Christmas 2019

What was God up to when Jesus was born?

Text: John 3

In the Beginning…

Adam & Eve:

Were created by God in the flesh (Gen. 2:23)

Were filled with the Spirit (Gen. 2:7)

And became sinners (Gen. 3:6)

THE IMPACT OF SIN IS DEATH,

BOTH SPIRITUALLY AND PHYSICALLY

At the Incarnation…

The WORD was God and became flesh for our sake. (John 1:14)

Jesus restored the model of spiritual and physical unity

as God had originally intended

To the individual…

Jesus explained the life God intended:

You must be born of the water (flesh-physical)

and the Spirit (image of God restored – spiritual)

YOU MUST BE BORN AGAIN! (John 3:3)

The image must be restored,

You must become like Me!

At the cross…

Jesus made

RECONCILIATION POSSIBLE

by satisfying God’s requirement

for justice against sin

(Colossians 1:21-22)

The Amazing Reality…

EVERYONE WHO IS BORN OF THE SPIRIT BEGINS A NEW LIFE THAT LASTS FOREVER (John 3:16b)

EVERYONE WHO IS BORN OF THE SPIRIT BELIEVES THAT THE DEATH OF JESUS WAS NECESSARY FOR OUR SIN TO BE FORGIVEN (John 3:16b)

EVERYONE WHO IS BORN OF THE SPIRIT IS SAVED BY JESUS FROM THE WRATH OF GOD AGAINST SIN (1 John 2:2)

SO…what was happening when Jesus was born?

God was loving humanity

God was making a way for our sin to be forgiven

God was providing a way for us to have the life that He intended from the start

God was working out His plan for our salvation and

His great glory

For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life. (John 3:16)

When Jesus was born…

EVERYTHING changed

Have you?