The Mysterious Jesus

The mystery of God and man. How can anybody be God and man can there be a child who is the child of a human being, and who at the same time is God with us. A human child and yet a divine reality planted is probably just a fraction of what you're trying to get done.

Will we appreciate your tuning into Grace to you during this busy season and amid the chaos we want to help you stay focused on the most important part of Christmas, the Jesus of Christmas. That's the title of the study. John MacArthur begins today John, as much as you and your family. Embrace the joys and the special memories that come with celebrating Christmas. I know that you have some strong feelings about where our focal point needs to be yeah you know it's a covered two-sided reality to come to Christmas.

On the one hand it's fraught with all kinds of pagan things and nothing to do with the gospel whatsoever a minute so it's an excuse for while partying in an extravagant purchase saying in all of that and you say well maybe we auto avoid it because it's so corrupted. But on the other hand, somehow, in that mix.

There is this birth of Christ.

So rather than ignore it.

I would say yeah I get the corruption part.

But as long as people are thinking about Christ must take advantage of it and is no reason to to set it aside when it is such a dominant reality and global culture, but I think you were back to the essence of the discussion. If you're going to talk to people about Christmas you have to talk about Jesus Christ and that is the heart and soul of the gospel. Of course, but but it's also the fact that while people know the name Jesus, and they have some amount of information that they have accumulated in their minds about him. Most people don't understand who he is, in fact, I wonder sometimes if most fessing evangelicals even understand who he is. Yeah so what we're going to do a message on the Jesus of Christmas, and this is very important.

This is where everything has to begin you must know who he is so heavy looking at the mysterious Jesus the miraculous Jesus and the majestic Jesus and then next week we're going to hear messages on the theology of Christmas. The ugliness of Christmas and the true spirit of Christmas. Over the next couple of weeks were going to be setting a tone for Christmas of real worship and clarity identifying who Jesus is in the middle of all the traveling and shopping and tasks at home and gathering for this and that you are make time for a series of messages that will help you stay focused on what is central to this holiday season and that's our Lord Jesus Christ.

That's right, helping you make the holiday that bears Christ's name truly be all about Christ. That's what John series, the Jesus of Christmas is all about now to look at some miraculous prophecies about the birth of our Savior. Here's the lesson we always worship the Lord together by searching out his word. One of the elements of worship is to be sure we know the God whom we worship, we hear him speak to us and as I thought about season and the message of the spirit of God will put upon our hearts.

I thought that perhaps we ought to look at the New Testament to see the fulfillment of the miraculous Jesus and also with the old see the mystery that surrounded the prophets as they spoke of him who was to come. When the prophets wrote of the Messiah. They wrote the word of God as it says in Luke three to about John the Baptist. The word of God came on to him as it says of so many prophets of old and the word of the Lord came under them and they said they wrote the word of God and much of the word of God is about the coming Messiah. The coming anointed one, the coming Christ.

The coming king becoming Savior and as they wrote. They were somewhat mystified by the very thing they themselves will. I'm reminded of Peter's words in first Peter chapter 1 where he says the prophets searched diligently into the very things they wrote to try and understand what person or what time or what circumstances could bring all these prophecies to pass regarding the suffering and the glory of the one who was to come, for they were really dealing with mystery. They were dealing with apparent contradictions statements on the one hand, about his glory.

On the other hand, about his suffering that just seemed irreconcilable and they were mystified by much of it and the people to whom Jesus spoke were equally mystified. Some said he is the Christ know some said he is a prophet and other said what can a prophet come out of Galilee and some said he's Jeremiah and some cities. Elijah and some studies some other pre-messianic prophet, but he can't be the Messiah because everything doesn't seem to fit in the disciples wondered themselves with confused minds can this really be the Messiah.

Where is the kingdom, where is the glory. Where is the power and John the Baptist. John the Baptist, of all people found it very very difficult to understand. Look at me for a moment at Matthew chapter 11 as a starting point. John the Baptist was the forerunner of Jesus Christ. He was the one who stood one day and said, behold the Lamb of God to take away the sin of the world any part of Jesus Christ said this is the one and he said you follow him, not me, for he must increase and I must decrease. It's time for me to fade away.

He's arrived, but all of a sudden we find John the Baptist imprisoned in chapter 11 of Matthew.

In verse two says when John had heard in the prison. The works of Christ, he sent two of his disciples unto him to say, Art thou he that should, or do we look for another and here John who was so sure niche initially is now so unsure. Are you the one we so you must know that John you were his. Harold, you must know that you pointed to them, behold the Lamb of God to take away the sin of the world you must know that John, you baptize them in a voice from heaven said this is my beloved son in whom I am well pleased. You must've known John for us. The Holy Spirit descended as a job, you must know who this is what John is struggling because he's mystified what he assume one thing and he said in Matthew three when he comes, he will have to stand in his hand and he will separate the chaff from the wheat and the chaff will be burn with unquenchable fire. He said he will baptize you with fire. He will come with judgment. He will come with fury. He will come as a consuming fire to engulf the ungodly and the unbelievers in the flames and then to set up the kingdom for the righteous. But by now John can figure out what went wrong because where's the fire where is the consumption where is the wrath where is the kingdom he in fact to of all people should have been exalted as a prisoner at McDaris and old Herodian Florida gloomy dismal place east of the Dead Sea in a devastating area and there is a prisoner in Jesus is going around meek and mild healing. The second, and loving people, and he wonders where's the thunder and where's the vengeance and where's the wrath. And where is the kingdom, you can't resolve it in his mind and so is mystified and he sends his disciples to ask, are you really the Messiah. You see, without the full unfolding of the New Testament, there was tremendous mystery about who this one would be in the mystery came about because of the very diverse and apparently contradictory statements that were made about, and I agree that there are things about Jesus that are mystifying the world today is still somewhat mystified by Jesus. Those who do not understand and believe with all their heart, the truth of the New Testament are left with incredible mystery regarding Jesus Christ and as a result of that, there are myriads of fables and wild tales and fantasies that have grown up about him. I read Canadian motorist magazine.

Not one of your top three magazines.

I don't even know where I even found the thing but anyway that was an interesting article in their in the article was about the book title Jesus died in Kashmir.

Now, if you know your geography. Kashmir is a little country somewhere between India and Pakistan. In the book propagates the fact that Jesus died in Kashmir written by men in favor Kaiser. The book begins by telling us that there is alive in the world today, a man who is the son of Jesus Christ is the only living traceable descendent of Jesus Christ and he's alive right now. His name is Sahib… Bashar Assad leaving and he is the living descendent of Jesus Christ.

Another man writes the book is sure of that.

However, Sahib… Is not quite yet convinced but he is very excited if it is in fact true.

He's not sure what entitles him to, but you sure it must entitle them to something to be the son of Jesus Christ on the premise of the LI got into the article that far. I was hooked.

Put it mildly. But the book suggests that Jesus visited Kashmir between the ages of 12 and 29 a convenient time because that's the time the New Testament is silent on his life and so when the New Testament is solid, it is because he went to Kashmir and from the ages of 12 to 29 he studied Buddhism and he became a Buddhist. The llama priest. They also note in the book that this can be proven because the British stole all the evidence in order to preserve Christianity. Now Jesus then spent from 12 to 29 becoming a Buddhist llama. He had such diverse and unique views of the drove them out of Kashmir. He went to India they drove them out of India he went to Miranda and they drove them out of the ran and he just kept going west until he got to his room at the age of 29 he landed in Palestine and ministered their he never died on the cross, he never rose from the dead.

Those are fables and have no historical evidence says the book he was crucified because there were wounds in his hands that heal over they say he was removed from the cross took Mary his mother and Thomas and the three of them went to India. Another reason they went to India says.

The book as they were looking for the lost tribes of Israel, who obviously were in India. Now when they got to Pakistan they stop there and Mary died in Pakistan and was buried in Mary is buried they believe 30 miles from raw walloping.and in case you think this is really strange.

Let me make it stranger.

There is in Rawalpindi, a tomb marked as the tomb of Mary the mother of Jesus and revered as such by the local people. Thomas what the South India and died nobody knows where nobody really cares, but Jesus was left alone. He married father children lived to be 86 years old and was buried at the Rosenthal crypt in certain agar in Kashmir and to this day, people believe that that's his crypt.

He traveled to Afghanistan and other places and they gave him a name.

His name was shows I don't not be house right used to assess and use is the equivalent of Jesus. I don't know if you know this but the Koran speaks of him and the Koran says we that's God speaking in plural we didn't allow Christ to die on the cross is the Koran and instead we lifted him and took him away to a place full of natural beauty, gardens, lakes, rivers, flowers, and fruit, and by the way, hundreds of books have been written to embellish this incredible table. Now there are probably 100 other fantasies about Jesus. There's little question that he's a mysterious individual but is not only mysterious to the outside world of unbelievers in the Incredible Hulk such as this is indicative of the mystery of Jesus and also the unbelief of their hard hearts. But there is a certain amount of Mr. even about Jesus in the Old Testament, and that's what makes it so interesting.

There are things it seemed very difficult to resolve. Yes, in fact impossible to resolve. If you were to look only at the Old Testament have no information in the new.

If you didn't know Jesus Christ or anything about them you would look at certain Old Testament passages about the Messiah and you would say no one could fulfill this these men are wrong.

There is utter end of an absolute inconsistency in the Old Testament. There's no way all these things could come to pass in any one man or just too far fetched. Let's look at some of let's meet the mysterious Jesus of the Old Testament to give you the idea that we want to have as we flow through these thoughts. The reason there is mystery attached to Jesus Christ in the Old Testament is because of the apparent conflict in regard to prophecies. For example, in one place. He is said to be the coming King. In another place he is seen as a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief in one place he is seen with all the saints in another place he is presented as lonely in one place is presented as worship and adore and honored and revered another place he is lonely and rejected.

On the one Annie is King of glory King of heaven, eternal Savior desire of all nations.

Wonder of wonders, beauty among beauty another place. There is no beauty that we should desire him.

He is a servant. He is blood he he is suffering he is crucified.

He is even dead, and how can it be how can all of these confusing, contradictory things ever come to pass. Little wonder that John was confused. Little wonder the disciples were mystified little wonder the people could make up their mind about who this man really was mystery.

But you and I have the privilege Matthew chapter 13 verse 17. For verily I say unto you that many prophets and righteous men have desired to see those things which ye see and have not seen and to hear those things which ye hear and have not heard them. Now back to verse 16 but blessed are your eyes for they see in your ears, for they hear listen folks, we are able to see what they couldn't see. We are able to understand what they couldn't understand where able to see resolve what they could never imagine could even be resolved.

The mysteries but see if we can get some help. Let's go back to Isaiah chapter 7 I want to select about a handful of mysteries and show you how they are resolved in Jesus Christ in Isaiah 714, we read this in the New Testament tells us that it went beyond Ahaz the man of the time in which it was written and went beyond any child would be born to his family and it stretched down through history to have connotations that are only possibly finding their full meaning in the Messiah.

It says in verse 14 therefore the Lord himself should give you a sign the whole, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel. Now this is a marvelous statement in its full New Testament implication. The Lord himself of his own volition unasked and unsought unsolicited. The Lord himself gave a sign and assign points to something in the sign in this case in relation to Ahaz pointed to something far beyond him, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, Alma virgin seems to me that all other Old Testament uses have reference to virgin and even the Septuagint carries that out, and certainly the use of this passage in the New Testament would emphasize the virgin nature of this young woman virgin conceives and bears a son not unusual for a girl to have a baby, not unusual for a human child to be born, but very unusual that he should be called God with us and even more unusual that he should be God with us. While this child may have been called God with us. There would come another child born of a virgin who would be God with us human child and yet a divine reality and you look then at the mystery of God and man. How can anybody be God and man. How can there be a child who is the child of a human being, and who at the same time is God with us. Look at Isaiah 9 for a new us a child is born, unto us a son is given not so unusual not so strange this to a messianic prophecy, the earlier part of it even quoted by Jesus himself saying he came to fulfill it.

Not so unusual a child to be born not so unusual a son to be given. Happens all the time, but the government on his shoulder. Possibly possibly he is to be ruler's name to be called wonderful Counselor, possibly. Perhaps he is a wonder of the counselor, the mighty God, the father of eternity, mystery, and you have a child, God with us. You have a child, the mighty God, the father of eternity.

How can one be born in time who fathered forever paradox is clear.

The mystery is obvious the child born human. Yet God son given in time.

Who is the father of eternity itself. How can it be that a woman should bring forth a child who may know little wonder they were confused little wonder there was mystery.

Blessed are ye, because you can hear what they couldn't hear and see what they couldn't see. Look at Luke 16 month the angel Gabriel was sent from God to the city of Galilee named Nazareth verse 26 to a virgin espoused to a man his name was Joseph, of the house of David virgin's name was Mary and the angel came in on her and said, hail, thou who are highly favored. The Lord is with the blessed art thou among women when she saw him she was troubled at his saying, and considered in her mind, what manner of greeting this should be in the angel Sen. stop being afraid, Mary, for thou hast found favor with God. And behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, not so unusual that a woman should have a son, and shall call his name Jesus. He should be great not so unusual there been other great people, and shall be called the son of the highest weight of it that is unusual. Who is the highest God the son of God and the Lord shall given him the throne of his father David, and he shall reign over the house of Jacob forever.

Yes, he will be great. It will be a king forever and eternal King, the son of the highest to his God and of his kingdom there shall be no end, and should marry under the angel, how shall this be, seeing I know not a man I'm a virgin. How can I have a child.

The angel answered and said under her. The Holy Spirit shall come upon the and the power of the highest shall overshadow the therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of the shall be called the son of God. How can a child be man and God. How can it be the mystery is unresolved in the Old Testament resolved right here on the one hand, the child is a man born of Mary, on the other hand, the child is God, born of God for Mary new no man there was no earthly father God was the heavenly father God put deity in human flesh provided to the loins of Mary mystery is solved. He was fully God and fully man. Jesus God in human flesh. Think of it. The Old Testament said that he would be the seed of the woman. Daniel 713, said he would be the Son of Man, then Psalm two 770 be the son of God in Genesis 2218 70 be the seed of Abraham.

How can he be the seed of the woman. A woman is no seed talking to be the Son of Man, and the son of God, how can he be produced from Abraham produce from David introduced from God amazing complex of prophecies. How can God be Manman be God in the same time be the Son of Man, and the son of God. How can one be Son of Man and you have no human father and how can you be a seed of a woman when the woman has no seed. No wonder the prophets were mystified Jesus was. All of these. He was God. He was man. He was the seed of the woman he was the son of a man. He was of the line of Abraham. He was of the line of David, and yet he was the son of God. He was once as God in these last days is spoken through his son. The express image of his person, whose son is he God's very center and so resolves the mystery was pray our father. We acknowledge that our minds so are unable to resolve even the truth you've given us except that we take both Testaments and be taught by the Spirit of God. Thank you father that you lay down such prophecies to mystify even the saints so that even the well-meaning could never counterfeit them, let alone the critics and unbelievers. Thank you that the credentials of the Messiah are so divine, so otherworldly, so supernatural that every event and circumstance and element so totally controlled by your sovereignty that there is no other explanation than that Jesus Christ is all normal. Everything promised the suffering savior in the glorious King. There is nothing for which there is equal evidence to compare to the truth that Jesus is God in human flesh, the Savior who came to die rise again to forgive your sin give you eternal life.

Believe only a fool would not, and if it is true, and you've given them your life and received his salvation and walk in joyous obedience and submission to his holy purpose. This is grace to you with John MacArthur. Thanks for being with us. John's current study is helping you focus on what's important about this holiday season by showing you the Jesus of Christmas and friend. If you're looking to give your loved ones gifts with spiritual value on December 25. Let me encourage you to get our flagship resource.

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