JESUS IN GOD’S PLAN TO
SAVE MAN
The churches of
Christ Greet You
(Romans 16:16)
TEXT: Matthew 1:18-23
Intro:
and thou [Joseph] shalt call his name JESUS:
for he shall save his people from their sins" (Matthew 1:21).
"Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the
sin of
the world" (John 1:29).
I.
JESUS' DEATH, BURIAL, AND RESURRECTION
1. While
Jesus was popular with the common people among the Jews (Mark 12:37),
a. many of the Jewish leaders despised Him.
b. They were constantly considering "how
they might
destroy him" (Mark 3:6).
2. Once,
when the Jewish Passover feast was approaching,
a. those leaders "sought how they might take
him by
craft, and put him to death,"
b. but they wanted to wait and do it after the
feast (Mark
14:1-2).
3. They
adjusted their plan, however,
a. when one of Jesus' apostles, Judas Iscariot,
b. came to them with an offer to betray Jesus
into their
hands (Matthew 26:14-16).
4. When
they thought the time was right,
a. Judas and others dragged Jesus off to the
Jewish
leaders,
b. and in the course of the next several hours
1. Jesus was forced to stand before
2. both Jewish and Roman officials
3. and undergo a series of intense
interrogations.
5. It was
Jesus' confession that He was the Son of God
a. which especially infuriated the Jewish
leaders (Mark
14:61-64).
b. Because they envied Jesus so much,
1. and because they wanted so badly to do away
with Him,
2. the Jews turned Him over to the Roman
authorities,
3. hoping to convince them to put Him to death.
6. In the
end, Pilate, who was the Roman-appointed governor of the land,
a. gave the order for Jesus to be crucified.
b. The Savior of the world was put to death
c. in the same way that common criminals of that
day were
punished.
7. Spikes
were driven into His body to hold Him on a wooden cross;
a. that cross was put in place,
b. and He endured agony that never ceased
c. until He breathed His last breath.
8. It was
a horrible, inhumane form of death,
a. especially for One that had done no wrong
b. to anyone at anytime.
9. The
place where Jesus was put to death was called
a. It was also known as
b. Our Lord's crucifixion took place just
outside the city
of
1. The
gospel of the Christ
a. reveals three great facts about Jesus
b. that all men need to know and believe: " ... how
that Christ died for
our sins according to the scriptures; And
that he was
buried,
and that he rose again the third day according
to the
scriptures"
(1
Corinthians
15:3-4).
2. Jesus
did not simply die, but as the text says, He died "for
our sins."
a. He was buried that same day, but the
great news
is,
b. three days later, which was the first day of
the week or
Sunday,
c. He rose from the dead,
d. showing His power over the bonds of death
(Mark 16:9).
3. Yes,
our Lord rose from the dead.
a. He lives!
b. We serve a risen, living, never-to-die-again
Lord!
(Romans 6:9).
II.
What did Jesus accomplish or make possible through His death?
1. By
means of His death, He abolished the old law
a. (the Law of Moses or Old Testament law),
b. meaning that it would no longer be in force
(Ephesians
2:15).
2. What
He did, so to speak, was to take that old law out of the way
a. and nail it to His cross (Colossians 2:14).
b. But, at the same time, Jesus used His blood
c. to establish and seal the new covenant.
d. Jesus said, "For this is my blood of the
new
testament,
which is shed for many for the remission of
sins" (Matthew 26:28).
3. In
addition, as we think of the cross of the Christ and what it means,
a. we cannot help but look to it as God's
provision
b. for the sins of humanity.
4. The
Bible teaches that it is only through the death of Jesus
a. that we can be reconciled (or brought back)
to God
(Romans 5:9-10),
b. as it is the plan of God
1. for redemption to be possible for all sinners
through,
2. and only through, the precious blood of Jesus
(Ephesians
1:7).
5. It is
also true that by means of the cross, Jesus bought His church:
" ... the
6. The
Bible plainly says that
"Christ also loved the church and gave Himself
for it" (Ephesians 5:25).
7. Jesus
was crucified about 9:00 a.m., apparently on Friday.
a. He died about 3:00 p.m., and before the sun
went down,
b. His body had already been placed in a tomb.
8. But,
as we noted, death could not hold Him,
a. and He came out of the grave early Sunday
morning,
b. after which He appeared to His followers
c. on at least five different occasions that
very same day.
9.
Following His resurrection, Jesus remained on the earth for 40 days,
a. during which time He appeared to over 500
people (1
Corinthians 15:4-8)
b. and continued to teach His disciples about
the
10.
Jesus' earthly sojourn came to an end
a. when He ascended back to heaven in the full
view of His
apostles (Acts 1:9-11).
b. Again, His ascension took place 40 days after
He rose
from the dead.
c. Jesus ascended on high and sat down on the
right hand of
the Father
(Mark 16:19; Colossians 3:1),
d. where He awaits the time that He will come
again
e. in order to judge all men.
III.
There is abundant biblical evidence that Jesus was God's Son.
1. What
are we told in the Bible that demonstrates Jesus' Deity,
a. that is, what is there that shows
b. that the Christ possesses the divine nature?
2. Here
are nine proofs.
(1) His eternal existence - Jesus never began to
exist.
a. He always existed, having been with the
Father
b. before the foundation of the world (John 1:1,
14; 17:5,
24).
1. Since only God has no beginning and no end,
2. then Jesus' eternal nature points to His
divinity.
(2) His work as Creator – The Bible says, "For
by
him were all things
created ... all things were
created by
him, and for him.
And he is before all things, and by him all
things
consist"
(Colossians 1:16-17).
(3) His virgin birth - Jesus had an earthly
mother,
a. but no biological human father.
b. His real Father was the God of heaven
(Matthew 1:18-25).
(4) God the Father's confession of Him –
a. Since God cannot lie (Hebrews 6:18),
b. we accept His statement about Jesus:
c. He said,
"This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well
pleased" (Matthew 3:17).
(5) In Christ and in His work were fulfilled
a. all Old Testament prophecies about the
Messiah
b. that was to come.
c. This included prophecies about His virgin
birth (Isaiah
7:14)
d. and the place of His birth -
(6) His own claims - He said that He and the
Father were
one (John 10:30),
a. declaring also that the Father sent Him from
heaven
(John 6:38)
b. and that He was the Son of God (Mark
14:61-62).
1. His miracles gave evidence
2. that His claims about Himself were true.
(7) His sinless life - Though Jesus was tempted
a. in every aspect like all other humans,
b. He never violated the law of God,
c. and thus did what no other person ever has or
could do
(Hebrews 4:14-15).
1. Since only God is completely without sin
(Psalm 92:15),
2. then the fact that Jesus lived without sin
3. clearly demonstrates His Deity.
(8) His miracles - Whether He was healing the
sick,
a. raising people from the dead,
b. or showing His power over the laws of nature,
1. His miracles not only showed His concern
2. for man's best interest,
3. but they also confirmed that He was speaking
the truth,
4. and thus served to prove
5. that what He said about Himself was true
(John 20:30-31; 5:36).
(9) His resurrection from the dead –
a. His victory over death showed that He was
b. "the Son of God with power" (Romans
1:4).
3. The
evidence is overwhelming:
a. Jesus possesses the characteristics of God.
b. There is simply no other way to account
rationally for
His nature
c. and what He was able to accomplish.
4. If you
desire to one day make heaven your home,
a. you must get into Jesus and put Him into your
life.
b. see Baptism Outline