God with us
January 2, 2015 Why did Jesus come? How did Jesus become a man? Who is Jesus? Jesus as a child and as a youth
Why did Jesus come? Jesus came to seek and to save, he came to free captives. He will come back again in a final judgment. There is a plan set before time began. In the garden Adam sinned and all his descendants were sentenced to die and live separated from God. However, a plan of rescue was made. Jesus had promised to die instead and to rescue those who would believe. God let men live and not suffer a second death because Jesus would die in their place, this rescue plan is for those who would trust this plan in Jesus. When Jesus was born thousands of years later (at the right time) he came to redeem man and make good on his promise to save those who would be believe.
God the Son One God Three Persons God the Father Father initiated the concept of redeeming the creation He knew would fall. He designed the plan of redemption. God the Spirit The Son was given the assignment to accomplish that redemption. The Holy Spirit was tasked with applying Christ s work of redemption to God s chosen people. The Father, Son, and Spirit made an eternal agreement and plan in joy. Ephesians 1:3-4, 10 Redemption: the action of regaining or gaining possession of something in exchange for payment, or clearing a debt.
even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love he predestined us for adoption as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will, to the praise of his glorious grace, with which he has blessed us in the Beloved. In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace, which he lavished upon us, in all wisdom and insight making known to us the mystery of his will, according to his purpose, which he set forth in Christ as a plan for the fullness of time, to unite all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth. In him we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to the purpose of him who works all things according to the counsel of his will, so that we who were the first to hope in Christ might be to the praise of his glory. (Ephesians 1:4-12 ESV)
This was according to the eternal purpose that he has realized in Christ Jesus our Lord, Ephesians 3:11 who saved us and called us to a holy calling, not because of our works but because of his own purpose and grace, which he gave us in Christ Jesus before the ages began, 2 Timothy 1:9
according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, in the sanctification of the Spirit, for obedience to Jesus Christ and for sprinkling with his blood: May grace and peace be multiplied to you. 1 Peter 1:2
Jesus Christ became flesh for us became man - in order to save us by reconciling us with God. God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that whoever believes in him should not perish, but have eternal life (Jn 3: 16). In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him (1 Jn 4: 9). loved us and sent his Son to be the expiation for our sins (1 Jn 4: 10).
Did he come to a strong wealthy family? Did he come to the most powerful nation? Did he come already a captain of a powerful army? Did he come as a king or politician to take over the world? Did he come as a religious leader and priest to the Jews? Did he come armed with human power and human wisdom? Did he come protected and not able to suffer? Did he come armed with angels?
Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. (Philippians 2:5-11 ESV)
Man truly human no reputation subject to hostility criticism, denial slave knew only indignity Jesus God fully God yet emptied himself of glory privilege exaltation sinless The human nature was truly human and the divine nature remained fully and completely divine. The incarnation was not as much as a subtraction as an addition, he took human nature for the purpose of redemption.
For I have come down from heaven, not to do my own will but the will of him who sent me. And this is the will of him who sent me, that I should lose nothing of all that he has given me, but raise it up on the last day. For this is the will of my Father, that everyone who looks on the Son and believes in him should have eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day. John 6:38 40
I glorified you on earth, having accomplished the work that you gave me to do. And now, Father, glorify me in your own presence with the glory that I had with you before the world existed. I have manifested your name to the people whom you gave me out of the world. Yours they were, and you gave them to me, and they have kept your word. Now they know that everything that you have given me is from you. For I have given them the words that you gave me, and they have received them and have come to know in truth that I came from you; and they have believed that you sent me. I am praying for them. I am not praying for the world but for those whom you have given me, for they are yours. All mine are yours, and yours are mine, and I am glorified in them. And I am no longer in the world, but they are in the world, and I am coming to you. Holy Father, keep them in your name, which you have given me, that they may be one, even as we are one. While I was with them, I kept them in your name, which you have given me. I have guarded them, and not one of them has been lost except the son of destruction, that the Scripture might be fulfilled. John 17:4 12
For I have come down from heaven, not to do my own will but the will of him who sent me. And this is the will of him who sent me, that I should lose nothing of all that he has given me, but raise it up on the last day. John 6:38 39 No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to take it up again. This charge I have received from my Father. John 10:18 ESV I glorified you on earth, having accomplished the work that you gave me to do. John 17:4
He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities all things were created through him and for him. And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together. And he is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything he might be preeminent. For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross. Colossians 1:15-20
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made. In him was life, and the life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. He came as a witness, to bear witness about the light, that all might believe through him. He was not the light, but came to bear witness about the light. The true light, which gives light to everyone, was coming into the world. He was in the world, and the world was made through him, yet the world did not know him. He came to his own, and his own people did not receive him. But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God. And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth. (John bore witness about him, and cried out, This was he of whom I said, He who comes after me ranks before me, because he was before me. ) For from his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace. For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. No one has ever seen God; the only God, who is at the Father's side, he has made him known. John 1:1-18
Matthew 1, 2 Luke 1, 2 and part of 3 (genealogy) Angels & Shepherds Elizabeth and Zechariah, John the Baptist Mary & Joseph Nazareth to Bethlehem Simeon, Anna Wise Men & Herod (months or year later), Egypt
And the child grew and became strong, filled with wisdom. And the favor of God was upon him. Luke 2:40 grew strong wisdom favor And Jesus increased in wisdom and in stature and in favor with God and man. Luke 2:52
grew strong wisdom favor The boy Jesus at the temple: They found him in the temple, sitting among the teachers, listening to them and asking them question. All who heard him were amazed at his understanding and his answers. Luke 2: 46, 47 Jesus was submissive to his parents. Luke 2:52
Jesus family later when Jesus was about 32, after he had already been teaching and doing miracles for some time: and coming to his hometown (Nazareth) he taught them in their synagogue, so that they were astonished, and said, Where did this man get this wisdom and these mighty works? Is not this the carpenter's son? Is not his mother called Mary? And are not his brothers James and Joseph and Simon and Judas? And are not all his sisters with us? Where then did this man get all these things? Matthew 13:54-56