Nearly two years ago I preached a series of sermons on the doctrines of the Christian faith. One of the most if not the most important doctrine is that Jesus Christ, the Son of God, is God. He is a member of the Trinity along with God the Father and the Holy Spirit. He is the "Incomparable Christ".
John 1:1-5, 10-14 CEV In the beginning was the one who is called the Word. The Word was with God and was truly God. From the very beginning the Word was with God. And with this Word, God created all things. Nothing was made without the Word. Everything that was created received its life from him, and his life gave light to everyone. The light keeps shining in the dark, and darkness has never put it out. The Word was in the world, but no one knew him, though God had made the world with his Word. He came into his own world, but his own nation did not welcome him. Yet some people accepted him and put their faith in him. So he gave them the right to be the children of God. They were not God's children by nature or because of any human desires. God himself was the one who made them his children. The Word became a human being and lived here with us. We saw his true glory, the glory of the only Son of the Father. From him the complete gifts of undeserved grace and truth have come down to us.
Jesus came to earth as a man so that as a man He could sacrifice Himself so that man can have an opportunity to have eternal life in the presence of God Almighty (God the Father, God the Son, God the Holy Spirit).
Jesus became at the same time and in an absolute sense both God and man. He did not “become God” at his baptism and “cease to be God” at his death. When he was born in Bethlehem, he was God; when he ascended from back to heaven, he was God! In becoming flesh, Jesus, though he laid aside his heavenly glory, in no sense laid aside his deity. This had to be true, for his full deity and complete humanity were necessary if his death on the cross was to have redeeming value for humanity.
When Jesus ascended into heaven, after His resurrection, he did not leave behind just a fond memory of himself in the hearts of his followers. He had told them;
John 14:15-20 CEV Jesus said to his disciples: If you love me, you will do as I command. Then I will ask the Father to send you the Holy Spirit who will help you and always be with you. The Spirit will show you what is true. The people of this world cannot accept the Spirit, because they don't see or know him. But you know the Spirit, who is with you and will keep on living in you. I won't leave you like orphans. I will come back to you. In a little while the people of this world won't be able to see me, but you will see me. And because I live, you will live. Then you will know I am one with the Father. You will know you are one with me, and I am one with you.
John 16:5-11 CEV But now I am going back to the Father who sent me, and none of you asks me where I am going. You are very sad from hearing all of this. But I tell you I am going to do what is best for you. This is why I am going away. The Holy Spirit cannot come to help you until I leave. But after I am gone, I will send the Spirit to you. The Spirit will come and show the people of this world the truth about sin and God's justice and judgment. The Spirit will show them that they are wrong about sin, because they didn't have faith in me. They are wrong about God's justice, because I am going to the Father, and you won't see me again. And they are wrong about the judgment, because God has already judged the ruler of this world.
Matthew 28:19-20 CEV Go to the people of all nations and make them my disciples. Baptize them in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, and teach them to do everything I have told you. I will be with you always, even until the end of the world.
The Incomparable Christ Is Our Example
The following is from "A Prayer For Heavenly Examples"
by Greg Laurie
Jesus Christ is God. He is a member of the Trinity, coequal and coeternal with the Father and with the Holy Spirit. Jesus was God before He was born, and He remained God after He became man. His deity was prehuman, pre-Mary, and pre-Bethlehem.
Jesus laid aside not His deity, but the privileges of deity, to model what it is to be a servant. Paul told the believers in Philippi, “Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men” (Philippians 2:5-7).
We are to follow His example. If Jesus could lay aside the privileges of divinity, then how much more should we, as human beings with sinful hearts, be willing to put the needs of others above ourselves?
This isn’t easy. In fact, we could say that it’s virtually impossible—apart from the power of the Spirit. This is not so much about imitation as much as it is about impartation—Christ Himself living in us and giving us His love and power. It’s the only way we can put the needs of another person above our own, love people whom we really don’t like all that much, or effectively die to ourselves. It seems impossible. But this is the way God has called us to live.
Heavenly Lord, You Set Aside Your Glory To Walk Among Us As A Human. Help Us To Lay Down Our Petty Idols And Walk With You Through This Life Until Your Kingdom Comes. Help Us To Follow The Example You Have Laid Out For Us In The Scripture. May We Love Our Neighbors, Walk In Humility, And Always Speak With Gentleness. Help Us Follow The Example Christ Gives Us, Keeping His Perspective Before Us. In Your Name We Pray, Amen.
John 1:1-5, 10-14 CEV In the beginning was the one who is called the Word. The Word was with God and was truly God. From the very beginning the Word was with God. And with this Word, God created all things. Nothing was made without the Word. Everything that was created received its life from him, and his life gave light to everyone. The light keeps shining in the dark, and darkness has never put it out. The Word was in the world, but no one knew him, though God had made the world with his Word. He came into his own world, but his own nation did not welcome him. Yet some people accepted him and put their faith in him. So he gave them the right to be the children of God. They were not God's children by nature or because of any human desires. God himself was the one who made them his children. The Word became a human being and lived here with us. We saw his true glory, the glory of the only Son of the Father. From him the complete gifts of undeserved grace and truth have come down to us.
Jesus came to earth as a man so that as a man He could sacrifice Himself so that man can have an opportunity to have eternal life in the presence of God Almighty (God the Father, God the Son, God the Holy Spirit).
Jesus became at the same time and in an absolute sense both God and man. He did not “become God” at his baptism and “cease to be God” at his death. When he was born in Bethlehem, he was God; when he ascended from back to heaven, he was God! In becoming flesh, Jesus, though he laid aside his heavenly glory, in no sense laid aside his deity. This had to be true, for his full deity and complete humanity were necessary if his death on the cross was to have redeeming value for humanity.
When Jesus ascended into heaven, after His resurrection, he did not leave behind just a fond memory of himself in the hearts of his followers. He had told them;
John 14:15-20 CEV Jesus said to his disciples: If you love me, you will do as I command. Then I will ask the Father to send you the Holy Spirit who will help you and always be with you. The Spirit will show you what is true. The people of this world cannot accept the Spirit, because they don't see or know him. But you know the Spirit, who is with you and will keep on living in you. I won't leave you like orphans. I will come back to you. In a little while the people of this world won't be able to see me, but you will see me. And because I live, you will live. Then you will know I am one with the Father. You will know you are one with me, and I am one with you.
John 16:5-11 CEV But now I am going back to the Father who sent me, and none of you asks me where I am going. You are very sad from hearing all of this. But I tell you I am going to do what is best for you. This is why I am going away. The Holy Spirit cannot come to help you until I leave. But after I am gone, I will send the Spirit to you. The Spirit will come and show the people of this world the truth about sin and God's justice and judgment. The Spirit will show them that they are wrong about sin, because they didn't have faith in me. They are wrong about God's justice, because I am going to the Father, and you won't see me again. And they are wrong about the judgment, because God has already judged the ruler of this world.
Matthew 28:19-20 CEV Go to the people of all nations and make them my disciples. Baptize them in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, and teach them to do everything I have told you. I will be with you always, even until the end of the world.
The Incomparable Christ Is Our Example
The following is from "A Prayer For Heavenly Examples"
by Greg Laurie
Jesus Christ is God. He is a member of the Trinity, coequal and coeternal with the Father and with the Holy Spirit. Jesus was God before He was born, and He remained God after He became man. His deity was prehuman, pre-Mary, and pre-Bethlehem.
Jesus laid aside not His deity, but the privileges of deity, to model what it is to be a servant. Paul told the believers in Philippi, “Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men” (Philippians 2:5-7).
We are to follow His example. If Jesus could lay aside the privileges of divinity, then how much more should we, as human beings with sinful hearts, be willing to put the needs of others above ourselves?
This isn’t easy. In fact, we could say that it’s virtually impossible—apart from the power of the Spirit. This is not so much about imitation as much as it is about impartation—Christ Himself living in us and giving us His love and power. It’s the only way we can put the needs of another person above our own, love people whom we really don’t like all that much, or effectively die to ourselves. It seems impossible. But this is the way God has called us to live.
Heavenly Lord, You Set Aside Your Glory To Walk Among Us As A Human. Help Us To Lay Down Our Petty Idols And Walk With You Through This Life Until Your Kingdom Comes. Help Us To Follow The Example You Have Laid Out For Us In The Scripture. May We Love Our Neighbors, Walk In Humility, And Always Speak With Gentleness. Help Us Follow The Example Christ Gives Us, Keeping His Perspective Before Us. In Your Name We Pray, Amen.
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