We are interrupting our “Next Exit” series in order to do a Christmas series of messages entitled: “The Word Made Flesh.” We will be returning to the end time series in the new year.
This new series is taken from John 1:14 “And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.”
I want to do this series because there seems to be a growing amount of confusion as to who Jesus is. There are a growing number of churches and denominations that are rejecting the idea that Jesus is God. They simply see Him as a good man or a good teacher or a prophet, but not as deity or divine.
Ligonier Ministries took a survey in 2022 and found that “Evangelicals” hold to a host of beliefs that are far from Scripture. 70% “strongly agree” that “Jesus is the first and greatest being created by God” (a heresy long condemned by the church!). 38% see Jesus as “a great teacher, but he was not God.”
If we believe that Jesus is Not God….then we are open to being taken in by some of the other cults who don't believe that Jesus is the Son of God.
If we believe that Jesus is Not God…then there is No sinless sacrifice….there is No Atonement for sin.
If we believe that Jesus is Not God…then we are a dead church resigned to good works.
But Jesus is the Son of God…He fulfilled prophecy as the Son of God; He said He was the Son of God; He proved the fact by performing the miraculous and in His resurrection from the dead…His sinless sacrifice for sins enables us to have fellowship with God.
John describes Jesus as the “Word” in his gospel….John 1:1 “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” This verse describes 3 different aspects of Christ…His Eternality, His Equality with God and His Essence which is divine.
1. Eternality
John 1:1 In the beginning was the “Word”
The prophet Isaiah, in describing the Messiah who would come, says that His name will be called “Everlasting Father”…..He is of an eternal and everlasting nature which He shares with the Father and the Holy Spirit.
2. Equality with God
John 1:1b ….the Word was with God…
The Son of God was there at the beginning, before Jesus took on flesh. He was with the Father and the Holy Spirit…He was there at creation with the Father and the Holy Spirit.
3. Essence (divine)
John 1: 1c …and the Word was God. Jesus is God… He is divine in nature.
The “Word” - In the beginning was the Word - He is eternal; the Word was with God - He is equal with God; and the Word was God- His Essence is divine.
Join us in person on Sunday at 10:00 a.m. or via livestream by going to https://www.firstbaptistsudbury.com and clicking on livestream for “Who is Jesus? ”
Blessings,
Kevin
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