THE INCARNATION MADE IT ALL POSSIBLE

THE INCARNATION MADE IT ALL POSSIBLE
PASTOR/TEACHER CHARLES E. WHISNANT

(general outline of my message Sunday December 21, 2008)

“O Come, O Come, Immanuel, and ransom captive Israel, that mourns in lonely exile here until the Son of God appears….” . 12 century hymn writer.

ISRAEL was in need of a SAVIOUR. Israel had a history of suppression, bondage was normal to them.

JUDAISM by the time of the Roman Rule was fragmented by exhausted internal fractions; the true teachings became obscured by mountains of religious trifles, details, minor unimportant things, created by teachers who had missed the whole point of what God was doing among His people.

ISRAEL – JEWS – JUDAISM – was almost lost to the whole idea of the coming of the Messiah. Lam 1:12.

• 400 years had passed since the last prophet had been on the scene to tell the story of the Messiah’s birth.
  
• The voice of God would be soon heard in the sound of an infant’s cry. Deity was about to invade humanity. Would they be ready? Would they know? Would they hear?

GOD’S DIVINE INTENTIONS FOR THE INCARNATION HAD NOT BEEN OBSCURED IN THE OLD TESTAMENT SCRIPTURES. God taking human form as Jesus Christ is about to happen.

GOD WAS ABOUT TO ENTER INTO TIME - The single greatest creative act since the birth of humanity .

THE INCARNATION

WOULD THEY SEE THIS SINGLE GREATEST EVENT IN TIME OF HUMAN HISTORY?

How would God step into time? How would God enter mankind’s world? Isaiah 7:14

THE PLACE: Micah 5:2 2"But as for you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, (Judah) Too little to be among the clans of Judah, From )you One will go forth for Me to be ruler in Israel His goings forth are )from long ago, From the days of eternity."

THE PERSON: Matthew 22:42 42"What do you think about the Christ, whose son is He?" They said to Him, "The son of David."

THAT QUESTION NEEDS TO BE VOICED IN EVERY GENERATION IN EVERY AGE TO EVERY PERSON:

THE JEWISH LEADERS MISSED THE POINT ALTOGETHER:

They felt the Messiah would come and restore Israel to the place of blessing. They felt He would be everything except the Divine Son of God.

Yet ISAIAH 7:14 says: “Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.” Matthew 2:23 “GOD WITH US”

Isaiah 9:6-7 For a child will be born to us, a son will be given to us; And the government will rest on His shoulders; And His name will be called Wonderful Counselor,)Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace. There will be)no end to the increase of His government or of peace, On the throne of David and over his kingdom, To establish it and to uphold it with)justice and righteousness From then on and forevermore The zeal of the LORD of hosts will accomplish this.

THE WORDS ARE CRYSTAL CLEAR, THE INTENT IS PRECISELY ARTICULATED. ALL OF ISRAEL’S HOPE AND MANKIND’S HOPE WAS TO BE SECURED IN THE MESSIAH’S COMING. BUT HE CAME….AND HIS OWN RECEIVED HIM NOT John 1:11 He came to His own, and those who were His own did not receive Him.

WHO WAS THIS BABY BORN in Judea? DEITY- DIVINE – IN HUMAN FLESH. Psa 24:7, 10, 1 Corin 2:8 and Matthew 26:63-67. God in flesh, the Lord of Glory.

Israel then and people today, believed JESUS to be everything BUT GOD. Yes they were looking for a savior, a king, prophet and Judge, warrior, teacher, BUT NEVER AS A SAVIOUR.

Israel was listening to the wrong leaders…… leaders who put their interests above the interest of the people.

THE POINT OF THE INCARNATION: YOU REMOVE THE VIRGIN BIRTH. JESUS WOULD NOT BE GOD AND IF NOT GOD, ALL TRUTH IS VOID.

• But the angels proclaimed it in Luke 2:10-11 JESUS IS LORD.

If Jesus was not virgin born, the assertions that He made for Himself were false, and He becomes the greatest impostor that the earth ever saw. If His claims were altogether reasonable and legitimate, then He was exactly what He represented Himself to be, God incarnate.

ONLY GOD AS JESUS CHRIST COULD MAKE IT POSSIBLE TO REDEEM US:

• Psalms 22, Isaiah 53

GOD HAD TO TAKE ON HUMAN FLESH: Hebrew 2:14-15

Isaiah 45:21-22, John 3:16, and Acts 16:31

WHO DO YOU SAY JESUS IS?