The God Man (Part 2)

Thank you for listening to this message from the ministry of Morse Corner Church in Leverett, Massachusetts. Morse Corner is a non-denominational church that is committed to the preaching and teaching of the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Our church was founded in 1896 by two students of the famous evangelist D .L. Moody. We seek to encourage and edify the body of Christ through the proclamation of God's word through the ministries of the local church.

The Hidden Years and the Baptism of Jesus

If you'd like more information, visit our website, morsecornerchurch .com. We hope you enjoy the message. So, other than this account of Jesus at age 12, the word of God is completely silent about Jesus from the time he was an infant up until about age 30.

And you could ask, okay, why age 30? Why did he wait until age 30 for his ministry to begin? Well, Jesus was a man born under the law. This is likely because of Numbers chapter 4, verse 30, that a Levite or a priest could not minister in the tabernacle unless they were age 30 to 50.

So you had to wait until you were age 30 to be considered a rabbi or a teacher of the people. The next major event in the life of Christ was his baptism. Of course, we know that John the Baptist was the forerunner of Christ.

He prepared the way, laid the groundwork. And John the Baptist, he baptized Jesus, at which point the Holy Spirit descends from heaven upon Christ to empower him for ministry. Look at Luke chapter 3. Flip over to chapter 3.

Luke 3, 21 and 22 says, When all the people were baptized, it came to pass that Jesus also was baptized. And while he prayed, the heaven was opened, and the Holy Spirit descended in bodily form like a dove upon him.

The Temptation of Christ and the Devil’s False Offer

And a voice came from heaven, which said, You are my beloved son, and you I am well pleased. So far we've looked at the life of Christ. Now the ministry of Christ is about to begin. But before Jesus will minister among the people, immediately after his baptism, the spirit drives him into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil for 40 days.

There's a preparation period that Jesus went through before he began his public ministry. During this time, Satan offers Jesus the easy way out. Or so it seems. God the Father, this is all part of the plan.

God the Father was going to give to Jesus a kingdom without end. But in order for Jesus to receive this name, Lord, in order for him to receive the kingdom, this would require that he walk the path of obedience.

A path that would lead him to the cross. And he knew that. The devil, however, offers Jesus the kingdoms of this world without the pain and suffering of the cross. I will give you all of these things.

They're just one condition. You must bow and worship me. This is point number six. The Christian life is a life that includes suffering. The Christian life is a life that includes suffering. The devil offers an easier path.

A path that tries to avoid suffering. But it's a lie. It's a lie. The Christian path may involve suffering in this life, but the Christian path is a path that leads to glory. The path that Satan in his world system offers is a path of ease, convenience, pleasure, glory may be promised, but again, it's a lie.

The path the devil offers is a path that leads to the suffering of hell. That's the devil's fate. He knows it and he is trying to take as many people there as he can. Look at Luke 4 verse 5. Luke chapter 4 verse 5.

It says, then the devil, taking him, Jesus, up on a high mountain, showed him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time. And the devil said to him, all this authority I will give you and their glory for this has been delivered to me.

And I give it to whomever I wish. And by the way, the devil will give all of this to a man. And that man is called the antichrist. That day will come. Verse 7. Therefore, if you will worship before me, all will be yours.

Jesus answered and said to him, get behind me, Satan, for it is written, you shall worship the Lord your God and him only shall you serve. It's interesting. A little later on, Jesus is going to hear something similar from one of his disciples that he should not die.

One of his disciples, when he hears about the cross, he says, far be it from you, Lord, you shall not die. That's the devil's lie from the beginning, though, isn't it? You shall not surely die. The devil also tempted Jesus in this way.

Why are you, the Son of God, out here in the wilderness fasting or going without food? Why would you deprive yourself? Indulge. Command that these stones become bread. Does any of this sound familiar?

The serpent said something similar in the Garden of Eden. He said, yea, hath God said you shall not eat of every tree of the garden. Do what you want. Do what you want. Enjoy yourself. Eat the fruit. Don't deprive yourself of anything.

Indulge. Do what feels good. That's the devil's lie. Don't obey God. Do it my way. It's much more fun. Much more pleasurable. And, you know, there is some truth to the devil's lie. There's always some truth to every lie.

If there's no truth in it, it would be so ridiculous no one would believe it. Well, what's the truth? There is pleasure in sin for a season. But it's a trick. God's way leads to glory. The devil's way leads to destruction.

Jesus Overcame Temptation and Returned in the Power of the Spirit

Point number seven. Jesus overcame temptation. And because he did, he can sympathize with our weakness. Hebrews chapter 4 verse 15 says that he was in all points tempted as we are yet without sin. So Jesus was able to overcome temptation.

And after this victory of overcoming this temptation by the devil, and he did it in a weakened state, Adam gave in to temptation and paradise. Jesus was in the wilderness fasting, and he held strong through the power of the spirit.

But after this victory, Jesus returns. Look at Luke 4, starting in verse 14. Luke 4, 14. Then Jesus returned in the power of the spirit to Galilee. And news of him went through all the surrounding region.

The Teaching and Preaching Ministry of Jesus

And he taught in their synagogues being glorified by all. This is point number eight. Jesus' ministry was a teaching ministry. Jesus' ministry was a teaching ministry. He would not only teach, which is to give people information.

He would preach as well, which is more of now that you have the information, what do you do about it? So Jesus came preaching the same message as his predecessor, John the Baptist. Do you remember what that message was?

Well, John the Baptist and then Jesus preached this message. What was it? Repent for the kingdom of God is at hand. Jesus also preached the good news, which is the gospel. Luke 4, verse 16. This is when he comes back to his hometown.

It says, so he came to Nazareth, where he had grown up, where he had been brought up. As the custom was, he went into the synagogue on the Sabbath day and stood up to read. And he was handed the book of the prophet Isaiah.

And when he had opened the book, he found the place where it was written. So Jesus is now quoting scripture. He reads, the spirit of the Lord is upon me because he has anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor.

He has sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and recovery of sight to the blind, and to set at liberty those who are oppressed, and to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord.

Of course, Jesus said, he told them, I am the fulfillment of this. But point number nine, the ministry of Christ also included miracles, healings, and other signs and wonders that prove that he was indeed sent by God.

Jesus also cast out demons, and he showed mercy to the poor and to those who had been mistreated. And someone might wonder, how could anyone reject such a thing? How could anyone reject a person who does these wonderful works?

Why Jesus Was Rejected by His Own People

Well, here's a simple way to explain it. This is the final point, point number 10. Jesus was despised because he challenged the established authority and the way that the people believed and that the leaders believed about themselves and about God.

Everyone thought they had it all figured out who God was and who we are. Jesus challenged all of that. The Jews of Jesus' day, they believed that they were the chosen of God. And yet in their behavior and lifestyle, while they honored God with their lips, their hearts were far from him.

They believed that they were good. That's the problem we have today, same problem. People believed that they inherently were good. But God saw their sin. And Jesus pointed it out, which didn't help from their perspective.

The Messiah was sent in order, though, that they would have their sins forgiven. But instead, they wanted a Messiah who would do what? Drive out the Romans. A Messiah who would usher in a time of peace and prosperity for Israel.

So when Jesus started teaching things contrary to this, they quickly turned on him. One constant theme that we see, whether it's from Jesus or his apostles, when words of rebuke were spoken against the Jews or against Israel, they were just enraged.

This enraged them. And when the good news of God's grace was offered to sinners and then to the Gentiles, this was one thing that they would not tolerate. Luke 4, 24, after Jesus reveals himself to them, reading Isaiah's prophecy, saying, It's been fulfilled in me.

When he says this, the people reject him. They respond in unbelief. And because of that, now Jesus is hinting about bringing the grace of God to the Gentiles. Look at Luke 4, starting in verse 24. Then he said, Assuredly, I say to you, no prophet is accepted in his own country.

But I tell you truly, many widows were in Israel in the days of Elijah, when the heaven was shut up three years and six months, and there was a great famine throughout all the land. But to none of them was Elijah sent except to Zarephath in the region of Sidon, to a woman who was a widow.

And many lepers were in Israel in the time of Elisha the prophet, and none of them was cleansed except Naaman the Syrian, a non-Jewish man. So when they hear this, it says, So all those in the synagogue, when they heard these things, they were filled with what?

Wrath. And they rose up and thrust him out of the city and led him to the brow of the hill on which their city was built, that they might throw him down over the cliff. But then passing through the midst of them, he went his way.

It wasn't his time. Jesus could not have died. He came to die on the cross. It was impossible for him to die like that. But despite this rejection, many Jews did believe on him. Not least among them were his disciples, who he is about to call, starting with four fishermen, four ordinary men.

And what will he say to these fishermen? He says, Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men. Let's close in prayer. Heavenly Father, how grateful we are that because of your great love toward us, you sent your son into this world, born of a virgin.

Christ came to the sons of men so that they might become, through faith in him, the sons of God. And Lord, if there is anyone listening this morning who has never believed upon the name of Jesus, may your Holy Spirit give them life and life more abundant.

We believe that you will do this because we ask it in Jesus' name. Amen. Thanks for listening. I'm Pastor Michael Grant from Morris Cornet Church. If you'd like to listen to the complete message, or if you'd like more information about the ministry, visit our website, MorrisCornetChurch .com.

And we'd love to have you join us some Sunday morning here in Leverett. Until next time, may the grace of God be with you.