THE STORY OF JESUS. A STROLL THROUGH TIME
We are in the Christmas Season. Christmas decorations are up in every neighborhood. How did we get here? Baby Jesus in the manger on Christmas morning is not the beginning of the story. It is in the middle of the divine plan of God. The Story began before the foundation of the earth. Throughout generations, God’s plan of redemption was and is His focus.
The focus of this lesson is to show that God has a plan for your life
That began 6000 plus years ago (according to C. I. Scofield Study Bible).
Genesis chapter 1 is listed as taken place 4000 BC). God’s plan of
Redemption for man began before the foundation of the earth (Ephesians 1:4). What the actual time frame in eternity past no one knows. The point
Is God is in no rush to fulfill His plan. It is important for us to keep in
That God's love for us is complete and is always working.
SALVATION, THE MISSION OF JESUS (4000 BC)
It all started in the Garden of Eden when Adam and Eve ate the forbidden fruit. They were locked out of the garden and lost the right to the Tree of Life.
God declared war on Satan, and victory was foretold. Satan would bruise The seed of a woman on the heel. Jesus, the seed would bruise Satan on the head. Genesis 3:14-15. This is called the Adamic covenant
See the Love of God. As a result of their disobedience, they were
kicked out of their home, the Garden of Eden. They Had to start a new life. God cursed the ground. Brought hardship into their lives. But Adam’Eve were never cursed. They were blessed to have children
Why did God lock them out of the Garden? To keep them from
Touching the Tree of Life. Had they done so, they would have been
Doomed to hell Genesis 3:26. The fellowship between God and the
First family changed, but not the relationship. They were still His own.
Fellowship had to be reestablished through sacrifice.
Jesus was in the midst. It was He who walked through the garden in the cool of the day, It was He who saved them from themselves.
In the beginning was the Word and the Word was God.
God didn’t take away their thoughts or their creativity. He increased them. Sent them on a new Journey outside the Garden, He blessed Adam and Eve with family.
Even at your worst, God has blessings.
Isaiah 61:8
8 "For I, the Lord, love justice;
I hate robbery and iniquity.
In my faithfulness, I will reward them
and make an everlasting covenant with them.
BLOOD SACRIFICE FOR RIGHTEOUSNESS
3000 plus BC
The first blood sacrifice was made by God as a covering for Adam and Eve’s nakedness, We don't know what animal God killed. Let me suggest it was a lamb symbolizing Jesus as the lamb of God.
This is a prelude to what Jesus does for us with His blood, Our sin
Are covered with His precious blood. There is a transforming power
In the blood of Jesus.
The conflict between Cain and Able had to do with an unacceptable sacrifice.
Genesis 4:4-5
The Lord looked with favor on Abel and his offering, 5 but on Cain and his offering he did not look with favor. So Cain was very angry, and his face was downcast.
Genesis 4:8
And while they were in the field, Cain attacked his brother Abel and killed him.
God didn’t kill Cain. He had planned hardships in his life, but He was blessed with family.
The God we serve is a compassionate loving God. Even when we are wrong, He has a way of blessing us.
ESTABLISH GOVERNMENT (2350 BC)
Man became so sinful that God flooded the earth killing all mankind
But Noah and His family, were saved in the Ark.
God established government and made a covenant with Noah that
He would not destroy mankind again with water. This was called
The Noahic Covenant Gen 9:12-16. This set the stage for a world
Of nonbelievers to enter a burning hell.
Genesis 9:11
I establish my covenant with you: Never again will all life be cut off by the waters of a flood; never again will there be a flood to destroy the earth."
Genesis 9:13-14
I have set my rainbow in the clouds, and it will be the sign of the covenant between me and the earth.
ESTABLISH FAITH AND OBEDIENCE
(1800 BC)
God called Abram out of Ur and set Him as the father of faith,
The father of many nations. God established a people for Himself
This is called the Abrahamic Covenant Gen 12:2-3
The life of Christ is seen in the pattern set by Abraham who was
Commanded by God to sacrifice His only son/
Genesis 22:2
2 Then God said, "Take your son, your only son, Isaac, whom you love, and go to the region of Moriah. Sacrifice him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains I will tell you about."
Genesis 22:9-12
9 When they reached the place God had told him about, Abraham built an altar there and arranged the wood on it. He bound his son Isaac and laid him on the altar, on top of the wood. 10 Then he reached out his hand and took the knife to slay his son. 11 But the angel of the Lord called out to him from heaven, "Abraham! Abraham!"
"Here I am," he replied.
12 "Do not lay a hand on the boy," he said. "Do not do anything to him. Now I know that you fear God, because you have not withheld from me your son, your only son."
Abraham became the father of faith because He did not withhold his only son from God. This is the example that God the Father us in sending Jesus to the cross for our sins.
God gave us family, The question is, will you put family before God?
ESTABLISHED A NATION OF BELIEVERS
1600 BC
God grew His starting nation over 430 years in Egypt.
They became slaves. God used Moses to free them and gave them’His Law This is known as the Mosaic Covenant Exodus 20-23
Exodus 20:2-3
"I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery.
3 "You shall have no other gods before me.
NIV
Exodus 20:24-25
"'Make an altar of earth for me and sacrifice on it your burnt offerings and fellowship offerings, your sheep and goats and your cattle. Wherever I cause my name to be honored, I will come to you and bless you.”
Notice, that whenever we bring a sacrifice to the Lord according to His commands, He shows up to bless us. It does not have to be in
The Church, it could be in a hospital, on the street, or at your home. The place of worship is not important, it is the heart
Of worship. God is present where there is worship.
John 4:23
23 Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth,
ESTABLISHED KINGDOM RULE (1040BC)
God called David to be King of Israel establishing kingdom rule.
Made a covenant that there would always be King on the throne in’
The line of David. This set the stage for Jesus as King Of Kings
2 Samuel 7:11-12
"'The Lord declares to you that the Lord himself will establish a house for you: 12 When your days are over and you rest with your fathers, I will raise up your offspring to succeed you, who will come from your own body, and I will establish his kingdom
NIV
2 Samuel 7:16
Your house and your kingdom will endure forever before me; your throne will be established forever.'"
John 18:37
Jesus answered, "You are right in saying I am a king. In fact, for this reason I was born, and for this I came into the world, to testify to the truth. Everyone on the side of truth listens to me."
Revelation 17:14
They will make war against the Lamb, but the Lamb will overcome them because he is Lord of lords and King of kings — and with him will be his called, chosen, and faithful followers."
In this world, you will have problems, but Jesus, your King has already
Declared victory
OLD TESTAMENT PROPHECIES OF THE MESSIAH (740 BC)
Every aspect of Jesus's life is found in the prophecies of the Old
Testament,
His Birth Isa 7:14
Isaiah 7:14
Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel.
NIV
His Character Isa 7:15
15 He will eat curds and honey when he knows enough to reject the wrong and choose the right.
His Growth In The Spirit
Isaiah 53:2-6
2 He grew up before him like a tender shoot,
and like a root out of dry ground.
He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to him,
nothing in his appearance that we should desire him.
His Sorrow
3 He was despised and rejected by men,
a man of sorrows, and familiar with suffering.
Like one from whom men hide their faces
he was despised, and we esteemed him not.
4 Surely he took up our infirmities
and carried our sorrows,
yet we considered him stricken by God,
smitten by him, and afflicted.
His Crucifixion
5 But he was pierced for our transgressions,
he was crushed for our iniquities;
the punishment that brought us peace was upon him,
and by his wounds we are healed.
ESTABLISHED FAITH THROUGH GRACE
God made a covenant between Himself and mankind
Relationship of believers with Jesus forever, This is the New Covenant in the blood of Jesus.
1 Corinthians 11:25
"This cup is the new covenant in my blood; do this, whenever you drink it, in remembrance of me."
Salvation By Grace
Ephesians 2:8-10
8 For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith — and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— 9 not by works, so that no one can boast. 10 For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do
NIV
His Resurrection, Glorification, Seat At The Right Hand Of The Father
Hebrews 9:15
15 For this reason Christ is the mediator of a new covenant, that those who are called may receive the promised eternal inheritance
JESUS TOLD HIS STORY
Died before men as criminal
Blood shed for the sins of the world
Perfect before the Father
Perfect before men
Volunteered for the position on the cross for all to see
Matthew 20:18-19
"We are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be betrayed to the chief priests and the teachers of the law. They will condemn him to death 19 and will turn him over to the Gentiles to be mocked and flogged and crucified. On the third day he will be raised to life!"
NIV
Matthew 16:27
27 For the Son of Man is going to come in his Father's glory with his angels, and then he will reward each person according to what he has done
God didn’t wake up one morning and decide to present Jesus
To the world as a baby . It was part of His plan from eternity pass.
As bad as we have been, God wants a relationship with us.
Our Purpose
We were put on earth to worship, honor, and glorify the Lord’.
It is our business to tell the story of Jesus so others can come to
The light of Jesus
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