THE MOMENT THAT DEFINED HISTORY 12-21-08am

Text: John 1:1-5 1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 The same was in the beginning with God. 3 All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made. 4 In him was life; and the life was the light of men. 5 And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not. {comprehended: or, did not admit, or, receive} .......... 9 [That] was the true Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world. 10 He was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not. 11 He came unto his own, and his own received him not. 12 But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, [even] to them that believe on his name: {power: or, the right, or, privilege} 13 Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God. 14 And the Word was made 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.

The embodiment of God the Son, in human flesh, as Jesus Christ is the defining moment in history. This incomprehensible miracle changed everything forever. It is an incredible and amazing truth that deity and humanity came together in Jesus Christ. All in one moment. A moment that changed the course of human events.

ONE MOMENT (Jim Alter, Sidney, Oh. edited by me)
In one moment, a seemingly insignificant measurement of time, "The Word became flesh". In that moment undiminished Deity became humanity. What an incomprehensible thought! In one moment the one for whom are all things and by whom are all things, became a thing —like you and me—God with us.
In one moment "the Lord of Glory became a child of earth. The tiny Babe lying in the manger of Bethlehem was the One without whom was not anything made that was made. The hand of Him who holds the universe in the hollow of his hand. The arm of the one whose everlasting arms are underneath all things. The lisping words of the toddling Child of Nazareth were the words of the One who spoke the earth into being and who created a universe by the Word of His mouth."
That one moment was not filled with pomp and ceremony as He took upon himself the form of a servant. He was made a little lower than the angels and it behooved him to be made like his brethren —that is, like you and me.
We don’t like to think of him as being "just like us" but the "King of the Jews" sometimes had a dirty diaper. The "Rose of Sharon" sometimes needed a bath. The "Altogether Lovely One" sometimes needed to bathe.
In one moment non-corporeal became corporeal, immortal became mortal, spirit became flesh. The very God entered the womb of a peasant girl. In one moment God took on skin and hair, teeth and toenails. In one moment the invisible God became the visible, touchable, pierce-able, whip-able, nail-able, Emanuel—God with us.
In one moment divinity took on the garb of humanity so that depravity might be rendered savable. In one moment true grace appeared. In one moment the personification of truth was revealed and now we no longer stumble in darkness. The truth of Christ is like the light of the sun multiplied by infinity, in him is no darkness at all. When the Word of God says that the Prince of Heaven humbled himself what it is saying is simply: God with us.
In one moment God became a man. The Word was made 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.
In one moment God became a man, fully man without sin together with undiminished deity. Wow, what a moment!

Without this one moment in time, there would now be no hope for the world. No way out of the consequences that mankind has brought upon itself because of the lusts of the flesh. The present collapsing of the worldwide monetary system, commerce, and government is the result of unsatisfied greed which would not be denied. Some experts said this was coming, but few believed them. The enemy is apparent, and it is we the people.

I. THE FACTS OF THE INCARNATION REVEAL THE DIVINITY OF JESUS.

Jn 1:1, "and the Word was God." John 10:30 "I and [my] Father are one." 1 Corinthians 15:47 47 The first man [is] of the earth, earthy: the second man [is] the Lord from heaven." Colossians 1:15 Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature:" Hebrews 1:3 Who being the brightness (effulgence, the showing forth brilliantly) of [his] glory, and the express (clear, conveyed, exact) image of his person, (substance) and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high;" Matthew 1:23 23 Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us." John 20:28 28 And Thomas answered and said unto him, My Lord and my God."

Some have suggested that the words of Thomas were those of a surprised profanity rather than a humble declaration of truth. No, no. Ex., a Catholic may say when shocked by a bad situation, "holy Mary, mother of God."

Romans 9:5 ...of whom as concerning the flesh Christ [came], who is over all, God blessed for ever. Amen." For Christ to be "over all" is an ascription of deity.

Hebrews 1:6-8 6 And again, when he bringeth in the first begotten into the world, he saith, And let all the angels of God worship him. 7 And of the angels he saith, Who maketh his angels spirits, and his ministers a flame of fire. 8 But unto the Son [he saith], Thy throne, O God, [is] for ever and ever: a sceptre of righteousness [is] the sceptre of thy kingdom."

1 Timothy 3:16 16 And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory."

There are those who want to destroy the divinity of Christ who question the proper translation of this verse. There is no room for debating its translation or meaning. The Greek is very clear. If this verse doesn’t say that God was the one manifest in human flesh, then whom does it say was? Was it a man, a devil or angel? Are we told that a man was manifest in the flesh? If so, there is no mystery to that as all of us have come into this world that way. It makes no sense to saying this about a mere man, then calling it a mystery.

Was it an angel? If so, why would it be a mystery that he would be seen of angels? It is an amazing wonder that one angel is seen by another? No.

Was it a devil manifest in human flesh? If so, he has been received up into glory which; hopefully that is not the truth. So if it was neither man, angel or devil who was born into human flesh, surely he must have been God. And even if the word "God" is not in the oldest text of scripture, the sense is surely there or else the verse is just so much nonsense.

Liberal theologians can debate this all they want, but no matter how this verse is bisected, debated, or denied, it still comes out no more and no less than that God himself was manifest in the flesh. Why? This was the only way humans could see the otherwise invisible God who is an eternal infinite Spirit of such power that we are filled with amazement.

1 John 5:20 And we know that the Son of God is come, and hath given us an understanding, that we may know him that is true, and we are in him that is true, [even] in his Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God, and eternal life."

Here Christ is not only designated to be God in human form, but "the TRUE GOD." Jesus Christ is the author of eternal life who must therefore be divine in order to give eternal life to all who believe in Him. John 17:2-3 2 As thou hast given him power over all flesh, that he should give eternal life to as many as thou hast given him. 3 And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent."

AMAZING! (Jim Alter, Grace Baptist Church - Sidney, OH edited by me)

Amazing is a superlative which like most superlatives today is diminished by overuse. Amazing! is attached to items as mundane as toothpaste and toys; sandwiches and soap; fabric and fruit.
Examining the Christmas story with fresh eyes, one word explodes upon our consciousness: Amazing!
It is amazing that God chooses to use small people in small places to accomplish inconceivably great things. Shepherds, carpenters, young girls, Nazareth, Bethlehem, who ever would have imagined that God would change the world—no, save the world employing such seemingly insignificant tools? Amazing! It is amazing that the God who chooses such small people in such small places would shape an entire Empire for the singular purpose of enabling these small people to carry out their ordained purposes according to His supreme will. Amazing!
It is amazing that God would employ a pagan king, have him decree a census, have that decree require all citizens to return to their ancestral cities on roads built and guarded by soldiers conscripted by said king so that the seemingly smallest of prophecies could come to fruition as the true King was born in the smallest of places. Bethlehem. Amazing!
It is amazing that the God who so rules the world that He is able to effortlessly mobilize entire kingdoms in order to aid the smallest of people did not provide a room in the inn. He could have. Christ could have been born in a palace. He could have called ten thousand angels. He could have demanded respect and love, He could have crippled kings and subdued kingdoms, he could have said no to the suffering, He could have said never to the humiliation, He could have said, "I am the creator and I choose to abandon the creation!" but he didn’t. He came and took on flesh and bones and was laid in a filthy manger. Amazing!

It is amazing that the God who is powerful enough to accomplish all of these feats and is patient enough to endure all of these humiliations and is gracious enough to lavish us with His mercy and love is mocked and blasphemed and ignored on the very day chosen to honor Him. Amazing! It is amazing that all we have to do to have eternal life is to confess our sin to the Saviour, believe that He is God as demonstrated by His resurrection from the dead and that He is the only way to God the Father. Amazing!
Let believers in Christ so live this Christmas season that the world will look at us, see our devotion, our dedication, our courage, our humility, our kindness, our grace and our love one for another that all they will be able to say is, Amazing!

II. THE BIBLE ALSO REVEALS THE FACT THAT JESUS WAS ALSO HUMAN.

Jesus was as much human as if He were not God in the flesh, but also His deity is so plain as though he were not also fully a man. How Incredible that! But true.

Philippians 2:5-11 Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: 6 Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: 7 But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: 8 And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. 9 Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: 10 That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of [things] in heaven, and [things] in earth, and [things] under the earth; 11 And [that] every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ [is] Lord, to the glory of God the Father."

Galatians 4:4-5 4 But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law, 5 To redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons."

1 Timothy 2:5 5 For [there is] one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus;"

Hebrews 2:14-18 Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same; that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil; 15 And deliver them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage. 16 For verily he took not on [him the nature of] angels; but he took on [him] the seed of Abraham. 17 Wherefore in all things it behoved him to be made like unto [his] brethren, that he might be a merciful and faithful high priest in things [pertaining] to God, to make reconciliation for the sins of the people. 18 For in that he himself hath suffered being tempted, he is able to succour them that are tempted."

Christ’s body and human nature were in all respects like our own, but He was capable of living without sinning. His physical characteristics were those of a Jew. The woman at the Jacob’s well recognized that, Jn 4.9.

Jesus had to be human in every way or else he really could not have been tempted in all points as we are. He also increased in wisdom as a youth, Luke 2:52 And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favour with God and man."

He thirsted, he wearied, he rested, he hungered, he suffered, and HE DIED!!! As the eternal God, he could not die, but as the son of David, human, he could and He did. Why? "That ... he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil."

Jesus lives in heaven today as our intercessor in a crucified, buried, risen and glorified human body. Hebrews 7:25 25 Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them."

The first advent of Christ was as a tiny babe, dependent upon others, who knew the weaknesses of human flesh. In His second advent He will be a mighty conqueror as he exercises power over the whole world in whom is no weakness at all.

He is soon to come back to this earth in that glorified body to catch out his chosen and to resurrect those who died in Christ. Acts 1:11 Which also said, Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? this same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven."

So look up, he’s coming. Luke 21:28 And when these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption raweth nigh."