Luke 1:26-35 – He Came Down – Bible study

Luke 1:26-35 He Came Down! For the past two Sundays, we have looked at the what I have called, the Breaking of the Day, that is the end of a period of darkness on Israel which lasted for 400 years. The darkness was broken by the angel speaking to Zacharias and proclaiming the conception of John the Baptist. But in this text we see the Son Rise actually begin when Gabriel is sent to Mary with a message. The heart of the message is found in \#31\. It is the reason for the season as so many say. The message is that she was to conceive and bring forth a Baby. Not all of the details of the Baby are revealed by the angel. Some things the Baby Himself when He is grown will reveal and even other truths will be revealed by the followers of the Baby in time to come. This morning, lets focus on that Baby. I. The Baby is going to come down. Jesus said of Himself. Joh 6:38 For I came down from heaven, not to do mine own will, but the will of him that sent me. A. That means that this Baby to be born of Mary may have been born 2,000 years ago, but He did not begin 2,000 years ago. 1. It means He was before He was born. a. That Baby is the eternal One. b. That is called the Pre-Existence of Jesus. 2. To this doctrine the Bible gives ample evidence. Joh 8:58 Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Before Abraham was, I am. Joh 17:5 And now, O Father, glorify thou me with thine own self with the glory which I had with thee before the world was. 3. This is a unique to this one Child alone. a. Some teach that all humans existed in spirit form before their births, but there is no evidence of that. b. However, this Child did for this Child is not a mere human. c. He is the eternal One! (1) He is the Beginning and the End. \#Rev 21:6\ (2) He is the Alpha and the Omega. \#Re 22:13\ (3) He is the First and the Last. \#Rev 1:11\ d. We had the Sherrill Christmas gathering last night and someone asked, "What did God do to entertain Himself in eons past? I dont know, but I know that He was in the eons past. e. I saw a news article where scientists found something in the DNA of the flower that was supposed to unlock one of Darwins mysteries. (1) It was a change in the DNA which was supposed to have occurred about 200 million years ago. (2) That causes me to have some questions? (a) If it is changed now, how do they know it was before it changed? (b) How do they know it changed 200 million years ago? (3) The truth is that evolutionists dont know a fraction of what they say they know, but I know that 200 million years ago, Jesus was. (a) 200 billion years ago, Jesus was. (b) 200 trillion years ago, Jesus was. B. It means that the Baby lived in a place called heaven. 1. If the Baby pre-existed, a. He had to BE someplace. b. There had to be a place from which He came down. 2. The place where He was is called heaven. Joh 6:38 For I came down from heaven, not to do mine own will, but the will of him that sent me. 3. There is a lot we dont know about heaven. For example, we dont know what heaven was like when Jesus left. 4. What know what it WILL be like when we get there. a. God will have built a city four-square for the saved to abide within. b. That city will have gates of pearls and have angels standing on by them. c. The city will have streets of gold and be built on foundations of precious stones. 5. But what was it like when Jesus left? a. No doubt, it was a glorious place. b. Heaven was a sinless place. c. Heaven was filled with angels. d. Heaven was Jesus home. 6. But the Baby came down. a. He knowingly and willingly left all of that. b. I imagine that heaven must have been a less heavenly place for those years! C. That means this Baby is God. John 1:1 In the beginning (the eternal One) was the Word (another name for the Baby), and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. Re 1:8 I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, saith the Lord, which is, and which was, and which is to come, the ALMIGHTY. 1. He is the eternal One who lived in the heavens and came down! a. He is also the Creator of all things. b. He is the Sustainer of all things. c. He is the Master of all things. d. He is the Judge of all things. 2. This who it was that came down – GOD! a. Dont let this Babys appearance fool you. b. I know He seems helpless, fragile, undeveloped. c. I know He looks like nothing more than a humble peasant, a weak mortal, a kind and gentle man. d. But He is GOD come down! Think on that. Make your decision with that in mind. It is a truth too be to ignore. D. That means that this Baby will have to pour Himself out. Phi 2:7 But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: 1. Though the Baby is God, the Almighty, He did not come as God, the Almighty. 2. He laid that reputation, that title aside. 3. Instead, He came in the form of a Servant. 4. What a transition! How could One so high become one so low? There was but one way. The Baby had to pour Himself out. a. Just a carton of milk is opened and the contents poured out, so this Baby had to pour out the attributes and powers that were naturally and rightfully His. b. He poured out His POWER. c. He poured out His KNOWLEDGE. d. He poured out His GLORY. 5. But there are some things that the Baby kept. a. He kept His nature. b. He is still love. c. He is still sinless. d. He is still holy and pure. 6. One preacher pointed out that it was a good thing for Mary that the Baby did pour out all of these things for had He not, she surely would not have been able to contain this Child. a. Her knees would have buckled and her belly would have popped if this Baby had come in His fullness! b. But He did not. He poured Himself out when He came down! E. That means that this Baby will have to wrap Himself in human flesh. John 1:14 And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth. 1John 1:1 That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, of the Word of life; 2 (For the life was manifested, and we have seen it, and bear witness, and shew unto you that eternal life, which was with the Father, and was manifested unto us;) 1. This Baby is emptying Himself of the glory that He has always had. a. Gods glory is His covering. b. God needs no clothes. He is clothed with the brightness of His glory. c. But the Baby poured that glory out. d. Now the Baby needs a new covering. e. What will He be coved with? With flesh. f. This is called the IN-CARNATION. (In meaning to be put IN something. Carnation meaning flesh. This Baby will be put in to flesh.) 2. Jesus incarnation was the continuation of a work started in the Garden of Eden. 3. God has produced three works of the flesh and has one more yet to produce. a. Adam and Eve are flesh in the image of God. (1) This was work of flesh with the breathe of God in it. (2) That is what we all are, but that work has a fatal flaw in it. (3) Although created in the image of God with the breathe of God, it could, would, and did turn its back on God. (4) God knew that it would do so and thus this was but the first stage of fleshly existence. b. Jesus was God in the image of Man. (1) A completely different kind of work was this fleshly being. (2) This was God merely wrapped with mans flesh. (3) This One was not merely created in the image of God but it was God created in the image of man. (4) As such, this One could not, would not, and did not sin against God. (5) Instead, this Baby grew up and died FOR man, making a third work of flesh possible. c. Christians are God in men. (1) This is fallen flesh, redeemed, and recreated with God living inside of him. (2) We who are the saved are no longer mere images of God. (3) We are the embodiments of God. (a) Still robed in corrupt flesh? Yes. (b) But also filled with God Himself though the person of the Holy Ghost. d. Glorified Christian are men completed in God. (1) In the last of Gods fleshly creations, God will remove the corrupt flesh altogether. (2) Then and only then, we shall be like our Risen Lord, totally free from sin and the fleshs weakness. II. \#32-34\ This Baby will rise to the top. A. \#32\ He shall be GREAT. 1. Great how? Great in every way! 2. He is God. How can He not be great? a. He was great in His abilities. b. He was great in His love. c. He was great in His accomplishments. (1) He lived a sinless life. (2) He died a substitutionary death. (3) He rose to defeat the grave. (4) He lives to redeem the fallen. 3. But the Babys rise will not be merely in the spiritual world. No. He will rise in the earthly as well! B. \#32\ He will ascend to the throne of his father, David. 1. This Baby is great because He is God. 2. But this Baby is also great because He is the son of earths greatest king, David. a. This Baby, born of Mary, laid in a manger, rejected of mankind, will return in the glory of the King and the power of God. b. This rise will not be altogether pleasant for some will see Him in a light they do not understand. 2Thess 1:7 And to you who are troubled rest with us, when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels, 8 In flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ: 9 Who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power; 10 When he shall come to be glorified in his saints, and to be admired in all them that believe (because our testimony among you was believed) in that day. C. He will save His people from their sin. Matt 1:21 And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins. 1. Sadly, this has not happened yet. 2. The coming of the Baby was supposed to be first and foremost a JEWISH event, but His own people rejected Him. John 1:11 He came unto his own, and his own received him not. 3. Yet their rejection of Him became our golden ticket! John 1:12 But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name: 4. So today, you and I can come and have our sins forgiven. This is why this season is celebrated more OUTSIDE of Israel than it is INSIDE of Israel. a. They celebrate Hanukkah. b. We celebrate Christmas, the birth of Christ. 5. But the day will come when the Jews will be saved. a. Before that day will begin, your day to be saved will end. b. This offer of salvation has build-in time limits. (1) Death (2) Rapture – If a person will not receive Jesus in grace, it is very unlikely that he would do so in judgment. After hearing the news of the angel, both Mary and Joseph had some decision to make. After hearing the message this morning, you do too. You must decided whether you will receive or reject Jesus Christ. Whether you will celebrate a holiday or a holy day. Whether you will celebrate Christmas or Xmas. I pray that you will do what the Jews failed to doreceive Jesus as your Lord and Savior.