Jesus Became Flesh

 

 

12_02_2018_WhatJesusDidWhenHeBecameFlesh_DonRuhl

 

 

What Jesus Did When He Became Flesh

Don Ruhl • Savage Street, Grants Pass, Oregon • December 2, In the year of our Lord Christ, 2018

Persuasion:

  1. Christ in Heaven, Christ on Earth
    1. Christ resided in heaven from eternity.
      1. Then He came here for a brief time.
      2. He who lived in eternity,
        1. submitted Himself to time.
        2. He created the day,
          1. then He lived by the day on the earth.
          2. Earth had days from the beginning, and
            1. Christ created man
            2. to live without number of days on the earth.
              1. Man sinned,
              2. limiting his days on earth.
      3. Christ entered into time on the earth
        1. that He might dispense with sin
        2. that man might live without number of days in heaven.
    2. Christ in heaven
      1. was served by angels.
      2. Christ on earth,
        1. became man
        2. that He might serve man.

          45 “For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many” (Mark 10.45).
    3. Christ in heaven dwelt in light unapproachable.
      1. Here man lives unaware of that Light,
      2. even making what divine light we see
        1. dark through our sin, yet,
        2. Christ came that we might begin to see the Light
          1. while on earth and
          2. finally that we might dwell in Christ’s light in heaven.

            23 The city had no need of the sun or of the moon to shine in it, for the glory of God illuminated it. The Lamb is its light (Revelation 21.23).
    4. Christ in heaven was in the form of God.
      1. Christ on earth was God and man,
      2. humbling Himself that He might suffer for our sin.

        6 …who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, 7 but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. 8 And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross (Philippians 2.6–8).
    5. Christ in heaven created the heavens.
      1. Christ on the earth came to teach us
      2. the way to reach heaven.
    6. Christ in heaven sat at the right hand of the throne of the Father.
      1. Christ on earth entered a woman’s womb and
      2. His throne on earth
        1. became a manger and
        2. then a cross.
    7. From heaven Christ fed the world.
      1. On earth, He hungered as a child.
      2. He slept as a child.
        1. He did good while in heaven.
        2. On earth He suffered from the evil of men.
          1. He lived eternally in heaven.
          2. He entered our world and
            1. suffered the horrors
            2. of a violent death.
    8. Christ dwelt in heaven as God.
      1. He became man
      2. that we might “partake of the divine nature” (2Pe 1.4).
    9. Christ was served in heaven by angels,
      1. On Earth, He served men
      2. that we might serve His Father.
    10. Christ left heaven and
      1. came to earth
      2. that He might take us back with Him to heaven. He said:

        2 “In My Father’s house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. 3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also” (John 14.2–3).

        16 For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. 17 Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord (1 Thessalonians 4.16–17).

  2. Christ Became Flesh for Us
    1. Christ in eternity created time,
      1. then He entered time
      2. that we might leave time and
        1. enter with Him into eternity,
        2. never to see time again.
    2. Christ created man and became man
      1. that He might find nourishment as we do,
      2. that though He, the Bread of Life Himself, might hunger,
      3. that though He, the Water of Life Himself, might thirst,
      4. that though eternally awake, He might sleep,
      5. that He, though the Truth in the flesh, might suffer from false witnesses,
      6. that He, though the Divine Judge, might be put on trial by human judges,
      7. that He the Just might be condemned by the unjust as being unjust,
      8. that He the Vine might receive a crown of thorns.
    3. He suffered evil for us
      1. who had done evil
      2. although He had done no evil.
        1. How much had He given to us.
        2. Yet, we
          1. disregarded Him as the Giver and
          2. corrupted our lives.
            1. That did not turn Him away, but
            2. moved Him
              1. to seek us,
              2. to save us,
              3. to give us hope.

                22 Pilate said to them, “What then shall I do with Jesus who is called Christ?” They all said to him, “Let Him be crucified!” (Matthew 27.22).