God Sent His Son; and Now My Eyes Have Seen You
The sermon emphasizes the significance of Jesus' birth and the promise of salvation through His sacrifice, highlighting the importance of revelation and the Holy Spirit's role in bringing about change.
Erlo Stegen emphasizes the profound truth that God sent His Son, Jesus, to save humanity from sin, highlighting that Jesus, though fully human, was without sin. He explains that the law was powerless to save, but through Jesus' sacrifice, we are offered forgiveness and freedom from our sins. Stegen illustrates the transformative power of seeing Jesus through revelation, as Job expressed, and how this revelation leads to true salvation. He shares a testimony of a man who found joy and sobriety through Christ, underscoring that self-effort cannot break the chains of addiction. Ultimately, the sermon conveys that only Jesus can cleanse our hearts and bring lasting change.
Text
Matt 1:2, Rom 8:3 & Job 42:5
In Matthew 1 v 21, it is written that Mary would give birth to a son and that they should give Him the name Jesus for He would save His people from their sins. The Lord Jesus is the Son of God and through Him, we can be made the children of God and delivered from our sins.
God sent the Lord Jesus to take on human form but without a sinful nature. The Lord Jesus had a human body but was without sin. What does this mean for us? In Romans 8 v 3, it is written that "what the law was powerless to do, God did by sending His Son'.
In Job 42 v 5, Job says "my ears had heard of You, but now my eyes have seen You". Jesus was sent to do what the Law could not do. Jesus, as the sinless Man, took our sins into Himself on the Cross, and "condemned sin in the flesh". In other words, He saves us from our sins which we could not forsake. He alone can forgive and make free.
It is one thing to be taught the Gospel, it is another when the inner being is enabled to see the Lord Jesus. When God reveals Him to you, then a change comes about which is brought about by the Holy Spirit. It is only then that a person is saved. As the saying goes, "salvation is not by education but by revelation". If the Holy Spirit reveals this mystery of Christ incarnate, born for us, then we experience the promise in Isaiah 9:6 "unto us a Son is given"; and then you can say like Job, "now my eyes have seen You".
Thus, in Romans it says "what the law was powerless to do ... God did by sending His own Son ..." . This is the Christmas message of hope and salvation.
A certain man was always drunk on Christmas. He came to the Lord here at Kwasizabantu and for the first time in 25 years he was overjoyed to be sober. He experienced the real Christmas gift of God - forgiveness and deliverance from sin.
We cannot stop with our addictions and bondages by self effort. We need a Saviour! Many people commit sin in secret but the Lord Jesus came to save us from these very sins.
It is only when the Lord Jesus comes into a person's life, that your life will be different. He deals with the problem of sin and takes up residence in your heart. If you have rats in a building you get a cat and they are chased away. This is because cats and rats don't get along together. They can't live in peace in the same place. When Jesus comes, He will deal with the rats of sins in your life.
Sermon Outline
- I. The Birth of Jesus and His Mission
- A. Jesus was born to save His people from their sins
- B. He took on human form without a sinful nature
- II. The Power of Jesus' Sacrifice
- A. He took our sins into Himself on the Cross
- B. He condemned sin in the flesh
- III. The Importance of Revelation
- A. Salvation is not by education but by revelation
- B. The Holy Spirit reveals the mystery of Christ incarnate
- IV. The Promise of Christmas
- A. A Son is given unto us
- B. We experience forgiveness and deliverance from sin
Key Quotes
“What the law was powerless to do, God did by sending His Son” — Erlo Stegen
“My ears had heard of You, but now my eyes have seen You” — Erlo Stegen
“Salvation is not by education but by revelation” — Erlo Stegen
Application Points
- We need a Saviour to overcome our addictions and bondages.
- Jesus deals with the problem of sin and takes up residence in our heart.
- Salvation is not by education but by revelation, which is brought about by the Holy Spirit.