has made him known. The King James Version translates “the only God” as “the only Son”. The Greek text they were working from, in this case, is not the best. In the older and better manuscripts we find the wording used in the ESV. Jesus is identified as “the only God, who is at the Father’s side.”

There is no question in my mind that John the apostle, who was closest to Jesus of all those who followed him, understood that he was God in human form. In the little letter of 1 John, Jesus is described as the “word of life” and the “eternal life” without a doubt showing him as God.

After Jesus’ resurrection from the dead we find that…

Thomas asserted that he was God. Thomas had been absent the first time Jesus appeared to his disciples and had asserted that he would not believe unless he could see. Then eight days later, well, we will let John describe it! John 20:26-28 Eight days later, his disciples were inside again, and Thomas was with them. Although the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you.” ²⁷ Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here, and see my hands; and put out your hand, and place it in my side. Do not disbelieve, but believe.” ²⁸ Thomas answered him, “My Lord and my God!”

I believe this was a special visit just for Thomas’ sake. Jesus challenged him to not only look at his wounds but touch them and see that they were real. Thomas did not have to touch Jesus. Instead his answer was, “My Lord and my God!”

There is a group of people who travel around the country claiming to be God’s witnesses who say that Thomas made that statement as an exclamation and therefore a curse word because he would be taking God’s name in vain. Nothing could be further from the truth! Thomas recognized that Jesus, having appeared to them, was there as God. Then we find that…

The prophet Isaiah proclaimed that he was God. There is no question in my mind that Isaiah 9:6 refers to Jesus. For to us a child is born, to us a son is given;        and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

This is one of many Old Testament examples of the name “God” being applied to Jesus. Notice please that his name shall be called “Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.” Without a doubt these statements refer to Jesus and call him “God”! Isaiah was looking for a coming Messiah who would be a Wonderful Counselor and would meet all our spiritual and emotional needs as we surrender our lives to him. He would be the Mighty God who created the universe and expresses his love to us in multiple ways. He would be the Everlasting Father — the Great I AM. And ultimately he would be the Prince of Peace. We need to let his peace into our lives. Throughout the New Testament “peace” is a major component in the Christian’s life. If we had time I could read for you some of the 60+ references that I found.

For the time being let’s go on to the announcement of his birth…

The Angels had called him “Christ the Lord”. Let’s look at the angelic announcement given to the shepherds in the field. Luke 2:11 For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.

There are many examples in the New Testament where the title “Lord” is used for Jesus. The Greek word that is used here is the one used most often in the Greek Old Testament, the Septuagint, to translate the name of God. Even the shepherds would have known that this word signified “God”. We are very familiar with the word “Lord” being applied to Jesus — even the baby Jesus. But the shepherds, and others who lived in Israel at that time, would not have been familiar with the application of that word to a baby born to them. It would’ve been very surprising to hear those words used by the angelic choir.

When Mary went to visit Elizabeth, several months before Jesus was born, Elizabeth used the same word for the baby in Mary’s womb. When she said, “Why is this granted to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me?” (Luke 1:43).

When John the Baptist spoke of his ministry he cried out in the wilderness, “Prepare the way of the Lord; make his paths straight” (Matthew 3:3). When John said this he was quoting Isaiah 40:3 which speaks about the Lord God himself coming among his people. There is no doubt John was talking about Jesus himself. The implication is that when Jesus comes, the Lord himself will come. As we can see…

Jesus himself pointed out his divinity. He initiated a conversation with the Pharisees. It is found recorded in Matthew 22:41-46. Now while the Pharisees were gathered together, Jesus asked them a question, ⁴² saying, “What do you think about the Christ? Whose son is he?” They said to him, “The son of David.” ⁴³ He said to them, “How is it then that David, in the Spirit, calls him Lord, saying, ⁴⁴ “ ‘The Lord said to my Lord, “Sit at my right hand, until I put your enemies under your feet” ’? ⁴⁵ If then David calls him Lord, how is he his son?” ⁴⁶ And no one was able to answer him a word, nor from that day did anyone dare to ask him any more questions.

Jesus repeatedly stated that he knew they were out to get him. Again and again he set them up and shot them down. He knew exactly what they would respond with because that was what they had been taught. He asked whose son the Christ would be? Their response was simple, “The son of David.” We know that physically that was true but Jesus wanted to make a point that they had missed completely. So he asked them why David, in the Spirit, when he wrote Psalm 110, calls him Lord? If the Messiah was David’s “Lord” how could he be his son?

The word “Lord” is often used in the New Testament to refer to Jesus implying his divinity. Jesus did not hesitate to challenge the Pharisees with that idea. At another time Jesus used an even stronger statement. This time they asked the question.

And again in answer to the Pharisees. They said to him, “You are not yet 50 years old, and have you seen Abraham?” His answer is found in John 8:58. Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I am.”

He had told them that Abraham had seen his day. This caused them to respond referring to Jesus’ apparent age. Jesus was a little over 30 years old and they said to him “you are not yet 50 years old”. I recall the first time I was handed a senior citizen’s menu in a restaurant. I was 45 and was amazed that the waitress thought I would be a “senior citizen”. By the way, I am still amazed that I am a senior citizen.

To prove that he had existed from the beginning of creation Jesus could have said, “Before Abraham was, I was.” Instead he chose to say, “I AM”! He knew that phrase would be understood by the Pharisees to refer to God the Father because that was the way God identified himself to Moses, “I AM WHO I AM” (Exodus 3:14) Jesus is claiming for himself the title by which God designates himself as the eternally existing One, the God who is the source of his own existence and who always has been and always will be. They knew immediately what Jesus was saying and “took up stones to throw at him but Jesus hid himself and went out of the temple.” (John 8:59).

Not only did Jesus affirm that he was God while he was on earth in human flesh…

God the Father proclaimed he was God. When Jesus was baptized, immediately, the Holy Spirit descended on him and God spoke these words found in Matthew 3:17 and behold, a voice from heaven said, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.” There was no doubt Jesus was identified by the Father as his beloved Son. Later in Jesus’ ministry, Matthew records a similar instance found in Matthew 17:1-8 And after six days Jesus took with him Peter and James, and John his brother, and led them up a high mountain by themselves. ² And he was transfigured before them, and his face shone like the sun, and his clothes became white as light. ³ And behold, there appeared to them Moses and Elijah, talking with him. ⁴ And Peter said to Jesus, “Lord, it is good that we are here. If you wish, I will make three tents here, one for you and one for Moses and one for Elijah.” ⁵ He was still speaking when, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them, and a voice from the cloud said, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased; listen to him.” ⁶ When the disciples heard this, they fell on their faces and were terrified. ⁷ But Jesus came and touched them, saying, “Rise, and have no fear.” ⁸ And when they lifted up their eyes, they saw no one but Jesus only.

Jesus took his three closest men up on the mountain top, we do not know which mountain, and suddenly he was transfigured before them. He shined like a light and there appeared with him Moses and Elijah. They were talking with him about his coming departure from the world.

Peter, in his humanity offered to make three tents for Jesus, Moses and Elijah. I’m not sure what he intended the tents to do but, as he was speaking, suddenly a voice from the cloud said, “This is my beloved Son”. Up until then the disciples had been amazed however, with the voice they fell on their faces before Jesus and were terrified. It is very hard for us to imagine, in our casual attitude towards worship, what these men must have felt like. The word “terrified”, I suppose, is the best we can do. Repeatedly…

Jesus demonstrated his divinity. Two examples are found in Matthew 8:26-27 and 14:15-20. In the first passage Jesus was sleeping in the back of the boat and a great storm broke out. The sea of Galilee is known for its sudden storms. Jesus did not seem to be affected by the storm and the disciples, though some of them were good boatmen, were frightened by the storm. They came to Jesus, woke him, and asked them to save them. And he said to them, “Why are you afraid, O you of little faith?” Then he rose and rebuked the winds and the sea, and there was a great calm. ²⁷ And the men marveled, saying, “What sort of man is this, that even winds and sea obey him?”

Jesus demonstrated for them that he had the power of God. I sense a little bit of frustration in his answer to them. More than once Jesus referred to their little faith. Here, he seems to wonder why they would be afraid since he was in the boat with them. If God is in your boat you don’t need to worry about it sinking! We need to take notice of that. Anytime you’re in trouble, or things are going the wrong way, remember he said that he would be with us always. (Matthew 28:20)

In the other example I have chosen the disciples were faced with a real dilemma. The crowd was tired and hungry. They had followed Jesus all day and beginning in chapter 14, verse 15…

 Now when it was evening, the disciples came to him and said, “This is a desolate place, and the day is now over; send the crowds away to go into the villages and buy food for themselves.” ¹⁶ But Jesus said, “They need not go away; you give them something to eat.” ¹⁷ They said to him, “We have only five loaves here and two fish.” ¹⁸ And he said, “Bring them here to me.” ¹⁹ Then he ordered the crowds to sit down on the grass, and taking the five loaves and the two fish, he looked up to heaven and said a blessing. Then he broke the loaves and gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the crowds. ²⁰ And they all ate and were satisfied.

They did not even have enough food to feed themselves! And Jesus was saying to them that they should give the crowd something to eat. This wasn’t just a normal Sunday at the Baptist Church this was a real crowd! 5000 men besides women and children. There could have easily been 20,000 people there!

They had a lunch bag donated by small boy. But what is that among so many? Remember, when God is with you nothing is beyond the realm of possibility. Jesus blessed the loaves and fish and began to divide it among the people. Not only did he feed the thousands, each of the disciples had a take-out basket.

Jesus wasn’t through with them yet! As soon as he fed the thousands he made the disciples get in the boat and start crossing the lake. Then he went up on the mountain by himself to pray. We have no record of what he prayed but it seems to me that he was asking the Father to educate the disciples as to what had just happened and what it meant. Jesus was “praying up a storm”!

During the night, as they were crossing the lake, one of those storms arose and Jesus came to them walking on the water. Again, they were amazed that Jesus walked on the water and calmed the storm. Mark notes that “they did not understand about the loaves” (Mark 6:52). 

We must remember that the God/man, Jesus Christ, came into this world with a very special purpose in mind. Jesus himself said, “For the Son of Man came to seek and save the lost.” The seeking is done today by the Holy Spirit who stirs in our heart a desire to know Jesus. That desire is unknown without God’s planting it there. Because all have sinned and come short of the glory of God. Therefore, spiritually, all people are dead and cannot respond until Christ gives life. Seeing our dead condition, God demonstrated his love for us by Jesus dying for us. Have you put your faith in him? And confessed him as Lord? If not, today can be the day of salvation for you.

All scriptures quotes are from: The Holy Bible: English standard version. 2001. Wheaton: Standard Bible Society.