Then the angel left her. So far, the reading of God's Word.
We're continuing in this series on the Apostles' Creed. We're now in that third article
of the Creed where we confess that Jesus Christ, the only eternal, only begotten Son of God,
the Father Almighty, our Lord, was conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary.
That phrase in the Creed is drawn directly from Luke 1, verse 35. And as we think about that phrase,
that great statement of the incarnation, it's also, as we've been doing this series, good to remind
ourselves of some of the benefits that the creeds bring to us. These ecumenical or universal creeds
of the church are personal, but they're not private. I, as an individual, am confessing my faith,
the faith that I believe, by means of the faith by which I believe. But I'm doing so with the church
of all ages, of all times, of all places. And so the creeds are these corporate, common summaries of
the faith that have been tried and tested by the church around the globe and even handed down through
the centuries. And in an age of ours that is so rootless, this is a wonderful blessing for us to be
rooted in an ancient faith. And so as we as individuals and together as the local church here
confess our faith using these words of the Apostles' Creed, we should realize that this act involves the
whole body of Christ in a very positive and lively role. We confess the creed, ex animo is the language we
traditionally use, from the soul. As one of my former teachers liked to say, breathlessly, breathlessly.
And as we do so, we remind ourselves of the identity of our God, Father, Son, and Spirit, of His great works,
and of the essence of our faith. And we affirm to our culture and to ourselves as we're constantly being
shaped and even catechized by that culture into the reign of sin and death and evil in the world,
rather than the gospel. As a gathered body right now, that we are explicitly publicly denying all other
pretenders to the divine throne, apart from Jesus Christ. That there is no other pathway to God,
but through Jesus Christ. God the Son come down to us from heaven to earth, the one who assumed our
humanity in order to bring us redemption and justification and sanctification and adoption
and glorification and salvation. God the Father acting for us in the Son by the Spirit.
And finally, by our use of the creeds, we are helped to remember that we are ascribing to God alone
the glory and honor that's due to Him as our Creator, but also as our Redeemer.
The church has concluded here in the creed, but also maybe even more particularly,
perhaps a little more decisively at the ecumenical council in Chalcedon in the year 451,
that Jesus Christ is both truly God and truly man. One person with two natures, divine and human.
United in that one person, yet those two natures are not confused, they don't change,
they don't separate, they're not divided, and that's what we want to think about here this evening together.
Three things, first of all, that Jesus is fully God.
Second, that Jesus is also fully human.
And third, briefly, what that means for us concerning His present ministry.
So first of all, the deity of Christ.
Jesus Christ is fully divine.
B.B. Warfield is a name that doubtless many of you know here,
and in one essay that he wrote on the person of the Lord Jesus Christ,
he made a very interesting statement.
He said,
The New Testament evidence for the deity of the Lord Jesus is so abundant and persuasive,
it can be difficult actually to state succinctly.
And his point is that our tendency to defend the deity of Jesus is to go to a handful of really big texts,
really big passages.
And that's good, that's right, because there are clear, explicit passages that teach that He is God.
But Warfield's point is even more than that,
because he's saying that the whole New Testament is predicated on,
is written on the presupposition that the one about whom these books are written is Himself very God.
That it seeps through on each page, in each paragraph.
You cannot miss it.
But of course we know that some passages are epitomizing.
They summarize for us very clearly the personal identity of Jesus.
That He is Himself God.
We think of Hebrews chapter 1.
We think even more succinctly of the Gospel of John chapter 1.
The opening words there.
In the beginning was the Word.
And the Word was with God.
The text says the Word was face to face with God.
And the Word was God.
He has all the attributes of deity.
The title of deity.
And yet there's a personal differentiation
between Father and Son.
And of course, Spirit.
Not in terms of divine being or divine essence.
But in terms of personal character.
And so wherever you look,
as the church fathers knew and understood so well,
it's not possible to speak about God the Father
without implying that God the Father is Father
because there is God the Son.
And it's not possible to speak about God the Son
without implying that there is God the Father.
And so too, if we extended this,
it's not possible to speak about God the Spirit
without speaking of God the Father and God the Son.
One God drives us to think about the three persons.
The three persons drive us to think about one God.
You know, that's the mystery of the incarnation.
But we read then in Hebrews chapter 1 verse 2
that it's particularly Jesus Christ.
He is the one for whom God created the world.
The writer there is reflecting on Genesis 1
just as John did in verse 1 of chapter 1
of the Gospel of John,
but doing so from a slightly different angle
because what the writer in Hebrews there
is saying to us when you read about God speaking
in Genesis, understand this,
the Lord Jesus Christ,
because He is the creator of all that there is.
He is also the one who governs providence.
Yes, He does so through the work of His Spirit.
You know, the Spirit is the perfecter of God's purposes.
Every act proceeds from the Father in the Son
and is brought to completion, perfection,
by the Spirit.
But particularly it's through the Son
that the very universe is upheld.
And were He to withdraw His hand,
it would collapse entirely.
In Him all things hold together.
Colossians 1, verse 16 and 17.
By Him, Jesus Christ,
all things were created in heaven and earth,
both visible and invisible,
created through Him and created for Him.
So that not only in redemption,
but in creation and providence,
the Son is the way, the truth, and the life.
I mean, this is a remarkable picture of Jesus Christ.
And when we start to understand this,
perhaps we should not be so surprised
when we read a little further in Hebrews 1,
verse 6,
where God the Father pronounces, commands,
let all my angels worship Him,
God the Son.
You know, we often think about and sing
about the ascension of Jesus Christ,
the angelic response in that great psalm,
Psalm 24.
One of the absolute just marvels of our tradition
is our singing of Psalm 24.
And you can't sing it and not have your heart moved.
And the angels there, as it were,
are looking over the battlements of heaven,
asking, who is it that's coming back in triumph?
And the call goes out,
you ancient gates, lift up your heads,
you doors be open wide,
because it's the King of glory coming in.
He's the King of glory forever to abide.
And it's an extraordinary picture of Jesus.
But do you also think about that moment
when Jesus was conceived in the womb
of the Virgin Mary
and was utterly dependent on His mother there
in every way, for every aspect of His life,
in the darkness of her womb?
And the same command is then ringing through the heavens.
Let all my angels worship Him,
cherubim, seraphim,
gathered around the throne in awe and wonder,
because the Son of God
was taking human flesh.
And all things are to be His,
created for Him and through Him,
appointed heir of all things.
All things are Jesus Christ.
And this is why I think
in John's Gospel as well,
he tells us in chapter 12 there,
he references that wonderful vision
of the prophet Isaiah from Isaiah 6.
This incredible vision of the glory of God.
And John says,
that was a vision of Jesus Christ.
And think about that vision,
the angelic host there,
marvelous, glorious.
Yet they cover their faces,
they cover their feet.
You know, they are themselves without sin,
but they're created.
And so as creatures,
they must veil themselves,
they must tremble in the presence
of the infinite holiness
and majesty
and glory of God the Son.
Again, as John puts it
in that prologue to his Gospel,
he was in the beginning,
face to face with God,
because he was God.
And all things were made
through him and for him.
And without him
was not made anything
that was made.
And in him we beheld
the glory of God.
And God is jealous
for his glory.
God does not share his glory
with any other.
But in Jesus Christ,
we see the glory of God.
And when you start
to put all these pieces together,
you see how the Gospel
comes to grip you
when you learn who it is.
Who it is who has come for you.
When that finally gets
preached into our hearts,
when it penetrates
our very being.
Because the incarnation
does not mean
that Jesus was a little baby.
it's not a nativity set.
But it means that the creator
and sustainer of all things,
first in majesty and glory,
worshipped by the angels,
infinite, eternal,
and unchangeable in his wisdom,
his being, his power,
his holiness, his justice,
his goodness, his truth,
who at a single word
could dissolve this world,
which has sinned against him.
Descended to the depths
of this world
to assume our flesh,
to become our Savior.
Is that not overwhelming?
You see, the Gospel's
never done overwhelming us.
And that's why we need to hear it
again and again.
That's why it always needs
to be put in our ear,
because it's always new.
It's always startling.
It's always bringing forth in us
wave upon wave of adoration.
That God the Son
should come.
But not only that, loved ones,
that God the Son
should come for me.
For me.
It's very particular.
We see then that God
comes for us in Jesus Christ.
Jesus Christ is fully God,
but also, secondly,
he is fully man.
He is fully divine,
but also fully human.
You know, that is just
as important for us.
And sometimes we focus
so much of our energy
on defending the deity
of Christ
that we don't pay enough
attention, in fact,
to the humanity of Jesus.
Or as again,
Warfield concluded,
he said,
if there are no two natures,
divine and human,
in one person,
there's no incarnation.
And if there's no incarnation,
there's no Christianity
at all.
There are plenty of people
who make the mistake
of thinking that
the humanity
of Jesus
is transfused
with deity
so that actually
the life and experience
of Jesus
is somehow radically
different from us.
But that's not true.
Of course,
he has the full measure
of the Spirit.
But what the Scriptures
tell us from beginning
to end,
what is the great emphasis
over and over
and over again,
is that if he's not
really,
truly,
fully man,
sharing our world,
sharing our frailty,
knowing each of our weaknesses,
getting thirsty,
getting hungry,
not a child prodigy,
but growing in knowledge
and understanding,
going to a funeral
and shedding tears
of sorrow
at the death
of his friend,
becoming exhausted
in his body,
without these things
he would not at all
be fit to be our Savior.
And that brings us,
then,
to these opening chapters
of Genesis.
And we only read
from Genesis 3,
but I'm sure
we're familiar
with Genesis 1 and 2
as well.
I thought,
there's a limit
to how much
I can read
this evening.
But when God created Adam,
we know,
he gave him
the great privilege
of sharing communion
and fellowship with him.
And Eden was there
created as a sanctuary.
It was a garden temple.
And God,
the great king,
set Adam there
to be a gardener,
to be a priest king
under him,
to rule in his name.
And the world
was created good,
but it was not
in its final condition.
And Adam was then
given a task.
He had the task
to subdue it,
to guard it,
to tend it,
to extend
that glorious reign.
And he was provided
by God
with everything necessary
for that task.
And he was called
to follow the pattern
of his creator
because he was made
an analogy of God
in the very image
and likeness of God.
And God himself
there in creation
led this wonderful
procession
of six days
of labor,
transforming
the tohu abohu,
the darkness
and void,
into creation.
No longer lifeless
and void
and this confused mass,
but God molded it
and shaped it
and ordered it.
And he separated
the waters
in the night
from the day
and through all
of his ordering
and separating
and naming,
he called Adam
to follow him,
to lead all of creation
in another procession,
a parade,
as it were,
behind the Lord himself
in royal procession
from his holy hill
in Eden,
doing what God
commanded him to do
to the very ends
of the earth.
There's one writer here
who has marvelously put it
summing this up.
Whether plant,
tree,
sun,
moon,
star,
bird,
or fish,
everything performs
its duly ordained office
in the first two chapters
of Genesis,
just like the priests
and Levites
of the sanctuary
in their appointed work.
And finally,
Adam as the archpriest
and crown
of the whole created order,
God's very vice-regent
along with Eve,
exercising dominion
under God
in this vast
cosmic empire
in which everything
that happens
is meant to redound
to the glory
of God.
Now,
that was the commission.
That was the task.
Adam was created
there in covenant,
in a covenant of works.
He had a job to do.
He was on probation.
There was a trial.
Would he do that job?
Would he follow
his creator?
And of course,
we know what happened.
Adam forfeited
his role.
He listened
to the false witness,
the blasphemy
of the serpent,
that agent of Satan.
The very one
who he is supposed
to drive out
of the garden.
That's the one
from whom
he takes counsel.
Not only takes counsel,
but takes counsel
against the Lord,
his creator.
As though Adam
might instead be God.
As we read
from Genesis 3,
verse 8,
they heard,
that is Adam and Eve,
the sound of the Lord
God walking in the garden
in the cool of the day.
The cool of the day.
The scene there
could not be
any more different
from that old hymn.
Perhaps
you have the unfortunate
privilege,
like I do,
of not being able
to excise it
from your mind.
You know,
I come to the garden alone.
The dew is still
on the roses,
and the joy we share
while we tarry there.
None other has ever known.
But that is not it at all.
That is not at all
the picture.
This is the arrival
of God as judge.
God is on a mission
of judgment here.
The cool of the day
is in fact
the spirit of the day.
This is the day
of the Lord.
The one who's come
to execute judgment
upon Adam
in his sin.
His image bearer
who becomes
the covenant breaker.
And when that call
comes to Adam
from his covenant Lord,
Adam, where are you?
It's not that God
doesn't know
where Adam is.
You think of that
question that perhaps
maybe a wife
can ask a husband.
Where are you
in this relationship?
There's something
in between here.
Where are you right now?
You're not here.
The true servant
of the Lord
that Adam was meant to be
should have called back,
Here I am.
Let it be done to me
according to your word.
But he disobeyed
the voice of his father.
And in his transgression
he plunged
all in his stead,
all of humanity
into sin
and death
and alienation
from God.
But you know
there's another promise
as we read.
This is why we read
Genesis 3.
Genesis 3.15
that first announcement
of the gospel.
There will be another son
born of the woman
who will undo
all that Adam did.
Who will do
all that Adam
failed to do.
Who will provide
not only a sacrifice
of atonement
but also an obedient life.
Because ultimately
it's not sacrifice
but it's obedience
that God delights in.
And that's the task
given to
and taken up gladly
by our Lord Jesus Christ.
The eternal son of God
who becomes incarnate
to give his life
for his people.
And this is particularly
the focus
of that promise to Mary
that we read
in Luke 1.
Adam became a living being
by the breath
of the spirit.
Genesis 2.7.
Here in Luke
the Holy Spirit
coming upon Mary
to overshadow her
as the power
of the Most High
so that she'll
become pregnant.
This is part
of the basic vocabulary
of the spirit's work
throughout the Bible.
We think of
Genesis 1.2.
The spirit there
hovering over the waters
of creation.
It's the exact same
language we find
from Moses
singing to the assembly
of the Lord.
Israel there
in Deuteronomy 32.
He compares the Lord
in verse 11
to an eagle
that stirs up its nest,
flutters over its young,
that spreads out its wings.
And by the way,
you notice
that the same spirit
who's at work
in the womb of Mary
has already been at work
in her heart.
That is why
she answers
amen
to that promise.
That's why
all generations
shall call her blessed.
So the spirit
prepares a body
for the son.
The son
who is the exact image
and imprint
of God.
It's not at all
actually
the virgin birth.
You try to
change the language
but you can only
get so far.
It's the virgin conception.
Because the conception
of Jesus Christ
is
ex nihilo creation
out of nothing.
The exact parallel
to the very beginning
let there be light
divine fiat
and there was light.
So that his humanity
would be untainted
by sin.
And like Adam
before the fall
not yet confirmed
in righteousness
and glory.
But his gestation
his
delivery
are all
all too normal.
100% normal.
Still dependent
on the word
and spirit
but following
that other kind
of creation
you find in Genesis.
Let the earth
bring forth
and the earth
brought forth.
And there was pain.
Mary was in labor
giving birth
to a child.
No obstetrics care.
There was a placenta.
It was bloody.
A real human
with a real soul
was born to her.
A particular Jewish male
Jesus of Nazareth.
You see
the word
became flesh.
Yes
but the word
became flesh.
Only God
can save.
Only God
incarnate
in our humanity
can save fully.
Because the great
gift of Jesus Christ
is that he is
second man.
Second Adam.
The last Adam.
Paul belabors
that point
for us
in Romans
chapter 5
and 1 Corinthians
chapter 15.
That he is the one
who's come in our flesh
to undergo
the curse
of the first man
that first Adam
and to fulfill
the covenant
of works
for our sake.
winning the right
to unlock
that gate of heaven
and lead his people
in procession
into glory.
So he is the God man.
He's the mediator
of the covenant
of grace
for our sake.
That's the promise
to Mary.
That the Lord
shall become
the servant.
The servant
who is the Lord.
And every moment
of the life
of Jesus Christ
then we see him
on trial,
on probation,
recapitulating,
restoring all
that was lost
in Adam,
fulfilling all
that was promised
throughout every stage
of redemptive history.
And all of God's
covenant promises
converge in him.
He is the true Israel.
He is the messianic
savior,
the son of David,
the one whose kingdom
shall have no end.
So that finally
you see a proper
relationship
has come into view.
There's actually
now a proper
conversation
between covenant
Lord and covenant
servant.
The Lord speaks,
Adam,
where are you?
The true servant
of the Lord,
Jesus Christ,
answers back,
here I am
in obedience
to God's glory.
And for the first time
the world
has an Adam,
Israel has a king
who only does
all that the Father
commands him.
That's what we read
in John 8.
I always do,
Jesus says,
what is pleasing
to my Father.
Because he is
our answer.
He is our proper
response to God
in his perfect
life and obedience.
But you see,
he's also God's answer
in flesh and blood
to sinners,
to me,
to you.
And when he died
to bear God's judgment
for our sake,
he was then also
raised as the first fruits
of a new world
altogether.
So the day shall come,
it's guaranteed
for us
that out of the graves
even,
God's people
will be resurrected.
And in Christ,
even the last enemy
will be subdued
and all things
will be made
subject to him.
because of his
true humanity,
you see,
we can even be sure
of those last lines
of the creed,
the resurrection
of the dead
and the life everlasting.
And his last act
of salvation
is then to lead
that procession,
that parade
that Adam was
supposed to have done.
At last,
the faithful son,
you see,
the son of God
who's become a son
and who broke
the neck
of the tempter,
that false witness,
and who leads
all of creation
back to God,
the head
of a new people,
bringing them
with him
in his train.
This is why
Jesus says
in Hebrews chapter 2,
presenting himself
to the Father,
he says,
here I am.
And you see
who I've brought
with me?
Brothers and sisters,
now made children
of God,
the very ones
that you have
given to me.
That's why we need
Jesus to be fully
man as well.
Finally,
briefly,
Jesus did not
take our humanity
only for a season.
There wasn't
a clock
that was running
out here.
He didn't ascend
to heaven
like a SpaceX
rocket
from Elosk Musk,
flying,
flying to the moon,
leaving the scaffolding,
all of the
things necessary
to get him there.
Christ,
who stands
victorious
at the right hand
of God the Father,
is still the God-man,
and he'll be so forever.
He descended
from heaven.
This is the wonder
in such a way
that without
even leaving heaven
from his divinity,
he willed
to be born
in the virgin's womb,
to be found
in that cradle,
to do the work
of his Father
on earth,
to be upheld
by the Spirit,
to hang on the cross,
and yet
he continuously
filled the world,
even as he had done
from the beginning.
The mystery
of the incarnation
is one person
and two natures,
divine and human,
but the divine
does not absorb
the human,
does not mix
with it,
nor is it separated
from it,
but from eternity
he has pledged
himself that
for eternity
he will be
enfleshed,
the God-man,
that he might
in his earthly life
and throughout
all of his royal session
be perfectly fitted
to us,
men and women,
for our salvation.
He continues
to have a body,
he will always
be circumscribed
by time and space.
And reflecting
on this again,
the writer
to the Hebrews
writes in chapter 2
verses 17 and 18,
he, Jesus,
was made like
his brothers
in every respect
so that he might
be a merciful
and faithful
high priest
in God's service
to make propitiation
for the sins
of the people
and because he himself
suffered when tempted,
he is,
not he was,
he is,
even now,
he is able
to help all those
who are being tempted.
Time permits us
to say only one thing
briefly about temptation.
Jesus faced temptation
in the wilderness.
He faced temptation
in the Garden
of Gethsemane
where he agonized
over the most bitter
temptation.
What is his prayer
there?
My Father,
he says,
let this cup
pass from me.
That is what I desire.
Let this cup
pass from me.
That is what I desire.
We ought not to move
so quickly
past those words.
You know,
this was a perfectly
holy desire
because any other
desire would have
been unholy.
The fully human
Son,
Jesus Christ,
could never
desire to cry out
that cry of
dereliction.
My God,
my God,
why have you
forsaken me?
what he desired
was not that tree.
Not the cross.
Is there no other way?
And when Adam and Eve
ate from that tree
in the midst
of the garden
and they saw,
you know,
it delights the eyes,
they doubted the words
of their Father.
But Jesus Christ
was faced
with another tree.
And he pled
with his Father,
not that tree.
Is there no other way?
And then he said,
nevertheless,
your will be done.
Because you see,
Father,
Son,
and Spirit
had from all eternity
determined
to create,
to redeem,
to gather a church
for everlasting
fellowship.
born out of
the love of God.
The love of God.
And so the incarnate
Son becomes
obedient to death,
even death
on the cross.
And have you ever
wondered why
there in Luke 22?
We're told an angel
is sent to him
from heaven
to strengthen him.
Just imagine that.
Let all my angels
worship him.
at his birth.
Let one of you
now go minister
to him
in his need.
Go strengthen him
in his hour
of temptation
to take the cup,
to drink it
to its bitter dregs
so that we might enjoy
the cup of blessing,
the cup of glory,
the cup of salvation.
Knowing all this,
you see,
how can we not know
that Jesus Christ,
loved ones,
will care for you?
That he will strengthen
you in your temptation
when you call on him.
Because he is the one
who's earned our trust.
Do you ever think about that?
That he has actually
earned your trust.
It's not,
as we heard this morning,
there's an object of faith.
It's not faith
in wood fairies.
He's earned our faith.
He's earned our trust.
And so,
what can we do then
but put our trust in him?
Whether for the first time
or for the thousandth time.
Because there is no other mediator
between man and God.
There is no other faithful son.
There is no other champion
of his brothers and sisters
than our Lord Jesus Christ,
conceived by the Holy Spirit
and born of the Virgin Mary.
Amen.