SERMON
WHY THE CREATOR OF THE UNIVERSE
BECAME A MAN
Hebrews 1:1-8
Robert W. Barone
First Baptist
Why the Creator of the Universe Became a Man
BIBLE VERSES
“because of the tender mercy of our God by which the rising sun will come to us from heaven to shine on those living in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the path of peace” (Luke 1: 78).
“It Came upon the Clear” #197
“But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are small among the clans of Judah out of you will come for me one who will be ruler over Israel whose origins are from of old from ancient times” (Micah 5:2).
“O Little Town of
“Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel praising God and saying, ‘Glory to God in the highest and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests.’ When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let’s go to
“O Come, All Ye Faithful” #193
Christmas is a happy time. It is a time when we remember that God gave us a wonderful gift - that gift was Jesus.
We love to read about the time when Jesus was born in
Did you know that there was a strange and wonderful thing about the way Jesus was born? It is that Mary was His mother, but her husband, whose name was Joseph, was not Jesus’ father. Jesus did not have any man for His father as you or I do. God was Jesus’ Father.
Why is it important that God is Jesus’ Father? What difference would it make if Joseph were His father? Well, if Joseph were Jesus’ father, then His father would not be God; and if God were not Jesus’ Father, then Jesus would not have been able to heal the sick people or make dead people alive again. But worst of all, if Joseph were Jesus’ father, Jesus would be just like you and me with a heart that has badness in it. And if Jesus had a bad heart, He could not have died for us. He would need to die for His own sins, not ours. But Jesus didn’t die for His own sins. He didn’t have any, because God is His Father. You see now why it is so important for us to know that Joseph was not His father?
When we talk about this strange and wonderful fact that Jesus had a mother but no man for His father, we say that Jesus was born of a virgin. No other baby ever born was born of a virgin because every other baby had to have a father; but Jesus did not need a human father. God was already His Father.
Once a man was watching some ants run about on the ground. He followed them to where they lived and found a great anthill with thousands of little ants inside. And the man thought:
“If I wanted to talk to those ants, how would I do it? I could shout at them, but they would not hear or understand me. I could write a letter to them, but they would not read it. Finally he thought, If only I could become an ant myself, then I could speak to them, and they could understand me.”
Then the man thought, “That is the way God did it, too. He decided not to look down from heaven at us, but to become one of us so that He could tell us about His love. That is why Jesus came and was born as a little baby and grew up to tell us of God’s love and show us God’s love by dying for us.” (Matt. 1:18-25; Heb. 1:1-8)
Questions:
1. Who was Jesus’ mother?
2. Who was Jesus’ Father?
3. Who was Joseph?
4. Would it have made any difference about our sins if Joseph had been Jesus’ father?
A Prayer:
O God our Father, how wonderful it is that Jesus is Your Son!
We thank You that He had no sin and that He died for us and for our sins. We want to be included among those for whom He died. We thank you that You are willing to receive us. In Jesus’ name. Amen. LIGHT CANDLES
SING: SILENT NIGHT
Silent night! Holy night!
All is calm, all is bright
‘Round yon virgin mother and Child,
Holy Infant so tender and mild,
Sleep in heavenly peace
Sleep in heavenly peace.
