WEBVTT 1 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:06.800 For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given, and the government will be upon his shoulder. 2 00:00:06.800 --> 00:00:10.320 And his name, this is the name of Jesus. 3 00:00:10.320 --> 00:00:12.400 Wonderful, amen? 4 00:00:12.400 --> 00:00:14.800 Counselor, how about the third one? 5 00:00:14.800 --> 00:00:16.400 Say it out loud. 6 00:00:16.400 --> 00:00:18.640 Mighty God. 7 00:00:18.640 --> 00:00:20.000 Who is Jesus? 8 00:00:20.000 --> 00:00:21.520 Mighty God. 9 00:00:21.520 --> 00:00:22.480 The Son of God? 10 00:00:22.480 --> 00:00:23.280 Yes. 11 00:00:23.280 --> 00:00:24.560 Is He God also? 12 00:00:24.560 --> 00:00:26.160 Yes. 13 00:00:26.160 --> 00:00:28.560 Welcome to the City Light Church podcast. 14 00:00:28.560 --> 00:00:35.520 Thanks for joining us today as we look into God's word and discover the hope and truth that he has for us. 15 00:00:35.520 --> 00:00:41.360 If you want to connect with City Light Church, feel free to visit us at citylightnyc.com 16 00:00:41.360 --> 00:00:44.720 that citylightnyc.com. 17 00:00:44.720 --> 00:00:52.480 Pastor Boyan Jansik and his team believe that the power of the Holy Spirit is already working in our hearts and minds. 18 00:00:52.480 --> 00:00:57.440 As you listen to today's teaching, remember that you are deeply loved by God, 19 00:00:57.440 --> 00:01:06.160 that you are surrounded by His grace, and that He has a real hope and a future for you. 20 00:01:06.160 --> 00:01:08.480 Welcome to City Light Church. 21 00:01:08.480 --> 00:01:12.720 Those of you joining us online, so glad that you're with us. 22 00:01:12.720 --> 00:01:17.280 Hallelujah. 23 00:01:17.280 --> 00:01:21.680 And that's a real dose to the Christmas spirit. 24 00:01:21.680 --> 00:01:25.680 Rockets, Radio City, Rockefeller, whatever. 25 00:01:25.680 --> 00:01:29.040 That's... 26 00:01:29.040 --> 00:01:33.840 I'm walking out here, feeling extra-Christmasy. 27 00:01:33.840 --> 00:01:36.960 And I love Christmas. 28 00:01:36.960 --> 00:01:39.840 What an overwhelming response to that. 29 00:01:39.840 --> 00:01:41.840 I love it. 30 00:01:41.840 --> 00:01:45.040 I remember... 31 00:01:45.040 --> 00:01:48.880 When I first immigrated here, because back in former Yugoslavia, we didn't have Christmas. 32 00:01:49.840 --> 00:01:53.600 The term, but really, was all about the New Year. 33 00:01:53.600 --> 00:01:56.000 The New Year was the big celebration. 34 00:01:56.000 --> 00:01:57.840 And then I come to American Christmas. 35 00:01:57.840 --> 00:01:58.640 It's such a big deal. 36 00:01:58.640 --> 00:02:03.440 Then I get saved, and I really get the meaning of Christmas when I was 16. 37 00:02:03.440 --> 00:02:05.680 And Christmas is extra-special. 38 00:02:05.680 --> 00:02:09.360 And then shortly after, the Christian Grinches came. 39 00:02:09.360 --> 00:02:11.680 And other Grinches. 40 00:02:11.680 --> 00:02:14.480 They were a mean one. 41 00:02:14.480 --> 00:02:16.880 And they started telling me how Christmas was pagan. 42 00:02:16.880 --> 00:02:26.400 Have you guys, you know, the whole Christmas is pagan thing? 43 00:02:26.400 --> 00:02:30.160 If you don't want to celebrate the Lord's birthday, 44 00:02:30.160 --> 00:02:35.120 because you're digging deep and finding some pagan roots, 45 00:02:35.120 --> 00:02:37.920 I mean, you can do that with anything. 46 00:02:37.920 --> 00:02:40.000 What's today? What day is it today? 47 00:02:40.000 --> 00:02:41.760 Not the date, but the day. 48 00:02:41.760 --> 00:02:43.120 Sunday. 49 00:02:43.200 --> 00:02:45.120 That's the sun worshipers day. 50 00:02:45.120 --> 00:02:50.080 The Sunday, followed by Monday, or Monday. 51 00:02:50.080 --> 00:02:52.080 What is it in Spanish? 52 00:02:53.360 --> 00:02:55.280 Don't howl at the moon when you say that. 53 00:02:55.280 --> 00:02:56.880 Lunas. 54 00:02:56.880 --> 00:02:58.560 I took French. I didn't take Spanish. 55 00:02:58.560 --> 00:03:00.880 In French, it's Lundy. 56 00:03:00.880 --> 00:03:02.880 Wednesday's, Woden's Day. 57 00:03:02.880 --> 00:03:06.400 You guys, it's actually not a character in the Marvel Universe. 58 00:03:06.400 --> 00:03:08.560 It was a former God that people worshiped. 59 00:03:08.560 --> 00:03:11.680 Odin, or Woden. 60 00:03:11.760 --> 00:03:15.600 Odin's Day, followed by Thursday, which is Thursday, 61 00:03:15.600 --> 00:03:18.960 followed by Friday, from the German goddess of fertility, 62 00:03:18.960 --> 00:03:20.960 Freyart. 63 00:03:20.960 --> 00:03:24.800 And so, you can dig and find pagan roots in anything. 64 00:03:24.800 --> 00:03:28.160 You know, birthday cake is pagan. 65 00:03:28.160 --> 00:03:32.480 Bringing flowers to a funeral or leaving them at the cemetery. 66 00:03:32.480 --> 00:03:35.120 That's pagan. 67 00:03:35.120 --> 00:03:39.120 I mean, we can't do anything, right? 68 00:03:39.120 --> 00:03:46.160 And so, my point is this, how many people have you seen 69 00:03:46.160 --> 00:03:51.200 going to the first church of Thor, or the Thor temple, 70 00:03:51.200 --> 00:03:54.000 or Woden, or actually worshiping the sun? 71 00:03:54.000 --> 00:03:55.840 I'm going to Jones Beach and get in a nice tan. 72 00:03:55.840 --> 00:03:57.440 I mean, actually worshiping. 73 00:03:57.440 --> 00:04:00.240 Because God, as he promised in the Psalms, 74 00:04:00.240 --> 00:04:03.360 has made these other gods his footstool. 75 00:04:03.360 --> 00:04:04.800 And they are nowhere around. 76 00:04:04.800 --> 00:04:06.880 And they have been trotting down. 77 00:04:06.960 --> 00:04:08.720 And we have built a top of it. 78 00:04:08.720 --> 00:04:10.000 Amen. 79 00:04:10.000 --> 00:04:12.840 And so, you can be a Grinch and talk about pagan roots 80 00:04:12.840 --> 00:04:14.720 and find some obscure verse in Jeremiah 81 00:04:14.720 --> 00:04:16.720 that talks about cutting down an evergreen tree. 82 00:04:16.720 --> 00:04:20.120 And go, ooh, my evergreen tree isn't to some other God. 83 00:04:20.120 --> 00:04:21.120 It's for Christmas. 84 00:04:21.120 --> 00:04:23.600 And I'm celebrating the incarnation of Jesus. 85 00:04:23.600 --> 00:04:24.800 Amen. 86 00:04:24.800 --> 00:04:27.800 Hallelujah. 87 00:04:27.800 --> 00:04:30.320 Hallelujah. 88 00:04:30.320 --> 00:04:34.120 Thank you, Lord. 89 00:04:34.120 --> 00:04:34.880 A wonderful thing. 90 00:04:34.880 --> 00:04:37.400 Was he born on December 25th? 91 00:04:37.400 --> 00:04:40.960 Probably not. 92 00:04:40.960 --> 00:04:43.280 But it's as good a day as any, I'd say, 93 00:04:43.280 --> 00:04:47.240 to celebrate the incarnation of God Almighty. 94 00:04:47.240 --> 00:04:48.960 Amen. 95 00:04:48.960 --> 00:04:51.440 You know, because the shepherds were out. 96 00:04:51.440 --> 00:04:54.120 When he was born, there were shepherds in the field. 97 00:04:54.120 --> 00:04:56.040 And in December, the shepherds wouldn't have been 98 00:04:56.040 --> 00:04:59.400 field and that region of the earth 99 00:04:59.400 --> 00:05:02.120 would have been probably late spring or summer. 100 00:05:02.120 --> 00:05:04.480 No one knows the day he was actually born. 101 00:05:04.600 --> 00:05:07.200 I hope I'm not blowing some of you away. 102 00:05:07.200 --> 00:05:09.360 No one knows the actual day. 103 00:05:09.360 --> 00:05:12.560 But if I was to pick a day, December 25th, 104 00:05:12.560 --> 00:05:15.080 it seems like a good day, amen. 105 00:05:15.080 --> 00:05:20.200 To actually stop our lives and re-center and focus on God 106 00:05:20.200 --> 00:05:22.200 being made flesh. 107 00:05:22.200 --> 00:05:24.080 Hallelujah. 108 00:05:24.080 --> 00:05:25.560 So I just wanted to alleviate if you've 109 00:05:25.560 --> 00:05:28.960 been online a lot and the Grinches are coming. 110 00:05:28.960 --> 00:05:33.000 And now you fancy yourself a historian on all things paganism. 111 00:05:33.000 --> 00:05:35.640 Ask yourself, where are these gods today? 112 00:05:35.640 --> 00:05:37.720 And where are their worshipers? 113 00:05:37.720 --> 00:05:42.040 I think it's a beautiful thing that the altars have 114 00:05:42.040 --> 00:05:47.120 been torn down from all the high places 115 00:05:47.120 --> 00:05:49.000 and where there's now just ash. 116 00:05:49.000 --> 00:05:54.840 We have built such a beautiful, beautiful holiday 117 00:05:54.840 --> 00:05:57.760 that really provokes some people to so much jealousy. 118 00:05:57.760 --> 00:05:59.560 Really, it's jealousy that they had to change it 119 00:05:59.560 --> 00:06:02.960 to happy holidays. 120 00:06:02.960 --> 00:06:04.800 If you remember when that whole ship was happening, 121 00:06:04.800 --> 00:06:06.680 it's been now like 30 years. 122 00:06:06.680 --> 00:06:09.040 Because the word was, it's offensive. 123 00:06:09.040 --> 00:06:10.400 What's offensive? 124 00:06:10.400 --> 00:06:14.600 How beautiful it is, how majestic, how glorious. 125 00:06:14.600 --> 00:06:16.360 Well, there's a lot of people that celebrate a lot 126 00:06:16.360 --> 00:06:17.880 of other hell holidays in December. 127 00:06:17.880 --> 00:06:19.880 No, there aren't. 128 00:06:19.880 --> 00:06:22.880 It's my microphone on. 129 00:06:22.880 --> 00:06:25.440 No, there aren't. 130 00:06:25.440 --> 00:06:26.720 One was the last time you actually 131 00:06:26.720 --> 00:06:30.280 knew someone who celebrated Kwanzaa. 132 00:06:30.280 --> 00:06:41.720 Chris, you know anyone who celebrates Kwanzaa? 133 00:06:41.720 --> 00:06:45.440 One person. 134 00:06:45.440 --> 00:06:46.720 Hanaka, all right. 135 00:06:46.720 --> 00:06:49.200 2% of the population, by the way, Hanaka 136 00:06:49.200 --> 00:06:51.920 is a minor, minor holiday. 137 00:06:51.920 --> 00:06:54.120 It wasn't even really, you can look at the graph 138 00:06:54.120 --> 00:06:56.080 of when it actually started in mass being celebrated, 139 00:06:56.080 --> 00:07:00.840 it started in the 50s, where it was like all menorahs everywhere, 140 00:07:00.840 --> 00:07:05.200 but it was 2% of the population of minor holiday. 141 00:07:05.200 --> 00:07:07.520 So who's it offending? 142 00:07:07.520 --> 00:07:08.880 Atheists, be offended. 143 00:07:08.880 --> 00:07:12.080 Be thou offended, that we have something so majestic, 144 00:07:12.080 --> 00:07:15.680 so beautiful, so glorious, that the God of the universe 145 00:07:15.680 --> 00:07:19.600 would take on human form and come and dwell among us. 146 00:07:19.600 --> 00:07:22.640 Be born of a virgin, supernaturally. 147 00:07:22.640 --> 00:07:25.880 Live a perfectly sinless life, be innocent. 148 00:07:25.920 --> 00:07:28.520 Go to the cross in our place. 149 00:07:28.520 --> 00:07:31.640 Hallelujah. 150 00:07:31.640 --> 00:07:35.600 I'm the Grinch Buster this Sunday morning. 151 00:07:35.600 --> 00:07:41.800 And we're celebrating Advent here. 152 00:07:41.800 --> 00:07:44.600 Because of how I was saved and where I was saved, 153 00:07:44.600 --> 00:07:46.640 Advent eluded me for many, many years. 154 00:07:46.640 --> 00:07:49.280 I really didn't know what it was about. 155 00:07:49.280 --> 00:07:50.560 And I mean, I celebrated Christmas. 156 00:07:50.560 --> 00:07:52.000 And you know, when you're a real Christian, 157 00:07:52.000 --> 00:07:55.120 really Christmas in Easter every single day, right? 158 00:07:55.120 --> 00:07:57.640 Just we take an extra mile out of time 159 00:07:57.640 --> 00:08:00.080 and really focus in on it. 160 00:08:00.080 --> 00:08:05.720 So I kind of let Advent go over my head really, even as a pastor, 161 00:08:05.720 --> 00:08:08.280 until my wife, after we had Victor, 162 00:08:08.280 --> 00:08:12.880 went to the first church of Trader Joe's. 163 00:08:12.880 --> 00:08:15.000 You know where I'm going with this, huh? 164 00:08:15.000 --> 00:08:17.400 The Advent calendar. 165 00:08:17.400 --> 00:08:20.280 The Trader Joe's chocolate Advent calendar. 166 00:08:20.280 --> 00:08:21.080 And she got it. 167 00:08:21.080 --> 00:08:23.120 And of course, Vivian hadn't come along. 168 00:08:23.120 --> 00:08:27.560 And Victor got very excited every morning leading up to Christmas 169 00:08:27.560 --> 00:08:29.800 was, daddy, let's celebrate Advent. 170 00:08:29.800 --> 00:08:30.800 Let me get to my chocolate. 171 00:08:30.800 --> 00:08:32.920 You know, and I would, I'm like, let me look into Advent 172 00:08:32.920 --> 00:08:35.360 like it's original roots and what it's supposed to be. 173 00:08:35.360 --> 00:08:37.120 And it's supposed to be a time. 174 00:08:37.120 --> 00:08:39.000 And once again, we're in the middle of Advent right now 175 00:08:39.000 --> 00:08:40.680 from the beginning of December, culminating 176 00:08:40.680 --> 00:08:42.680 on December the 25th. 177 00:08:42.680 --> 00:08:48.040 It's supposed to be a time where we focus in on specifically 178 00:08:48.040 --> 00:08:50.560 the incarnation. 179 00:08:50.560 --> 00:08:54.400 The incarnation from the Latin to be made flesh 180 00:08:54.400 --> 00:09:02.840 of God having come as a man as a human, a person, which 181 00:09:02.840 --> 00:09:04.560 you didn't have to do. 182 00:09:04.560 --> 00:09:06.800 I mean, he had to do it if he was going to redeem mankind, 183 00:09:06.800 --> 00:09:09.040 but he didn't have to redeem mankind. 184 00:09:09.040 --> 00:09:11.880 He could have said, look, you've rebelled in the garden. 185 00:09:11.880 --> 00:09:14.120 And ever since then, every time I've reached out to you, 186 00:09:14.120 --> 00:09:16.440 you've turned your back on me and you've rebelled and you've rebelled 187 00:09:16.440 --> 00:09:17.240 and you've rebelled. 188 00:09:17.240 --> 00:09:20.000 And he could have just washed his hand of the whole ordeal. 189 00:09:20.040 --> 00:09:23.280 But while we were still sinners, Christ loved us. 190 00:09:23.280 --> 00:09:25.120 And Christ died for the ungodly. 191 00:09:25.120 --> 00:09:27.480 And so he did what he had to do, which 192 00:09:27.480 --> 00:09:32.080 is come in the person of a man, come as what the Bible calls 193 00:09:32.080 --> 00:09:35.800 the last Adam in a sinless body, perfect spirit, 194 00:09:35.800 --> 00:09:36.680 sinless soul. 195 00:09:39.680 --> 00:09:42.440 And pick up where Adam left off and where he messed up, 196 00:09:42.440 --> 00:09:44.360 Jesus wouldn't. 197 00:09:44.360 --> 00:09:47.520 And on top of that, go to the cross as a sacrifice 198 00:09:47.520 --> 00:09:49.560 to take away all of our sins. 199 00:09:49.600 --> 00:09:51.440 So that's what I want to talk to you about this morning, 200 00:09:51.440 --> 00:09:53.560 the incarnation. 201 00:09:53.560 --> 00:09:55.880 And let's get ready for Advent. 202 00:09:55.880 --> 00:09:58.440 And we've got another week. 203 00:09:58.440 --> 00:09:59.880 Next Sunday will be Christmas Eve. 204 00:09:59.880 --> 00:10:03.880 We'll be here celebrating once again. 205 00:10:03.880 --> 00:10:07.880 Let's celebrate what Jesus did, shall we? 206 00:10:07.880 --> 00:10:11.720 Isaiah, let's go to Isaiah 9.6. 207 00:10:11.720 --> 00:10:16.640 The word incarnation means the act of being made flesh. 208 00:10:16.640 --> 00:10:21.200 And it comes from the Latin version of John 114, which 209 00:10:21.200 --> 00:10:23.920 in English reads the word became flesh. 210 00:10:23.920 --> 00:10:31.360 The word was incarnated and made his dwelling among us. 211 00:10:31.360 --> 00:10:33.520 So let's talk about the person of Jesus. 212 00:10:33.520 --> 00:10:37.040 And for too long, it's been a mystery. 213 00:10:37.040 --> 00:10:38.400 Who was he? 214 00:10:38.400 --> 00:10:42.160 Not what he did, but what was he? 215 00:10:42.160 --> 00:10:45.040 God, man. 216 00:10:45.040 --> 00:10:46.920 And that term, son of God, actually 217 00:10:46.920 --> 00:10:50.440 seems to confuse a lot of people today, 218 00:10:50.440 --> 00:10:54.720 because it had a different meaning in the Hebrew. 219 00:10:54.720 --> 00:10:56.640 Especially if you come from a Catholic background, 220 00:10:56.640 --> 00:10:58.560 it's confusing. 221 00:10:58.560 --> 00:11:00.760 Yes, it is. 222 00:11:00.760 --> 00:11:02.600 I talk to a lot of Catholics. 223 00:11:02.600 --> 00:11:05.000 My kids go to Catholic school. 224 00:11:05.000 --> 00:11:05.920 And I'll go to Catholics. 225 00:11:05.920 --> 00:11:07.320 I'll say, tell me about Jesus. 226 00:11:07.320 --> 00:11:08.040 Who is he? 227 00:11:08.040 --> 00:11:08.880 He's the son of God. 228 00:11:08.880 --> 00:11:10.120 OK, is he God also? 229 00:11:10.120 --> 00:11:14.000 Well, and you see the head go on tilt. 230 00:11:14.000 --> 00:11:17.280 They don't quite know, because there's a Mary figure 231 00:11:17.280 --> 00:11:19.200 that's been introduced. 232 00:11:19.200 --> 00:11:22.200 And so now it's almost like did God have a wife? 233 00:11:22.200 --> 00:11:24.360 Therefore, he could have a son. 234 00:11:24.360 --> 00:11:27.160 That's not the doctrine, but it produces this confusion. 235 00:11:27.160 --> 00:11:28.800 Whereas son of God to the Hebrews, 236 00:11:28.800 --> 00:11:30.600 I'll show you that a little bit, men, and something 237 00:11:30.600 --> 00:11:34.520 entirely different than how I would say I have a son. 238 00:11:37.240 --> 00:11:39.480 Here's an ancient prophecy from Isaiah. 239 00:11:39.480 --> 00:11:42.440 For unto us a child is born. 240 00:11:42.440 --> 00:11:44.880 Unto us a son is given. 241 00:11:44.880 --> 00:11:47.240 And the government will be upon his shoulder. 242 00:11:47.240 --> 00:11:51.880 And his name, this is the name of Jesus. 243 00:11:51.880 --> 00:11:54.000 Wonderful, amen? 244 00:11:54.000 --> 00:11:56.360 Counselor, how about the third one? 245 00:11:56.360 --> 00:11:57.960 Say it out loud. 246 00:11:57.960 --> 00:12:00.240 Mighty God. 247 00:12:00.240 --> 00:12:01.560 Who is Jesus? 248 00:12:01.560 --> 00:12:03.160 Mighty God. 249 00:12:03.160 --> 00:12:04.880 The son of God, yes. 250 00:12:04.880 --> 00:12:06.120 Is he God also? 251 00:12:06.120 --> 00:12:07.240 Yes. 252 00:12:07.240 --> 00:12:08.120 Mighty God. 253 00:12:10.120 --> 00:12:12.040 What about the next one? 254 00:12:12.040 --> 00:12:13.840 This will really bake your noodle. 255 00:12:13.840 --> 00:12:16.240 Everlasting Father. 256 00:12:16.240 --> 00:12:19.960 Jesus said, when you see me, you see the Father. 257 00:12:19.960 --> 00:12:23.040 I and the Father are one. 258 00:12:23.040 --> 00:12:24.000 Wonderful. 259 00:12:24.000 --> 00:12:26.400 Counselor, mighty God. 260 00:12:26.400 --> 00:12:28.600 Everlasting Father. 261 00:12:28.600 --> 00:12:30.920 Prince of peace. 262 00:12:30.920 --> 00:12:32.200 So is he the son of God? 263 00:12:32.200 --> 00:12:32.920 Is he God? 264 00:12:32.920 --> 00:12:34.280 Yes. 265 00:12:34.280 --> 00:12:35.240 Is he mighty God? 266 00:12:35.240 --> 00:12:36.520 Everlasting Father? 267 00:12:36.520 --> 00:12:37.280 Yes. 268 00:12:37.280 --> 00:12:38.880 But is he also, is he a king? 269 00:12:38.880 --> 00:12:40.200 Is he also a prince? 270 00:12:40.200 --> 00:12:42.600 Yes. 271 00:12:42.600 --> 00:12:44.720 Hallelujah. 272 00:12:44.720 --> 00:12:48.400 John, chapter 8, verse 56, going to 58. 273 00:12:51.640 --> 00:12:56.160 I just want to bask in the glory of the Lord 274 00:12:56.160 --> 00:13:00.520 and focus on his beauty, his magnificence. 275 00:13:00.520 --> 00:13:02.000 And let's begin by first acknowledging 276 00:13:02.000 --> 00:13:05.120 that Jesus always was. 277 00:13:05.120 --> 00:13:09.240 He wasn't created on December 24th. 278 00:13:09.240 --> 00:13:12.440 And he wasn't, he's not a creation that came right before 279 00:13:12.440 --> 00:13:15.840 Mary got pregnant with him, supernaturally. 280 00:13:15.840 --> 00:13:18.000 He always was. 281 00:13:18.000 --> 00:13:24.080 Your Father, why is he so strong on his verse? 282 00:13:24.080 --> 00:13:29.840 I think because it's so loaded and so dense with truth. 283 00:13:30.840 --> 00:13:35.160 I mean, I'm having beautiful Jesus. 284 00:13:35.160 --> 00:13:39.200 God and the flesh surrounded by cynics. 285 00:13:39.200 --> 00:13:40.960 You know, Jesus didn't mind skeptics. 286 00:13:40.960 --> 00:13:43.280 Even today, he doesn't mind skeptics. 287 00:13:43.280 --> 00:13:46.720 But cynics, there's a difference. 288 00:13:46.720 --> 00:13:49.000 If you're skeptical, he'll work with you. 289 00:13:49.000 --> 00:13:51.880 I came to Christ, very, very skeptical, not knowing 290 00:13:51.880 --> 00:13:55.480 what I believed, but I wasn't cynical. 291 00:13:55.480 --> 00:13:57.880 Here, he's surrounded by cynics. 292 00:13:57.920 --> 00:14:00.600 And he says, your Father Abraham rejoiced to see my day. 293 00:14:00.600 --> 00:14:03.000 And he saw it and was glad. 294 00:14:03.000 --> 00:14:06.600 Then the Jews said to him, you are not yet 50 years old 295 00:14:06.600 --> 00:14:08.600 and have you seen Abraham? 296 00:14:08.600 --> 00:14:10.600 And Jesus said to them, most assuredly, 297 00:14:10.600 --> 00:14:15.600 I saved you before Abraham was, I am, I am. 298 00:14:17.720 --> 00:14:22.240 Have no beginning, have no end, have coexisted 299 00:14:22.240 --> 00:14:24.560 with God the Father and God the Holy Spirit 300 00:14:24.560 --> 00:14:28.800 since the beginning, before Abraham was, I am. 301 00:14:28.800 --> 00:14:30.720 And this is how God revealed himself 302 00:14:30.720 --> 00:14:32.760 on the Old Testament as the great I am. 303 00:14:32.760 --> 00:14:37.400 This, by the way, in the gospels, not all of them, 304 00:14:37.400 --> 00:14:41.360 but I believe one of them, at least one, 305 00:14:41.360 --> 00:14:43.360 where the soldiers coming into arrest him, right, 306 00:14:43.360 --> 00:14:46.240 before that sham of a trial in the middle of the night 307 00:14:46.240 --> 00:14:48.400 that broke countless Jewish laws. 308 00:14:50.200 --> 00:14:52.360 The soldier said, is that the one? 309 00:14:52.360 --> 00:14:53.200 Are you the one? 310 00:14:53.200 --> 00:14:55.320 And he said, I am he. 311 00:14:55.320 --> 00:14:59.720 And 50 soldiers fell to the floor. 312 00:15:00.760 --> 00:15:03.120 Bible says they fell, prostrate. 313 00:15:03.120 --> 00:15:04.120 It's something they never show you 314 00:15:04.120 --> 00:15:06.880 in any of the Jesus movies, not the 70s ones 315 00:15:06.880 --> 00:15:10.600 with the surfer Jesus and not the modern ones. 316 00:15:10.600 --> 00:15:11.240 None of them. 317 00:15:12.200 --> 00:15:15.680 I want to see that scene, where he says I am 318 00:15:15.680 --> 00:15:20.200 and they hit the deck, falling under the power of God. 319 00:15:20.920 --> 00:15:22.400 Hallelujah. 320 00:15:25.400 --> 00:15:29.400 Let's look at Matthew 118 talking about the birth of Jesus. 321 00:15:33.640 --> 00:15:35.240 Thank you, Lord, for coming. 322 00:15:37.240 --> 00:15:39.440 Thank you, Lord, you are always a person, 323 00:15:39.440 --> 00:15:41.240 but you were made a man. 324 00:15:41.240 --> 00:15:44.240 When you were on earth, you were 100% God 325 00:15:44.240 --> 00:15:47.280 and 100% man at the same time. 326 00:15:48.280 --> 00:15:52.280 Now the birth of Jesus Christ was as follows. 327 00:15:52.280 --> 00:15:57.280 After his mother Mary was betrothed to Joseph 328 00:15:58.280 --> 00:16:00.280 before they came together, 329 00:16:00.280 --> 00:16:04.280 she was found with child of the Holy Spirit. 330 00:16:04.280 --> 00:16:09.280 I thought the father was Jesus's father. 331 00:16:09.280 --> 00:16:12.280 I thought Jesus was the child of the father. 332 00:16:12.280 --> 00:16:16.280 Here it says she was found with child of the Holy Spirit. 333 00:16:17.280 --> 00:16:18.280 Which one is it? 334 00:16:19.280 --> 00:16:20.280 Yes. 335 00:16:22.280 --> 00:16:23.280 Yes. 336 00:16:25.280 --> 00:16:28.280 What I'm trying to get you to see and get you 337 00:16:28.280 --> 00:16:33.280 to dive in and enjoy is the reality of God 338 00:16:33.280 --> 00:16:38.280 taking his asusia, his essence, his substance, his spirit 339 00:16:38.280 --> 00:16:41.280 and putting it inside the womb of the Virgin Mary. 340 00:16:42.280 --> 00:16:47.280 She gave birth to God in the flesh. 341 00:16:48.280 --> 00:16:52.280 All three involved in the incarnation, 342 00:16:52.280 --> 00:16:56.280 the father, the Holy Spirit and the Word who is Jesus. 343 00:16:56.280 --> 00:16:59.280 She was found with child of the Holy Spirit. 344 00:16:59.280 --> 00:17:02.280 Let's go to Luke to just get a little bit 345 00:17:02.280 --> 00:17:05.280 of a better glimpse of how this actually happened. 346 00:17:06.280 --> 00:17:09.280 Now in the six month the angel Gabriel was sent by God 347 00:17:10.280 --> 00:17:13.280 to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, 348 00:17:13.280 --> 00:17:17.280 to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph 349 00:17:17.280 --> 00:17:19.280 of the house of David. 350 00:17:19.280 --> 00:17:21.280 The virgin's name was Mary. 351 00:17:21.280 --> 00:17:24.280 And having come in, the angel said to her, 352 00:17:24.280 --> 00:17:26.280 rejoice, highly favored one. 353 00:17:26.280 --> 00:17:29.280 The Lord is with you, blessed are you among women. 354 00:17:29.280 --> 00:17:32.280 But when she saw him, she was troubled at his saying 355 00:17:32.280 --> 00:17:36.280 and considered what manner of greeting this was. 356 00:17:36.280 --> 00:17:38.280 The angel said to her, do not be afraid Mary 357 00:17:38.280 --> 00:17:40.280 for you have found favor with God. 358 00:17:40.280 --> 00:17:43.280 And behold, you will conceive in your womb. 359 00:17:43.280 --> 00:17:46.280 How will that conception take place? 360 00:17:46.280 --> 00:17:49.280 You will conceive in your womb and bring forth a son 361 00:17:49.280 --> 00:17:52.280 and shall call his name Jesus. 362 00:17:52.280 --> 00:17:55.280 He will be great and will be called the son of the highest 363 00:17:55.280 --> 00:17:59.280 and the Lord God will give him the throne of his father, David. 364 00:17:59.280 --> 00:18:01.280 And he will reign. 365 00:18:01.280 --> 00:18:03.280 Thank you, Lord. 366 00:18:03.280 --> 00:18:06.280 Over the house of Jacob forever. 367 00:18:08.280 --> 00:18:11.280 And of his kingdom there will be no end. 368 00:18:12.280 --> 00:18:15.280 And Mary asks a fair question. 369 00:18:15.280 --> 00:18:18.280 How can this be since I'm a virgin, 370 00:18:18.280 --> 00:18:20.280 since I do not know a man? 371 00:18:20.280 --> 00:18:22.280 And the angel said to her, 372 00:18:22.280 --> 00:18:24.280 the Holy Spirit will come upon you. 373 00:18:24.280 --> 00:18:26.280 Can you imagine the full volume, 374 00:18:26.280 --> 00:18:29.280 anointing blast that came upon her, 375 00:18:29.280 --> 00:18:31.280 covering her, surrounding her, 376 00:18:31.280 --> 00:18:33.280 going inside of her, 377 00:18:33.280 --> 00:18:36.280 the Holy Spirit, God's Spirit, 378 00:18:36.280 --> 00:18:39.280 Yahweh's Rua. 379 00:18:39.280 --> 00:18:41.280 The creator, God, 380 00:18:41.280 --> 00:18:43.280 the one who made the heavens and the earth, 381 00:18:43.280 --> 00:18:46.280 the Genesis says he formed the stars also. 382 00:18:46.280 --> 00:18:49.280 Have you ever caught in Genesis how it says that God just, 383 00:18:49.280 --> 00:18:52.280 it says, it goes into the detail of the earthly creation 384 00:18:52.280 --> 00:18:54.280 and it just says, and he formed the stars also, 385 00:18:54.280 --> 00:18:56.280 almost like it's an afterthought. 386 00:18:56.280 --> 00:18:59.280 He was so focused on the earth and he formed the stars also, 387 00:18:59.280 --> 00:19:02.280 kind of just set them up. 388 00:19:02.280 --> 00:19:05.280 Billions of them in the cosmos. 389 00:19:05.280 --> 00:19:08.280 He's going to overshadow you. 390 00:19:08.280 --> 00:19:12.280 It will come upon you and the power of the highest will overshadow you. 391 00:19:12.280 --> 00:19:16.280 Therefore also that holy one who is to be born 392 00:19:16.280 --> 00:19:19.280 will be called the Son of God. 393 00:19:19.280 --> 00:19:21.280 Hallelujah. 394 00:19:21.280 --> 00:19:24.280 Merry Christmas, everybody. 395 00:19:24.280 --> 00:19:27.280 Hallelujah. 396 00:19:27.280 --> 00:19:30.280 Hallelujah. 397 00:19:30.280 --> 00:19:35.280 He did that for you. 398 00:19:35.280 --> 00:19:39.280 He did that for me. 399 00:19:39.280 --> 00:19:41.280 My son the other day was asking me, 400 00:19:41.280 --> 00:19:43.280 who killed Jesus? 401 00:19:43.280 --> 00:19:44.280 You know what I said? 402 00:19:44.280 --> 00:19:46.280 I said, I did. 403 00:19:46.280 --> 00:19:48.280 And you did. 404 00:19:48.280 --> 00:19:53.280 You got to get to look a horror first before you can hit. 405 00:19:53.280 --> 00:19:54.280 I did. 406 00:19:54.280 --> 00:19:55.280 You did. 407 00:19:55.280 --> 00:20:01.280 We killed him because he came for our sin. 408 00:20:01.280 --> 00:20:03.280 If we didn't have sin, he wouldn't have died. 409 00:20:03.280 --> 00:20:05.280 He was born to die. 410 00:20:05.280 --> 00:20:09.280 In fact, if you look at a picture of majors from that era, 411 00:20:09.280 --> 00:20:14.280 you'll see they were made of stone. 412 00:20:14.280 --> 00:20:18.280 Google Middle Eastern major, first century. 413 00:20:18.280 --> 00:20:20.280 And you're going to see it hue and out of stone. 414 00:20:20.280 --> 00:20:22.280 You know what it looks like, a tomb. 415 00:20:22.280 --> 00:20:24.280 I say that because in the hallmark cards, 416 00:20:24.280 --> 00:20:27.280 and the way majors always presented like 417 00:20:27.280 --> 00:20:31.280 in the little setups in front of churches, 418 00:20:31.280 --> 00:20:34.280 it's kind of like two wooden slats with some hay in it. 419 00:20:34.280 --> 00:20:36.280 It's not what the majors were like. 420 00:20:36.280 --> 00:20:38.280 They were made out of stone. 421 00:20:38.280 --> 00:20:42.280 Held the water or held hay. 422 00:20:42.280 --> 00:20:47.280 Could you imagine baby Jesus lying in a sarcophagus in a tomb? 423 00:20:47.280 --> 00:20:51.280 That's what that major was. 424 00:20:51.280 --> 00:20:53.280 It was a prophetic foreshadowing of it. 425 00:20:53.280 --> 00:20:55.280 He was born to die. 426 00:20:55.280 --> 00:20:58.280 He came to take away our sins. 427 00:20:58.280 --> 00:21:01.280 Hallelujah. 428 00:21:01.280 --> 00:21:07.280 Revelation 3.14. 429 00:21:07.280 --> 00:21:08.280 Thank you, Lord. 430 00:21:08.280 --> 00:21:10.280 And the angel of the church, 431 00:21:10.280 --> 00:21:13.280 excuse me, and to the angel of the church of the Leodiceans, 432 00:21:13.280 --> 00:21:16.280 right, these things says the amen, 433 00:21:16.280 --> 00:21:18.280 the faithful and true witness, 434 00:21:18.280 --> 00:21:22.280 the beginning of the creation of God, 435 00:21:22.280 --> 00:21:26.280 who is Jesus, the beginning of the creation of God. 436 00:21:26.280 --> 00:21:30.280 Now this can throw someone off because it almost sounds like, 437 00:21:30.280 --> 00:21:33.280 almost sounds like he was the first thing that God created, 438 00:21:33.280 --> 00:21:35.280 the beginning of the creation of God. 439 00:21:35.280 --> 00:21:37.280 That's not what it's saying. 440 00:21:37.280 --> 00:21:40.280 It's saying that he's the origin of the creation of God. 441 00:21:40.280 --> 00:21:43.280 He is the source of the creation of God. 442 00:21:43.280 --> 00:21:46.280 God spoke, released the word, and creation happened. 443 00:21:46.280 --> 00:21:49.280 Jesus was right there at creation from the beginning. 444 00:21:49.280 --> 00:21:52.280 The Bible says all things were made by Him, 445 00:21:52.280 --> 00:21:56.280 and without Him was not anything made that was made. 446 00:21:56.280 --> 00:21:58.280 Everything is held together. 447 00:21:58.280 --> 00:22:00.280 This is Scripture by the Word of His power. 448 00:22:00.280 --> 00:22:03.280 In Him we live and move and have our being. 449 00:22:03.280 --> 00:22:06.280 And then all things are held together. 450 00:22:06.280 --> 00:22:08.280 The molecules in our bodies, 451 00:22:08.280 --> 00:22:11.280 held together, the universe, 452 00:22:11.280 --> 00:22:13.280 and the universe of universe is held together 453 00:22:13.280 --> 00:22:16.280 by the Word of His power. 454 00:22:16.280 --> 00:22:20.280 Thank you, Lord. 455 00:22:20.280 --> 00:22:23.280 Hebrews 10.5. 456 00:22:23.280 --> 00:22:27.280 So we have God, 457 00:22:27.280 --> 00:22:30.280 putting Himself in the womb of the Virgin Mary, 458 00:22:30.280 --> 00:22:32.280 who was called Blessed Among Women. 459 00:22:32.280 --> 00:22:34.280 And I'll just leave it at that. 460 00:22:34.280 --> 00:22:36.280 That's all the Scripture's call there. 461 00:22:36.280 --> 00:22:37.280 Blessed Among Women. 462 00:22:37.280 --> 00:22:39.280 Not to be worshipped among women. 463 00:22:39.280 --> 00:22:41.280 Not to be prey to among women. 464 00:22:41.280 --> 00:22:44.280 But Blessed Among Women. 465 00:22:44.280 --> 00:22:48.280 And to this day we bless her. 466 00:22:48.280 --> 00:22:52.280 And acknowledge the contribution. 467 00:22:52.280 --> 00:22:55.280 But He bypassed, God bypassed, 468 00:22:55.280 --> 00:22:59.280 this world system, and bypassed the natural order of things 469 00:22:59.280 --> 00:23:01.280 because He had to be made flesh. 470 00:23:01.280 --> 00:23:03.280 He had to become in human form. 471 00:23:03.280 --> 00:23:08.280 And so Mary was a vessel filled with the Holy Spirit. 472 00:23:08.280 --> 00:23:13.280 And God was made flesh incarnated through her. 473 00:23:13.280 --> 00:23:16.280 A special body was prepared for Him. 474 00:23:16.280 --> 00:23:18.280 And He was different. 475 00:23:18.280 --> 00:23:19.280 He was a hundred percent God. 476 00:23:19.280 --> 00:23:20.280 He was a hundred percent man. 477 00:23:20.280 --> 00:23:23.280 But He was different than any other human. 478 00:23:23.280 --> 00:23:29.280 Because He didn't have a thin, spotted soul. 479 00:23:29.280 --> 00:23:32.280 Let me try that again. 480 00:23:32.280 --> 00:23:33.280 Another way. 481 00:23:33.280 --> 00:23:36.280 Jesus didn't perform any miracles until He was anointed 482 00:23:36.280 --> 00:23:38.280 at His baptism. 483 00:23:38.280 --> 00:23:40.280 The Bible says He had emptied Himself out. 484 00:23:40.280 --> 00:23:43.280 He had laid aside some of His divine attributes 485 00:23:43.280 --> 00:23:45.280 when He was on earth. 486 00:23:45.280 --> 00:23:47.280 And this is a great paradox. 487 00:23:47.280 --> 00:23:49.280 Because then the Bible says when He was anointed, 488 00:23:49.280 --> 00:23:52.280 He was anointed with the Holy Spirit without measure. 489 00:23:52.280 --> 00:23:55.280 So on the one side He laid aside His divine attributes. 490 00:23:55.280 --> 00:23:57.280 On the other side He received the anointing. 491 00:23:57.280 --> 00:24:00.280 We all get it with a certain measure. 492 00:24:00.280 --> 00:24:03.280 But Jesus received it without measure. 493 00:24:03.280 --> 00:24:08.280 But He never did any miracles. 494 00:24:08.280 --> 00:24:10.280 When I was in Ethiopia, 495 00:24:10.280 --> 00:24:13.280 there was this old church, an old mosaic, 496 00:24:13.280 --> 00:24:16.280 and they showed like an eight and nine-year-old Jesus 497 00:24:16.280 --> 00:24:18.280 picking up pieces of clay. 498 00:24:18.280 --> 00:24:21.280 And it was a mural that went on, kind of like a comic strip. 499 00:24:21.280 --> 00:24:23.280 Picking up pieces of clay, 500 00:24:23.280 --> 00:24:26.280 and then turning it into doves that flew away. 501 00:24:26.280 --> 00:24:29.280 Pretty mural, completely unscriptural. 502 00:24:29.280 --> 00:24:31.280 He didn't do that. 503 00:24:31.280 --> 00:24:32.280 He couldn't have done that. 504 00:24:33.280 --> 00:24:35.280 There's no recorded miracle of Jesus 505 00:24:35.280 --> 00:24:38.280 until He was anointed by the Holy Spirit. 506 00:24:38.280 --> 00:24:40.280 That's when the power of God came upon Him, 507 00:24:40.280 --> 00:24:43.280 although before that He was still fully God and fully man. 508 00:24:43.280 --> 00:24:45.280 But there's this interesting passage in Scripture 509 00:24:45.280 --> 00:24:47.280 where when He was 12 years old, 510 00:24:47.280 --> 00:24:49.280 He got lost. 511 00:24:49.280 --> 00:24:52.280 Must have been a very large caravan. 512 00:24:52.280 --> 00:24:54.280 Because His parents didn't even notice for three days. 513 00:24:54.280 --> 00:24:56.280 What kind of neglect is that? 514 00:24:56.280 --> 00:24:59.280 They must have thought He was in the back coach on His iPad 515 00:24:59.280 --> 00:25:00.280 or something. 516 00:25:00.280 --> 00:25:01.280 So, boys, it will be boys. 517 00:25:01.280 --> 00:25:03.280 Three days, He took Him to realize, 518 00:25:03.280 --> 00:25:04.280 oh, where's Jesus? 519 00:25:04.280 --> 00:25:06.280 I mean, remember the scene in home alone? 520 00:25:06.280 --> 00:25:08.280 Where's Kevin? 521 00:25:08.280 --> 00:25:10.280 They're rushing back. 522 00:25:10.280 --> 00:25:12.280 I mean, even they didn't even take them three days. 523 00:25:12.280 --> 00:25:14.280 Took Mary and Joseph three days. 524 00:25:14.280 --> 00:25:19.280 And they come back and they see Jesus in the temple in Jerusalem, 525 00:25:19.280 --> 00:25:21.280 surrounded by the doctors of the law. 526 00:25:21.280 --> 00:25:24.280 And it says He was both asking them questions 527 00:25:24.280 --> 00:25:28.280 and teaching them, asking inquisitive. 528 00:25:28.280 --> 00:25:30.280 And that they were all confounded. 529 00:25:30.280 --> 00:25:31.280 Who is this kid? 530 00:25:31.280 --> 00:25:33.280 This is so profound. 531 00:25:33.280 --> 00:25:35.280 Until I studied it further, I used to think, 532 00:25:35.280 --> 00:25:38.280 oh, of course, He's the person who wrote the whole Bible. 533 00:25:38.280 --> 00:25:39.280 And He's God. 534 00:25:39.280 --> 00:25:42.280 And so, He was just able to refer to them in that way 535 00:25:42.280 --> 00:25:44.280 and confound them. 536 00:25:44.280 --> 00:25:46.280 But it wasn't Him operating as God. 537 00:25:46.280 --> 00:25:48.280 It was Him operating as a man. 538 00:25:48.280 --> 00:25:50.280 But a different kind of man, 539 00:25:50.280 --> 00:25:51.280 because His mind, His soul, 540 00:25:51.280 --> 00:25:54.280 was unspotted and untainted from sin. 541 00:25:54.280 --> 00:25:56.280 R's is, by the way, you know. 542 00:25:56.280 --> 00:25:58.280 Spotted with sin. 543 00:25:58.280 --> 00:26:00.280 And our minds can be renewed. 544 00:26:00.280 --> 00:26:04.280 Tell me somebody, how do you renew your mind? 545 00:26:04.280 --> 00:26:06.280 The word. 546 00:26:06.280 --> 00:26:08.280 Picture the word as a giant bar of soap 547 00:26:08.280 --> 00:26:12.280 that renews your mind every single day. 548 00:26:12.280 --> 00:26:15.280 Our soul, our psyche, our mind, will and emotions 549 00:26:15.280 --> 00:26:17.280 are being constantly renewed 550 00:26:17.280 --> 00:26:19.280 whenever we're in the Word of God. 551 00:26:19.280 --> 00:26:22.280 But Jesus came with a totally perfect soul. 552 00:26:22.280 --> 00:26:25.280 Came with a totally sinless body. 553 00:26:25.280 --> 00:26:28.280 And of course, a sinless spirit. 554 00:26:28.280 --> 00:26:30.280 Therefore, when He came into the world, 555 00:26:30.280 --> 00:26:32.280 He said, sacrifice and offering. 556 00:26:32.280 --> 00:26:34.280 You did not desire but a body. 557 00:26:34.280 --> 00:26:37.280 I'm hammering this because it's important. 558 00:26:37.280 --> 00:26:40.280 The entire letter of John, 559 00:26:40.280 --> 00:26:43.280 first John, is written to Nostics 560 00:26:43.280 --> 00:26:45.280 who didn't believe that Jesus had a physical body. 561 00:26:45.280 --> 00:26:47.280 They believed anything physical was evil. 562 00:26:47.280 --> 00:26:50.280 Therefore, Jesus must have just been a spirit gliding around. 563 00:26:50.280 --> 00:26:53.280 But there's a power when you confess biblical truth 564 00:26:53.280 --> 00:26:56.280 that Jesus came in a body. 565 00:26:56.280 --> 00:26:58.280 That He was man. 566 00:26:58.280 --> 00:27:03.280 He often referred to Himself as Son of Man. 567 00:27:03.280 --> 00:27:08.280 And yet, fully God, at the same time. 568 00:27:08.280 --> 00:27:11.280 Hallelujah. 569 00:27:11.280 --> 00:27:14.280 Hallelujah. 570 00:27:14.280 --> 00:27:16.280 I want to just answer this question 571 00:27:16.280 --> 00:27:18.280 because they hear it often 572 00:27:18.280 --> 00:27:21.280 to those who are brave enough to ask. 573 00:27:22.280 --> 00:27:24.280 Because I find a lot of people have this question, 574 00:27:24.280 --> 00:27:25.280 but they don't ask. 575 00:27:25.280 --> 00:27:27.280 But you can ask. 576 00:27:27.280 --> 00:27:29.280 And you should ask some important questions, 577 00:27:29.280 --> 00:27:33.280 such as, if Jesus is God, 578 00:27:33.280 --> 00:27:35.280 why is He called God Son? 579 00:27:35.280 --> 00:27:38.280 Isn't that a fair question? Talk to me, church. 580 00:27:38.280 --> 00:27:41.280 Right, doesn't that get a little confusing? 581 00:27:47.280 --> 00:27:49.280 Am I the only one that asks questions of others? 582 00:27:49.280 --> 00:27:52.280 No, you should ask your friends, even your Christian friends, 583 00:27:52.280 --> 00:27:55.280 ask them, what do you believe about the makeup of Jesus? 584 00:27:55.280 --> 00:27:58.280 What do you believe about the identity of Jesus? 585 00:27:58.280 --> 00:28:00.280 Do you believe He's got Son? Yes. 586 00:28:00.280 --> 00:28:01.280 Well, how could He then be God? 587 00:28:01.280 --> 00:28:04.280 And then watch the... 588 00:28:04.280 --> 00:28:07.280 You should have an answer to that. 589 00:28:07.280 --> 00:28:09.280 Amen. 590 00:28:09.280 --> 00:28:12.280 And it gets even more confusing today in America 591 00:28:12.280 --> 00:28:15.280 because Son only means one thing. 592 00:28:15.280 --> 00:28:16.280 Like, I have a Son. 593 00:28:16.280 --> 00:28:19.280 But He's a separate person than me. 594 00:28:19.280 --> 00:28:22.280 It has His own unique identity. 595 00:28:22.280 --> 00:28:24.280 Here's what Son meant in the Hebrew. 596 00:28:24.280 --> 00:28:29.280 Equal in likeness to identical to. 597 00:28:29.280 --> 00:28:32.280 And you know the Jews understood this. 598 00:28:32.280 --> 00:28:34.280 Go to John 518. 599 00:28:34.280 --> 00:28:38.280 Equal in likeness to identical to. 600 00:28:38.280 --> 00:28:41.280 So when you say, Jesus is God's Son, 601 00:28:41.280 --> 00:28:45.280 you're saying He's equal in likeness to He's identical to God. 602 00:28:45.280 --> 00:28:49.280 In fact, Jesus said, I came forth from Him 603 00:28:49.280 --> 00:28:52.280 and I will return back to Him. 604 00:28:52.280 --> 00:28:54.280 Hallelujah. 605 00:28:54.280 --> 00:28:56.280 Therefore, the Jews sought all the more to kill Him 606 00:28:56.280 --> 00:28:59.280 because He not only broke the Sabbath, 607 00:28:59.280 --> 00:29:02.280 but also said that God was His Father 608 00:29:02.280 --> 00:29:06.280 making Himself equal with God. 609 00:29:06.280 --> 00:29:09.280 That's why they wanted Him dead. 610 00:29:09.280 --> 00:29:14.280 For a lot of reasons, they were very jealous. 611 00:29:16.280 --> 00:29:19.280 He threatened their whole system, 612 00:29:19.280 --> 00:29:22.280 but He also allowed people to recognize Him 613 00:29:22.280 --> 00:29:24.280 as the Son of God, which they immediately knew 614 00:29:24.280 --> 00:29:26.280 if you're saying you're the Son of God, 615 00:29:26.280 --> 00:29:28.280 you're making yourself equal to God. 616 00:29:28.280 --> 00:29:30.280 Hallelujah. 617 00:29:30.280 --> 00:29:32.280 And there's a power also in saying, 618 00:29:32.280 --> 00:29:33.280 Yahweh God of the Old Testament 619 00:29:33.280 --> 00:29:36.280 is Jesus Christ of the New Testament. 620 00:29:36.280 --> 00:29:38.280 Hallelujah. 621 00:29:38.280 --> 00:29:40.280 I think it's healthy, right? 622 00:29:40.280 --> 00:29:42.280 That we talk about these things. 623 00:29:42.280 --> 00:29:44.280 Since we spend our lives worshiping Jesus, 624 00:29:44.280 --> 00:29:49.280 who He is and where He stands in the Godhead, Amen? 625 00:29:49.280 --> 00:29:51.280 So that when we begin praying, 626 00:29:51.280 --> 00:29:54.280 we don't sound confused and confuse others. 627 00:29:54.280 --> 00:29:56.280 And just throwing every name there, 628 00:29:56.280 --> 00:29:58.280 Father God in the name of Jesus, Holy Ghost, 629 00:29:58.280 --> 00:30:01.280 Lord Jesus Christ, Father, Daddy, God, Holy Spirit. 630 00:30:01.280 --> 00:30:04.280 Just like, let me name them all three several times, 631 00:30:04.280 --> 00:30:05.280 so I hit each one. 632 00:30:05.280 --> 00:30:07.280 I don't know who's going to answer me today. 633 00:30:07.280 --> 00:30:09.280 They're one. 634 00:30:09.280 --> 00:30:11.280 Amen. 635 00:30:11.280 --> 00:30:14.280 The Holy Spirit is also called the Spirit of Christ. 636 00:30:14.280 --> 00:30:17.280 It's God's Spirit. 637 00:30:17.280 --> 00:30:18.280 They're separate though. 638 00:30:18.280 --> 00:30:20.280 Yes, they're also one. 639 00:30:25.280 --> 00:30:28.280 Hallelujah. 640 00:30:28.280 --> 00:30:30.280 Let me read from Philippians. 641 00:30:30.280 --> 00:30:34.280 Philippians talking about how Jesus emptied Himself. 642 00:30:34.280 --> 00:30:40.280 Philippians chapter 2 verses 6 through 8 worship team, come on up. 643 00:30:40.280 --> 00:30:45.280 Who being in very nature God did not consider equality with God 644 00:30:45.280 --> 00:30:49.280 something to be used to His own advantage. 645 00:30:49.280 --> 00:30:51.280 Rather, He made Himself nothing, 646 00:30:51.280 --> 00:30:53.280 or He made Himself of no reputation. 647 00:30:53.280 --> 00:30:56.280 That's what He did when He left heaven and the glory of heaven. 648 00:30:56.280 --> 00:31:03.280 And once again, He didn't have to, but He did it because He loved us. 649 00:31:03.280 --> 00:31:06.280 I don't know what that was like for Him, 650 00:31:06.280 --> 00:31:10.280 but I imagine pretty different. 651 00:31:10.280 --> 00:31:15.280 I mean, the glories of heaven, where everything is perfect, 652 00:31:15.280 --> 00:31:17.280 coming down here. 653 00:31:17.280 --> 00:31:19.280 I don't want to sound sacrilege. 654 00:31:19.280 --> 00:31:24.280 My first thought is, oh, the smell. 655 00:31:24.280 --> 00:31:32.280 He goes, I'm trying to give you permission to let your mind wander. 656 00:31:32.280 --> 00:31:35.280 Everybody, just fluff your tush a little bit right now. 657 00:31:35.280 --> 00:31:38.280 Would you do that for me on this beautiful Advent season? 658 00:31:38.280 --> 00:31:43.280 Just rotate it around a little bit in your seat. 659 00:31:43.280 --> 00:31:52.280 May your sphinxter be loose. 660 00:31:52.280 --> 00:31:55.280 There is a power when you gaze upon Him. 661 00:31:55.280 --> 00:31:57.280 There's a power when you look at Him. 662 00:31:57.280 --> 00:32:03.280 And if you don't ever give yourself an opportunity to just go into your sanctified imagination 663 00:32:03.280 --> 00:32:07.280 and think about what happened during Christmas. 664 00:32:07.280 --> 00:32:08.280 And what was that like? 665 00:32:08.280 --> 00:32:17.280 God Himself, the creator of the universe, came and dwelt among us, incarnated, was made flesh. 666 00:32:17.280 --> 00:32:19.280 Hallelujah. 667 00:32:19.280 --> 00:32:20.280 What was that like? 668 00:32:20.280 --> 00:32:21.280 Ask Him. 669 00:32:21.280 --> 00:32:22.280 Pray about it. 670 00:32:22.280 --> 00:32:23.280 Sing to Him. 671 00:32:23.280 --> 00:32:27.280 Make a song on the spot of spontaneous spiritual song. 672 00:32:27.280 --> 00:32:30.280 Sing to Him about it. 673 00:32:30.280 --> 00:32:34.280 He made Himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant. 674 00:32:34.280 --> 00:32:40.280 That's what it was like for God Almighty to come and just be born in human form. 675 00:32:40.280 --> 00:32:50.280 The nature of a servant, and being made in human likeness, and being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself 676 00:32:50.280 --> 00:32:59.280 by becoming obedient to death, even death, on a cross. 677 00:32:59.280 --> 00:33:00.280 Another question. 678 00:33:00.280 --> 00:33:02.280 Why did God come to earth as a man? 679 00:33:02.280 --> 00:33:04.280 Why did He have to? 680 00:33:04.280 --> 00:33:07.280 Why was it important that He come as a human? 681 00:33:07.280 --> 00:33:10.280 We actually just read this, but let's do it again in Galatians. 682 00:33:10.280 --> 00:33:12.280 During our series on Galatians, we touched on this. 683 00:33:12.280 --> 00:33:17.280 Galatians four, four through five. 684 00:33:17.280 --> 00:33:20.280 Hallelujah. 685 00:33:20.280 --> 00:33:24.280 You know what I think of when I hear that He was a man? 686 00:33:24.280 --> 00:33:28.280 That is that He knows, and He gets me. 687 00:33:28.280 --> 00:33:31.280 He understands. 688 00:33:31.280 --> 00:33:32.280 He understands. 689 00:33:32.280 --> 00:33:41.280 The Bible says He was tempted in all points like as we are, but without sin. 690 00:33:41.280 --> 00:33:44.280 Sometimes you think of Jesus just in His resurrected form. 691 00:33:44.280 --> 00:33:45.280 You think, does He get it? 692 00:33:45.280 --> 00:33:49.280 Yeah, He gets it. 693 00:33:49.280 --> 00:33:52.280 I love reading in Revelation to the seven churches. 694 00:33:52.280 --> 00:33:54.280 He always starts off with, I know. 695 00:33:54.280 --> 00:33:55.280 I know your works. 696 00:33:55.280 --> 00:33:56.280 I know your deeds. 697 00:33:56.280 --> 00:33:57.280 I know. 698 00:33:57.280 --> 00:33:58.280 You just keep reading in Jesus as I know. 699 00:33:58.280 --> 00:33:59.280 I know. 700 00:33:59.280 --> 00:34:00.280 I know. 701 00:34:00.280 --> 00:34:06.280 And He just hit me one day that He's saying, whatever your thing is, I know. 702 00:34:06.280 --> 00:34:07.280 I know. 703 00:34:07.280 --> 00:34:11.280 I love you. 704 00:34:11.280 --> 00:34:12.280 Lord, you know? 705 00:34:12.280 --> 00:34:13.280 Yes. 706 00:34:13.280 --> 00:34:14.280 And I still love you. 707 00:34:14.280 --> 00:34:15.280 And I'm for you. 708 00:34:15.280 --> 00:34:16.280 I'm not against you. 709 00:34:16.280 --> 00:34:17.280 I'm with you. 710 00:34:17.280 --> 00:34:19.280 I hold you in the palm of my hand. 711 00:34:19.280 --> 00:34:21.280 I know. 712 00:34:21.280 --> 00:34:31.280 But when the fullness of a time had come, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, He had to be born of a woman. 713 00:34:31.280 --> 00:34:34.280 He had to come down to earth. 714 00:34:34.280 --> 00:34:42.280 He had to be the last Adam. 715 00:34:42.280 --> 00:34:45.280 Born under the law, He had to be born under the law. 716 00:34:46.280 --> 00:34:48.280 Because He fulfilled the law perfectly. 717 00:34:48.280 --> 00:34:50.280 Jesus never ever sent. 718 00:34:50.280 --> 00:34:57.280 To redeem those who were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons. 719 00:34:57.280 --> 00:35:03.280 I'll close with this, John chapter 3 and verse 14. 720 00:35:03.280 --> 00:35:08.280 I'm just encouraging you right now as it's a week before Christmas. 721 00:35:08.280 --> 00:35:17.280 Especially with other people to talk about Jesus, with your families, with your children, with your roommates, with your friends. 722 00:35:17.280 --> 00:35:23.280 Talk about the nature of Jesus, the person of Jesus. 723 00:35:23.280 --> 00:35:27.280 Behold Him. 724 00:35:27.280 --> 00:35:31.280 Look at Him. 725 00:35:31.280 --> 00:35:36.280 Jesus talks about the importance of this here in John 3.14 when He says, 726 00:35:36.280 --> 00:35:43.280 And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up. 727 00:35:43.280 --> 00:35:52.280 Now, to really understand this and get the benefit of it, you have to know what happened here when Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness. 728 00:35:52.280 --> 00:35:56.280 Thousands of spipers were attacking the children of Israel. 729 00:35:56.280 --> 00:35:59.280 It was actually a judgment. It was a curse against them. 730 00:35:59.280 --> 00:36:02.280 And they were dropping like flies. It was complete pandemonium. 731 00:36:02.280 --> 00:36:05.280 You ever see snakes on a plane? 732 00:36:05.280 --> 00:36:08.280 Imagine that, times a thousand. 733 00:36:08.280 --> 00:36:11.280 I actually haven't seen it, but I saw the trailer. 734 00:36:11.280 --> 00:36:15.280 I just imagine thousands of spipers, a one bite. 735 00:36:15.280 --> 00:36:17.280 They're going in a catatonic state. 736 00:36:17.280 --> 00:36:20.280 This wasn't like I got four days to make it. They were literally dying. 737 00:36:20.280 --> 00:36:22.280 And Moses rushes to God and says, 738 00:36:22.280 --> 00:36:27.280 God, He begins to intercede for the Hebrews. 739 00:36:27.280 --> 00:36:35.280 And God said, make a bronze serpent, put it on a pole, and whoever looks at the bronze serpent on the pole will be healed. 740 00:36:35.280 --> 00:36:41.280 And as the children of Israel began looking and gazing and setting their eyes on this bronze serpent on a pole, 741 00:36:41.280 --> 00:36:46.280 they got to get healed and the curse was lifted. 742 00:36:46.280 --> 00:36:51.280 And Jesus says, even as Moses was lifted up, 743 00:36:51.280 --> 00:36:54.280 excuse me, as Moses was lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, 744 00:36:54.280 --> 00:36:57.280 even so must the son of man be lifted up, 745 00:36:57.280 --> 00:37:03.280 because that serpent on a pole was prophetic and was foreshadowing what Jesus would do. 746 00:37:03.280 --> 00:37:06.280 Jesus was lifted up on a cross. 747 00:37:06.280 --> 00:37:09.280 And Jesus became like a serpent on a pole. 748 00:37:09.280 --> 00:37:14.280 How is that? Because he who knew no sin was made into sin. 749 00:37:14.280 --> 00:37:19.280 Like this satanic serpent-like creature, he became sin. 750 00:37:19.280 --> 00:37:21.280 Beautiful Jesus. Glorious Jesus. 751 00:37:21.280 --> 00:37:24.280 Didn't just take on sin. He was made sin. 752 00:37:24.280 --> 00:37:29.280 And that when you set your eyes and set your gaze on him, you're healed. 753 00:37:29.280 --> 00:37:36.280 Hallelujah. Hallelujah. 754 00:37:36.280 --> 00:37:42.280 So we're going to take a moment here and set our eyes on Jesus. 755 00:37:42.280 --> 00:37:46.280 One final verse, Hebrews 12, 2. 756 00:37:46.280 --> 00:37:51.280 Fixing our eyes on Jesus. 757 00:37:51.280 --> 00:37:57.280 And I'm going to invite you during this next song to fix your eyes on Jesus. 758 00:37:57.280 --> 00:38:01.280 The pioneer and perfector of faith. 759 00:38:01.280 --> 00:38:03.280 The author and the finisher of our faith. 760 00:38:03.280 --> 00:38:06.280 For the joy set before him, he endured the cross, 761 00:38:06.280 --> 00:38:13.280 scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. 762 00:38:13.280 --> 00:38:17.280 Father, we're so grateful for the incarnation. 763 00:38:17.280 --> 00:38:22.280 We're grateful that you were made flesh, that you were made man, 764 00:38:22.280 --> 00:38:26.280 born under the law, fulfilling the law perfectly, 765 00:38:26.280 --> 00:38:31.280 ultimately paying the price for our sins, being raised again on the third day. 766 00:38:31.280 --> 00:38:36.280 Will you look to him right now? Look to the serpent on the pole. 767 00:38:36.280 --> 00:38:40.280 Look to Jesus. Fix your eyes on him. 768 00:38:40.280 --> 00:38:43.280 Merry Christmas, everybody. 769 00:38:43.280 --> 00:38:45.280 This is the City Light Church podcast. 770 00:38:45.280 --> 00:38:48.280 If you've missed any part of today's message, 771 00:38:48.280 --> 00:38:52.280 or if you would like to find out more about Pastor Boyan Jansik in City Light Church, 772 00:38:52.280 --> 00:38:58.280 visit us at citylightnyc.com. That's citylightnyc.com. 773 00:38:58.280 --> 00:39:02.280 Feel free to visit us online or in person anytime. 774 00:39:02.280 --> 00:39:04.280 We would love to connect with you. 775 00:39:04.280 --> 00:39:07.280 We pray that you have been encouraged today, 776 00:39:07.280 --> 00:39:10.280 that you have been reminded how much God loves you, 777 00:39:10.280 --> 00:39:13.280 and that you are surrounded by grace. 778 00:39:13.280 --> 00:39:14.280 Thank you for listening. 779 00:39:14.280 --> 00:39:17.280 Make sure that you subscribe to City Light Church Podcast 780 00:39:17.280 --> 00:39:21.280 wherever you find your favorite podcasts worldwide.