| “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”(John 3:16) |
What a tremendous verse this is! Who could ever grasp the meaning and the depth of what
this verse is saying? We see that God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten
Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life. Now the
question is, “Who is this only begotten Son of God?” We don’t have to look far to see
who He is. He is the Lord Jesus Christ, the central theme of the Bible. He is the One that
we want to look at in this lesson.
Let us consider first the Deity of Christ. The Bible clearly teaches that Jesus Christ is
eternal Deity; that is, He is the second Person of the divine Holy Trinity. As we consider
His Deity, we see that He possesses divine Attributes.
this verse is saying? We see that God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten
Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life. Now the
question is, “Who is this only begotten Son of God?” We don’t have to look far to see
who He is. He is the Lord Jesus Christ, the central theme of the Bible. He is the One that
we want to look at in this lesson.
Let us consider first the Deity of Christ. The Bible clearly teaches that Jesus Christ is
eternal Deity; that is, He is the second Person of the divine Holy Trinity. As we consider
His Deity, we see that He possesses divine Attributes.
He is Eternally Preexistent
This means that He had no beginning, He has always been. There was never a time when
He was not. He dwelt in eternity with the Father. In the great intercessory prayer that
Jesus prayed just before he entered into the garden of Gethsemane, He prayed in (John 17:
5) “And now, 0 Father, glorify thou me with thine own self with the glory which I had
with thee before the world was.” The Lord Jesus enjoyed the glory of heaven with the
Father before the world was created. He was eternally preexistent. He had no beginning.
He has always been. This proves His deity.
He was not. He dwelt in eternity with the Father. In the great intercessory prayer that
Jesus prayed just before he entered into the garden of Gethsemane, He prayed in (John 17:
5) “And now, 0 Father, glorify thou me with thine own self with the glory which I had
with thee before the world was.” The Lord Jesus enjoyed the glory of heaven with the
Father before the world was created. He was eternally preexistent. He had no beginning.
He has always been. This proves His deity.
Jesus is Omniscient
This means that He is everywhere present. Jesus said in (Matthew 28:20) “Teaching them
to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway,
even unto the end of the world. Amen.” And in (Hebrews 13:5) it says, “Let your
conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he
hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.” These two verses tell us that the
Lord Jesus has promised that He will be with His people at all times, and everywhere. In
order to do that, He has to be omnipresent. Only God is everywhere present. This again
shows us the eternal Deity of Christ.
to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway,
even unto the end of the world. Amen.” And in (Hebrews 13:5) it says, “Let your
conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he
hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.” These two verses tell us that the
Lord Jesus has promised that He will be with His people at all times, and everywhere. In
order to do that, He has to be omnipresent. Only God is everywhere present. This again
shows us the eternal Deity of Christ.
Jesus is Omnipresent
This means that He has all knowledge. In Christ’s humanity, He was limited in knowledge.
we see this in (Luke 2:52) where it says, “And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature,
and in favour with God and man.” And we also see in (Mark 13:32) “But of that day and
that hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels which are in heaven, neither the Son, but
the Father.” By this we can see that the Lord Jesus, as the Son of Man, in His humanity,
did not know the day and the hour that He would come again in great power and glory.
But as the Son of God in His deity, He knows all things, because the Bible says in (John
16:30) “Now are we sure that thou knowest all things, and needest not that any man
should ask thee: by this we believe that thou camest forth from God." And in (John 21:17)
it says, “He saith unto him the third time, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me? Peter
was grieved because he said unto him the third time, Lovest thou me? And he said unto
him, Lord, thou knowest all things: thou knowest that I love thee. Jesus saith unto him,
Feed my sheep.” In this we can see that the Lord Jesus possesses all knowledge, and only
God knows all things. This attribute shows us the Deity of Christ.
we see this in (Luke 2:52) where it says, “And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature,
and in favour with God and man.” And we also see in (Mark 13:32) “But of that day and
that hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels which are in heaven, neither the Son, but
the Father.” By this we can see that the Lord Jesus, as the Son of Man, in His humanity,
did not know the day and the hour that He would come again in great power and glory.
But as the Son of God in His deity, He knows all things, because the Bible says in (John
16:30) “Now are we sure that thou knowest all things, and needest not that any man
should ask thee: by this we believe that thou camest forth from God." And in (John 21:17)
it says, “He saith unto him the third time, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me? Peter
was grieved because he said unto him the third time, Lovest thou me? And he said unto
him, Lord, thou knowest all things: thou knowest that I love thee. Jesus saith unto him,
Feed my sheep.” In this we can see that the Lord Jesus possesses all knowledge, and only
God knows all things. This attribute shows us the Deity of Christ.
| Jesus Christ, The Son of God |
Jesus is Omnipotent
This means that He has all power. He has power over all things. He has unlimited power.
He said in (Matthew 28:18) “And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is
given unto me in heaven and in earth.” Only God has unlimited power over all things.
This attribute shows us that the Lord Jesus Christ is eternal Deity.
He said in (Matthew 28:18) “And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is
given unto me in heaven and in earth.” Only God has unlimited power over all things.
This attribute shows us that the Lord Jesus Christ is eternal Deity.
Jesus is Immutable
This means that He is unchangeable. He said in (Hebrews 13:8) “Jesus Christ the same
yesterday, and to day, and for ever.” This means that the Lord Jesus is unchangeable in
His essence and being as the eternal Son of God. Even though He was made flesh, and
took upon Himself a body, laying aside His glory, but at no time did He ever lay aside His
eternal Deity. Only God is unchangeable in His essence and being. This attribute also
shows the eternal Deity of Christ.
yesterday, and to day, and for ever.” This means that the Lord Jesus is unchangeable in
His essence and being as the eternal Son of God. Even though He was made flesh, and
took upon Himself a body, laying aside His glory, but at no time did He ever lay aside His
eternal Deity. Only God is unchangeable in His essence and being. This attribute also
shows the eternal Deity of Christ.
| Not only does the Lord’s attributes show forth the Deity of Christ, but His works reveal this great truth as well. |
He Created all Things
The Bible says in (John 1:1-3) “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with
God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were
made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.” And in
(Colossians 1:16-17) “For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that
are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or
principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him: And he is before
all things, and by him all things consist.” This teaches us the deity of Christ, in the fact
that only God can create.
God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were
made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.” And in
(Colossians 1:16-17) “For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that
are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or
principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him: And he is before
all things, and by him all things consist.” This teaches us the deity of Christ, in the fact
that only God can create.
He Sustains all Things
(Hebrews 1:1-3) “God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past
unto the fathers by the prophets, Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son,
whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds; Who being
the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, 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,” Now in these verses of Scripture we see that the
Lord Jesus created all things, and all things consist in Him, and He sustains and upholds all
things by the word of His power. Only God can create and uphold all things. Here again
we see the Deity of Christ.
unto the fathers by the prophets, Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son,
whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds; Who being
the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, 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,” Now in these verses of Scripture we see that the
Lord Jesus created all things, and all things consist in Him, and He sustains and upholds all
things by the word of His power. Only God can create and uphold all things. Here again
we see the Deity of Christ.
He Raised Himself from the Dead
Jesus said in (John 2:19-22) “Jesus answered and said unto them, Destroy this temple,
and in three days I will raise it up. Then said the Jews, Forty and six years was this
temple in building, and wilt thou rear it up in three days? But he spake of the temple of
his body. When therefore he was risen from the dead, his disciples remembered that he
had said this unto them; and they believed the scripture, and the word which Jesus had
said.” Beloved, only God can raise anyone from the dead. Even when holy men of God,
such as Elijah, when he raised the widow’s son from the dead, he did it by the power of
God. Elijah could not have raised the child by his own power. He called on God to raise
the boy from the dead. Jesus raised Himself from the dead, because He is the eternal Son
of God. The Bible says in (Romans 1:3-4) “Concerning his Son Jesus Christ our Lord,
which was made of the seed of David according to the flesh; And declared to be the Son
of God with power, according to the spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the
dead:” Here we again see the Deity of Christ in His power over death in His own
resurrection from the dead.
Having looked at a few passages of Scripture that teach us the Deity of Christ, let us
consider the Incarnation of Christ. Now, what we mean by His incarnation: that means His
coming into this world in a body of flesh, His virgin birth. The virgin birth is denied by
many today in religious circles, but we must understand that the virgin birth of the Lord
Jesus Christ is the very basis of the Christian faith. The virgin birth is one of the great
mysteries of the kingdom of God. The Bible calls it the mystery of godliness. It says in (1
Timothy 3:16) “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.” Even though the virgin birth of Christ
is a great mystery of which we cannot fully understand, we must believe it because it is the
Word of God. As a matter of fact, it has eternal consequences not to believe the virgin
birth. The Bible says in (1 John 4:2-3) “Hereby know ye the Spirit of God: Every Spirit
that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God. And every spirit that
confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God. and this is that spirit
of antichrist, whereof ye have heard that it should come; and even now already is it in
the world.” You see, beloved, this is the basis of the Christian religion. It is a fundamental
part of the gospel of the Lord Jesus Chirist, and the Christian faith. You cannot be a
Christian, and not believe the virgin birth of the Lord Jesus Christ, because as it says in
verse 3, “Every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of
God: and this is the spirit of the antichrist...” So as we can see, it is a dangerous thing to
deny the virgin birth of Christ. Now let us consider first:
and in three days I will raise it up. Then said the Jews, Forty and six years was this
temple in building, and wilt thou rear it up in three days? But he spake of the temple of
his body. When therefore he was risen from the dead, his disciples remembered that he
had said this unto them; and they believed the scripture, and the word which Jesus had
said.” Beloved, only God can raise anyone from the dead. Even when holy men of God,
such as Elijah, when he raised the widow’s son from the dead, he did it by the power of
God. Elijah could not have raised the child by his own power. He called on God to raise
the boy from the dead. Jesus raised Himself from the dead, because He is the eternal Son
of God. The Bible says in (Romans 1:3-4) “Concerning his Son Jesus Christ our Lord,
which was made of the seed of David according to the flesh; And declared to be the Son
of God with power, according to the spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the
dead:” Here we again see the Deity of Christ in His power over death in His own
resurrection from the dead.
Having looked at a few passages of Scripture that teach us the Deity of Christ, let us
consider the Incarnation of Christ. Now, what we mean by His incarnation: that means His
coming into this world in a body of flesh, His virgin birth. The virgin birth is denied by
many today in religious circles, but we must understand that the virgin birth of the Lord
Jesus Christ is the very basis of the Christian faith. The virgin birth is one of the great
mysteries of the kingdom of God. The Bible calls it the mystery of godliness. It says in (1
Timothy 3:16) “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.” Even though the virgin birth of Christ
is a great mystery of which we cannot fully understand, we must believe it because it is the
Word of God. As a matter of fact, it has eternal consequences not to believe the virgin
birth. The Bible says in (1 John 4:2-3) “Hereby know ye the Spirit of God: Every Spirit
that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God. And every spirit that
confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God. and this is that spirit
of antichrist, whereof ye have heard that it should come; and even now already is it in
the world.” You see, beloved, this is the basis of the Christian religion. It is a fundamental
part of the gospel of the Lord Jesus Chirist, and the Christian faith. You cannot be a
Christian, and not believe the virgin birth of the Lord Jesus Christ, because as it says in
verse 3, “Every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of
God: and this is the spirit of the antichrist...” So as we can see, it is a dangerous thing to
deny the virgin birth of Christ. Now let us consider first:
The Virgin Birth Was Prophesied
Over 700 years before Christ was born in Bethlehem, Isaiah the prophet prophesied it.
The Bible says in (Isaiah 7:14) “Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold,
a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.” Here we see
that God would give a sign to the nation of Israel, and to the whole world, that a virgin
would conceive and bear a Son, and call His name Immanuel. Many today have changed
the word virgin to “young woman.” But beloved, how could this be a sign? Young women
give birth to children all the time. There is nothing unusual about that that could be
considered a sign. But if a virgin conceived and brought forth a Son, then that is unusual,
and that was a sign. This was a birth different than all births. We see this in...
The Bible says in (Isaiah 7:14) “Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold,
a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.” Here we see
that God would give a sign to the nation of Israel, and to the whole world, that a virgin
would conceive and bear a Son, and call His name Immanuel. Many today have changed
the word virgin to “young woman.” But beloved, how could this be a sign? Young women
give birth to children all the time. There is nothing unusual about that that could be
considered a sign. But if a virgin conceived and brought forth a Son, then that is unusual,
and that was a sign. This was a birth different than all births. We see this in...
The Fulfillment of the Prophecy
The Bible says in (Matthew 1:18-23) “Now the birth of Jesus Christ was on this wise:
When as his mother Mary was espoused to Joseph, before they came together, she was
found with child of the Holy Ghost. Then Joseph her husband, being a just man, and not
willing to make her a public example, was minded to put her away privily. But while he
thought on these things, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a dream,
saying, Joseph, thou son of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife: for that
which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost. And she shall bring forth a son, and thou
shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins. Now all this was
done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying
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.” Here we see the fulfillment
of the prophecy of Isaiah, and the fact that Jesus was born of a virgin. Here we see that
Jesus was God's eternal Son sent to this world to be the Savior. In this we also see that
Jesus is called Emmanuel, which means “God with us.” So we can see that the virgin birth
of Jesus Christ is essential to the salvation of God’s people. We can see why it is the basis
of the Christian religion.
We could never know in this life what a tremendous step the Lord Jesus took when He
left the glory of heaven and came to this world. The incarnation of the Lord Jesus Christ is
an amazing event. The fact that the eternal Son of God should become man; that He
should be born of a pure virgin, without man having anything to do with it; that it should
be brought about by the power of the Holy Ghost; all of this in order to bring about the
greatest work and blessing for mankind: our redemption and salvation. It is truly a
mysterious thing, and is beyond our comprehension; against all principles of natural reason
and logic; but it is received and believed upon the credit of God’s Holy Word.
If the Lord Jesus Christ was not born of a virgin, He would not have been qualified to be
the Saviour. He would have been no different than all the children of Adam, born with a
fallen sinful nature. But the nature of the Lord Jesus is the nature of God, holy, pure,
undefiled and separate from sinners. Through Adam we are born of the flesh. Through the
Lord Jesus Christ, we are born of the Spirit, and inherit eternal life.
The question is, do you know the virgin born Son of God who died on the cross for the
sin of the world, arose from the grave to give eternal life to all those who believe and trust
in Him? If you will call upon Him, He will save you.
When as his mother Mary was espoused to Joseph, before they came together, she was
found with child of the Holy Ghost. Then Joseph her husband, being a just man, and not
willing to make her a public example, was minded to put her away privily. But while he
thought on these things, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a dream,
saying, Joseph, thou son of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife: for that
which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost. And she shall bring forth a son, and thou
shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins. Now all this was
done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying
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.” Here we see the fulfillment
of the prophecy of Isaiah, and the fact that Jesus was born of a virgin. Here we see that
Jesus was God's eternal Son sent to this world to be the Savior. In this we also see that
Jesus is called Emmanuel, which means “God with us.” So we can see that the virgin birth
of Jesus Christ is essential to the salvation of God’s people. We can see why it is the basis
of the Christian religion.
We could never know in this life what a tremendous step the Lord Jesus took when He
left the glory of heaven and came to this world. The incarnation of the Lord Jesus Christ is
an amazing event. The fact that the eternal Son of God should become man; that He
should be born of a pure virgin, without man having anything to do with it; that it should
be brought about by the power of the Holy Ghost; all of this in order to bring about the
greatest work and blessing for mankind: our redemption and salvation. It is truly a
mysterious thing, and is beyond our comprehension; against all principles of natural reason
and logic; but it is received and believed upon the credit of God’s Holy Word.
If the Lord Jesus Christ was not born of a virgin, He would not have been qualified to be
the Saviour. He would have been no different than all the children of Adam, born with a
fallen sinful nature. But the nature of the Lord Jesus is the nature of God, holy, pure,
undefiled and separate from sinners. Through Adam we are born of the flesh. Through the
Lord Jesus Christ, we are born of the Spirit, and inherit eternal life.
The question is, do you know the virgin born Son of God who died on the cross for the
sin of the world, arose from the grave to give eternal life to all those who believe and trust
in Him? If you will call upon Him, He will save you.
|
Blessed Hope
A Continuing Ministry of Milford Cecil
A Continuing Ministry of Milford Cecil
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