Dennis L. Finnan Commentator
"The World, the Word & You! Broadcast"

JESUS!

"THIS WEEK, THE WORLD WILL PAUSE TO REMEMBER THE BIRTH OF THE MOST MIRACULOUS MAN WHO EVER LIVED! WHO REALLY IS THIS MAN, 
WHO’S NAME IS JESUS?”

 I’m Dennis Finnan, host and speaker on the World, the Word & You! Broadcast and in a moment we’ll talk about this man, who unlike any other, His birth changed the course of all human history!

…Yes, it’s the Christmas season once again and on today’s special broadcast, we shall devote my message and music to the wonderful truths surround the birth of this man who’s name is ¾ JESUS!  I’m Dennis Finnan, host and speaker on the World, the Word & You! Broadcast, trusting you’ll stay with us for this next half hour, as we turn our thoughts and hearts to the wondrous truths of Christmas. Stay tuned…

…Long before Jesus was born, God’s Word predicted the birth, the life and death of this man called Jesus! Yes, almost 500 years before He was born, the Bible, God’s holy Word given to man, prophesied of His coming, of His Person and His glorious work among men.  In fact, scholars tell us that more than 300 prophecies about the Person of Jesus were given in the Old Testament alone, that covered His life before birth, his life after birth and his life following his death on the cross. Who is this man Jesus? In a moment, we’ll learn from God Himself what Christmas really is all about…

…Perhaps the most interesting prophecy about the coming of Jesus is found in the Book of Isaiah where God tells us in two sections, about this man Jesus, almost 500 years before his actual birth…

Isa 9:6-7 (NASB)  For a child will be born to us, a son will be given to us; And the government will rest on His shoulders; And His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace. 7 There will be no end to the increase of His government or of peace, On the throne of David and over his kingdom, To establish it and to uphold it with justice and righteousness From then on and forevermore. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will accomplish this.

Isa 7:14 (NASB)  “Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, a virgin will be with child and bear a son, and she will call His name Immanuel.

Indeed, these wondrous words and names tell us that this One called “Jesus” will be unlike any human being ever to be born, or to have lived on the face of the earth. How’s that? This man child, will be none other than the Creator God Himself, come to earth!

…When one examines this man called Jesus, we are confronted by two important and vital teachings of the Bible and the Christian faith. (1) THE PREEXISTENCE OF THIS MAN CALLED JESUS, and (2) THE ETERNALITY OF THIS MAN CALLED JESUS!  Now concerning the first, Christmas is reminder that the little child born in a stable, some 2000 years ago, was the most miraculous birth ever and forever to have occurred. This man called Jesus was no mere human being as we are, the Bible tells us exactly who He was and is,

John 1:1, 14 (NASB)  In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God…14 And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth.

Now what is the meaning of this concept of the Preexistence of Jesus? Well, simply, that even

before He was conceived in the womb of Mary of Nazareth, He existed in the fullness of Personhood and Being. In fact, He existed even before “creation” began. One day, during the earthly days of Jesus, He was interacting with the crowds, and was questioned by his Jewish peers and antagonists with which He responded,

John 8:24  “I say therefore to you, that you shall die in your sins; for unless you believe that I am , [He] you shall die in your sins.”

John 8:58  Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was born, I am.”

Now these statements by themselves might seem inconsequential, except for the fact that this title He claimed, “I AM,” is the very explicit and personal Name God first revealed of Himself to all mankind through Moses. We read of this in,

Exo 3:14 (NASB)  And God said to Moses, “I AM WHO I AM”; and He said, “Thus you shall say to the sons of Israel, ‘I AM has sent me to you.’”

This man called Jesus, my friend, is the fulfilled promise of God Himself to come to earth, and become “incarnate” in human flesh, to be like us, and to be with us. Have you appreciated this marvelous truth and love God has revealed to us all? Christmas is that special time to remember this man called Jesus!

… In the days of the first Christmas, there were many writings about the life of the Lord Jesus Christ. One thing we know for sure and is absolute history, that Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, and His birth occurred miraculously by the incarnation of God in human flesh caused by the power of the Holy Spirit. The Bible tells us the exact account,

Luke 1:26-35 (NLT)  In the sixth month of Elizabeth’s pregnancy, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a village in Galilee, 27 to a virgin named Mary… 28 Gabriel appeared to her and… told her, “for God has decided to bless you! 31 You will become pregnant and have a son, and you are to name him Jesus. 32 He will be very great and will be called the Son of the Most High. And the Lord God will give him the throne of his ancestor David. 33 And he will reign over Israel forever; his Kingdom will never end!” 34 Mary asked the angel, “But how can I have a baby? I am a virgin.” 35 The angel replied, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the baby born to you will be holy, and he will be called the Son of God.

…Indeed, Christmas is a most wonderful event to remember and celebrate. Although it is doubtful Jesus was born on December 25^th, tradition to this day has set this day to remember the marvelous birth of the God Man, Jesus Christ. Now, we learned already that the Bible said and Jesus Himself affirmed, that He existed long ago and was with the Father in eternity. You see, the preexistence of Christ is a key doctrine of the Christian faith. If Christ had not preexisted then no eternal “Trinity” exists. Again, if Christ had not preexisted, then He could not be God, because only God is eternal.

This brings us to the second great doctrine of Christmas, and that is the “Eternality of the preexistent One,” this man called Jesus. Yes, Christ Himself claimed “eternality,” as no human being ever has or will. Again Jesus said,

John 8:58 (NASB)   “Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was born, I am.”

Now such a phrase “before Abraham,” might indicate Jesus existed for several centuries before Abraham’s life, but to further state “I AM,” that is His indisputable claim to be the very eternal Creator God Himself! So, what does the eternality of Jesus mean to us today? Well first of all, it means that God is One God, but manifested in three individual personages ¾ The Father God, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit ¾ All are equally God, yet all are individual Beings in manifestation to the world God created. Now what activity did this man Jesus do, before He became a man? Why the bible tells us this and I’ll share it in a moment, with you…

… Christmas my friend, reveals that 2000 years ago a man was born who unlike any other was and is forever the Creator God of the universe! For in the life of Jesus, He surely reveals He is the Creator! The Bible confirms this and says,

Col 1:16-18 (NASB)  For by Him [Jesus] all things were created, both in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things have been created by Him and for Him. 17 And He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together. 18 He is also head of the body, the church; and He is the beginning, the first-born from the dead; so that He Himself might come to have first place in everything.

Heb 1:2 (NASB)  in these last days [God] has spoken to us in His Son, whom He appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the world.

Are you aware that Christmas is the celebration that God became a man, and that the Creator of the world entered the human race and our world that night long ago? Oh, how wonderful it is to know God loved us so much that He forever fused Himself into a body of human flesh, that He might be ‘with” us and “like” us for all eternity! That’s LOVE!

Now last week I shared the means of the “Incarnation” of the God Man, Jesus. It was through the miraculous Virgin Birth; And, as God became a human being, this became a permanent lasting state for Jesus. What was the purpose of the virgin birth? It was not the means of preserving Christ as the sinless, and perfect God who created all. God could have overshadowed two parents so as to protect the baby’s sinlessness, had He so desired. No the Virgin birth I feel, simply served to show God bypassed the sinful humanity of Adam, and wanted this miraculous sign to reveal the uniqueness of the Holy Person who was born that night, this man called Jesus! Have you bowed your heart and mind to this wondrous Person, who is God with us?

Yes, Christmas is a celebration of the coming of this man called Jesus, for nobody in human history as ever changed the world the way Jesus has! Nobody! Think about it, no other great leader or religious founder has so changed the course of human history and human lives than Jesus Christ. And, most amazingly of all, Jesus did it all alone with no help or aid from any other human being. C. Lloyd Button in his book, “One Solitary Life,” wonderfully outlined the birth, life, and resurrection of this man called Jesus. He said,

1.      He was Begotten Alone: As seen in the Incarnation

2.      He Fought Sin Alone: As seen in the Temptation

3.      He Cared for Us Alone: As seen in His Compassion

4.      He Sought Sinners Alone: As seen in His Evangelism

5.      He Taught them Alone: As seen in His Education

6.      He was Glorified Alone: As seen in His  Transfiguration

7.      He Was Rejected Alone: As seen in the Opposition

8.      HE Offered Himself Alone: As seen in His Presentation

9.      He Prayed Alone: As seen in His intercession

10.  He Stood Alone: As seen in His  Accusation

11.  He Died Alone: As seen in His Crucifixion

12.  He Arose Alone: As seen in His Glorious Resurrection

Yes, “one solitary life” changed humanity forever and ever. But friend this Christmas season you  need to answer the greatest question of all ¾ Has Jesus changed you?

We living today, have the advantage of knowing the end from the beginning in the Christmas story. God has revealed to us that this man Jesus, is the “Lord of Lords, the King of Kings, the Savior of the world, the Messiah of Jewish promise, and the Judge of all the earth!” Oh how wonderful it is, to know that God sent us this man called Jesus. Have you received Him? God tells us,

Acts 17:30-31 (NASB)  “Therefore having overlooked the times of ignorance, God is now declaring to men that all everywhere should repent, 31 because He has fixed a day in which He will judge the world in righteousness through a Man whom He has appointed, having furnished proof to all men by raising Him from the dead.”

John 1:12 (NASB)  But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name,

Now as Christmas again approaches, what does all this mean to you? Is this man called Jesus, still interested in us after these many long years? The answer is yes! God receives sinful men, women, boys and girls who will come to Him confessing their sins and claiming His forgiveness and salvation for which Jesus died on a cross. Oh Christmas is the story and promise that God loves us and personally wants to have a living relationship with all mankind, especially you my friend. The Scriptures encourage us,

John 17:3 (NIV)  Now this is eternal life: that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent.

Yes, when Christmas arrives, we must look beyond the tinsel and the trees, beyond the brightly wrapped presents under it, and the twinkle of the lights strung all over this season of Christ, and we must learn to see JESUS CLEARLY! Why? For Christmas is reminder of the love of God for us all, and that even while we were still in our sins, God sent His Son to earth to become a human being, a worthy substitute, and to die in our place for our sins.

1 Cor 15:3 (NASB)  For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received, that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures,

So, this man called Jesus, says across the eons of time to us all today,

John 14:6 (NASB)  Jesus said^ to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father, but through Me.

Rev 3:20 (NASB)  ‘Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him, and will dine with him, and he with Me.

May this Christmas season ever be seen as God’s personal call to each of us to turn our hearts toward Heaven and the God who created us, and to His Son sent to the earth long ago for sinners such as we all are.

May you experience the fullness and joy of Christmas and may the beauty of His birth long ago be fresh in your heart and life, causing us all to ever thank God for this ¾ MAN CALLED JESUS!

…Friends, the power of Christ then and now, knows no boundaries of time or space. God reaches down across the centuries and saves all who come to Him through His Son Jesus. Have you come? If not, will you come this season of Christ and bow down as the angels, the shepherds and the kings of the east did long ago? That is the meaning and reality of the first Christmas and every Christmas till Christ comes again. Merry Christmas friends! Have a blessed celebration and may you see this man Jesus clearly for all He is and has done for you and me. Thanks for listening, have a wonderful day and a blessed celebration this week of the Christmas event and season. This is Dennis Finnan your host and speaker saying so long for now.

·         Radio talk #5101

·         Broadcast date: December 23, 2001

·         Speaker: Dennis L. Finnan, Commentator

·         Program: The World, the Word & You! Radio Broadcast

·         Address: P.O. Box 40133 Grand Junction, CO 81504

The World, the Word & You! Broadcast is a non-denominational ministry based on the historic fundamental evangelical interpretation of the Scriptures. A copy of our doctrinal statement is available upon request. These weekly radio commentaries are not exhaustive studies of any particular subject due to the time limit of broadcasting. Actual broadcasts can be heard in selected areas around the nation, as funding provides. Dennis Finnan has been the speaker for over 22 years, and serves as General Director.

These transcripts are available free of charge to all who desire them. Also available are actual radio cassette tapes and printed booklets of each message. A free listing of recent messages is available upon request also.

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