Sermon Title: The Implications of the Incarnation Part 1
Scripture Reading: Isaiah 53
Introduction
In this section of our study (Luke 2) Joseph and Mary’s
commitment to the law is noted five times (vv. 22, 23, 24, 27, 39). In the
short verses between Luke 1:31 and Luke 2:40 nearly 11 months have passed (the
pregnancy and the 40-day cleansing period) and Luke is careful to repeatedly
record their adherence to the law. Also, for the first time Jesus’ mission is
related specifically to the Gentiles (v. 32).
The journey of Jesus’ parents to the temple in Luke
2:22-24 combines three separate ceremonies as required by God’s Law: The
purification of a woman forty days after the birth of a child (Leviticus
12:2-4, 6), the presentation of the firstborn to God (Exodus 13:2, 12, 16; 34:19;
Numbers 18:15-16) and the dedication of the firstborn into the Lord’s service
(1 Samuel 1-2).
In addition to the
three ceremonies, Joseph and Mary are seen here (Luke 2:21) circumcising Christ
at the end of eight days and naming him as they were instructed.
Why? Circumcision was a physical symbol of the spiritual
cleansing of the heart that takes place at salvation (Deuteronomy 10:16; 30:6;
Jeremiah 4:4). Jesus was sinless. Why then the circumcision? Jesus was
presented to the Lord as required by the Law (v. 23). Jesus was the Lord. So,
why was Christ presented? Jesus was never “born again.” Why did Jesus need to
be baptized? (Matthew 3:13-17)
In the context of this event, Simeon is located either in
the Court of the Gentiles or in the Court of Women, since Mary could be present
only at these two locales. Contrary to popular belief, there is no evidence
that Simeon is a priest. Simeon is presented as a simple man, a layman, not a
priest, who dwells in Jerusalem.
Simeon’s song of praise (Nunc Dimittis [Now Lord] from
the first two words of the hymn in Latin) is the fifth song sung as a response
to the coming of Christ (Elizabeth, Mary, Zechariah, the angels, and Simeon).
After he finished his hymn of praise, Simeon turned to the young couple and
both blessed and warned them. The purpose of Jesus coming is revealed by Simeon
in his song (vv. 29-32) and his blessing (vv. 33-35). Jesus’ words to Nicodemus
(John 3:19) best explain what Simeon meant in Luke 2:35. “This is the judgment,
that the Light has come into the world, and men loved the darkness rather than
the Light, for their deeds were evil” (John 3:19).
Jesus is portrayed as “a light for revelation to the
Gentiles, and for glory to your people Israel” (v. 32). If Jesus is revelation
for the Gentiles, he is more than that for Israel. He is her glory. As Isaiah
60:1-3 shows, the nation’s hope was that, with the coming of salvific light to
Israel, the attention of all people would be drawn to Israel. What makes Israel
special is that salvation comes through her.
Division is a natural result of Jesus’ ministry because
Jesus forces choices, and as a result, the heart of all will be revealed through
their choices.
When Simeon says, “and a sword will pierce through your
own soul also” (v. 35a), the reference is to the pain that Jesus’ ministry
causes Mary, as Jesus creates His own family of disciples, His own priorities,
and voluntarily participates in His own crucifixion.
The next testimony to Jesus was given by a prophetess
named Anna. Her name is the Greek form of the Hebrew name Hannah, which means
“grace.”
Although it is debated whether or not Anna was a widow
for eighty-four years or was eighty-four years of age, Anna’s life seems to be
best described by Paul’s discourse in Philippians 3:1-12, and particularly,
“Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing
Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and
count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ” (Philippians 3:8).
Two very important facts are emphasized in vv. 39-40, 52:
- They performed everything according to the Law of the Lord (v. 39) – this brings us back to the “why” question asked earlier in the message.
- Jesus was fully man (vv. 40, 52); Luke’s description emphasizes Jesus’ full humanity
The issue of Jesus’ simultaneous divinity and humanity
has been one of the most controversial and confusing issues in all Christian
theology. When we “land” places “like this” many of you might be tempted to
turn me off. Getting it right about Christ is not merely a job for elite
theologians. We should think deeply about who Christ is, what Christ did, and
the implications of His person and work. “And we all, with unveiled face,
beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from
one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit”
(2 Corinthians 3:18). In short, my case for thinking deeply through mysterious,
difficult, and controversial theological topics is as follows: you cannot savor
what you do not see. Digging deep into the core of difficult theological
principles is a striving to see and savor Him.
John’s (2 John) condemnation of those who denied that
“Jesus Christ has come in the flesh” (1 John 4:2, 3; 2 John 7) was aimed at
teachers who replaced the incarnation with the idea that Jesus was a
supernatural being who seemed human but was really only so in appearance. Jesus
was not 100 percent God in a human body. Jesus was all man and all God.
Jesus becoming a man is often referred to as the
Incarnation from the Latin meaning “becoming flesh.” “In the beginning was the
Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning
with God…And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his
glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth” (John
1:1-2, 14).
J.I. Packer: “The really staggering Christian claim is
that Jesus of Nazareth was God made man…The more you think about it, the more
staggering it gets. Nothing in fiction is so fantastic as this truth of the
Incarnation.”
The “staggering Christian claim” is typically referred to
today as the hypostatic union. The concept of the hypostatic union is as
profound as anything in theology. Hypostatic means personal. The hypostatic
union is the personal union of Jesus’ two natures (human and divine). What the
doctrine of the hypostatic union teaches is that the human and divine natures
are fully united in one person, the God-man Jesus Christ.
Therefore, in reference to Christ, rather than saying
Jesus was 100% God and 100% man (making the two natures mutually exclusive, it
would be more accurate to say that Jesus was the 100% God-man.
When Jesus became a man, he did not change his identity
as God but rather changed his role. According to Augustine, “Christ added to
himself which he was not, he did not lose what he was.” Jesus did not have to
pick between being God and being man. He could be both at the same time.
Jesus had a human body (Luke 2:40), human emotions
(Matthew 26:38), a human mind (Luke 2:52; Mark 13:32), and a human will (John
6:38; Matthew 26:29). “And Jesus increased in wisdom and in stature and in
favor with God and man” (Luke 2:52).
Theologians capture this laying aside of the divine
equality with the phrase, “he laid aside the independent exercise of his divine
attributes.” What this means is that he didn’t continually exhibit the
incommunicable such as his immortality, omniscience, or omnipresence, except
when it was the Father’s will through the leading of the Holy Spirit.
Therefore, while Jesus remained fully man and fully God during his incarnation,
he maintained all of his divine attributes and did avail himself of them upon
occasion. The Bible is clears that even when not availing himself of his divine
attributes, he did in fact retain them (Jesus forgave sin [Luke 7]; Jesus
exercised his omnipresence [Luke 4]; Jesus healed [John 9]; Jesus knew the
thoughts and lives of men [John 4]).
Jesus was 100 percent the God-man who allowed His divinity to be
regulated by the Holy Spirit.
Several Personal Implications of the Hypostatic Union
- Jesus came to fulfill the law for us. To aid in understanding this, please remember the illustration Jesus uses of the tree and fruit (Matthew 15:10-20; John 15:1-5). The Lord is the tree and his behavior is a necessary outworking of who He is. He loves because He is love. He dispenses justice because He is just. Before the incarnation, Jesus was “The Law.” In the incarnation, Jesus voluntarily was born under the law. “He who was above the law, would come under the law, to free us from the law” (Bishop Hall). “I mean that the heir, as long as he is a child, is no different from a slave, though he is the owner of everything, but he is under guardians and managers until the date set by his father. In the same way we also, when we were children, were enslaved to the elementary principles of the world. But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons. My note: Jesus came to lead us, so we would not be under the law forevermore. And because you are sons, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, ‘Abba! Father!’ So you are no longer a slave, but a son, and if a son, then an heir through God” (Galatians 4:1-7). Being born under the law means Christ voluntarily placed himself under the obligation to fulfill it, while being tempted in human flesh in every way we are tempted (Hebrews 4:15). This explains all the ceremonial obedience in Luke 2, Jesus’ circumcision, baptism, etc. “For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God” (2 Corinthians 5:21).
- Jesus came so He could sympathize with us. Although without a sin nature, Jesus was tempted in every respect as you are (Hebrews 4:15). Although having no sin nature, his temptations were as intense as ours (Those who have made the biggest mess in human history: Adam, Eve, demons, Satan – none had sin nature) Therefore, he gently and patiently sympathizes while giving grace. “For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need…He can deal gently with the ignorant and wayward, since he himself is beset with weakness.” (Hebrews 4:14-16; 5:2).
The Gospels show Jesus experiencing human limitations
(hunger, Matthew 4:2; fatigue, John 4:6; ignorance of fact, Luke 8:45-47;
sorrow, John 11:35, 38). Hebrews stresses that if Christ had not shared all
these facets of human experience – weakness, temptation, and pain – He would
not be qualified to help us as we face such trials (Hebrews 2:17, 18; 4:15-16;
5:2, 7-9). As it is, His full human experience guarantees that in every moment
of our relationship with God we may go to Him, confident that he has been there
before us, and is the helper we need.
“God has made the human heart in such a way that it will
never be eternally content with that which is only human. Finitude can’t slake
our thirst for the infinite. And yet, in our finite humanity, we are
significantly helped by a point of correspondence with the divine. God was
glorious long before he became a man in Jesus. But we are human beings, and
unincarnate deity doesn’t connect with us in the same way as the God who became
human. The conception of a god who never became a man will not satisfy the human
soul like the god who did” (David Mathis; DesiringGod.org, December 19, 2007
Blog Post).
Give the example of Staci and the miscarriage – The law
leads us to Christ. Christ then takes us by the hand and says, this is the most
joyful way of life…It is hard…I have done this…let me lead you.
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