The Bible -- Its Person (Part 1)

          We have learned the theme of the Bible is the redemption of man, “buying man back.”  Romans 6:23 says every man is a sinner and is spiritually dead.  Every man is under the condemnation of death, and the penalty must be paid.
          The gospel, or “Good News” is that God, in the person of Jesus Christ, paid the price for man.  In dying, Christ took the penalty upon Himself in order that we might have life for time and eternity.
          Let’s proceed to study about Jesus Christ, the One who paid the price for the sins of mankind.

I. THE ETERNAL EXISTENCE OF CHRIST

The Bible teaches the birth of Christ was not His beginning.

        A. HE WAS BEFORE JOHN THE BAPTIST

John the Baptist said Christ had always existed (John 1:15).  Jesus was born six months after John, yet John said, “He that cometh after me….was before me.”  He was stating that God the Son had existed in eternity.

        B. CHRIST TAUGHT HIS ETERNAL EXISTENCE

·        John 8:58

·        John 17:5

·        John 6:61, 62

        C. THE APOSTLES TAUGHT HIS ETERNAL EXISTENCE

·        John 1:1, 2

·        Colossians 1:17

·        Hebrews 1:1-3

II. CHRIST CAME TO EARTH

A. HIS BIRTH PROPHESIED

Isaiah spoke of His birth 700 years before, saying He would be born of a virgin (Isaiah 7:14).

B. DETAILS OF HIS BIRTH

·        His mother was a virgin (Matthew 1:18).

·        Mary was espoused to Joseph (Matthew 1:18).  Jewish weddings had two stages, separated by the espousal period.

·        Mary was with child after her espousal to Joseph and before their marriage was consummated (Matthew 1:18-20).

·        Joseph assumed she had been unfaithful to him, and planned to divorce her (Matthew 1:19).

 

III. CHRIST BECAME A MAN

A. THE BEGINNING OF HIS HUMAN NATURE

Christ was always a person, but not always a man.  His birth was the beginning of His human nature (Philippians 2:5-8).

B. HUMAN NATURE AND VIRGIN BIRTH

The doctrine of the virgin birth is extremely important.

·        By the normal procreative process of human parents a new personality is formed.  Christ was a personality before His birth.  Had He received a second personality through conception, He would have been two persons living in one body.

·        The virgin birth protects our Lord from a blasphemous alternative.  Since Joseph disclaims any procreative responsibility for the baby, whose child was He?

·        The virgin birth gave Christ a human body and a human nature without the weakness of human nature.  He had no sin.