JESUS COMES AMONG US

“Eternity came into Time, to take us

from Time into Eternity”.

Names

• Jesus Heb Jeshua “God Saves”• Messiah Heb Mashiach “Anointed one”• Christ Gk. Christos “Anointed one”• Lord Gk. Kyrios Title of power and authority• Son of Man• Son of God

The Incarnation

• Incarnation: (carnus Lat = flesh) “Enfleshing” “embodying in flesh”

• The belief that for the salvation of the world, the Son of God, while remaining fully divine, became truly and fully human, like us in all things but sin.

John 3:16“For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life.”

• WHY? CCC 456 – 460

• In order to save us by reconciling us with God

• So that we might know God’s love “In this is love, not that we loved God but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the atoning sacrifice for our sins.” 1John 4:10.

John 3:16“For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life.”

• WHY? CCC 456 – 460

• So that we might learn how to live as God wants us to live with Jesus as our model

• So that by sharing in our humanity He might make us sharers in his Divinity

John 1: 14“The Word became flesh and dwelt among us.”

• HOW?The Annunciation

Luke 1:26 – 38 The Visitation

Luke: 39 – 56 The Nativity

Luke 2: 1 – 20 Matthew 1: 18 – 25

The AnnunciationLuke 1:26 – 38

• Mary (Miryam – “Lady”• Engaged to Joseph ( “Let him increase”) • A virgin (mentioned twice in v. 27 & 28)

Jesus will be born of a virgin; conceived by the Holy Spirit. • Jesus’ name is announced. He is Son of God and will be the

final and eternal King of Israel. The promised Messiah. • Mary’s “fiat” (L)

“Here I am the servant of the Lord. Let it be done with me according to your word.” v. 38

• "At the message of the angel, the Virgin Mary received the word of God in her heart and in her body, and gave life to the world" (Constitution on the Church, 53).

The VisitationLuke 1:39 – 56

• Elizabeth’s joy-filled greeting represents all the women of Israel who have longed for the Messiah and anticipates the faith of allChristians who call Jesus Lord.

• The New Testament ( beginning in Jesus) comes to sanctify the Old Testament’s last prophet ,John in order to prepare him for his mission with an outpouring of the Spirit.

• A prayer of praise bursts forth from Mary’s soul as she celebrates the greatness of God.

The Nativity ( natus = “to be born” L.)

• In Bethlehem, City of David

• The poverty, humility and lowly beginnings of the King of Kings.

• The birth is announced by angels to shepherds.

• Read also the birth narrative in the Gospel of Matthew Chap 1 & 2

The Presentation Luke 2: 25 – 40

The Finding in the TempleLuke 2: 41 - 51

• Luke 2:40 The child grew and became strong; filled with wisdom, and the favour of God was upon him.

• Luke 2:51 Then he went down with them and came to Nazareth, and was obedient to them. His mother treasured all these things in her heart.

• Luke 2:52 And Jesus increased in wisdom and in years and in divine and human favour.

The Baptism of Jesus, The Temptations in the Desert,Jesus begins His Public Ministry.

The Story So Far…..• Jesus Comes Among Us• The story of His birth,

Presentation at the Temple, Finding in the Temple.

• The “Hidden Life” of Jesus

• He is now 30 years old…

Capernaum

Nazareth

Jerusalem

Bethlehem

The mission of John the Baptist.

• At a precise point in history (Luke 3: 1 – 2)

• Description of the mission in all four Gospels: “A voice cries in the wilderness: ‘Prepare a way of the LORD, make his paths straight.’” (Is. 40:3)

• John’s baptism was a call to conversion and an announcement that one greater than himself was to come.

• He points to the true identity of Jesus

The Baptism of JesusLuke 3:21 - 22

The Significance of Jesus’ Baptism – Identification and Obediance

• His complete identification with sinners although He himself was sinless. (Hebrews 4:15)

• An immersion and a prefiguring of His death, the ultimate sacrifice for our sins

• A rising to new life prefiguring the Resurrection.• His communion with the will of the Father opens

heaven – the place where the Father’s will is perfectly fulfilled.

• The proclamation of Jesus’ mission by the Father: not what Jesus does but who He is: He is the beloved Son on whom God’s favour rests.

The Significance of Jesus’ Baptism-Identification and Obedience

• A new identity born out of anointing by the Holy Spirit – Christ, the anointed one.

• The mystery of the Trinitarian God is beginning to emerge.

• An arc joins this beginning of Jesus’ journey with the mission he entrusts to His disciples after His Resurrection (Matt. 28:19)

The Significance of Jesus’ Baptism for me

• A personal acceptance of God’s call to a new life through Baptism

• It is a turning point in my life

• It is dying with Him and rising to new life.

• With Jesus as mediator, we too can lay claim to the term “children of God.”

• As sons and daughters of God and partakers in His Divine nature, all that we are and do is in Christ and His Body, the Church.

The Significance of Jesus’ Baptism for me

•Does this make sense to me?

Do I feel drawn to this “new beginning”?

Is this what I want?

The Temptations of Jesus(Luke 4: 1 - 13)

Parallels with OT• 40 years wandering in the wilderness; 40 days in the

desert.(40 is symbolic of a generation, a life-time)• The last line of Exodus Chapter 24 v. 18 “Moses entered

the cloud and went up on the mountain. Moses was on the mountain for forty days and forty nights.”

• Three failures of the Jews at a time of testing; three temptations of Jesus.- Jews complained about their hunger; that in Egypt they ate their fill of daily bread. (Exodus 16)- Broke their faith in God and worshipped the golden calf. (Exodus 32)

- Lack of trust that God would provide water for them. (Exodus 17)

The Temptations of Jesus(Luke 4: 1 - 13)

• The Bread Temptation: Trying to make Jesus prove His is the Son of God.

• One does not live by bread alone (Deut 8:3)

• The Authority Temptation: Testing Jesus’ faithfulness to God.

• Worship the Lord your God and serve only him (Deut. 6:13)

• The Trust Temptation: Trying to get Jesus to doubt God; to test His trust in God

• Do not put the Lord your God to the test (Deut. 6:16)

Jesus in the Synagogue at Nazareth (Luke 4: 16 – 30)

• Refers to His anointing by the Spirit

• Proclaims His “mission statement”

• Describes His mission as the fulfillment of the Old Testament prophecy.

Jesus in the Synagogue at Nazareth (Luke 4: 16 – 30)

• The prophecy that Jesus read in the Nazareth synagogue that Sabbath, describes perfectly the earthly ministry of Jesus Christ. It reveals to us the essence of His message which is a message of grace and of love.

• In Isaiah’s prophecy that Jesus proclaimed to be fulfilled that day in Him, we learn clearly about the nature of his ministry.

Jesus in the Synagogue at Nazareth (Luke 4: 16 – 30)• His message is good news, a gospel of joy.

• His ministry is one of healing.

• Jesus’ ministry is a ministry of hope.

• Jesus’ ministry is one of light.

• Jesus’ ministry is one of freedom.

• His ministry is one of restoration.

Jesus in the Synagogue at Nazareth (Luke 4: 16 – 30)

• From initial approval, the mood of the people begins to change.

• The rejection, the violence prefigures the eventual fate of Jesus at the hands of His own people.

For next week…

• Continue reading the Gospel of Luke• If you can, right up till the end. It is, after

all, the greatest story ever told.• Please read Matthew Chapters 5 – 7. The

Sermon on the Mount.