2 INCARNATION – GOD IS NOW HERE
- God who came in human form – Immanuel – God with us & like us, working thru us – no other man made religion offered this. Deism, pantheism, polytheism, panentheism, henotheism all had theories of man’s effort to get near God.
- 2. Jesus Himself was the Sign – God is compassion & not judgement, Forgives sin rather than punish sin. Behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. Jesus not only teaches & preaches but also heals. Jesus always sees. He sees the crowd & the individual
Mat 9:36Jesus saw people were distressed and scattered A sad and pitiful state the crowds were in. Rent or mangled as if by wild beasts. Skullō occurs in the papyri in sense of plunder, concern, vexation. “Used here of the common people, it describes their religious condition. They were harassed, importuned, bewildered by those who should have taught them; hindered from entering into the kingdom of heaven (Mat_23:13), laden with the burdens which the Pharisees laid upon them (Mat_23:3). Erimmenoi denotes men cast down and prostrate on the ground, whether from drunkenness, The masses were in a state of mental dejection. No wonder that Jesus was moved with compassion & affection
Acts 4:11-13 Know this – the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead–by him this man is standing before you well. This Jesus is the stone that was rejected by you, the builders, which has become the cornerstone. And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.”
- In the OT animal sacrifices made forgiveness possible by postponing judgement..
- Jesus introduced God who was accessible to all without ritual or offerings or priests.
- God who suffered for us – Immanuel took our suffering on Himself. In all cultures of the world people themselves did penance to atone for their sin. Suffering of body for the sin of the soul. Sometimes they sacrificed their own child. Cut their arms, went on fire or nails, hung themselves on hooks, walked on their knees till they bled, offered blood in different ways. Only Christianity has God reveals who took the afflictions Himself.
- Other gods have to be born human many times to achieve some illusive salvation. Christ was once born human and accomplished salvation
- 7. The star became the sign that Creator was born
- His healings were also the sign & finger of God was casting out demons
- Jesus’ death was a sign – cross the best known spectacle – Father forgive – all the stigma of sin of Eden came on the cross
10. Resurrection – proof of the pudding – of Jesus’ sinless life. And His power & Person living in us resurrects us from our tomb of sin & self. Don’t renege – grave clothes – all must go. Our resurrection from our self to Christ image is the SIGN.
11. He gave gifts to the rebellious. He launched His disciples as the sign. – Mark 16:17; Acts 3:1-10, Is 7:14 8:16
12. Sign of Jesus’ Name = first miracle done by disciples – lame walk.
13. Church is New family sharing with each other as the sign of restoration Acts 3:19-23
14. Blood sign – no Jew no Gentile, chosen stock – no caste barriers; no race barriers – born of the blood of God
Holding on to our right to be treated right negates the power of the Cross in our life. Our authority does not come from demand but from denying ourselves. We disqualify ourselves from the authority given for the Great Commission to disciple our nation, our people & our oppressors when we insist on our rights.
Sign of the blood manifests in many different ways – it cries from the cross “Father forgive”. Blood is the sign – what we do when we are needled. How we forgive those who hurt us. How Jesus’ stripes healed. Blood cleansing the foulest clean. How Jesus’ blood makes us one race – no Tamil no Sinhala. One family by Jesus’ blood. How much one family are we?
Star Trek had begun. The Star led the Wisemen to the King of Kings. God had to begin again Genesis. He packed all who He was & all He can do into One Solitary Life – one little Babe of Bethlehem. God who created was born again into His creation that we might be born again. Creation obeyed Him at every turn. First marriage on the Garden of Eden went sour because of man’s sin. Jesus’ first miracle was to create sweet wine for Cana’s wedding. Voice that breathed over Eden breathed again. Water saw the Creator & blushed purple and that was the best wine. Water in the Ocean obeyed him – wind & waves. As in the beginning out of the dust an eye was created for the born blind man. Bread obeyed him to multiply to 5 loaves to feed 5000. Disease & death obeyed Him.