“The Case for Christ - His Importance” - (part 2)

How important is Jesus Christ - really?

Last Sunday evening, we faced that question when we looked at the importance of Christ.

This concerned our personal lives - our choices in motives and behavior - and I trust that this past week caused you to look at it in a deeper and a more fervent way.

It is a challenge we will continue to face each of our days as we move on with each situation in the course of the day.

I hope we saw that when it comes to the subject of sin in our own lives - its effect upon ourselves, the power it holds over us to want to hang on to it, and the effect and influence it has on those who are observing us - all must be dealt with in Christ.

And our response to that indicates to ourselves just how important Christ is to us.

We must never forget that we have been called to be the carriers of His witness to the world - to proclaim the Good News, to exhibit the newsiness and the newsworthiness of it.

Our words, our lives, our very existence is the media the Lord uses today to continue announcing His good tidings.  

He is interested in no other news than the proclamation of His Good News and we ought to be constantly and consistently aware of that.

Why? because the Gospel is News - big news, good news, true news!

History’s most critical and most momentous news continues to be the message that our God gives to the world.

This ongoing global news is more important than the news of discovering life on a distant planet, or the news of a notable breakthrough in the medical field, or the news of a world crisis. 

Yes - these things are important to our present existence.

But the news of God’s provision for sinful men to know the way of escape from the damning consequences of sin - to know of a new kind of life that equips man for time and for the eternal ages yet to come cannot - cannot - be matched.

I like the statement that reads: ‘The Good News is so good that any other news - whether good or bad - is irrelevant.’

It is extraordinarily good news: in fact, it strikes us really as ‘too good to be true.’

I do not find it surprising at all when the disciples were so astonished at it.

When Jesus appeared to them after His resurrection, they were ‘still unconvinced, still wondering for it seemed too good to be true.’ (NEB - Lu 24:41)

‘Jesus is alive: He died but He is not dead anymore!’, they all agreed.

And, we - too - can agree and go further and say: ‘And He is alive forevermore!’

‘I am He that liveth, and was dead; and behold, I am alive forevermore, Amen:...’ (Rev 1:18)

So, today we Christians have inherited an unprecedented challenge to proclaim Jesus Christ to the world - to disclose and maintain His witness in word, in deed, in thought, and in attitudes.

Which brings us to tonight’s deliberation with the question: How important is this Good News to this present world?

Our age - as in all other ages - has shaped and is shaping massive denial and convincing disbelief that is obscuring the actual fact of Jesus Christ.

The gods of the world are continuing to charm and captivate a wayward generation - enslaving the hollow heart of a society that prides itself in a ‘whatever suits you is okay’ philosophy.

The concerns of man’s spirit, of holiness, of conscience, and of truth are, after all, the hinge on which the stability and the survival of a society ultimately turns.

It remains true that ‘...righteousness, integrity, and virtue exalt a nation but sin diminishes and brings any people low.’ (Prov 14:34)

So - first, let us remember - God started announcing His Good News long before Jesus Christ, around Whom it evolves, ever came onto the scene of history.

It was proclaimed upon the earth from the time of Adam and Eve and through prophecies, and through types and shadows within the confines of Israel’s early history.

Much of what God instituted had a twofold application, of course - first, it was specifically to that nation or to a person or persons and effected those situations at that time.

But - secondly - less directly, yet clearly and purposefully - it was to herald the coming Messiah, Christ Jesus, and the establishment and effects of His Kingdom which effects all mankind for all ages.

Christ is the One that God repeatedly proclaimed would come to the earth specifically to bring life to men, to bring eternal realities to men.

This is fact: it is not a philosophy, for - you know - that a philosophy is only a view of things, whereas a fact is that which is actual, which is certain, absolute, the naked truth.

God, when He spoke, spoke of actuality, of reality, of gospel - and He spoke of none other.

He - from the very beginning - deemed none other to be worthy of the place of His Son in bringing spiritual life to men.

Thus, when He repeatedly kept proclaiming the Good News for centuries upon centuries, in one way or another, He was preparing the world for the coming of the Incarnation of Himself in Christ.

Let us quickly look at some of the Old Testament Scriptures of God’s mind that was so centered and focused upon His plan of redemption through His Son.

In looking at His many prophetic announcements, you will see how detailed and how right on they were.

And the reason I am doing this is to establish on the authority of His Word the supreme interest He has for His Son and the importance of His Son in His redemption plan.

I will not comment on them but we will just note some of the particulars that were foretold by God through His prophets concerning Jesus Christ, the Messiah.

And, we will mention and read only a few of the passages
for this is in no wise a complete survey.

The very first indication of His coming is given in Gen 3:15 in the early creation story when God pronounced His sentence upon Satan: ‘And I will put enmity between thee and the woman and between thy seed and her seed: her posterity shall tread your head under foot.’

This was the first written statement of the institution of His salvation plan - Christ would be the Executor of God’s decree.

And He vowed again, later in Deut 18:15, to His people   that ‘The Lord thy God will raise up a Prophet from among you, like Myself: unto Him ye shall hearken.’

And, we go over to Jeremiah and see there in Jer 23:5-6: ‘Behold, the days are coming, says the Lord, when I shall place a righteous Branch...upon David’s throne. He shall be King Who shall rule with wisdom and justice and cause righteousness to prevail everywhere throughout the earth.’

The prophecies included the fact of His divine as well as His human nature in verses such as Isa 7:14 and 9:6-7.

Isa 7:14: ‘Therefore the Lord Himself shall give you a sign: behold a virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call His name Immanuel.’

You can refer to Isa 9:6-7 as well on your own concerning this.

In Isa 49:7, 52:14, and 53:2, the debasement of what His physical circumstances would be are given.

Isa 49:7 reads in this regard: The Lord, the Redeemer and Holy One of Israel, says to the One Who is despised, rejected by mankind, and kept beneath the heel of earthly rulers...’.

And in the Jerusalem Bible, we read in Isa 52:14: ‘...as the crowds were appalled on seeing Him, so disfigured did He look, that He seemed no longer human...’.

Here the author is speaking of Christ during the crucifixion scene which would take place in the years yet to come.

And the NEB of Isa 53:2 reads: ‘He grew up before the Lord like a young plant whose roots are in parched ground: He had no beauty, no majesty to draw our eyes, no grace to make us delight in Him...’.

But - the unparalleled excellence and dignity of Christ’s personal character, a character combining wisdom and knowledge, purity and righteousness, compassion and humility, forbearance and unfaltering trust in God and His determined mind to complete the will of God right to the last breath of His life we find in passages such as Isa 11:2-5, 40:10-11, 43:2-3; 50:5-7; Dan 9:26. 
     
Consult those passages on your own, if you would like. 

Let me repeat them for you, for those who are writing them down: Isa 11:2-5; 40:10-11; 43:2-3; 50:5-7; Dan 9:26. 

But read the beautiful passage in Isa 11:2-5 along with me, and this time I am taking it directly from the KJV.

Isaiah 11:2-5:

Verse 2: ‘...And the spirit of the Lord shall rest upon Him, [Christ], the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the Lord.

Verse 3: And shall make Him of quick understanding in the fear of the Lord and He shall not judge after the sight of His eyes, neither reprove after the hearing of His ears:

Verse 4: But with righteousness shall He judge the poor, and reprove with equity for the meek of the earth and He shall smite the earth with the rod of His mouth, and with the breath of His lips shall He slay the wicked.

And - verse 5: And righteousness shall be the girdle of His loins, and faithfulness the girdle of His reins.’

We also find prophecies in detailed descriptions of His work and sufferings, which we will not take the time to look at tonight. 

You will find these in passages such as Isa 9:6-7; 25:6; 53:4, 10-12; 61:1, 52:13-15; Zech 13:7; 12:10, and many others that you can search out on your own, if you so desire.

I will not read them at this time.

They set forth the greatness and the humane goodness and kindness of His miracles and the gracious character of His ministry. 

They foretell His rejection by His own countrymen and His judicial condemnation. 

They describe Him as ‘bearing the sins of many’, as being healed by His stripes, as ‘giving His soul an offering for sin’, and ‘making intercession for transgressors’.

They describe His ultimate exaltation and glory after His resurrection and ascension.

Also included is the spread of this good Gospel News and the subsequent conversion of the Gentiles who were also to be included in this grand scheme of God’s Plan.

Take a good look at them to see how the Lord God prepared the world for this momentous advent of His Son to the world. 

All these predictions were fulfilled in our Lord Jesus Christ, the whole history of His life and death, His resurrection and ascension.

And, remember, these predictions were all announced starting centuries before Christ came.

The Good News was unfolded and - very amazingly enough - continues to unfold itself as time moves on.

Does that fact alone not abundantly testify to the truth and reality of Who Jesus Christ actually is and testify of the utmost importance He is to the history of the world?

In the New Testament book of Matthew, we find that much attention is given to demonstrating that it indeed was Jesus Christ Who fulfilled all of these Messianic prophecies and is thus the promised Messiah.

Look at the announcement at His very birth, a personal, heaven-sent announcement from the lips of God’s own angels to a group of shepherds in Luke 2:10-11.

Luke 2:10-11: ‘Behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people: for unto you is born this day, in the city of David, a Savior, which is Christ the Lord.’

What refreshing rain reached their hearts that night!

Here was the message, the news of salvation which would lift a ruined world into a sphere of light, of life, of liberty, proclaiming the coming of the Last Adam, the incarnation of the Son of God in Christ and the Everlasting Word made flesh.

What news! What tidings! 

The heaven-sent media of God’s own angels sounded upon the earth for redemption-needing and redemption-seeking souls, who want and who can feel a Savior’s love, to ‘all people’ for all time.

And - if you carefully follow each such momentous events concerning Christ, you will find that each one was announced by a divine being.

Even His human conception was explained in Matt 1:21-23 by an angel.

In Matt 2:13, direction for the safe keeping and preservation of the Infant Jesus came through an angel.

In Matt 28:6, His resurrection was another announcement given first by a divine being.

The fact of His ascension was first defined by a heavenly being in Acts 1:11.

The fulfillment of all the prophetic expectations were contained in this One Who has finally come! 

And the news of each pivotal, earth-shaking, earth-shattering event of His life came first through a divine agent! 

Such supreme, heavenly news that was so sacred needed to come from the lips of divine angels first before it could be picked up by men to proclaim!

Now, I ask you very earnestly, What other personage ever to grace this earth had such detailed announcements given of him preceding his actual birth among men?

And - then - had angelic beings proclaim first the news events surrounding Christ?

If, when you read through this history of God’s salvation plan, you find any other person or any philosophy that God has espoused along with His Son, please let me know about it.

I guarantee you will find none! - absolutely none!

What better news could men have than that which comes straight from the heart of God on man’s behalf for his ultimate good?

Yes - it is true that the Good News has not yet received universal acceptance.

Its dominance over the whole earth, which these prophecies foretold, is not yet consummated.

And we can see that, throughout all the changes this world had undergone down through the centuries, nothing has happened to render these prophecies yet to be fulfilled impossible of being accomplished.

Instead, the way things are going in the world today actually makes them easily capable of being completely realized some day.

And when they are, it will be that final sign and wonder, a prelude to the universal triumph of Christ’s completed work.

The stench of moral death hovers over a generation that seals itself against this enduring fact of God’s truth.

Such a culture suffocates for lack of spiritual oxygen and finds human existence devoid of worth and meaning.

Look at the consequence of Judah’s corruption in Isa 1:2-9, and I read from the KJV again, starting at verse 2:

Verse 2: ‘Hear, O heavens, and give ear, O earth: for the Lord hath spoken, I have nourished and brought up children, and they have rebelled against Me.

Verse 4: ‘Ah sinful nation, a people laden with inquity, a seed of evildoers, children that are corrupters: they have forsaken the Lord, they have provoked the Holy One of Israel...’

Verse 6: ‘From the sole of the foot even unto the head there is no soundness in it, but wounds, and bruises, and putrifying sores: they have not been closed, neither bound up, neither mollified with ointment.’

Verse 7: ‘Your country is desolate...strangers devour it in your presence, and it is desolate, as overthrown by strangers.’
  
Verse 8: ‘And the daughter Zion is left behind like a shanty in a vineyard, like a shack in a cucumber patch, like a besieged city.’

Verse 9: Except the Lord of hosts had left unto us a very small remnant, we should have been as Sodom...and... Gomorrah.’

Yes - it suffered from lack of spiritual oxygen.

The stench of death hovered over them.

Always remember, it is the man, the city, the nation, the world who dies, not God, when the truth of His Truth is sealed and buried. 

In Romans we read: ‘...God promised beforehand by His prophets in the Holy Scriptures concerning His Son Jesus Christ our Lord Who was made of the seed of David according to the flesh and declared to be the Son of God...[He] openly designated [Him] in power, in a striking, triumphant, and miraculous manner, according to the spirit of  holiness by resurrection from the dead...’

‘...For no human being can be made upright in the sight of God by observing the law for through the law came the knowledge of sin.

But now God’s way of giving men right standing with Himself has come to light...through the Law and the prophets that bore witness of it.

I mean, God’s own way of making men righteous which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all those who believe.

...for God set Him before the world, to be, by the shedding of His blood, the means of reconciliation [to God] through faith in Him...’
  
And in Romans 5, we are told, ‘...God demonstrated and gave proof of His love toward us - the proof in His amazing love is this: that it was while we were sinners that Christ died for us.

Much more, then, now that we have been pronounced righteous by virtue of the shedding of the blood of Jesus Christ, it is far more certain that through Him, we shall be saved from God’s wrath [to come]. 

For if while we were hostile we were reconciled to God by the death of His Son, it is much more [certain], now that we are reconciled, that we shall be saved [that is, daily delivered from sin’s dominion] through His [resurrection] life.’

Now - I ask you - if the Almighty God, who many say they worship in some form or another, regards none except the work and Word of Jesus Christ, do we really dare to try to substitute another to worship?

If He, from eternity past and at the start of the history of His redemption plan has always pointed to this One Divine Person, the Person of Jesus Christ only, how can we venture to place others along side of Him as another way of salvation and reconcilation to God?  

If He, then, is Judge of all men, ought we not to consider His judment of what we do with His Son very, very thoughtfully and soberly?

Yes - the Good News of Salvation to the world has come for all people.

Not one person who has lived, is living, and is yet to live is excluded.

Rev 14:6: ‘And I saw another angel fly in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting Gospel to preach unto them that dwell on the earth, and every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people.’

And ‘whosoever will’, believing these glad tidings - this Good News straight from the divine heart - can come to Christ and partake of this great salvation and can learn to live in and to love this divine Living Source from Whom his salvation comes.

What an infinite, superlative, valuable Gift our God has conferred to the world in His Good News of Jesus Christ!

I leave you with these thoughts tonight to ponder - take them before the Lord and lift your heart to Him to embrace Him more fully today than you did yesterday.

May we be God’s witnesses of His Good News to the world!

Let us pray.
    
[PRAY]

And - now the God of peace that brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus Christ, that great Shepherd of the Sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant, make you perfect in every good work to do His will, working in you that which is well-pleasing in His sight, through Jesus Christ; to Whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.’