God in the Flesh? Answering 5 Common Objections | Pastor Daniel Batarseh

Oh, we

your has allowed us to experience being your sons, being your daughters. We praise you this day. We praise you for the rest of our lives, knowing that you are worthy of all of our worship, all of our adoration, all that we have to glorify you, that we would worship and exalt you. And that we would delight in you as our true king.

Well, that was just a little taste of what's to come tonight. Can we show our appreciation for all their hard work? Thank you so much. And we look forward to being together again to continue to celebrate in such fashion, later tonight and this evening. And if you're here for the first time, we welcome to Maranatha Bible Church.

We're so glad that you can join us in the House of the Lord. I want us to just pray one more time as we open God's word and seek his voice. This is for us. Astrid. Astrid.

Father, it is with great gratitude that we get to gather here and to reflect upon your love in the person of Christ. And Lord, we just ask that the familiarity of this time would not lull us to sleep, but that we would be attentive, and that we would be alert to hear what your word has to say to equip us. And so, Lord, we seek you, and we trust that you will indeed, with precision and power, minister to our hearts. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen.

Amen. It's not difficult to imagine how the festivities and the commercialization of this time can distract and even dilute the spiritual significance of this season. That is not the case for us because we as Christians understand that this time of the year, this month, traditionally invites us to turn our attention with greater focus and meditation upon the person of Jesus Christ. God the creator, God the sustainer of the universe entered into his creation two thousand years ago to rescue us from the power, to rescue us from the penalty, and to rescue us ultimately from the presence of sin. But listen.

Even as believers who understand that truth can lose our grasp on the significance of what we know to be the incarnation of the Lord Jesus Christ. How important is it to understand and believe this truth? What kind of contribution does this reality, this historical event make on our faith? So important is this truth of God becoming man that it has been viciously assaulted and contended against since the inception of the church. It was the apostle John in second John who tells us that not few, but many have gone out into the world to deceive and to attempt to disprove the reality of this truth that you and I are celebrating today.

And I want you to see his words for yourself in the epistle of second John in verse seven, to look at this in detail and to understand just how serious it is to understand, believe, and adhere to this foundational tenant of our faith. In second John verse seven, the apostle of love writes, for many deceivers have gone out into the world, those who do not profess or confess rather the coming of Jesus Christ in the flesh. Such a one is the deceiver and the antichrist. Highlight that last part in your mind, the last part of the first sentence, that there are those who do not confess the coming of Jesus Christ, three important words, in the flesh. Now some would say that John is explaining that there are some then and even now who do not believe, who deny that Jesus Christ, though eternally existing as God, was never born to be a true human.

And if there was any manifestation of this Jesus Christ in our world, then it was merely a human appearance and not an actual embodiment. There are others who would say what John is explaining is that there are those who do not believe that Jesus Christ currently possesses a body. And they base that out of the fact that when he says coming in the flesh, that word coming is a present participle, which would translate as still being manifested in the flesh. While there are others that John is warning about who would say that Jesus Christ is not returning in the flesh. He's not coming back physically.

And our friendly Jehovah Witness neighbors adhere to that truth that when Jesus resurrected, it was a spiritual resurrection. It was an invisible ascension, and his return also was invisible. So this is not just some ancient thing that has no relevance. This is something that is affecting people today. And what do all those explanations have in common?

One simple foundational concept. There is an ultimate rejection of the notion that God became a man, that God took on flesh. A denial of what John testified in his gospel account that the word became flesh. And later in that same gospel account that he rose in the flesh. Again, this is not a denial of the existence of the person of Jesus Christ, but rather that he never became truly human.

And if there there was historically a person named Jesus Christ, then he's not what Christians claim him to be namely God incarnate. And so serious again is the attempt to dispute that or to deny that willingly That John goes on to say in concluding with that explanation that such a person is the deceiver and the antichrist. This is not merely a matter of opinion, innocent, subjective understanding. This is a matter of dangerous, satanic influence. That is not to say that such a person is the anticipated antichrist of the last days, but it is to say that who the he who propagates this heresy then and now, they reflect the opposing spirit and the evil nature of the antichrist to come.

So John is using familiar language, something that you and I might have heard or even said when we try to maybe describe or point out the vileness of someone's behavior or character and we say that person's the devil himself. That person is Satan. What John essentially is saying by the Holy Spirit, the person who says that Jesus Christ did not come in the flesh is the deceiver, is the antichrist. And and the evil one hates this truth to such a degree that he even attempts to go into our holy book, the truth of God's word to try to disprove it. And the objections concerning Jesus Christ becoming flesh are objections that still are resounding today and are sweeping the masses to believe a false Christ.

And this is gonna be a different kind of Christmas message. I know usually Christmas messages are are more, light and warmhearted, but listen, Jesus being in a manger is not just a fuzzy idea. It's not just to make us cozy and comfortable and to and to feel kind of, pure hearted and light and to kind of forget our troubles. This is essential to our faith. This is concrete.

This is a mission. This is something that from eternity past has been planned and was ultimately performed for a purpose greater than you and I having more holidays out of the year. This is about salvation. This is about eternal life. This is about the redemption of man's soul.

And so today, I wanna speak to you about five common objections to God being man, to God becoming man. Five common objections to what you and I are celebrating today, And hopefully, this will make you and I equipped. It will cause you and I to rejoice that the Bible, in fact, declares this truth and that more than that, in God's goodness and favor and grace, he would probably use us to help others see the light as well concerning this. But before you and I establish this, you before we answer these five common objections, let me let me just explain something else. Christ becoming man was not a temporary stunt.

It was not something that he did for a moment and then shut it off and then continued where he began. The extent of his sacrifice in redeeming man includes the fact that Jesus Christ, glorified immortal, indestructible, is body now. He's in the flesh as we speak. Ascended, seated at the right hand of God, yes. Sharing in the same divine glory of the father, yes.

But forever embracing and displaying the tokens of his love with a body with the pierced hands and pure side and pure feet for us to marvel at for ages and ages to come. And I I wanna show you that from the Bible. I just wanna do a quick rapid fire explanation of how it is that Jesus Christ believed in the Bible and to believed on by Christians that he is in fact man today, the God man, not purely man, not less God, but God man. Acts seventeen thirty and thirty one. I encourage you take note of these references.

I'm sure that they will come in handy at some point, and I'm sure that they will build your faith even now. Acts seventeen thirty and thirty one, Paul is preaching and he says, the times of ignorance, God overlooked, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent because he has fixed a day on which he will judge the world in righteousness by a man. By a man whom he has appointed. And who is that man? Of this he has given assurance to all by raising him from the dead.

So there is a man coming to judge the world in righteousness. Not a spirit body, not a spirit being, but a real man. A unique man. Yes. Not purely merely man.

Sure. But man. The God man Jesus Christ. Paul also says in first Timothy chapter two verse five and six, for there is one God and there is one mediator between God and men, the man. The man Christ Jesus.

Not merely the savior, not merely Lord, not merely God. The man Christ Jesus. He is currently today the mediator between God and men. The man Christ Jesus who gave himself as a ransom for all, which is the testimony given at the proper time. Here's one of my favorite ones at the end of our divine library.

Revelation twenty two sixteen. This is Jesus himself speaking. In Revelation twenty two sixteen, he says, I, Jesus, have sent my angel to testify to you about these things for the churches. I am the root and the descendant of David. I am the root and the descendant of David, the bright morning star.

Now I would understand if Jesus says I am the root of David. I am the foundation of David. I am the source of David. I am before David. But he's not just the root.

He's also the descendant of David, implying physical lineage, implying that he came down from the seed of David. Did Jesus say this in the gospel of John? No. He said this in the book of Revelation. Where is Jesus in the book of Revelation?

He's not on earth. He declared this from heaven. Again, implying what? That he is still the descendant of David. Meaning what?

That he is still flesh. That he's still connected to the lineage and the heritage of David. I am the root, and I am the descendant of David now. And if it doesn't get any clearer than that, then may we look to the upper room where Jesus appeared shortly after his resurrection and looked at those terrified disciples who were baffled at the sight. And Jesus says in Luke twenty four thirty nine, see my hands and my feet that it is I myself.

Touch touch me and see for a spirit does not have flesh and bones as you see that I have. A spirit does not have flesh and bones in Luke twenty four thirty nine. So you can touch me and you will touch flesh. You can touch me and you will feel bone. This is Jesus after his resurrection and with that same body, he went up into heaven.

Jesus Christ is the God man. Not was, he is the God man. And here's a taste of the significance of that for us today. The resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ is the unquestionable statement of God's approval that the payment of the son of God has been approved, has been accepted. Think about it this way.

Since the wages of sin is death, including the death of our bodies, then Jesus Christ raising from the dead is the proof that his redemption was able to effectively cancel that curse. He overcame the grave with a body. And this is for you and I to be assured that in Jesus raising from the dead with a body, he was able to nullify what has overwhelmingly kept us bound. And now you and I looking to the resurrection of Jesus with a physical body can be guaranteed that we will have the same grave conquering fate. I too will be resurrected.

I too will be not partially, but completely redeemed. You see the extent of Jesus' salvation is not just to redeem your soul and your spirit, but even your body. That body that has been corrupted, that body that has been polluted with filth and rebellion and sin, also that body, it won't be put away with. It will be transformed incorruptible, immortal, indestructible with our God man, Jesus Christ forever and ever. Five common objections to Jesus Christ coming in the flesh.

You ready? Number one, God cannot be a man. God cannot be a man. And the scripture that's often used for this is numbers twenty three nineteen. And with that, if you're taking notes, first Samuel 15 verse 29 and Hosea 11 verse nine.

But the main one is numbers twenty three nineteen. Here's what it said in numbers twenty three nineteen. God is not man that he should lie or a son of man that he should change his mind. God is not man. Here's the objection.

You Christians claim that Jesus Christ was truly man, and you also claim that he is truly God, then how is it that you can also, with this verse, reconcile those things? If we are told that God is not man, then how can you say a man is God? The quick answer to this is very simple. We do not believe a man became God. We believe God became a man.

And there's nothing in this verse that would deny the possibility that God could become a man. That God could become flesh. And interestingly, no true Christian would ever claim, if they understand their Bible right, I I hope, that God eternally existed as flesh. No, we know by nature he is spirit. But we also know that at one point in history, he descended into our world and he became flesh and blood for a very specific purpose.

So keep in mind that this also is an old testament scripture along with the other references I mentioned. Christ does not become man till much later. So you can even say at this time, yeah, it's true. God is not man. But with the incarnation in view, no one disagrees that God's essential nature is spirit and not flesh.

God is not man. What do you think Moses is even trying to say? What do you think the narrator is trying to explain by saying this? Is he trying to denote that it's impossible for our God again to become man? No.

He is making a case that God's character is not that a fallen, inconsistent, corrupt humanity. That is what he is trying to explain. And that's why he follows that statement with what? God is not man that he should lie. That he should lie.

Unlike man, he keeps his word and is faithful. Unlike man, he does not deceive or manipulate. Unlike man, he has no need to repent of sin. This is what Moses is saying. And And as we know hundreds of years after the time of Moses, we are told of a prophecy.

One that you and I are very familiar with in Isaiah nine six. For to us a child is born, a son is given, and all these amazing titles are ascribed to this child and one of them being what? Mighty God. A child? Mighty God?

How can this be? I had a conversation with a Muslim about this. And when I brought up the scriptures, I explained this. K. I may not be able to explain the intricacies of the Trinity and even the complexities of the dual nature of Jesus Christ.

But I believe it because I see it in my bible. So explain to me how a child can be born and be called mighty God. You know what his response was? No. No.

No. That's a prophecy about Hezekiah. Okay. Even if it's about Hezekiah. So Hezekiah is God?

That didn't answer anything. This is in fact about the Lord Jesus Christ. And it's irrefutable if you are honest and humble to receive it as it is declared. God cannot be a man. Remember Christian, we do not believe and you have to be very careful with your wording.

We do not say a man became God. We say God became a man. God cannot be a man. The second common objection is this, God cannot change. God cannot change.

In other words, if Christians believe that God at some point chose to become a man, then that would necessitate a drastic change of some sort and would be irreconcilable with the assertion of his unchanging nature. And one of the go to verses proof text for this argument is in Malachi chapter three verse six, where the Lord himself says something that you and I are familiar with. For I, the Lord, do not change. Therefore, you, oh children of Jacob, are not consumed. I, the Lord, do not change.

And I've had people bring this up to me as well. Your God says he doesn't change. Well, isn't the fact that he becoming man demonstrate in a very obvious and explosive manner that he did change? And then they'll quote Malachi. Do you know how you can clarify a lot of confusion and even arguments from those who do not believe in our gospel?

One simple thing, context. You can make a cult out of taking one verse from the bible and separate it from its surroundings. You can you can come up with a whole different religion if you want. What's the context of Malachi? A majority of Malachi is mainly describing Israel's sin and God's declaration of judgment toward them.

And when you read this book, you realize that there are many ways that Israel has heaped up offenses against God to the point that eventually called for divine chastisement. And yet, with all the indictments that God declared through Malachi, you come to the near the end of this book, and the Lord all of a sudden says, I, the Lord, do not change. What's the relevance? Why is God in the midst of this very intense confrontation with his people wants to profess his changeless nature? Well, there is relevance when you connect it to the rest of the verse.

For I, the Lord, do not change. Therefore therefore, you, oh children of Jacob, are not consumed. So there's something about the changeless nature of God and the fact that as a result of that, the children of Jacob are not consumed. Well, it makes sense now when you understand the broader text. Here's what is being communicated.

The one would be weary of your constant wickedness and would be content to cast you off forever. I have made a covenant with your fathers. I made a promise to them. And because of my changeless nature, even though I will punish you, even though I will refine you, I will not ultimately allow you to be consumed. You will not be consumed even under my loving chastisement because I, the Lord, do not change.

Again, it's it's echoing what we read in numbers twenty three nineteen. God, when he says something, he means it. He doesn't he doesn't take back his promise. He doesn't change his mind. He is somebody who is reliable.

Someone that we can look to and believe that if he said it, he will he will keep it. And for those who would go to Malachi three six to try to disprove the deity of the Lord Jesus Christ, don't realize I have a feeling they don't realize that the same text actually confirms the deity of Jesus Christ. So you look at Malachi three six, the Lord says, I the Lord do not change. You just scroll back a few verses and we're told of another prophecy. In Malachi three one, behold I send my messenger.

Now this is the Lord speaking, this is Yahweh speaking. Behold, I send my messenger and he will prepare the way before me. This is God speaking. That messenger that I'm going to send, he's gonna prepare the way before me. And how is the Lord going to appear?

What is this preparation for? And the Lord whom you seek will suddenly come to his temple. So there's gonna be some kind of a manifestation. Something that they're able to see and witness with their own eyes. And the Lord says, there's gonna be a time where there's a messenger who's gonna go before me, the Lord Yahweh, and I will suddenly come to the temple.

And you'll be able to recognize it. And the messenger of the covenant in whom you delight, behold, he is coming, says the Lord of hosts. So the Lord of hosts says, somebody's coming and he's gonna prepare the way before me and you will know because he will suddenly come to his temple. Who's the speaker? God.

And Jesus Christ, our Lord, our precious savior, paraphrase this prophecy. When he sought to clarify and confirm the identity of his good friend and relative, John the Baptist. And if you wanna take this down as a reference, you can, but listen to these powerful words as Jesus pays homage to John. He says here in Luke seven twenty seven, an incredible thing. This is he, Jesus says in Luke seven twenty seven, This is he of whom it is written, behold, I send my messenger before your face who will prepare your way before you.

And then he goes on to say, I tell you among those born of woman, none is greater than John. Why is John greater? John is greater because he served a role in redemptive history where he would prepare the way. He would fulfill Malachi three one, in preparing the way for Yahweh. Yet the one who is least in the kingdom of God is greater than he.

Saying how does that confirm the deity of Jesus Christ? Well, think about it. If John is the messenger who prepared the way for Yahweh, and we know that Jesus was the one who followed the ministry and the message of John the Baptist, then how and who do we identify Jesus with? He's Yahweh. He is Yahweh.

Do you understand what Jesus is declaring about himself as he's paying homage to John? John is the one who was sent to prepare the way for God. He is that messenger. Did you get the hint? If he's the messenger and I followed him and he rejoiced in me eclipsing him, then realize who I am in light of Malachi's prophecy.

So don't go to Malachi three and say, God cannot change. God cannot become a man. When Malachi says that the God of this book, the Hebrew scriptures, will one day visit his people. And he would show it and prepare the people by sending a messenger first. God cannot change.

Yes, he cannot change in terms of his character, his nature, and his essence, but that does not mean that he cannot manifest himself the way he pleases. Third objection. Third common objection to God taking on flesh. God cannot be tempted. God cannot be tempted.

According to who? Apparently according to James. We're in James one verse 13, we are told, let no one say when he is tempted, I am being tempted by God. For God cannot be tempted with evil and he himself tempts no one. And here's how people try to draw a contradiction from James's statement.

Jesus if you claim Jesus is God, you also believe that he was tempted in every way. In fact, there are there are chapters in different gospel accounts where Satan himself tempts Jesus. And yet later in your same book, we are told indefinitely that God cannot be tempted. So then how can Jesus be God if Jesus himself was tempted? You wanna make it more complicated?

When you read the Hebrew scriptures, in some instances you will actually read that God was tempted. This will be especially clear if you hold the King James version in your hands and maybe the NSP and the New King James. The ESV uses the word test, but for the longest time the English world had only one translation and so it would read this way. Listen to these references. In Psalm one zero six verse 14, but lusted exceedingly in the wilderness and tempted God in the desert.

Tempted God in the desert? Deuteronomy six sixteen in the King James, ye shall not tempt the Lord your God as ye tempted him in Masa. God cannot be tempted. Well, I had my devotions in Psalm one zero six fourteen and I felt like using the King James today and I read that God was tempted in the desert. Earlier, I was reading Deuteronomy six sixteen, I realized that they were commanded not to tempt the Lord your God because they did tempt him earlier in Masa.

So never mind this issue of Christ. Now we probably have a contradiction in our bibles. That is not the case. The way we make sense of this is simply in the following manner. The answer lies in our understanding of the function of temptation.

In the function of temptation. There are two ways you and I can be enticed to sin. There's an internal enticement and an external enticement. The internal enticement comes from our sin nature. You have evil and I have evil imaginations.

We have lustful inclinations. We have fantasies. We have plots. We have visitations of ideas that break God's law. And we are not in need of external sources to arouse those temptations.

Right? They can be further inflamed and excited through external means. But stick man on an island with no technology and leave him there just with his heart and his mind and he can indeed feel temptation. This is the internal enticement enticement. There's the external of course that comes from the enemy of our souls namely Satan, the world, other people.

And what James is explaining here concerning God not being tempted is solely the description of the impossibility of an internal enticement. God cannot be tempted in that there are no inclinations in him to sin. The ones that you and I are familiar with are completely foreign to God because he is perfectly good and perfectly holy. And so God cannot be tempted and succumb to sin in the way you and I can through what's happening inside of here. Because inside of God is pure and clean and without spot or blemish.

Saying, well that's a very nice way of explaining it, but is that what the text says? Yes. James says in in James one thirteen, God cannot be tempted. And then he continues a thought in James one fourteen. What does he say in James one fourteen?

In light of temptation, this conversation about sin. But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by what? His own desire. So what James is focusing on now in this in this idea of temptation and God not being tempted is internal allurement, internal enticement, internal stirrings. Those things are not true of God.

And so it's totally possible to understand that Jesus while walking on the earth was tempted externally. That there are outside sources trying to bring him to a place of dishonoring the father with his heart being completely pure and clean before his father and before the world. God cannot be tempted, of course, internally. But men have attempted to test and tempt God in the Old Testament and they try to do it when he came in the flesh. So this is no objection when you understand the depth of scripture.

Now when these basic arguments are usually given, enemies of the gospel tend to reach further into their arsenal and pull out ammunition from the doctrine of the trinity. And they try to cast doubt and to cause confusion in those who believe this truth, the truth that this Bible testifies of. And so with that is this fourth common objection about God becoming flesh. One, we talked about God cannot be a man. Two, we talked about God cannot change.

Three, we talked about God cannot be tempted. Fourth, God cannot be multi personal. God cannot be multi personal. And one of the go to proof texts, though we cannot spend too much time under this category, one of the things that people love to latch onto and bring before Christians is what Jesus says in many instances. And one of the things that he said was in John fourteen twenty eight.

Let me read it to you and you can turn there if you'd like. In John fourteen twenty eight, Jesus declares, you have heard me say to you, I am going away and I will come to you. If you loved me, you would have rejoiced because I am going to the father, for the father is greater than I. The father is greater than I from the lips of Jesus himself. I don't mean to challenge you.

I I don't want to come off aggressive here, but I want you to be stirred at this time. If somebody comes up to you and says, how do you believe Jesus is God? Jesus himself said, God is greater than him. How would you explain it? We need to know what we believe.

We need to understand these things. Somebody asked you, hey, Jesus says, God is greater than himself. How can he be God? This is here's the objection. No one is greater than God himself.

You Christians claim that Jesus is God, then how can Jesus assert that there is someone greater than him namely God? Isn't it clear? So we read this and we might be disturbed. And I would say if God if God is one in essence, listen very carefully, if God is one in essence while also being one in person, then such an objection is valid. But that's not our understanding of God.

We believe God is one in essence, but he is also three coequal, co eternal, yet distinct persons. And if that is our view of the Godhead, then what Jesus is doing here makes complete sense. With the biblical view of God, we understand that no one is greater than him. But that does not negate the possibility of there being a ranking structure within the Godhead Without one of the persons being pinned against the other as being greater in value or worth. Because the word greater as you know, not just in the original language, the word greater and even in the English language can mean something besides someone being superior in terms of nature and essence.

Right? I can use the word greater and it doesn't have to mean that this person is worth more. This thing is greater in value. And you have that in the same text. In John fourteen twenty eight, this is what Jesus says, but he says something earlier in John fourteen twelve with the same word greater that he used in the verse that we just read.

In John fourteen twelve, look what he says to the same disciples. Truly, truly I say to you, whoever believes in me will also do the works that I do and greater works than these will he do. Greater works, the same word, will will they do because I am going to the father. Now here's here's what we have to conclude. We have to make a decision here.

Is Jesus explaining that after his resurrection ascension and the empowerment of his church, that the disciples and the apostles will go out into the world and do greater works in terms of quality? That they'll perform greater miracles, greater demonstrations of divine power? Or is Jesus explaining by saying they will do greater works that they would do so in greater, not quality, but quantity? That being more in number and having more time on the earth, they would be able to reach more people and have more opportunity than the Lord Jesus did with his three year tenure. Which one makes more sense?

So already we can understand here that the word greater does not necessarily mean greater in terms of quality, but in quantity. And Jesus even makes that clear here. There's there's no debate around those two possible explanations because what? What does he say? He Says, whoever believes in me will also do the works that I do.

That's the quality. They're gonna do the same works that I've done. They're gonna heal the sick. They're gonna cast out devils. They're gonna raise the dead.

But here's where they're gonna do it in a greater way. Greater works in terms of numeric value. They will spread across the globe and reach places that I have not reached and they will do much more than I did while on earth. The definition and application of greater already we can learn does not necessarily have to mean superior. And that definition is expanded even more in the bible.

So we heard about John the Baptist when Jesus said that no one was greater than him, but those who are least in the kingdom of heaven will be greater than him. In Matthew eleven eleven, I'll just read it again for your memory's sake. He says, truly I say to you among those born of woman there has arisen no one greater than John the Baptist, yet the one who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he. Matthew eleven eleven. Jesus said with the same word greater, no one born of woman is greater than him.

But those who'd be under the category, those who'd be included in the kingdom of heaven by faith, they would be greater. How is that? Is Jesus saying that John the Baptist is more human than others? That John the Baptist is someone who holds greater human dignity from those before him and those who would come after him? Let me ask you this way.

Is it totally acceptable for me to say that the mayor of Chicago, no matter what your opinion about him is, the mayor of Chicago is greater than me. Yes. You can say that. You know why you can say that? Because in terms of status, position, and rank, he is greater.

But I am no less human than the mayor of Chicago. I am not least deserving, less deserving of dignity and respect. And so it's totally possible for me to use the word greater in denoting that someone can have and possess greater rank than myself while still holding the same intrinsic value and worth. And what Jesus said about John in terms of John being greater and those in the kingdom being greater than he is very similar to how he's applying that in relation to the father while he was on earth. By virtue of becoming man and humbling himself to the point of being a slave, Jesus could say in terms of position, rank, and honor, the father is greater than I.

And in the same way, with the mayor of Chicago and myself as an example, I am no less human than him, Jesus, in saying that the father is greater is no less God. He is no less divine. He is no less worthy of worship and respect and submission. Jesus could say the father is greater than I and still retain the status of deity. And there will be a day, and that day has already come, where Jesus even prayed in John 17 and asked the father that he would be restored to the glory that he shared with him before the world even began, and that he would be in that environment after enduring successfully his humiliation on the earth to receive praise and recognition and that great status that he laid aside so that he can come into this world and save a broken humanity.

He's there now and he will be there forevermore. So Jesus could say the father is greater than I and that does not imply that the father is gone than that he is not. In the same way, you can say greater in terms of numeric value and greater in terms of position and rank. So this is not a proof text to say that Jesus is not divine. And there are so many texts.

We know so many people take Jesus' words out of context. And if you want, you can go further than that with with John fourteen twenty, just read the whole chapter. And you will come out with this undeniable, unquestionable conclusion that he is God. Pray and ask my name and I'll answer it. All these different things he says in John 14 that emphatically defines his omnipresence and omnipotence.

He is God. God cannot be multi personal. Of course, he can be. He's God. And lastly, for the sake of time, God cannot be man.

God cannot change. God cannot be tempted. God cannot be multi personal. God, number five, cannot die. God cannot die.

This is what the objection is. In many people's understanding of death, their definition of death, they would say that to die is to cease to exist completely. To cease to exist completely completely. And that's where the strength of the argument lies. You believe that Jesus is God.

How in the world can you also say that God died on a cross? Died? God, the eternal one, self sufficient, died? And this is where mockery and scorn tends to follow. But is it possible for us to die and to continue to exist?

Absolutely. To be absent from the body is to what? Be present with the Lord. We believe that about ourselves. And Jesus made these claims about his own death that confirms that even though his flesh did in fact die a real death, he did not cease to exist.

You remember what he said in John two nineteen to 21. Right? Where he said destroy this temple and in three days I will raise it up. And then later on that same text, we're told that this temple he spoke of his body. Did you hear Jesus words carefully in John two nineteen to 21?

Destroy this body and who will raise it up? Who? Who's gonna raise up Jesus's body? He said, I'm gonna do it. I myself am gonna do it.

And it's a Trinitarian effort. We know that the Father did it. We know that the Spirit, Romans eight, the same Spirit who raised Christ Jesus from the dead lives in us. We know that. But Jesus at that point, at that juncture said, I will raise up this body.

Destroy it. Do whatever you would with it. But I will raise it up. Implying what? Well, hold on.

Your body is destroyed, but you're gonna how are you gonna raise it up? Because though his body was destroyed, he was still conscious and still in control. So even Jesus nailed on the tree does not mean that he ceased to exist as God. He said, I would raise it up. Well, how are you gonna raise it up?

Because I'm still in control. I'm still conscious. This is going according to my plan perfectly. I had a conversation with somebody who reached out to me years ago. They found me online, I guess, and they knew my my family from many years ago before I was even born, I guess.

And based on the language of this person who is reaching out online, I thought, oh, this person is a Christian. So I began to speak Christianese, you know. And I quickly realized that this person is not a Christian. And this person wasn't reaching out to really have an encouraging conversation, but to have a debate, an informal one. Because I guess they heard what these messages were all about and we hope to proclaim Jesus Christ and him crucified.

You believe Jesus is God? Yes. Of course, I do. One objection after the next. One objection after the next.

It was just back and forth. And at that time, something just rushed into my mind. And this is pretty much the end of the conversation. Can God die? Of course not.

God is spirit. God is eternal existence. Okay. Okay. Does God have blood?

That was the question. Does God have blood? Of course, he doesn't have blood. He's spirits. And on and on and on.

I said, then explain to me this verse. And this is the verse that I call you to turn to. In Acts 20 in verse 28. Paul the Apostle to the elders of the church of Ephesus, pay careful attention to yourselves and to all the flock in which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers to care for the church of God, to care for the church of God, to care for the church of God which he obtained with his own blood. Whose blood are we speaking about here?

The blood of God in the person of Jesus Christ. Does God have blood? Yes. In nature, he's spirit, but he took on a body. And in that body, there was blood.

And that blood would be shed. And through that shed blood, there would be forgiveness, redemption, restoration, salvation. Yes. And so in that, there was like the text bubble, no text bubble, text bubble, no text bubble, text that was it. Because the Bible declares that our God did become man.

And he became man because in his great love for man, he died. And that dying, you would have life. In dying, you would have hope. In dying, you would have forgiveness of sin. In dying, you would have a body glorified.

Prepared to enjoy the bliss and the joy that can only emanate from a good and perfect and holy God. A body prepared to be embraced by this God who we will look at forever. And when we see his hands and his side and his feet, we will always remember what he did for us to be in his presence. Do you know this Jesus Christ whom I declare to you today? Oh, you might be familiar with him, yet you can be familiar with celebrities and your favorite sports teams and know where they went to college, what their stats are.

It doesn't mean they know you or you know them. I'm not asking if you know statistics about Christianity, nor am I asking you if you are familiar with the truths about Jesus. Maybe you knew everything that I just said. You can know all these things and still go to hell. Because your faith is demon faith.

It's not a faith that submits to God. It's not a faith that recognizes his lordship that causes you to repent and to put your trust in him. And so you might be able to prove the trinity. You might be able to wax eloquence concerning the person of Jesus Christ, but does he live in your heart? Does he live in your heart?

Are you assured that this Christ who cannot be refuted, this book, this truth that has gone through scrutiny throughout human history and still stands today, Are you convinced that if you stand before this holy, loving God that he will know you? If you are not confident of that, what's more important to this God than you having a wealth of knowledge, even theological knowledge, is if you know him, if you have bended the knee and surrendered to him and said, I need forgiveness and you know that he's given to you because his word says so. And that you know your heart has been made new because when you say yes to Christ, he doesn't just come and stamp something on you invisibly, he transforms you from the inside out and people say, what happened to you? And now you have this insatiable desire for the word of God. Now things that were so boring and dull and grim to you are the ultimate thing for you in this life, to worship him, serve him, and make him known.

Perfectly? No. We're imperfect. Thank you for the blood. Christianity is not about you become instantly perfect, but it is about you having new heart direction.

And it's all based upon faith. It's all the gift of grace. What's this Christmas season about? It's about what you just heard. Christ coming into the world, taking on flesh, humbling himself as a babe, growing up as a child and then a teenager and then into adulthood so his body would be prepared to be a sacrifice for you.

That's what this is about. I know it's cute. I know it's warm and fuzzy. I know we decorate and it's nice. I know we have jingles in the air and it's it's lighthearted.

But Christmas is about blood. It is. But God having a body so that he can bleed and that blood would cover you and wash you of all your sins. That's what Christmas is about. So if you've not received Jesus Christ as Lord, that is the greatest gift you can receive on this side of heaven.

And as much as it is a free gift, can I tell you something in great love? It has an expiration date on it. We are not universalists, where God and his great love, no matter what you believe, will one day bring in everybody into the fold. No. There is a time limit.

And while you have breath, you can accept this gift. But the moment that you are absent from this body and you stand before him, you won't be able to have that chance to receive the gift. That's why you need to answer this today and give your life to Christ. Believer, do not be ashamed of the gospel of Jesus Christ. Do not be intimidated by objections.

If this book is true and we believe it is true, all it requires is some investigation and some hunger to to know more And you will be further assured that you are serving and following the true God, Jesus Christ as Lord. Lord, we thank you for this time and we worship you as a family. Thank you for the word that has nourished us. Thank you, Lord, that though this is in fact about the gospel, we have every right to feel warm and at peace and excited this time of the year. And maybe always for the reason that you intended it to be, that we would remember our salvation is in Christ.

And, Lord, we ask for the visitor who might not know you. They would leave here with the overwhelming sense that they must seek you, and they will give their lives to you. We pray, Lord, that your spirit would do what no man can do in dealing with the human heart, the deepest parts of who we are. Again, for the believer. The believer who might be familiar.

May there be fresh fire in their bellies. To realize again that we have the truth in our hands and we serve the true and living God. We pray for our neighbors, our friends who do not know Christ, who might even have given these objections to us at some point. Would you touch them this Christmas season? Would you open their eyes to see that salvation can only come from God, not by our own efforts or participation?

May they realize it, Lord. May they realize it somehow, someway in your providence. Use pastors across this land, church services across the world, and may you providentially lead lost souls in those places so that they can hear the gospel. And beyond church services, Lord, use our lives. Help us be equipped so that we can be light and that people can see that we in fact do have the truth.

Lord, for those this season who do not anticipate this time of the year because it invites memories of pain and loneliness, Lord, would you comfort them? Family members who are no longer with us. Maybe situations in family that have caused hurt and division and separation. Lord, we just ask that your presence, Lord, would flood every home and that we would be comforted by you. We just ask for those who are hurting now.

And though they might have salvation, we pray that they would receive your healing touch and that they would know that you are with them and that you love them and that you see every tear, you see every ache of the heart, and that, Lord, you have not forgotten about them. Lord, we need you. More than gifts, more than the newest and the latest, we need your presence. Give us your presence. In Jesus' name we pray.

Amen. Amen. Amen. Yes. My heart is so full to see you here worshiping the lord Jesus with us.

And at this time, we will give a final song to him and give him glory. I wanna encourage you today that if something touched you in the service where you say, I wanna give my life to Christ. Here's the beauty about what we believe. You can speak to God even now. You You don't have to go through any minister.

You don't have to go through any person, any religious hoops. In this time, as the song is being played and people are singing, you can speak to the Lord Jesus who is alive and well. And the moment that you give your heart to him, you will be justified. You will be forgiven. You will be redeemed.

And if it's a true confession followed by repentance, then you will leave here knowing that you have been changed. The Bible says that the spirit of God bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God. There will be a supernatural confirmation in the depths of your soul that you have been saved. Just speak to him. Confess your sin to him.

Repent. Believer, you've been saved. And you're reminded of that this month, so give him glory. Let's stand together and give him glory. What a mighty God we serve.

Amen? And we're looking forward to seeing you here in a couple of hours. At this time, we're gonna pray in a moment, but please join us. There is a and if you were able, join us at five. We're going to be here a little bit earlier.

People are going to start making their way upstairs to find a There'll be a beautiful prelude, and we trust that you will be blessed as we continue to worship. It's the Lord's day. Right? So we can give him the day. Amen.

And so in a moment, I pray. And, if you have any questions concerning what you heard, you can find us at the door. The pastors will be at the door, and you can find us downstairs as well. We'd love to help you with anything. Even if it's just prayer, we're here for you.

We're here for you. Let's pray. Lord, again, this service concludes with your name on our lips. And we ask, Lord, that though this service concludes, that your name would remain in our hearts. And then, Lord, in our time of fellowship, would you be in the midst?

May we sense the encouragement of the family of God. Lord, this is our ultimate family, those who belong to you, and we thank you for that. Lord, we ask that you would be with the team as they even prepare for tonight. And for those who are visitors coming to this place, we're not here for the service, may they encounter the presence of God. And may they be changed by the truth of Jesus Christ.

We thank you for this family. Thank you for our future. We love you with all of our hearts. Help us love you more. In Jesus name, amen.

Amen. The Lord bless you. We'll see you downstairs. God bless you. See you soon.