I told him in the Sunday worship hour, our Sunday Bible class hour this morning, where I was going to preach from, and it might seem like a little bit of an unusual passage to speak on, on what would be considered Christmas, the Sunday before Christmas. But I'd like for you to turn with me to Philippians chapter two. Philippians chapter two. We want to look this morning at verses 5 down through verse 9, and I want to preach a message to you, because this is the thing. Everybody gets so caught up in this time of year, do they not? And I got no problem with it. I mean, I enjoy this time just about as much or more than anybody. I know that you that have grandchildren now, that you enjoy it. It seems like some of the joy goes out of it when you grow up and gets to where it's not a big excitement thing. But you know, the way religion gets caught up in it, we miss a lot. And so I've been tied to this message this morning. This is the thing. They get hung up on the gift giving. And, you know, they talk about the baby in the swaddling clothes lying in the manger, and everybody knows about the three wise men, and everybody knows about the shepherds, and all those things that are involved in it. But listen, we do a great disservice to ourselves as well as to those we come in contact with if we forget the importance of this particular event that this world is going to celebrate this Tuesday, Wednesday, and call it Christmas Day, the birth of Christ. So I've entitled this message this morning, The Incarnation And when I wrote my title card, I deliberately entitled it this way, The Incarnation, and I put in capital letters of THE Christ. THE Christ. Now I'm quite certain when we think about it, that since we're in what's the midst of what's known as and referred to as the Christmas season, that nearly everybody who's religious considers this man-made holiday to be the birth of Jesus. I'd say almost all without exception. And, you know, we've all heard our friends and we've all heard our family talk about it in this fashion. I, you know, I think one of the common phrases of our day, I haven't been seeing advertisement about it on TV again this week, let's put Christ back in Christmas. You know, and they use such flippant things to talk about. Our Lord Jesus Christ. You know, you move around, if you spend any time on social media, you know, Facebook, Twitter, any of these other things, you'll see these religious people make, to me, what's a silly statement. They make it just casually. It's like you and I wish happy birthday to one another. It's happy birthday, Jesus. But see, sadly, most people have absolutely no true idea and they have no true understanding of the significance of this monumental event that they're about to celebrate just one day a year. I hope you don't just think about the birth of Christ on December the 25th. It's significant. Matter of fact, it's very significant. See, they don't understand that that birth of Christ, the day that they call December the 21st, the birthday of Jesus, that was the birth of Christ's humanity. Something that had not existed before. They'll read verses like Isaiah 9 verse 6 where Isaiah wrote that and they'll read it. I guarantee almost everybody today, somebody's going to preach from it. I know I've preached from it in the past and Lord willing, if we're together long enough, I'll preach from it again. Isaiah chapter 9 verse 6, For unto us a child is born, and unto us a son is given. And they'll even sing about it in their cantatas. They've got whole Christmas cantatas that are made up about that. But almost all religious people, without exception, regardless of their religious affiliation, whether they're Methodist, Baptist, Pentecost, Catholic, whatever they are, when they think about him on Christmas, on Christmas Day, they don't have a clue why it was so important that this person must be born in the way he was born. Why he had to be her son. Why wouldn't Joseph see it? So at the beginning, let me make this perfectly clear this morning, if a person does not believe and they do not understand the incarnation of Christ. This is going to sound brutal, but it's just true. If they do not believe and they do not understand the incarnation of Christ, they're lost no matter what they think or say concerning Christ's death, because when you think about it, without his miraculous birth? If he wasn't actually the seed of the woman, not a seed of man? Folks, we're yet without a Savior. We're yet without a Redeemer. And we're yet dead in our sins without hope in this world. So this birth of the Lord Jesus Christ is much more than just a historically significant event that occurred in history. This event of the incarnation, His birth, folks, it's one of the great cornerstones of the faith of God's elect. God's children believe this. Now let's look at three things this morning that are shown to us by the Apostle Paul in Philippians chapter 3, verses 5 through 9. The first one is this, who He is. That's the first thing we're going to look at. And then we're going to look at what He became. And we're going to close out this morning by answering this question. Why was he incarnated? Why is that so important? So let's look at the first one this morning. Notice what he says. This first thing that we want to point out to you. Who was Christ? Notice what he says in our text. Look at verse 5. Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, who being in the form of God, Thought it not robbery to be equal with God. Now, if you know anything about the book of Philippians, and I'm well aware of it because we've preached through Philippians before, but when you're looking at these verses, I'm well aware of the fact that the Apostle Paul, when he wrote to these people at Philippi, one of the chief things that he was stressing to them was humility. Look at verses one through four. If there be, therefore, any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any bowels and mercies fulfill ye my joy, that you be like-minded, having the same love, being of one accord and of one mind, Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory, but in loneliness of mind let each esteem others better than themselves. Look not every man on his own things, but every man also whose things should we look on first." The things of others. So he said that inside the church body, there's no difference. We're all equal. Now, there's no doubt some of us have more things of an earthly world than others do. Some of us have nicer cars. Some of us have nicer homes. But as far as our standing before God Almighty, how does God view us? He views us exactly the same, holy, unblameable, and unreprovable in His sight. But the chief example that Paul uses to illustrate true humility, what does he point to as an example of true humility? He points to the second person of the Trinity, our Savior, our Redeemer, the Lord Jesus Christ. Because after he talks about them humbling themselves and don't think on what you've got, think on what your brother's got, he turns right around and he says, now let this mind be in you which was in Christ. We've been studying through the Gospel of John in Sunday Bible class, and you know one of the things that's so prominently on display in those who despised our Lord Jesus Christ is their hatred of him for making himself equal with God. That is to say, when he declared that he was himself deity, it outraged everybody. You can read that for yourself in John chapter 8, verses 21 through 29. Yet when you think about it, without a God-given understanding of this fact of His incarnation? You know, there's no salvation. Look over at 1 John chapter 2. This is an important issue. 1 John chapter 4. Look at verse 2. How can I determine? People say, well, there you go, you're judging again. How can we determine who our brethren are? Who's of God and who's not of God? Well, here it is. Look at this. Hereby know ye the Spirit of God. How do you know that I've got the Spirit of God in me or vice versa? Every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ is coming to flesh. What's so significant? Jesus Christ. Jehovah is salvation. That's Jesus. Christ, what is that? That's the Messiah. Whosoever confesses that Jehovah is salvation, that God has come in flesh, is of God. And if you don't confess that Jesus Christ is God coming to flesh, what does it illustrate? You're not a God. Now that being the case, all of God's servants, they have to present this truth clearly and without apology. And that's exactly what the Apostle Paul has done in our text. He says, who being in the form of God. And if there's one thing you know, when we look at these things, we have to just dig into some detail. If there were no other verse in the scriptures, if I didn't have any other scriptures to appeal to, that openly and fully declared the essential deity of the Lord Jesus Christ, that He was Himself God, a very God, this verse does it. It says, Who being in the form of God. You know what that word form means? That word form literally translated, it means, in the original language, it means the external appearance by which something strikes our vision. So it says of Christ, what we see of Christ is what strikes our vision, and it's what shows us who God is. Where? Christ. Now, God absolutely considered, now think with me, because you've got to think now, God absolutely considered, but He's got no form. Does He? If you look out, you know, the heavens declare the glory of God, but you can't see God in the heavens. Matter of fact, he told Moses, remember when Moses said, Lord, if I found grace in your eyes, show me your glory. And he said, I'll do this thing. And he said, I'll hide you in the cleft of the rock and I'll pass by and you will look on my hindermost part. Because he said this, no man has looked on God and lived. Our Lord told that woman at the well, he said to her this, God is spirit. And they that worship Him, how do we worship Him? In form and in ritual and routine. No, we must worship Him in spirit. And the Apostle John, our Lord said in John chapter 1 verse 18, said this, No man hath seen God at any time. Hadn't back then. Hadn't now. Won't ever. Listen to me. Get this right. We will never see God. Not God absolutely consistent. Because we can't look on Him and live. He says, no man's seen God at any time. Why? The only begotten, which is in the bosom of the Father, He's revealed Him. So all we're going to ever see of God, where is it at? It's in Christ Jesus. Yet when our Lord's disciples asked Him, they said, Lord, show us the Father. What happened? Here's what happened. Philip saith unto him, Lord, show us the Father, and it sufficeth us." If they would show us the Father, we'd be happy. Jesus saith unto Philip, Have I been so long with you? And yet thou hast not known me, Philip? He that hath seen me, he's seen the Father. And how sayest thou, Show us the Father? Now, I don't feel like I need to spend a whole lot of time on this point about who Christ is, but let me just say this. Christ, the second person of the Trinity, co-equal and co-eternal with the Father. He was, He is, and He always shall be who? God. Christ told those Jews that hated Him without a cause. He said, I and my Father are one. And Christ also, we saw this this morning as we were going through it, He took upon Himself before those people who hated Him, He took the very name of God to Himself. He said to those Jews, He said, before Abraham was, I am. And turn over to John chapter 8. They knew exactly what He meant. They knew what He implied when He made that kind of a statement. Because look at how they reacted in verse 59 of John chapter 8. Then took they up stones to cast at him. Why? He had made himself to be God. So let's be very clear on this point of who Christ is. Christ is very God of very God. He's co-equal and co-eternal with the Father and the Spirit. And if any person denies that one absolute truth, They do not know God. You say, how can you say that? Well, look here, John chapter 8, notice verse 42. How can you know this morning if God's your father? I know the world cares, but God's all our fathers. No, He's not. Our Lord's speaking to some people and He's fixing to tell these guys who's their father. They weren't God's children and become children of the devil and later on turn back into children of God. There's no Spiritual metamorphosis goes on. But notice what he says here in verse 42. Jesus said to them, if God were your father, what would you do? You'd love me. Now why, if God's my father, why do I love him? Why do I love this person? He tells me. Because I came forth from him. I came from God. And neither, I didn't come here on my own, but the Father sent me. That's why I love Him, because what do I know? I know that the Father is so holy, He can't overlook my sins. Can't ignore them, can't pretend that they're not there. He's holy, and I'm unholy. And I know that He sent the Son to do what? To satisfy every single solitary demand that God's law and justice require to me. And therefore, what do I do? I love Him. because of who and what He is and what He did for me. But there's one more thing before we move on to the second point. Seeing this as a Christmas season, turn over to Matthew chapter 1 where we read at this point. And we're talking about the birth of the Redeemer. We're talking about the Incarnation. The fact that He's God. What verse better proves that He's God than this verse? Matthew chapter 1 verse 23, Behold, a virgin shall be with child. and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Immanuel." Which is being translated, what? God with us. Now folks, what is that? That's the fulfillment of an Old Testament prophecy that was made in Isaiah chapter 7 verse 14. And here we see it fulfilled where in this person, this little baby that lies in this manger, born of Mary, Born by the virgin birth. And that brings us to our second point this morning, what Christ became. And this is what's so important. I want to be very careful here. I stress this to you, but I stress it to myself this morning. I don't ever be one that's found tinkering or toying with the person of Christ. Now, this is, to me, when we talk about the person of the Lord Jesus Christ, who He is and what He became when God made Him God-man, this is holy ground. And we need to be very careful any kind of point we try to make here. And I have no doubt that there are a lot of things in Scripture that I can rationally and in great detail define for you. I can define for you election based on the Scriptures. I can show you scripturally what election is. I can take God's Word, and from God's Word I can define, I can defend, and I can document what predestination is. I can, from God's Word, talk to you quite intimately and quite rationally about what redemption and reconciliation is. Those are things that are cut and dried black and white in the Scriptures, no doubt about it. But when it comes to this thing of the union of the eternal Son of God with one who is the second person of the Trinity, the union of that person with humanity, that's beyond you. You talk about people, they scratch your head when you talk about election like it's some big mystery or predestination. This is a mystery. How eternal God can take up a boat and take into union with eternal deity, humanity. You talk about a mystery. You talk about something that I can't, I can't define that for you. But that's exactly what occurred in the conception and birth of God-man. Even though I can't explain it. Look at verse 6 and 7 of our text. but made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men, and being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself." Notice the language the Spirit moved the Apostle Paul to use concerning what Christ became. It says here, "...but made himself." You see that? In other words, Christ made himself. Hold it. How did he make himself? That ought to put to rest any question concerning Christ being inferior to the Father or to the Spirit concerning His divine person. I know the Father sent the Son. I know that. But the will of the Father, folks, and the will of the Son, what are they? They are the same. And since they are the same, Christ willingly made Himself of no reputation, and He, listen, our Lord took a place of subservience to the Father. We see that in Christ's Word. Remember when He was in the garden? What did He pray? In Luke chapter 22, verse 42, saying, Father, if Thou be willing, remove this cup from Me. Nevertheless, not my will, but thy will be done." In the Old Testament, this person who Christ became, you know, the Father declared this person to be My servant. He said, through His servant Isaiah, Behold My servant. Listen to this line, Whom I uphold. Mine elect. Who? Henry, you said, Christ be my first elect, God said, then he chose his elect in Christ their head. He said, behold, my servant whom I uphold, mine elect, and here's who God delights in, in whom my soul delighteth. Who does he delight in? The only thing God delights in, Christ. That's why it's absolutely essential if any man be in Christ, He's a new creature. God can delight in you in Christ. Outside of Christ, God's a consuming fire. So in this miraculous conception that occurred in the womb of the Virgin Mary, God, by His Holy Spirit, created a sinlessly perfect humanity and joined Christ, the essential deity, to that humanity forever. That's astounding. is moved by the Spirit, got it right. Without controversy, great is the mystery of godliness. God was manifest in the flesh. When I think about that, everybody thinks about that manger scene. You know what I think about when I think about Christ lying in that manger? That was eternal God. That the One who upholds all things by the power of His might, was in that little package. He was keeping Mary and Joseph's hearts beating. He kept the animals, the temples that brought those wise men. He gave them life. In Him we live and move and have our very being. And there He lay. There ain't no God like our God that can do things like this. and sustain all things by the word of His power. On the other hand, every person, every man, every woman conceived of a man and born of a woman, what are we? Sinners. Always are and, folks, we always will be. We'll be justified sinners in heaven one day. Paul put it like this, Wherefore is by one man sin in the world, and death by sin. So death passed upon all men, in that all men have sin. It can be said of every one of us here this morning, as well as everybody outside these buildings this morning, there's none good, no, not one. There's none that seeketh after God. There's none that understandeth. No, not one. All of us have that one common feature in common, do we not? But think about this. Yet this person, the Lord Jesus Christ, who was born of a woman just like I was born of a woman, He was declared sinless. Actually, according to what we read this morning there in Matthew chapter 1 and again over in Luke chapter 1 verse 30, before He was actually conceived, God Almighty proclaimed Him holy. Listen to it. And the angel answered and said unto Mary, The Holy Ghost shall come upon you And the power of the high shall overshadow you. Therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God." So here's what I'm saying this morning on this second point. In that union of the second person of the Godhead, the Lord Jesus Christ, the eternal Son of God, in that union of His perfect deity, with sinless humanity created in the Virgin Mary, we actually see in time the fulfillment of Isaiah chapter 9 verse 6. Unto us a son is born. Who's that? That's the Lord Jesus Christ. A child is given. That's that humanity. That's the child given. But since Christ is and ever shall be eternal God, what is He? He's unchangeable. Jesus Christ is saying, Yesterday, today, and forever. And yet, do we have a contradiction? Because before, he wasn't a man. He was doing some mysterious things to try to deal with it. Yet, in this divine union, the eternal Son of God became something that he wasn't before. He became forever God-man. And only God could come up with that. But you think about it, at the right hand of God Almighty right now, who's there? A man. But not just any man. He's bone of my bone and flesh of my flesh. But folks, he's a man uniquely qualified for that role. I've been thinking about this verse a lot. I might want to preach on this here for a little. For there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus. I've been thinking about that verse in light of that. And James said, The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much. There's your mediator. Because remember what Paul said in Romans, we don't know what to pray or how to pray. But what does he do? Praise God. By His Spirit, He speaks for us in groanings that cannot be uttered. We do a lot of this in our prayer, don't we? Flap, flap, flap, flap, flap, flap, flap. God prays through us. And that's the effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man. This is indeed a mystery, but by God-given faith, we rest in that truth. And I don't know about you, but I take great comfort in the fact that right now at the right hand of the majesty on high, there is a man there. And he ever, that man ever lives to make intercession for me and he's acquainted with and he understands everything about humanity. Paul said this to those Hebrew believers, for we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities but was in all points tempted like as we are yet without sin. And then quickly, here's the third point, and I'll stop this one. Why was he incarnated? Why was it absolutely essential that he do what he did? Why did God have to become a man? Why'd that have to happen? I'll give you the answer right here at the beginning, and we'll come back in. We'll fill in the blanks real quick. You know, the reality of man's sin and the damning effects of our sins demanded the incarnation. Absolutely demanded it. Think about it like this, when our father Adam rebelled against God in that garden choosing sides with Satan over God, he placed himself as well as all those whom he represented, even God's elect, what did he do? He put us in a place of separation from God, rendered us incapable of and unwilling to do anything by way of obedience to save ourselves, keep ourselves safe, or recommend ourselves to God. He damned us is the only way I know to put it. Yet before Adam ever fell, matter of fact, before Adam was ever created in the garden, the great I Am, the eternal Alpha and Omega, the Lord Jesus Christ, there stood one, thank God, mighty to save. You ever thought about that? Why, when Adam rebelled, God didn't just damn the whole thing right there? Huh? The fall wasn't an accident. It wasn't an afterthought. God planned it and purposed it. Explain that, go for it. But there's no other explanation, can there? It didn't catch God off guard. Because listen, before Adam failed, he was the Lamb slain when? Why was he slain? From before the foundation of the world. Why was that necessary? Because man was going to sin. And in Adam's plunge of humanity into sinfulness, he carried not only all men without exception, he carried God's children. And that's what's said of our Lord Jesus Christ. He came to seek and to save that which was lost. Which was lost in Adam. He's one incapable of change. He's always loved us. But see, the second person of the Trinity is God Himself absolutely considered. Jesus Christ, the eternal Son of God, couldn't die. He couldn't bleed. He couldn't suffer. And yet what's required to redeem us? Somebody's got to suffer. Somebody's got to bleed. Somebody's got to die. So the triune God did only what God could do. He sent His Son into this world, and according to His promise, He created in the womb of the Virgin Mary, God's name. But here's another thing. Humanity, no matter how glorified it might be, it cannot ever, or should it never, be worshipped. Humanity. Not this flesh. You remember when our Lord, when our Lord, this young ruler that came to our Lord and he said, good master, what good thing can I do that I might gain life? What did our Lord say? How did he respond to that? Why do you call me good? There's none good save who? Save God. So this rich man, he came to our Lord Jesus Christ and he addressed him how? As a mere man and as a mere man when he called him good. Think about what we do. He's a good fellow. Here's a man addressing one who is indeed good. And even our Lord said, if you're looking on just this case that I'm living in, this humanity, none good save God. And so he was in error. Yet this person, who is both God and man in one person, he, unlike the person, eternal son of God and deity, could not die. This person could die. And he did die. So Christ had to become incarnate in order to accomplish his work of redemption as our substitute and as our mediator and as our redeemer. And we have to keep this in mind when we consider the necessity incarnation of our Lord Jesus Christ, one who was just a man, couldn't die for our sins, couldn't put away our sins. And in the same way, one who's just God, he couldn't do it because God absolutely considered can't die. But this glorious person who's both God and man in one person, He accomplished that work of redemption, and folks, He accomplished it perfectly and completely. It was in our text this morning that we read during the beginning of the service, Thou shalt call His name. Now, here's a real Christmas story. Thou shalt call His name, Jesus, for He shall save His people from their sin. In Adam, I represented man as well as the fact that man's sinnerhood rendered them incapable of and unwilling to do anything that would bring them into a righteous standing before God, God Almighty sent His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, to do for us what we could never do. So our sinfulness and our inability is what required the eternal wisdom and power of God Almighty to provide for us this perfect eternal redemption. When I think about this thing of the incarnation of the Lord Jesus Christ and His perfect life and His substitutionary death, I can't help but think of the words to a hymn that we started singing. I think I all found it and brought it to my attention that old Bonar wrote. Think about this. This is why the incarnation was required. He says, Thy death, not mine, O Christ, has paid the ransom due. Ten thousand deaths like mine. We'd go further than that. Ten billion. We'd go further than that. Ten trillion deaths like mine. It had been all too few. To whom save thee, who canst alone for sin atone? Lord, shall I flee? And then he concluded that him with thy righteousness, O Christ, alone can cover me. No righteousness avails. And here's the thing. Save that which is of thee. That's what demanded the incarnation of our Lord. We couldn't have the righteousness of a man, Bart. It had to be a righteousness of God. It had to be the very righteousness of God. So let me say this in conclusion. Without the incarnation, what's referred to in religious theological words is the hypostatic union. It's a big word. It means a little simple thing. It means the mystical joining of sinless humanity with eternal deity found in the person of Christ. You know, without that, salvation is impossible. Always think about that man that came to our Lord and he went away. Remember our Lord told him, he said, go sell everything that you've got and come follow me and be my disciple. And he turned and went away because he had great wealth, right? And the apostles turned to our Lord and said, Lord, if he can't be saved, who then can be? And our Lord looked at him and he said, with men? This is impossible. But no, we're going. But with God, what? All things are possible. And I'll tell you what, we should be forever grateful, not just at Christmas time and not just at Easter time, but with every breath that we take, we should be grateful that what is impossible with man is possible with our God. And that possibility was accomplished through Christ Jesus alone. That's why He's called Emmanuel. See, that's what it took God to save us. That's why He's God, our Savior. I pray the Lord will bless that to your hearts and to your minds and you understand. Let's stand together and we'll be dismissed. Lord willing, we'll see y'all this afternoon at 5.30 out at Alvin Cherry's house. David Stepp, would you dismiss us please?