- At some point you've
likely heard some Christians say
00:00:01.36\00:00:03.87
that they believe that
God Himself came to this earth
00:00:03.87\00:00:07.07
as a real flesh
and blood human being.
00:00:07.07\00:00:10.04
And of course, this
being the Christmas season,
00:00:10.04\00:00:13.21
we should probably take a little
time to examine that claim.
00:00:13.21\00:00:16.98
[intriguing
country western music]
00:00:18.08\00:00:22.08
There's a desperate
sense of anticipation
00:00:38.43\00:00:40.67
in the pages of
the Old Testament,
00:00:40.67\00:00:42.77
and it begins right at the
very beginning of the story
00:00:42.77\00:00:45.31
with the fall of the human race.
00:00:45.31\00:00:47.98
It's a pivotal moment
when humanity has decided
00:00:47.98\00:00:51.25
to step outside
of the will of God
00:00:51.25\00:00:53.31
and no longer serve as
an exhibit of the creator's
00:00:53.31\00:00:57.29
goodness. They were originally
made in the image of God
00:00:57.29\00:00:59.52
but they compromised
that image through rebellion,
00:00:59.52\00:01:02.56
and the continued
existence of our race
00:01:02.56\00:01:04.86
now tells a lie
about the character of God.
00:01:04.86\00:01:09.06
We were originally
made to reflect something
00:01:09.06\00:01:11.20
of the glory of the Creator,
to put His goodness on display,
00:01:11.20\00:01:14.97
to add to the
happiness of the cosmos.
00:01:14.97\00:01:17.37
But now that we chose
to pursue our own desires,
00:01:17.37\00:01:20.01
instead of finding
our fulfillment in God,
00:01:20.01\00:01:23.08
our very
existence began to paint
00:01:23.08\00:01:24.98
a wildly inaccurate picture
of what God must be like.
00:01:24.98\00:01:29.12
It's a phenomenon
that continues to this day
00:01:29.12\00:01:31.19
where people watch the behavior
of so-called Christians,
00:01:31.19\00:01:34.66
people who claim
to represent the name
00:01:34.66\00:01:36.86
and the character of Christ
00:01:36.86\00:01:38.89
and they come to
the painful conclusion
00:01:38.89\00:01:40.83
that something
must be wrong with God
00:01:40.83\00:01:43.47
because of the way we behave.
00:01:43.47\00:01:45.57
I mean, honestly, I
can't tell you how many times
00:01:45.57\00:01:47.87
over the years
I've heard people say,
00:01:47.87\00:01:49.44
"What me go to church after
what those people did to me?
00:01:49.44\00:01:53.41
"I don't think so."
00:01:53.41\00:01:54.84
You and I were
made in the image of God
00:01:56.08\00:01:57.98
and for all
intents and purposes,
00:01:57.98\00:02:00.38
we continue to wear that label,
00:02:00.38\00:02:02.05
kind of like the little
label you find on merchandise
00:02:02.05\00:02:04.65
that says, "Made in the USA."
00:02:04.65\00:02:07.39
The manufacturers
put those labels there
00:02:07.39\00:02:09.46
to promote a sense of
pride, to reassure the customer
00:02:09.46\00:02:12.43
that they're participating
in something really good.
00:02:12.43\00:02:15.56
They've branded their product
with something much bigger,
00:02:15.56\00:02:18.67
much grander than
the product itself
00:02:18.67\00:02:21.04
and that's the United States.
00:02:21.04\00:02:23.17
But if the item
bearing that label,
00:02:23.17\00:02:25.97
turns out to be a
cheap piece of junk,
00:02:25.97\00:02:28.48
it begins to cast a shadow
00:02:28.48\00:02:29.91
over the entire
nation's reputation.
00:02:29.91\00:02:32.71
I mean, fair or not, just think
00:02:32.71\00:02:34.65
about what kinds
of impressions you get
00:02:34.65\00:02:36.28
when you see a label
that says "Made in China."
00:02:36.28\00:02:39.59
Personally, it makes me
assume that it was mass produced
00:02:39.59\00:02:42.49
and that it might just
fall apart in short order.
00:02:42.49\00:02:45.69
And I know that's not
fair, so don't write me letters
00:02:45.69\00:02:48.63
but the reason I think that way
00:02:48.63\00:02:50.60
is because of the experience
I've had in the distant past.
00:02:50.60\00:02:54.37
So what we had in the beginning
00:02:54.37\00:02:56.24
was a human race that
bore the label made by God
00:02:56.24\00:02:59.37
and before we
compromised His design
00:02:59.37\00:03:02.11
the distinctive marks
of the master craftsman
00:03:02.11\00:03:04.28
could be seen on
absolutely everything we did.
00:03:04.28\00:03:07.58
On the things we said,
00:03:07.58\00:03:09.08
on the things we built,
on absolutely everything.
00:03:09.08\00:03:12.85
But then came
that horrible moment
00:03:12.85\00:03:14.62
when we decided we would
seize control of our own destiny
00:03:14.62\00:03:17.79
and run the planet
however we saw fit.
00:03:17.79\00:03:21.23
But one of the
key problems we had,
00:03:21.23\00:03:23.06
was the fact that our
label still said made by God
00:03:23.06\00:03:26.80
and now our behavior had become
an open lie about who God is
00:03:26.80\00:03:30.71
and how much value we
can place on His workmanship.
00:03:30.71\00:03:34.14
It's as if I
bought an expensive sedan,
00:03:35.34\00:03:37.08
say a top end
Mercedes or a Bentley
00:03:37.08\00:03:39.58
and I decided to drive it
00:03:39.58\00:03:40.78
into the desert
and go off-roading.
00:03:40.78\00:03:43.15
And of course it's
not designed for that.
00:03:43.15\00:03:46.22
Then after beating the car
up, basically destroying it,
00:03:46.22\00:03:49.22
I park its ragged
carcass in front of my house
00:03:49.22\00:03:51.39
with a sign that says,
00:03:51.39\00:03:52.79
"This is what you can
expect from Mercedes."
00:03:52.79\00:03:55.10
Or, "This is what you
can expect from Bentley."
00:03:55.10\00:03:58.10
That would be an unfair
picture of the manufacturer
00:03:58.10\00:04:01.47
because these top-end sedans
00:04:01.47\00:04:03.54
were never meant
to go off-roading,
00:04:03.54\00:04:05.51
they're
high-end street vehicles.
00:04:05.51\00:04:08.54
And that's kind of what we've
done collectively speaking,
00:04:08.54\00:04:12.78
the human race was not designed
00:04:12.78\00:04:14.35
to be self-seeking or abusive.
00:04:14.35\00:04:16.62
We were not made to
place our own interests
00:04:16.62\00:04:18.92
above everything and everybody
else to the harm of others.
00:04:18.92\00:04:23.19
We were made to tend
and to keep this planet,
00:04:23.19\00:04:25.66
we were stewards.
00:04:25.66\00:04:27.36
And we were not
supposed to strip this planet
00:04:27.36\00:04:29.63
of its resources in the
pursuit of wealth and power
00:04:29.63\00:04:32.03
as if this place belonged to us.
00:04:32.03\00:04:34.80
We have taken something
made in the image of God
00:04:34.80\00:04:37.27
and we've completely abused it
00:04:37.27\00:04:39.81
but we kept the
label, made by God.
00:04:39.81\00:04:43.31
And the moment that happened
00:04:43.31\00:04:45.05
as we radically
redirected our human destiny
00:04:45.05\00:04:47.48
in the direction of
pain, and suffering, and death,
00:04:47.48\00:04:50.05
God stepped into the
middle of our terrible mess
00:04:50.05\00:04:52.99
with an undeserved
promise found in Genesis 3:15,
00:04:52.99\00:04:57.23
where He addresses
the serpent directly
00:04:57.23\00:05:00.13
and says, "I will put
enmity between you and the woman
00:05:00.13\00:05:04.03
"and between your
seed and her Seed;
00:05:04.03\00:05:06.40
"He shall bruise your head
and you shall bruise His heel."
00:05:06.40\00:05:11.21
Now here's what I
want you to notice,
00:05:11.21\00:05:13.21
not only does God
promise to overturn
00:05:13.21\00:05:15.38
the disastrous
results of our rebellion
00:05:15.38\00:05:17.85
but He also says that
the solution will come
00:05:17.85\00:05:20.85
from the human race itself.
00:05:20.85\00:05:22.72
"The Seed of
the woman," he says,
00:05:22.72\00:05:23.95
"will crush the
head of the serpent."
00:05:23.95\00:05:26.82
The problem began with
a member of the human race
00:05:26.82\00:05:29.39
but now God says
it will be solved
00:05:29.39\00:05:31.33
by a member of the human race.
00:05:31.33\00:05:34.46
And so the rest
of the Old Testament
00:05:34.46\00:05:36.26
is pregnant with anticipation
00:05:36.26\00:05:38.57
as each new
generation eagerly waits
00:05:38.57\00:05:40.80
for the arrival of this person
who will set things straight,
00:05:40.80\00:05:44.41
a person who will reverse
the tragic plight of humanity
00:05:44.41\00:05:48.01
and restore the Kingdom of God.
00:05:48.01\00:05:50.28
They were told that Messiah
would be one of their own,
00:05:50.28\00:05:53.18
the seed of the human race.
00:05:53.18\00:05:55.75
And it's this idea that
forms the critical foundation
00:05:57.12\00:05:59.69
for what people celebrate
during the Christmas season.
00:05:59.69\00:06:02.92
What happened in Bethlehem
is more than just the birth
00:06:02.92\00:06:05.46
of a special baby or
a key historical figure.
00:06:05.46\00:06:08.86
This is not just the appearance
00:06:08.86\00:06:10.37
of another teacher or prophet.
00:06:10.37\00:06:12.87
This is God's
solution to our worst problem,
00:06:12.87\00:06:15.64
a solution that was born
as a member of the human race
00:06:15.64\00:06:19.51
and as you
watch the anticipation
00:06:19.51\00:06:21.58
throughout the Old Testament
00:06:21.58\00:06:23.45
you can see this
all important concept
00:06:23.45\00:06:26.08
being underlined again and
again, and again, and again.
00:06:26.08\00:06:29.52
Messiah would be human.
00:06:29.52\00:06:32.39
So for example, consider
the promise made to Abraham,
00:06:32.39\00:06:36.22
a man
considered to be the father
00:06:36.22\00:06:38.06
of the world's largest
monotheistic religions.
00:06:38.06\00:06:41.23
Listen to what God tells
Abraham in Genesis chapter 22.
00:06:41.23\00:06:45.37
He says, "In your seed,
all the nations of the earth
00:06:45.37\00:06:49.20
"shall be blessed, because
you have obeyed My voice."
00:06:49.20\00:06:54.21
It's a reiteration
of the original promise,
00:06:55.41\00:06:56.68
Messiah would come from us.
00:06:56.68\00:06:58.91
And now in this case it
gets even more specific.
00:06:58.91\00:07:01.75
Abraham, the promised
child will come from you.
00:07:01.75\00:07:06.09
The Savior of the world would
not be some cosmic outsider,
00:07:06.09\00:07:09.29
a knight in shining armor
who swoops in from the outside
00:07:09.29\00:07:12.33
to save the village.
00:07:12.33\00:07:13.93
No, He is one of us fully human.
00:07:13.93\00:07:17.40
He would quite literally
be carrying Abraham's DNA.
00:07:17.40\00:07:21.97
Now, carry forward
a few hundred years
00:07:21.97\00:07:24.04
from that moment with Abraham,
00:07:24.04\00:07:25.41
and you get Moses the
illustrious but hesitant leader,
00:07:25.41\00:07:29.21
who led the
descendants of Abraham
00:07:29.21\00:07:31.18
out of their slavery in Egypt.
00:07:31.18\00:07:33.38
Toward the latter
part of his career,
00:07:33.38\00:07:35.55
Moses reminds the
people that Messiah will come
00:07:35.55\00:07:38.89
and he does it by
making this prediction.
00:07:38.89\00:07:42.39
"The Lord your God will raise
up for you a prophet like me
00:07:42.39\00:07:46.66
"from your midst,
from your brethren."
00:07:46.66\00:07:50.03
So of course
Moses eventually died
00:07:50.03\00:07:52.57
but he said there was
another prophet coming
00:07:52.57\00:07:54.74
who would come from
their own genetic stock.
00:07:54.74\00:07:57.91
Messiah would come from
the midst of the people.
00:07:57.91\00:08:00.51
He would be a
bonafide member of their tribe,
00:08:00.51\00:08:03.91
which meant that at some
point, one of their children
00:08:03.91\00:08:07.58
was going to be the
person that God had promised.
00:08:07.58\00:08:11.05
Of course, it's
really not all that unusual
00:08:12.22\00:08:14.29
for a hero to be
born as a human being,
00:08:14.29\00:08:16.49
I mean, most heroes are
but Messiah would be different.
00:08:16.49\00:08:20.43
He would be fully human,
a real member of the race
00:08:20.43\00:08:24.70
but He would also
be something else.
00:08:24.70\00:08:26.84
There would be
something absolutely unique
00:08:26.84\00:08:28.87
that set Him apart
from the rest of humanity
00:08:28.87\00:08:30.94
something predicted in the
words of Isaiah the prophet.
00:08:30.94\00:08:35.58
"Therefore the Lord
himself will give you a sign.
00:08:35.58\00:08:38.88
"Behold, the virgin
shall conceive and bear a son
00:08:38.88\00:08:42.02
"and shall call
His name Emmanuel."
00:08:42.02\00:08:45.15
I'll be right back after this.
00:08:45.15\00:08:48.09
- [Announcer] Life
can throw a lot at us.
00:08:51.76\00:08:54.13
Sometimes we don't
have all the answers
00:08:54.13\00:08:56.63
but that's where
the Bible comes in.
00:08:57.77\00:09:00.04
It's our guide to a
more fulfilling life.
00:09:00.04\00:09:03.00
Here at the Voice of Prophecy,
00:09:03.00\00:09:04.57
we've created the
Discover Bible Guides
00:09:04.57\00:09:06.74
to be your guide to the Bible.
00:09:06.74\00:09:08.34
They're designed to
be simple, easy to use,
00:09:08.34\00:09:10.81
and provide answers to many
of life's toughest questions,
00:09:10.81\00:09:13.82
and they're absolutely free
00:09:13.82\00:09:15.88
so jump online
now or give us a call
00:09:15.88\00:09:18.22
and start your
journey of discovery.
00:09:18.22\00:09:21.06
- According to
the Prophet Isaiah,
00:09:21.06\00:09:23.56
when Messiah finally arrived,
00:09:23.56\00:09:25.29
He would have a
very unusual birth.
00:09:25.29\00:09:28.36
First of all, He
would be born of a virgin,
00:09:28.36\00:09:30.67
a biological impossibility.
00:09:30.67\00:09:33.27
And secondly His
name would be Emmanuel,
00:09:33.27\00:09:36.37
which means God with us.
00:09:36.37\00:09:38.94
And it didn't just
mean that God was with us
00:09:38.94\00:09:40.84
in the sense that He
sent a delegation to help,
00:09:40.84\00:09:43.35
it meant that it would be quite
literally God in our midst.
00:09:43.35\00:09:48.15
And that's what
Christians are talking
00:09:48.15\00:09:50.09
about when they mentioned
the mystery of the incarnation,
00:09:50.09\00:09:53.15
the fact that this
child born in Bethlehem
00:09:53.15\00:09:56.06
was not just fully human
00:09:56.06\00:09:57.49
but also fully God
at the very same time,
00:09:57.49\00:10:00.90
this was God in human flesh.
00:10:00.90\00:10:04.47
Back in the earliest
years of Christian history,
00:10:04.47\00:10:06.90
a lot of deep thinkers
00:10:06.90\00:10:08.40
struggled to wrap their
minds around that concept.
00:10:08.40\00:10:11.51
Jesus was not just a
man and He was not just God,
00:10:11.51\00:10:16.24
instead He was both
things at the same time.
00:10:16.24\00:10:20.28
So how in the world
could that possibly be?
00:10:20.28\00:10:22.98
How can a human
being also be God,
00:10:22.98\00:10:25.79
not God-like or merely
Godly, but actually God?
00:10:25.79\00:10:30.36
How exactly would that work?
00:10:31.66\00:10:33.16
Was He half God and half man?
00:10:33.16\00:10:35.00
Did He have a human
body but a divine mind?
00:10:35.00\00:10:37.93
Was He some kind of apparition,
00:10:37.93\00:10:40.00
a spiritual being who
only looked like He was human.
00:10:40.00\00:10:44.31
If you sort through the pages
of ancient Christian history,
00:10:44.31\00:10:46.71
you'll find all kinds of
really strange explanations
00:10:46.71\00:10:50.11
for how they
thought it might work.
00:10:50.11\00:10:52.58
There were some groups
00:10:52.58\00:10:53.95
who were heavily
influenced by Greek thought
00:10:53.95\00:10:56.45
and they didn't like the
concept of the incarnation
00:10:56.45\00:10:59.72
one little bit.
00:10:59.72\00:11:01.49
Material things, they
believed, were just too worldly
00:11:01.49\00:11:05.63
to coexist with God.
00:11:05.63\00:11:07.60
A perfect God in their opinion,
00:11:07.60\00:11:09.70
would never
adopt a material body.
00:11:09.70\00:11:11.83
In fact, the way these
people viewed the world,
00:11:11.83\00:11:14.37
the material creation itself
00:11:14.37\00:11:16.07
with all of its
apparent imperfections
00:11:16.07\00:11:19.01
had to be the work of
some kind of lesser deity.
00:11:19.01\00:11:22.38
It had to be
some kind of mistake
00:11:22.38\00:11:24.18
or maybe even a malicious act.
00:11:24.18\00:11:27.42
So to suggest that the Creator
00:11:27.42\00:11:29.28
could become a material being,
00:11:29.28\00:11:31.32
a real flesh and blood person,
00:11:31.32\00:11:33.89
that was completely
unthinkable to these people.
00:11:33.89\00:11:37.26
Maybe Jesus just
appeared to be human
00:11:37.26\00:11:39.86
for the sake of
helping us trust Him more.
00:11:39.86\00:11:42.43
Maybe He wasn't God at all
00:11:42.43\00:11:44.07
but just assume that
exalted title Son of God
00:11:44.07\00:11:47.17
when He proved to
be a very pious person.
00:11:47.17\00:11:51.27
The earliest centuries
of the Christian Church
00:11:51.27\00:11:53.51
were riddled with
people who tried to explain
00:11:53.51\00:11:55.81
how Jesus could be a God
man or God in human flesh.
00:11:55.81\00:12:00.78
And that led to
all sorts of heresy,
00:12:01.92\00:12:04.25
departures from the
Orthodox Christian faith.
00:12:04.25\00:12:06.92
One of the more
notable departures
00:12:06.92\00:12:09.09
was a renegade North
African priest named Arius
00:12:09.09\00:12:12.49
who ended up
denying the deity of Christ
00:12:12.49\00:12:15.36
because he could not
conceive of the dual nature
00:12:15.36\00:12:18.87
of Jesus in any other way.
00:12:18.87\00:12:21.27
Of course, to suggest
that Christ was nothing but
00:12:21.27\00:12:24.71
a regular human being would
never be an acceptable solution
00:12:24.71\00:12:28.08
so the Arians or
the followers of Arias,
00:12:28.08\00:12:31.71
made Jesus a
very special person,
00:12:31.71\00:12:34.38
unique among people
because God had made Him a Son.
00:12:34.38\00:12:38.55
And of course the
Arians were not alone.
00:12:38.55\00:12:40.79
There were some
other early heresies
00:12:40.79\00:12:42.79
and as authors
Clark and John point out,
00:12:42.79\00:12:45.83
they were really
the product of people
00:12:45.83\00:12:47.50
trying to define the nature
of Christ by using their reason.
00:12:47.50\00:12:52.07
In other words,
they weren't happy
00:12:52.07\00:12:53.74
with the real nature of
the incarnation being a mystery
00:12:53.74\00:12:57.77
so they wanted to solve it.
00:12:57.77\00:12:59.64
They just
couldn't accept the idea
00:12:59.64\00:13:01.11
that there might be
some things in this universe
00:13:01.11\00:13:03.55
that fall outside of
our intellectual capacity.
00:13:03.55\00:13:07.78
So in other words,
unbiblical heresy usually comes
00:13:07.78\00:13:10.89
from people trying to
explain the inexplicable.
00:13:10.89\00:13:15.12
And there are all kinds
of doctrines in the Bible
00:13:16.56\00:13:18.39
that defy human explanation.
00:13:18.39\00:13:20.13
The incarnation is really
just the tip of the iceberg.
00:13:20.13\00:13:23.33
Another good
example would be the nature
00:13:23.33\00:13:25.33
and the origin of evil, which
even the brightest among us
00:13:25.33\00:13:29.24
have been at a loss to explain.
00:13:29.24\00:13:31.67
I mean, if God is all loving
and good, and all powerful,
00:13:31.67\00:13:36.51
then why is the world so
full of very bad problems?
00:13:36.51\00:13:39.85
How does a God who
describes Himself as love
00:13:39.85\00:13:42.62
come up with a
universe that seems
00:13:42.62\00:13:44.69
to suggest
precisely the opposite?
00:13:44.69\00:13:47.32
And of course, if you were
to come up with a good reason
00:13:47.32\00:13:50.63
as to why evil exists,
00:13:50.63\00:13:52.53
well then it probably
wouldn't be evil anymore.
00:13:52.53\00:13:55.13
I mean, you still
might not like it.
00:13:55.13\00:13:56.90
It might make you uncomfortable
00:13:56.90\00:13:59.90
but if there's a reason for it,
00:13:59.90\00:14:01.60
well, then you'd have
to come to the conclusion
00:14:01.60\00:14:03.71
that evil was unavoidable
and necessary, which it isn't.
00:14:03.71\00:14:08.71
So how can Jesus be fully human
00:14:09.58\00:14:11.35
and fully God at the same time?
00:14:11.35\00:14:13.88
The answer is I don't
know and I probably never will.
00:14:13.88\00:14:18.85
And to be honest,
00:14:18.85\00:14:20.09
it's one of those
things that makes me suspect
00:14:20.09\00:14:21.99
that the Bible is probably true.
00:14:21.99\00:14:24.39
I mean, generally speaking,
00:14:24.39\00:14:25.86
when you come across a
strange religious teaching
00:14:25.86\00:14:28.73
you can ultimately
trace that teaching
00:14:28.73\00:14:31.07
back to human thought, to some
kind of flaw in human reason.
00:14:31.07\00:14:35.94
There will be
some kind of mad logic
00:14:35.94\00:14:38.37
just lurking in the background.
00:14:38.37\00:14:40.61
You might still
find it very strange
00:14:40.61\00:14:42.51
but at least you can understand
00:14:42.51\00:14:43.98
how someone arrived at
a particular conclusion.
00:14:43.98\00:14:48.22
But when it comes to the idea
that Jesus is the the God man,
00:14:48.22\00:14:51.59
that He has two
natures at the same moment,
00:14:51.59\00:14:54.46
well, it's pretty hard to
find a line of human reasoning
00:14:54.46\00:14:56.76
that will bring
you to that conclusion.
00:14:56.76\00:14:59.49
And now that
we've spent 2,000 years
00:14:59.49\00:15:01.73
unsuccessfully
grappling with that concept,
00:15:01.73\00:15:05.30
it just seems reasonable to say
00:15:05.30\00:15:06.87
that maybe we
didn't invent this.
00:15:06.87\00:15:09.57
Maybe it's one of those
things that God understands
00:15:09.57\00:15:12.34
from His
perspective but you and I don't.
00:15:12.34\00:15:15.91
And I know that that
doesn't sit easy with a culture
00:15:15.91\00:15:18.88
that demands
rationality for everything.
00:15:18.88\00:15:22.42
We've managed to
convince ourselves
00:15:22.42\00:15:24.32
that given enough
time and brain power,
00:15:24.32\00:15:26.42
we can explain
just about anything.
00:15:26.42\00:15:29.69
We tend to believe that
we are intellectually capable
00:15:29.69\00:15:33.06
of uncovering all the
secrets of the universe.
00:15:33.06\00:15:36.40
But at the same
time, the further we pry,
00:15:36.40\00:15:39.07
the more we discover
just how much we don't know.
00:15:39.07\00:15:42.67
So now let's consider
the Christmas story itself,
00:15:44.11\00:15:46.41
a baby in Bethlehem,
00:15:46.41\00:15:47.94
unlike any other child
in the history of the world.
00:15:47.94\00:15:51.58
And the question we
need to ask is this,
00:15:51.58\00:15:53.62
why in the world did God
have to come in human form?
00:15:53.62\00:15:57.62
It's really a a bigger question
than we have time to address
00:15:57.62\00:16:00.76
but I think there are aspects
of it that we could explore.
00:16:00.76\00:16:04.79
So let's take a look
at a remarkable statement
00:16:04.79\00:16:07.30
found over in the Book
of Hebrews chapter two,
00:16:07.30\00:16:10.17
and I think I wanna pick
up in verse 14 where it says,
00:16:10.17\00:16:13.70
"Inasmuch then as the
children have partaken
00:16:13.70\00:16:17.54
"of flesh and blood,
00:16:17.54\00:16:18.81
"He Himself
likewise shared in the same."
00:16:18.81\00:16:22.24
So in other words, Jesus
needed to become one of us.
00:16:22.24\00:16:25.78
We were the ones who made
the mess in the first place
00:16:25.78\00:16:28.65
and so it was gonna
take another human being
00:16:28.65\00:16:31.29
to solve the problem.
00:16:31.29\00:16:33.72
The Bible repeatedly
speaks about the debt of sin
00:16:33.72\00:16:37.63
and then it
speaks about redemption,
00:16:37.63\00:16:39.59
which means that
somebody, a human being,
00:16:39.59\00:16:43.03
had to pay the debt.
00:16:43.03\00:16:45.20
It says, "Inasmuch
then as the children
00:16:45.20\00:16:48.07
"have partaken
of flesh and blood,
00:16:48.07\00:16:49.54
"He Himself
likewise shared in the same,
00:16:49.54\00:16:52.47
"that through
death He might destroy
00:16:52.47\00:16:54.24
"him who had the power
of death that is the devil
00:16:54.24\00:16:57.78
"and released those
who through fear of death
00:16:57.78\00:17:00.25
"were all their
lifetime subject to bondage."
00:17:00.25\00:17:04.29
Now, let me just pause there
00:17:04.29\00:17:05.75
so I can slip in a
little bit of a personal note
00:17:05.75\00:17:07.62
because this just happens to be
00:17:07.62\00:17:09.12
one of my all time favorite
statements from the Bible.
00:17:09.12\00:17:12.59
In the midst of everything
that Christ accomplished for us,
00:17:12.59\00:17:16.26
it says He also released
us from the fear of death.
00:17:16.26\00:17:19.30
And that's a powerful concept.
00:17:19.30\00:17:21.94
I mean, how much of your life
00:17:21.94\00:17:23.57
has been wasted
by the fear of death?
00:17:23.57\00:17:26.14
All of us
realize sooner or later
00:17:26.14\00:17:28.01
that there's this massive clock
00:17:28.01\00:17:29.64
in the background of life
00:17:29.64\00:17:30.81
marking down the
seconds before we die.
00:17:30.81\00:17:34.72
And you've got to
wonder how much of our lives
00:17:34.72\00:17:36.82
are spent preparing for that.
00:17:36.82\00:17:39.12
For example, we
know the day is coming
00:17:39.12\00:17:41.76
and we will no longer be able
to work like we do right now.
00:17:41.76\00:17:44.79
So we put in extra hours
and we do without things,
00:17:44.79\00:17:48.36
and we save up for
the future to make sure
00:17:48.36\00:17:51.40
we can continue to be
comfortable when we're old.
00:17:51.40\00:17:54.77
So how much of your life
has been invested in that?
00:17:54.77\00:17:58.17
You also have to wonder
how many opportunities we miss
00:17:58.17\00:18:00.78
just because
well, something's risky
00:18:00.78\00:18:03.11
and we don't
want a chance dying.
00:18:03.11\00:18:05.48
Somehow Christ
releases us from that anxiety
00:18:06.61\00:18:09.25
and it's almost
as if He reaches out
00:18:09.25\00:18:11.39
and stops that
clock from ticking,
00:18:11.39\00:18:13.46
so that you're not always being
reminded of your mortality.
00:18:13.46\00:18:17.73
So now we have
the Bible statement
00:18:17.73\00:18:20.63
that for some reason Jesus had
to share our physical nature.
00:18:20.63\00:18:24.20
He had to be one of us
00:18:24.20\00:18:26.10
and that the ultimate problem
He came to destroy was death.
00:18:26.10\00:18:30.77
But now it's
time for another break
00:18:30.77\00:18:33.54
so I'll be
right back after this.
00:18:33.54\00:18:35.58
- [Announcer] Dragons,
beasts, cryptic statues,
00:18:39.15\00:18:43.45
Bible prophecy can be
incredibly vivid and confusing.
00:18:43.45\00:18:48.02
If you've ever read
Daniel or Revelation
00:18:48.02\00:18:50.23
and come away scratching
your head, you're not alone.
00:18:50.23\00:18:53.26
Our free Focus
on Prophecy guides
00:18:53.26\00:18:55.63
are designed to help you unlock
the mysteries of the Bible
00:18:55.63\00:18:58.43
and deepen your understanding
of God's plan for you
00:18:58.43\00:19:01.40
and our world.
00:19:01.40\00:19:02.60
Study online or
request them by mail
00:19:02.60\00:19:04.94
and start bringing
prophecy into focus today.
00:19:04.94\00:19:07.84
- Okay, just before the break,
00:19:08.98\00:19:10.51
we were reading from
the Book of Hebrew chapter 2
00:19:10.51\00:19:13.68
where it discusses some
of the reasons God chose
00:19:13.68\00:19:16.15
to become a
human being in Christ.
00:19:16.15\00:19:18.89
So let's pick that up
again now starting in verse 16.
00:19:18.89\00:19:22.46
It says, "For
indeed He," that's Jesus,
00:19:22.46\00:19:25.83
"does not give aid to angels
00:19:25.83\00:19:28.40
"but He does give aid
to the seed of Abraham."
00:19:28.40\00:19:31.37
Now, remember,
God promised Abraham
00:19:31.37\00:19:34.27
that Messiah would
eventually come from his family.
00:19:34.27\00:19:37.47
Now pay careful
attention to verse 17.
00:19:37.47\00:19:40.48
It says,
"Therefore, in all things
00:19:40.48\00:19:42.84
"He had to be made
like His brethren."
00:19:42.84\00:19:46.15
Not in some things it
says but in all things,
00:19:46.15\00:19:50.25
when God the Son adopted human
form, He did it completely.
00:19:50.25\00:19:54.46
In other words, He was
just as human as you are.
00:19:54.46\00:19:57.63
If there was
something about Jesus
00:19:57.63\00:19:59.23
that wasn't actually human
00:19:59.23\00:20:00.90
that would mean
one of two things.
00:20:00.90\00:20:03.50
First of all, it would mean
00:20:03.50\00:20:05.17
that there must be some
part of our human nature
00:20:05.17\00:20:07.70
that wouldn't need redemption.
00:20:07.70\00:20:09.67
Or secondly, it would mean
00:20:09.67\00:20:12.41
that whatever part of
humanity Jesus didn't adopt,
00:20:12.41\00:20:15.94
well you and I
would have to save
00:20:15.94\00:20:17.25
that part of
ourselves for ourselves.
00:20:17.25\00:20:20.15
And of course,
neither of those is true.
00:20:21.28\00:20:24.12
The Bible is crystal clear
that whatever is wrong with us,
00:20:24.12\00:20:27.49
there is no way we can fix it.
00:20:27.49\00:20:30.19
In Jeremiah 17:9 the Bible says,
00:20:30.19\00:20:33.06
"The heart is
deceitful above all things
00:20:33.06\00:20:36.16
"and desperately
wicked, who can know it?"
00:20:36.16\00:20:39.40
Isaiah 64 indicates
that even our best efforts
00:20:39.40\00:20:43.57
are marred by sin
when it says in verse six,
00:20:43.57\00:20:46.74
"But we are all
like an unclean thing
00:20:46.74\00:20:49.74
"and all our righteousnesses
are like filthy rags.
00:20:49.74\00:20:53.55
"We all fade as a leaf and
our iniquities like the wind
00:20:53.55\00:20:57.02
"have taken us away."
00:20:57.02\00:20:59.15
It's an utterly
hopeless condition.
00:20:59.15\00:21:01.86
And according to the Bible
00:21:01.86\00:21:03.53
sin is not just some list
of misdeeds, it's a condition,
00:21:03.53\00:21:07.46
a perspective on the universe
that changes who we are.
00:21:07.46\00:21:12.03
You might think of it
in terms of an infection.
00:21:12.03\00:21:14.94
Yes, it causes bad behavior
00:21:14.94\00:21:17.37
but that bad
behavior is the product
00:21:17.37\00:21:19.11
of the underlying condition.
00:21:19.11\00:21:21.38
We have been
separated from our creator
00:21:21.38\00:21:23.55
in a devastating way,
00:21:23.55\00:21:25.18
and even though our label
still says, "Made by God,"
00:21:25.18\00:21:29.02
you'd never know it
from the way that we think
00:21:29.02\00:21:31.32
and the way that we act.
00:21:31.32\00:21:33.36
And it's because
it's an infection
00:21:34.52\00:21:36.93
that we pass it on from
generation to generation.
00:21:36.93\00:21:40.23
Our children are
born instinctively selfish
00:21:40.23\00:21:43.10
and self-serving.
00:21:43.10\00:21:44.67
Maybe one of the worst
moments that life has to offer
00:21:44.67\00:21:47.37
is when you see your own
negative character traits
00:21:47.37\00:21:50.14
come out in the
lives of your children
00:21:50.14\00:21:52.11
and you know that
they got that from you.
00:21:52.11\00:21:56.51
And because this is a
distinctly human problem,
00:21:56.51\00:21:59.75
it's going to take a real
live human being to solve it.
00:21:59.75\00:22:03.69
The only possible solution,
00:22:03.69\00:22:05.29
the only way to
utterly restore the happiness
00:22:05.29\00:22:09.46
of the universe is to
eliminate us, get rid of us,
00:22:09.46\00:22:13.56
because you
can't just stop sinning
00:22:13.56\00:22:15.26
and hope that that
turns everything around,
00:22:15.26\00:22:17.70
it's too late for that.
00:22:17.70\00:22:19.33
Our existence has already
become a lie about who God is
00:22:19.33\00:22:23.04
and the mere act of stopping
your sins doesn't fix that.
00:22:23.04\00:22:27.31
I mean, consider the case
00:22:27.31\00:22:28.58
of John Wayne Gacy,
that infamous serial killer.
00:22:28.58\00:22:31.21
What would you think of a
judge who simply let him go
00:22:32.65\00:22:35.38
because he stood
in court and said,
00:22:35.38\00:22:36.92
"Your honor I promise
I'll never do it again"?
00:22:36.92\00:22:39.99
It would be a gross
miscarriage of justice
00:22:39.99\00:22:42.52
because his
crimes were so heinous
00:22:42.52\00:22:44.86
that future good
behavior doesn't make up for it.
00:22:44.86\00:22:48.03
And the same is true
for sin so what does God do?
00:22:48.03\00:22:53.00
He decides to
become a human being
00:22:54.14\00:22:56.20
and He takes in the
entire human experience
00:22:56.20\00:22:58.97
from lying helpless in a
cradle to early childhood,
00:22:58.97\00:23:02.74
to the teenage years,
to living as a human adult
00:23:02.74\00:23:05.98
in a very difficult world.
00:23:05.98\00:23:08.75
Jesus experienced everything
we do including loneliness
00:23:08.75\00:23:13.76
pain, and
hunger, and then He dies.
00:23:14.96\00:23:17.76
He's completely
innocent but He dies,
00:23:17.76\00:23:21.33
and He dies at our hands.
00:23:21.33\00:23:24.37
He deals with our problem
as an authentic human being
00:23:24.37\00:23:27.54
and is one who
perfectly satisfies
00:23:27.54\00:23:30.87
the claims of God's moral law,
00:23:30.87\00:23:33.48
and He can do
that because He is God.
00:23:33.48\00:23:36.98
He perfectly
demonstrates God's character,
00:23:36.98\00:23:39.78
which is why the person of Jesus
00:23:39.78\00:23:41.62
is so incredibly attractive.
00:23:41.62\00:23:44.79
This baby in Bethlehem
was the perfect image of God
00:23:44.79\00:23:49.59
and in the process,
00:23:49.59\00:23:50.79
He became the new
head of the human race,
00:23:50.79\00:23:52.89
or the last Adam, as Paul
calls Him in 1 Corinthians 5.
00:23:52.89\00:23:57.60
A descendant of Adam
and a descendant of Abraham,
00:23:59.63\00:24:03.44
came to set the universe right.
00:24:03.44\00:24:06.04
The Creator is a just and
loving God, and Jesus proves it.
00:24:06.04\00:24:11.05
So now back to Hebrews 2:17,
00:24:11.91\00:24:13.98
it says,
"Therefore, in all things
00:24:13.98\00:24:16.35
"He had to be
made like His brethren
00:24:16.35\00:24:18.65
"that He might be a merciful
00:24:18.65\00:24:20.16
"and faithful High Priest
in things pertaining to God.
00:24:20.16\00:24:23.63
"To make propitiation
for the sins of the people.
00:24:23.63\00:24:26.90
"For in that He Himself
has suffered being tempted
00:24:26.90\00:24:30.57
"He is able to aid
those who are tempted."
00:24:30.57\00:24:33.57
So now for a moment, consider
the new lay of the land.
00:24:34.94\00:24:39.51
The human race is
no longer a lost cause
00:24:40.71\00:24:42.21
because there is one human
being that is done it right.
00:24:42.21\00:24:46.48
He lived the perfect life
00:24:46.48\00:24:47.98
and He faithfully
showed us the character of God.
00:24:47.98\00:24:52.29
I like the way that
Martin Luther once described it,
00:24:52.29\00:24:55.76
he wrote, "For the Son,
comes down to us from the Father
00:24:55.76\00:24:59.13
"and attaches Himself to us,
00:24:59.13\00:25:01.33
"and we in turn
attach ourselves to Him
00:25:01.33\00:25:03.60
"and come to the
Father through Him.
00:25:03.60\00:25:06.07
"This is the
reason for His incarnation
00:25:06.07\00:25:08.47
"and His birth
from the Virgin Mary,
00:25:08.47\00:25:10.71
"that He might mingle with
us be seen and heard by us,
00:25:10.71\00:25:13.61
"yes, be crucified
and put to death for us
00:25:13.61\00:25:16.98
"and draw and hold us to Him.
00:25:16.98\00:25:19.18
"He was sent to
draw up to the Father
00:25:19.18\00:25:21.22
"those who would believe in
Him just as He is in the Father.
00:25:21.22\00:25:24.92
"He forged these links
between Himself and us,
00:25:24.92\00:25:28.09
"and the Father, thus
enclosing us in this circle
00:25:28.09\00:25:31.19
"so that now we are
in Him and He in us,
00:25:31.19\00:25:33.76
"just as He is in the Father,
and the Father is in Him.
00:25:33.76\00:25:36.90
"Through such a
union and communion,
00:25:36.90\00:25:38.60
"our sin and death are abolished
00:25:38.60\00:25:41.44
"and now we have sheer life
and blessedness in their stead."
00:25:41.44\00:25:46.44
I'll be right back after this.
00:25:47.31\00:25:49.08
- [Announcer] Here at
"The Voice of Prophecy",
00:25:52.48\00:25:53.98
we're committed to
creating top quality programming
00:25:53.98\00:25:56.38
for the whole family like
our audio adventure series,
00:25:56.38\00:25:59.22
"Discovery Mountain".
00:25:59.22\00:26:00.96
"Discovery Mountain"
is a Bible-based program
00:26:00.96\00:26:03.53
for kids of all
ages and backgrounds.
00:26:03.53\00:26:05.86
Your family will enjoy
the faith building stories
00:26:05.86\00:26:08.60
from this small
mountain summer camp and town.
00:26:08.60\00:26:11.43
With 24 seasonal
episodes every year,
00:26:11.43\00:26:13.94
and fresh content every week,
00:26:13.94\00:26:16.10
there's always a new
adventure just on the horizon.
00:26:16.10\00:26:19.27
- So maybe today, let
me finish with something
00:26:22.78\00:26:24.88
a little more traditional,
00:26:24.88\00:26:26.25
a little more Christmasy
from Luke chapter two.
00:26:26.25\00:26:29.62
The Bible says, "Now
there were in the same country
00:26:29.62\00:26:32.95
"shepherds living
out in the fields,
00:26:32.95\00:26:34.82
"keeping watch over
their flock by night
00:26:34.82\00:26:37.43
"and behold an angel of
the Lord stood before them
00:26:37.43\00:26:40.60
"and the glory of the
Lord shown around them
00:26:40.60\00:26:42.80
"and they were greatly afraid.
00:26:42.80\00:26:45.20
"Then the angels said
to them, 'Do not be afraid
00:26:45.20\00:26:48.74
"'for behold I bring you
good tidings of great joy
00:26:48.74\00:26:51.94
"'which will be to all people.'"
00:26:51.94\00:26:54.38
And of course that
would be a real live,
00:26:54.38\00:26:56.04
flesh and blood human being.
00:26:56.04\00:26:58.18
The angels continue, "'For
there is born to you this day
00:26:58.18\00:27:02.52
"'in the city of David, a
Savior who is Christ the Lord
00:27:02.52\00:27:06.05
"'and this will
be a sign to you.
00:27:06.05\00:27:07.89
"'You will find a babe
wrapped in swaddling cloths
00:27:07.89\00:27:10.53
"'lying in a manger.'
00:27:10.53\00:27:12.33
"And suddenly
there was with the angel,
00:27:12.33\00:27:14.00
"a multitude of
the heavenly host
00:27:14.00\00:27:16.16
"praising God and saying,
00:27:16.16\00:27:18.23
"'Glory to God and the
highest and on earth, peace,
00:27:18.23\00:27:21.94
"'goodwill toward men.'"
00:27:21.94\00:27:24.37
The birth of Christ
represents the realization
00:27:25.74\00:27:29.21
of God's deepest desire
00:27:29.21\00:27:31.78
and that's to be
reconnected with you.
00:27:31.78\00:27:35.55
Contrary to some of
the preachers I've heard,
00:27:35.55\00:27:37.55
God is not trying to keep
you away from His presence.
00:27:37.55\00:27:41.59
He's trying to bring you closer.
00:27:41.59\00:27:43.96
So close, in fact,
that He became one of us
00:27:43.96\00:27:47.60
and He did that forever.
00:27:47.60\00:27:50.30
Thanks for joining
me, Merry Christmas,
00:27:50.30\00:27:52.73
and on Earth,
peace, goodwill toward men.
00:27:52.73\00:27:56.67
["Carol of the
Bells" instrumental playing]
00:27:56.67\00:28:01.68