Christ and His Humanity

Think about that phrase we were singing just a moment ago, not in our last psalm, but the one before that. The Word made flesh, the saving one. Think about that. We've been studying the incarnation for the last three weeks. He is God in the flesh who has come and He is the saving one. Bless me. I appreciate that as I did all the music that we were singing. Now if you have your Bible tonight, I would ask you to turn to Luke chapter 1. Now I know in a setting like this, everyone might not have a Bible. That's okay. I'm not going to shame you by no means.

But we will be in Luke chapter 1 verses 26 to 38, and some of you kind of knew this was coming. The last few messages that we've had on the incarnation, I've referenced the fact that Luke is my favorite account, gospel account that deals with the birth of Christ, the giving of John the Baptist. It is my favorite nativity story if I can use that phrase. But for the past three Sunday mornings, we've been digging deep into what I call the great glory of the incarnation that the Apostle John gives us in John chapter 1 verses 1 to 18. From verses 1 to 5, we saw that Jesus is the divine Word.

From verses 6 to 13, we saw man's response to the Word as the Word came into the world. And from verses 14 to 19, we saw the glory, the ultimate glory of the incarnation. Well, tonight we're going to continue to look into the incarnation by looking into the humanity of Jesus, specifically the humanity of Jesus from Luke chapter 1 verses 26 to 38. And we will see how Jesus coming as a man, fully God, but fully man, how that relates to Christmas and how that relates to the salvation that God provided the world.

And more specifically and more personally, we will see how Jesus coming as a man relates to salvation and the salvation that God has provided us. So first I want us to see that Jesus was born of a woman. If we read Matthew and Luke's accounts of the Christmas story, we clearly see that Jesus was born of a woman. Mary was the mother of Jesus. Now at this time, I want to read Luke chapter 1 verses 26 to 31. In the sixth month, the angel Gabriel was sent from God to the city of Galilee named Nazareth to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph of the house of David.

The virgin's name was Mary and he came to her and said, "Greetings, O favored one, the Lord is with you." But she was greatly troubled at the same and tried to discern what sort of greeting this might be. And the angel said to her, "Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God and behold you will conceive in your womb and bear a son and you shall call his name Jesus." Now in looking at the fact that Jesus was born of a woman, I want us to look at an Old Testament Scripture. Some of you might not know this, but back in the Garden of Eden, God said that his Savior would be born of the seed of a woman.

Genesis 3.15 reads, "I will put enmity between you and the woman and between your offspring and her offspring he shall bruise your head and you shall bruise his heel." And here we have a very important prophecy. The verse here is commonly referred to as the first gospel or the first prophecy speaking of the gospel. Here God said several very important things. The most obvious is God's curse on Satan in verse 14. And then also God spoke of the continual conflict between Satan and mankind and God spoke of the fact that the offspring of the woman would crush Satan. Of course, this took place on the cross. This is a reference to Jesus.

But notice verse 15, but notice in verse 15 we have the Messiah of God who is called her offspring or seed the New American says. Here we have a prophecy about the coming Savior or Messiah and God said that He would be born of a woman. But one more verse, this time from the New Testament and if the verse in Genesis 3 is vague then what Paul wrote in Galatians 4.4 is clear.

Galatians 4.4 says, "But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born unto the law." Here the Apostle Paul says that in the fullness of time or the right time, God's time, God sent His Son which simply means that in God's appointed time Jesus was born. And notice that the verse says that God's Son was born of a woman. This points to the fact that God's Son was born in human nature or with the nature of a man and I will talk a little more about that here in just a minute. Now what is my point here? What is my point here in reading and commenting on these scriptures?

In Genesis 3 we see that right after the fall of man God promised that He would send a Savior to defeat Satan and His Savior would be born the offspring of a woman and Galatians 4 we see that in God's appointed time or perfect time God sent His Son into the world. He was born of a woman even with a human nature. And we see those two scriptures. Genesis 3.15 and Galatians 4.4 fleshed out in Luke chapter 1 verses 26-31 in the account of the birth of Christ. Of course these things originated with God and from God in all of eternity. This was not a plan B. This was all part of God's plan.

But all these things spoken of in Genesis 3 and all of the promises and prophecies concerning God's promised Messiah were made known on earth with the birth of Jesus. So we need to see that Jesus the promised Messiah was born of a woman. And then next I want us to see that Jesus was born of a virgin. Now the Messiah of God was not born to just any woman and Mary was not just any woman. In Luke 1, 26-38 we see a great description of this young woman Mary. I want to read those verses, verses 26-38. Verses 26-38.

In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city in Galilee named Nazareth to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph of the house of David. And the virgin's name was Mary and he came to her and said greetings, O favored one the Lord is with you. But she was greatly troubled at the same and tried to discern what sort of greeting this might be. And the angel said to her, Do not be afraid Mary for you have found favor with God and behold you will conceive in your womb and bear a son and you shall call his name Jesus. And he will be great and we will be called the son of the Most High.

And the Lord God will give him the throne of his father David and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever and his kingdom there will be no end. Mary said to the angel, How will this be since I am a virgin? And the angel said to 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. And behold your relative Elizabeth in her old age has also conceived a son and this is the sixth month with her whom was called barren. For nothing will be impossible with God.

And Mary said, Behold I am the servant of the Lord let it be to me according to your word in the angel that would be Gabriel departed from her. Now verse 28 clearly says that Mary was favored by God and this word can be translated or understood as blessed, blessed by God. So Mary was favored by God, she was blessed by God and we see this repeated in verse 30. And after Mary questions the angel of God Gabriel says you have found favor with God but a question what does this blessed or favored by God what does that truly mean? Obviously Mary was a godly young woman she walked with God but this favored by God speaks of God's work or purposes.

It was God who chose Mary to be the mother of Jesus. But there is another detail we see in verse 27 that Mary was a virgin. Now we know what that means not only do we see this fact in Luke's gospel but also in Matthew chapter 1 verse 23 as well. But just like we did earlier we need to see what the Old Testament says about these things. In a verse that we are familiar with we see the Old Testament prophecy that a virgin would give birth to the promised Messiah of God. Isaiah 7.14 says therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign behold the virgin shall conceive and bear a son and shall call his name Emmanuel.

Now there is something interesting there is some interesting information here in Isaiah's prophecy. In the original Hebrew language in which these things were written there were two words used for virgin. One meant simply a virgin and the second one used meant a young woman of the age to be married and a virgin. And here Isaiah was using the second or the latter. This simply means that God through Isaiah was predicting that the mother of the Messiah was to be a virgin a young woman of the proper age of marriage. And look how all of this fits together.

In keeping with the meaning of Isaiah 7.14 we see that many passages in the New Testament speak of a virgin of marriageable age. We see this in Matthew 1.18, 1.24 verse 25 and Luke 1.26-35 as well. So what are we seeing here in both the Old and the New Testament? One promise that a virgin would give birth to his Messiah or promised Savior. That prophecy and that promise was fulfilled in Mary. Mary was a virgin of the proper age for marriage. She was pledged to be married to Joseph as was custom in their day but she was a virgin having never been with a man just as Isaiah said she would be.

So we need to see that Jesus the promised Messiah was born of a virgin. Now we have briefly looked at the fact that Jesus was born of a woman, born of a virgin fulfilling two major Old Testament prophecies. But what must we make sure we take home with us tonight? We must grab a hold of two facts about Jesus or these two facts need to grab a hold of us. Simply this pertains all that we've looked at to a proper understanding of the doctrine of Christ and these things are at the heart of Christmas. First both Old Testament and New Testament show us that Jesus was born of a woman therefore we see Christ's humanity.

Jesus was fully man in every way yet without sin. And get this. Jesus had to be fully man to take upon himself the punishment of sin as a substitute for man the Messiah of God had to be fully man. Of course Jesus was without sin completely in every way and thought were deed even in motivation. The second Corinthians 5 21 says for our sake he that's Christ or excuse me for our sake he that's God made him that's Jesus to be sin who knew no sin. Then second both the old and the new show us that Christ was born of a virgin therefore we see Christ's deity. While Jesus had an earthly mother he did not have an earthly father.

I mean that Jesus was not conceived of a man but he was conceived of the spirit of God. Joseph was not his biological father. God the Holy Spirit was his father. And get this. Jesus had to be fully God as well. For Christ to have victory over sin death and hell he had to be raised from the dead and to be raised from the dead he had to be God. So Jesus was born of a woman Mary. He inherited his human nature from Mary. So he was born of a man fully man in every way yet without sin. But Jesus was born of a virgin Mary. And this meant that he had no biological earthly father.

He was conceived of the Holy Spirit of God therefore God was his father. So he was born as God and fully God in every way therefore because he was both man and God God and man he could provide salvation from man and man. And if he had not been both God and man he could not have provided the salvation that we desperately need. Then third I want us to see that Jesus was born of the seed of Abraham. We could say Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. Now here we will continue to examine Jesus and his humanity a little further. Again we will look at both the Old and the New Testament.

Here we will examine a few passages which speak of the earthly lineage of Jesus. You can say it's genealogy or family tree. Of course we must start the earthly lineage of Jesus with the father of the faith that is Abraham. We know that Abraham was the father of the Jewish people and ultimately the nation of Israel. But Abraham was much more, we see this in a particular verse, Genesis 22, 18. That verse says, "In your offspring shall all the nations of earth be blessed because you have obeyed by voice." Of course that's God speaking to Abraham. You may not know this fact but this verse here is a part of the covenant that God made with Abraham.

In the Abrahamic covenant God promised Abraham that he would have descendants and that all of the nations would be blessed from his seed or offspring who is none other than Jesus. And Jesus was the earthly offspring of Abraham and all of the nations are certainly blessed through Christ Jesus. What does John 3.16 say? "For God so loved the world." We know that verse. "For God so loved the world." God so loved the world that he gave his only son, his one and only son, and he is a descendant of who? That is Abraham.

And if we look into Matthew's account and we do not skip the genealogy of Jesus that we normally would skip over we see an interesting verse. Matthew 1.1 says, "The book of the genealogy of Christ Jesus, the son of David, the son of Abraham." And not only do we see the fulfillment of the prophecy that God made to Abraham and Matthew, we also see it in Paul's writing. In Galatians 3.16 that verse says, "Now the promises were made to Abraham and to his offspring." It does not say into offsprings referring to many, but referring to one and to your offspring who is Christ.

So I also want us to see that Jesus was a descendant of Abraham and not just Abraham. Genesis 21.12 says that Jesus was a blind of Isaac as well. This prophecy was fulfilled and stated in Luke 3.23-24, but there's more. The Old Testament book of Numbers chapter 24 verse 17 prophesies the Messiah would be a descendant of Jacob. Of course this was fulfilled. In Luke 3.23-24 says that Jesus was a descendant of Isaac and Jacob. Those prophecies state that the Messiah would descend from Abraham and his lineage. They're all throughout the Old Testament. And then last I want us to see that Jesus was born of the house of David.

Born of the house of David. Again, we continue to see the humanity of Jesus. He was a physical descendant of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. But the Old Testament prophecies concerning his physical lineage continue. There's more to the family tree of Jesus. If we must start the lineage of Jesus with Abraham and we must, then we must see that Jesus is also a descendant of David. And this is none other than King David, the son of Jesse. And the prophet Jeremiah prophesied this would be the case. Jeremiah 23.5 reads, "Behold, the days are coming, declares the Lord, when I will raise up for David a righteous branch.

And he shall reign as king and deal wisely, and shall execute justice and righteousness in the land." Here the prophet Jeremiah gives us a picture. He pictured the promised Messiah as a branch which comes out of David's family line or family tree. Jeremiah repeats this same promise later in chapter 33 verses 14-17. So we see the prophecy that states that the promised Messiah would descend from the house or the line of the family tree of David. But there's more. This prophecy goes back even further. Isaiah 1.11 states that the promised Messiah would descend from the line of the house of Jesse. Well, who is Jesse? I've already mentioned that.

Jesse was none other than David's father. Isaiah 11.1 reads, "There shall come forth a shoot from the stump of Jesse, and a branch from his roots shall bear fruit." And we see that these prophecies were fulfilled. Many, many New Testament verses speak of Jesus as a descendant of Jesse and David. Luke 3.23 and 32 says that Jesus is the son of Jesse. In many New Testament passages, Jesus is seen as the son of David. In many passages like Luke 2.23 and 31, Matthew 1.1, Matthew 9.27, there are many more in Matthew, Mark, Luke, Acts, and Revelation.

So we need to see that Jesus was and is a descendant of King David, but not just David, but also Jesse as father as well. And this prophecy was fulfilled and stated many times in the Gospels and other New Testament scriptures. The prophecy saying that the Messiah would descend from the house and the line of David or all throughout both Old and New Testaments. So Jesus was the seed of the descendant of David and his father, Jesse. Now we have quickly looked at the fact that Jesus was born of the line of Abraham and the line of David. Many Old Testament prophecies spoke of the lineage of the Messiah or the family tree of the Messiah.

But what should we grab a hold of right here tonight? What do we need to grab a hold of us right here? Again, this speaks of the doctrine of Christ. This speaks to the humanity of Christ. I said earlier that Jesus was and is fully man and fully God, but in the prophecies concerning the lineage of Jesus we see more and this may surprise some of you. First we see that the Messiah was the Savior for Israel. The promised Messiah was given to the people of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. The Messiah came through the line of King David and his people Israel. The Messiah of God was revealed to Israel first.

Jesus states this fact about his mission in Matthew 15, 24. Jesus says, "I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel." Of course we know that Israel ultimately, the majority of the Israelites rejected Jesus as their Messiah. But then second we see that the Messiah was the Savior for all nations. Jesus was first for Israel and then for the other peoples or the other nations. We see this fact way back in the Abrahamic covenant in Genesis 22, 18.

That verse says, "And in your offspring shall all of the nations of the earth be blessed." We see this prophecy fulfilled in the verse we all know, John 3, 16, "For God so loved the world," not just Israel, "that he gave his only son." Now what does all of this tell us tonight? Jesus was and is the promised Messiah who descended from a man, Abraham. He was a descendant of the lineage of the family tree of Abraham. That lineage was repeated over and over all throughout the Old and the New Testaments. So he was born a Savior of Israel and then the Savior of the nations.

Jesus made himself known to Israel and then to all the different peoples of the world and he is still doing that today and that includes us tonight. I hope that you can see that. So I step back from what we have examined and I want us to look at what we are seeing here tonight. Jesus, the promised Messiah, was born of a woman and not just any woman. He was born of a woman named Mary, a virgin of the proper age to be married. And also he was the descendant of Abraham. He was of the line in the house of David. Only Jesus was fully man which shows us that our Savior, Christ Jesus the Lord, he was a man and we are seeing his humanity.

Now as I begin to close and as we take these things into our celebration of Christmas, I want to show you the great significance of what I have zoomed through here tonight. This is more than a Christmas story. This is more than a lesson on the doctrine of Christ. This applies to us far beyond the manger scene in the genealogy of Jesus that we normally skip over in Matthew 1. First Christ being fully man means that he could take upon himself sin. That needs to be repeated. First Christ being fully man means that he could take upon himself sin.

Second Corinthians 5.21 says, "For our sake, he," that's God, "made him," that's Christ Jesus, "to be sin." Who knows no sin? And then second, Christ being a true descendant of Abraham and of the line of David means that he would be the Savior for the nations and that needs to be repeated. Christ being a true descendant of Abraham and of the line of David means that he could be and would be the Savior of all of the different peoples of the nations. Genesis 2.18 says, and this is God promising Abraham, "And in your offspring shall all of the nations of the earth be blessed." And this leads me to ask you two questions tonight.

First, are you bearing your own sin? Or are your sins forgiven? Are you bearing your own sins? Are you still living in your sins? A slave to your sin and sinfulness? Or have you been forgiven from your sin and sinfulness? Listen folks, that baby in a manger did not come for a cute nativity scene. That baby in a manger did not come for cute in nostalgic Christmas plays. The baby that came in the manger, that did not come and happen for a nice Hallmark card for Christmas. The baby in that manger was God, fully God and fully man in every way and he came as a man so as to bear our sin. Someone here tonight, you very well may be in your sin.

You very well may be carrying the burden of your sin and your sin debt is heavy. Your sin and sinfulness is black. Your sin and sinfulness is horribly sinful and horribly burdensome for you. Will you come to Christ Jesus and be forgiven? Will you come to Christ Jesus in repentance and faith and be forgiven? Then second, the second question, are you a part of the blessed people of God? I'm not talking about our middle class American blessings either. Are you a part of the blessed people of God? God promised Abraham that all of the nations of the earth would be blessed because of Jesus.

So my question here is this, are you a part of the blessed people of God? Do you know who that is? It's the church. God's people, the redeemed. Are you outside of the blessings of God? Are you estranged from the salvation blessings of God? And are you estranged from God's people? You may be here tonight and you're on the outside. You're on the outside. You're on the outside of the blessed people of God. You may come to church and still on the outside. You may be close to the blessed people of God, but you know you're still on the outside. You're not in the family of God. You're on the outside.

My question for you is this, would you come to Christ tonight and be saved? Would you come to Christ tonight in repentance of faith and be converted to Christ, therefore becoming a true descendant of Abraham and a part of the church, therefore you are a part of the blessed people of God? I share my testimony often here. One of the things that I share often is this, is when I came to faith in Christ, I really didn't know Job from Job. I barely knew Old Testament from New.

And when I came to faith in Christ, I grabbed my Bible and I went to Sunday school that very next Sunday and I went to church and I walked into the door and I immediately knew that I was forgiven and I was a part of the blessed people of God. Would you please come and be forgiven and be a part of the blessed people of God? Now as I close by showing us how to take these things into our Christmas and as I close in doing this, I think this will bless you and encourage you as believers. We've been learning that Christmas is all about the incarnation.

Christmas is all about Jesus being born as fully God and fully man, fully man and fully God and he was born to be sin for those who were hopelessly enslaved in sin and he provided forgiveness for sin for all of the different peoples in the world besides just the Jews, me and all. So this Christmas, those of us who are of the redeemed, we've been forgiven. We are a part of the blessed people of God. Let's make sure that first we worship God the Father because God did not have to plan to send his son. It was always in his heart. Let's worship God the Father for what he did by sending his own son.

And second, let's worship God the Son because it was God the Son who went to the cross to provide salvation for men and men. Do you see? Let's worship God the Father because he had planned this forever ago. Let's worship God the Son because God the Son fulfilled all of the Father's plans to redeem us. And then third is the redeemed people of God. Let's share how God saved us. Let's share how God saved us. Let's share how thankful we are that the baby Jesus that was born was born for us. Now I want to close with the one verse out of the verses that we've been studying in John 1.18. The one verse that has resonated with me the most personally.

Chapter 1 verse 16. I'm reading it in the Amplified. John says, "For out of his fullness, the super abundance of his grace and truth, we have all received grace upon grace, spiritual blessing upon spiritual blessing, favor upon favor, and gift heaped upon gift." For me, as pastor of Grace Life Church, Brooke Avon, as husband to my wife, Christi, and father to my two girls, soon, son-in-law, I stand here as a man who has received grace upon grace, favor upon favor, blessing upon blessing. And when I see the Christmas tree in my house, it reminds me of grace upon grace. When I see the lights on the tree, it's all about favor upon favor.

The gifts that are in my home, favor upon favor. The food that we'll eat tonight as a family, grace upon grace, all because God chose to send his son to save me. Let's pray. And then we'll sing some wonderful Christmas songs to close out the evening.