 In the title of this sermon this morning, Hail the Incarnate Deity, and if you're visiting with us this morning online, welcome to Cornerstone Baptist Church. We have taken a brief detour from our ordinary practice of sequential exposition or preaching verse by verse through books of the Bible, and we've taken this brief detour to embark, if you will, on a study dealing with those foundational theological subjects that we believe to be essential to the spiritual growth and maturity of the Christian. We're calling this study the essentials, and in our study of the essentials, we've considered now doctrines relating to Revelation, the Word of God, doctrines related to the nature of God, the nature of man, the fall of man into sin, then the gracious way in which God condescends and determines to relate to man through the divine covenants. And this morning now we begin a consideration of the person and work of our Redeemer. It's called Christology, the one through whom the great work of our redemption is accomplished, namely the Son of God, the Lord Jesus Christ. Over the next several weeks together, Lord willing, we're going to consider the deity of Jesus Christ beginning this morning. We'll look at the humanity of Jesus Christ, which is very important. We'll look at the offices of Christ as prophet, priest, and king, and then we'll look at the necessity, the nature, the extent, or the scope of His atoning work for sinners. We look forward to the next several weeks as we jump into these subjects together and improve our knowledge or expand our understanding of the essentials. Let me ask you this question. Who is Jesus Christ? When we're witnessing at the door, we often ask that question to gauge an understanding of what they know of Christianity. It's fundamental to Christianity to ask that question, to understand that truth. Who is Jesus Christ? It is essential, essential to saving faith for the Christian to acknowledge, to understand, to believe, to embrace through faith that Jesus Christ is God. Not only God, however, it's also essential to saving faith for the Christian to acknowledge, for the Christian to understand, to believe, and to embrace through faith that Jesus Christ is not only God in the flesh, but also that Jesus Christ is man, very God and very man. But not only that He is both God and man. It is also essential to saving faith for the Christian to acknowledge, understand, to believe and embrace through faith that Jesus Christ is both God and man in two distinct natures and yet only one person. The Baptist Catechism asks this question, question 24. Who is the Redeemer of God's elect? The answer? The only Redeemer of God's elect is the Lord Jesus Christ, who being the eternal Son of God became man. And so was and continueeth to be God and man in two distinct natures, one person forever. Think about that. It's a glorious thought, isn't it? There is a man in heaven now who intercedes for us, the man Christ Jesus, who is very God and very man. It's a staggering, staggering thought. And so as we begin this study of Christology this morning and looking at the person in work of our great Redeemer, we begin with a consideration of His deity, that Jesus Christ is God, Emmanuel is His name, meaning God with us. Turn with me in your Bibles to John chapter 20. John chapter 20, let's begin our consideration of the deity of Christ from the experience here in John chapter 20 of Thomas. John chapter 20. A week ago from this text, prior to this text, the disciples had met together on that Sunday following the Lord's crucifixion which became to be known as the Lord's Day. They met in a room and rumors were flying at that time that Jesus Christ had been raised from the dead. They had shut themselves up in a room for fear of the Jews, if you can imagine that. The Jews had just crucified the Messiah and they now out of fear of the Jews are locked in a room in Jerusalem. Many in despair, simply not believing what to them was unbelievable, not believing what to their minds was inconceivable. And then in that room, when the risen Lord came and stood in their midst, He showed them His hands. He showed them the wound in His side, the lingering evidence of all that He had suffered in His death for sinners on the cross and the disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord and the word of His resurrection spread. Look at verse 24. Now Thomas, however, called the twin, one of the twelve, was not with them when Jesus came that night in that room. The other disciples, verse 25, therefore said to him, we have seen the Lord. So he said to them, unless I see in His hands the print of the nails, put my finger into the print of the nails, put my hand into His side, I will not believe. Now understand, Thomas in the report of the other ten isn't being asked for blind faith. Thomas, we're going to tell you what to believe, so this is what you need to believe. Believe it. No, no. Thomas is not asked for blind faith. He's not asked to believe because someone says so. These are multiple, credible eyewitnesses, and these eyewitnesses, the other ten disciples, the women who were there, they've said we have seen Him, right? He's alive. We've seen His nail-scarred hands, the wound in His side, but Thomas refuses in hard-hearted, self-willed unbelief. And he says, unless I see, I will not believe. Look at verse 26. And after eight days, again on the Lord's day, His disciples were again inside and Thomas with them. Jesus came now, the doors being shut, meaning that the doors were barred, they were locked again for fear of the Jews. Jesus came and stood in the midst and said, shame on you, Thomas. No, he didn't say that. He said, peace to you. The Lord is so gracious, the Lord is so compassionate, kind, and patient with us, isn't He? The Lord graciously deals, mercifully deals with Thomas' unbelief. And he says to Thomas in verse 27, reach your finger here, Thomas. Look at my hands. Reach your hand here. Put it into my side. Do not be unbelieving, but believing. Now at this moment in time, seeing the Lord in that room certainly would have been enough for Thomas. Seeing would have been enough. The Lord had heard every word that Thomas had spoken in unbelief. And so he deals with Thomas then according to what Thomas had spoken. It wasn't just look here, Thomas, Thomas, take your hand. Put your finger here into the print of the nails. Thomas, reach your hand here. Put it into my side, Thomas. Do not be unbelieving, believe. Be believing, Thomas. In that moment, in that moment, in that room, the Lord Jesus Christ raised from the dead and now standing there amongst them, willful, hard-hearted unbelief in the heart of Thomas gives way to a simple and humble faith. And Thomas answered, verse 28, and said to him, my Lord and my God. Right? Seeing the Lord raised from the dead the resurrection of Jesus Christ in power, which is a declaration of the Lord's deity, all that Thomas had seen that the Lord had done, bearing witness to who the Lord is, all that the Lord had said, giving testimony to His divine person, seeing Him now in the blazing, white, hot light of the cross and His death for sinners, the conviction came at once, flooding it upon the mind of Thomas. The commitment of love and devotion came pouring into the heart of Thomas and the confession was at once on the lips of Thomas, my Lord and my God. This is the faith that the Lord was after. Do not be unbelieving, Thomas, but believe, believe. And what comes forth from this spirit-wrought faith of Thomas now is one of the clearest statements concerning the deity of the Lord Jesus Christ in all the Bible. Verse 29, Jesus said to him, no, no, no, no, Thomas, no, Thomas, I'm just a man with a like nature as you, Lord, teacher, will suffice. No, that's not what he says to Thomas. That's not what he says to Thomas. He says to Thomas, verse 29, because you have seen me, you have believed. Now, what had Thomas believed about Jesus in that moment? Look at the text. Thomas had believed that this is Emanuel, God with us, not distant, not far off, but near, present, intimate, personal, not anyone, Lord, or any God but my Lord and my God. A faith full now of life, transforming power. That kind of faith will affect the way that you think, won't it? Affect the way that you act and conduct yourselves. Thomas would later die for his faith, preaching the gospel in India. That Thomas exclaims, my Lord and my God. What did the Lord want from Thomas? What did he want Thomas to believe? My Lord and my God. Blessed are those who have not seen and yet believed, the Lord says. Blessed are those who see with the eyes of faith. Right, blessed are those who believe in him through the word of the apostles. That's the prayer of the Lord in John 17. Blessed are those who believe that he is both Lord and God. They're not merely intellectual ascent. They're not merely an academic understanding of these things or a mere agreement with a set of facts as they are. But with a faith, with a faith that Thomas has now, with a faith of the disciples that forsakes all to be his disciple. It's with a faith that bleeds devotion, that pours out worship. It's a faith that forsakes all. It's a faith that abandons sin, abandons self for the sake of knowing and following him who is Lord and God to the glory of God the Father. In verse 30, John goes on to report and truly, and truly Jesus did many other signs in the presence of his disciples which are not written in this book. But these are written that you may believe. You see the exhortation again of the call to believe, the call to faith. Thomas, do not be unbelieving but believing. And here, John in verse 31, these things are written that you may believe. Believe what? Believe what? That you may be brought to the same genuine expression of saving faith as Thomas. That the Jesus, Jesus, this Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have a life in His name. John, like Thomas, clearly believed two important points about the Lord Jesus Christ. One, concerning his position, he is the Christ, as John says. Part two, considering his person, he is the Son of God. One, he is the Christ. Two, he is the Son of God. And then John states clearly that believing these two points about Jesus Christ are essential, verse 31, to having life in His name. To having life in His name. Name in His name is a way of referring to His person and to His work, to His character, to who He is and what He has done. Life in His name refers to life, and we're talking about eternal life here, refers to eternal life only in and through the one who holds soul title to these two truths. That He is the Christ and that He is the Son of God. He is the only one who holds title to those two truths. So we have to ask ourselves the question. How important is it then to believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God? The answer to that question is that it is essential. It's essential to believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God. It's essential, verse 31, to having eternal life in His name. That makes it a matter of life and death. That makes it a matter of heaven and hell. Either eternity, eternal life in blessed communion with the one who gave Himself in love on Calvary's cross to redeem you from sin and from the curse of the law. Or eternity in the miseries of hell tormented forever as an object of His wrath to the praise of His perfect justice. It is one or the other. How essential is it? It's ultimately essential, superlatively essential, most essential, what you believe about the Lord Jesus Christ. He is the Christ, the Son of God. How important is it to believe that Jesus Christ is God incarnate, that He is God in the flesh? Your salvation depends on it. That's what the Bible teaches. Your salvation depends on it. The Lord tells the Pharisees, in John 8, verse 23, He says to them, you are from beneath, I am from above. You are of this world, I am not of this world. Therefore I said to you, you Pharisees, that you will die in your sins, for if you do not believe that I am. That little word, He, italicized in your New King James, many of your translations, meaning that the translators, interpretively, added to that. It's not there in the original. The Lord says, if you do not believe that I am, you will die in your sins. Now the use of that phrase, I am, is intentional in the text. I am, associates Jesus Christ with the uncreated, self-existent Yahweh of the Old Testament. The one whom Moses encountered at the burning bush, the bush that was not consumed. Something both the Old Testament and the New Testament frequently do is connect Old Testament and New Testament Yahweh with the Lord Jesus Christ. These connections about God in the Old Testament are revealed clearly, Technicolor Splendor in the New Testament about the person in work of the second person of the Trinity, the Lord Jesus Christ. And if you do not believe, if you do not believe that Jesus Christ is God, the second person of the Trinity, God who has taken on flesh, self-existent, uncreated, co-equal with the Father, then you will die in your sins. You will die in your sins. Concerning his position, John asserts that he is the Christ. The Christ refers to his title and refers to his office. Christos is the Greek translation of the Hebrew word Messiah, and it means anointed one. Anointed one, Isaiah chapter 61 refers to Jesus Christ as the anointed one, one anointed by the Spirit to preach good tidings to the poor. He is sent by the Father to heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, the opening of the prison to those who are bound, to proclaim the acceptable year the Lord and the day of vengeance of our God. In other words, God anoints and sends the second person of the Trinity, God the Son. He is the anointed one, the Messiah. The Messianic figure was a God figure. God's anointing by the Spirit points to Jesus Christ as prophet, priest, and king for the salvation of his people. In other words, in the Old Testament, the Spirit anointed prophets, priests, and kings. Here he anoints the Messiah, the Lord Jesus Christ. He anoints the one sent by God the Father to do his work and to make him known. Now concerning his person then, he is the Son of God. Concerning his position or his function, he is the Christ. Concerning his person, he is the Son of God. The second person of the Trinity incarnate have taken on flesh. The one who is the very expression of who God is, he says to Philip, doesn't he? If you've seen me, Philip, you have seen the Father. The Jewish leaders accused Jesus Christ of blasphemy for claiming to be the Son of God. They wanted to take him by force, put him to death, stone him to death for this claim. Why would they do that? Why is that the case? Because to be the Son of God meant having the very same nature as God. Being the Son of God meant sharing the essence of God. They knew exactly what Jesus Christ was claiming by saying that. John chapter 5 verse 18 says, Therefore the Jews sought all the more to kill him because he not only broke the Sabbath but also said that God was his Father. Listen, making himself equal with God. They knew exactly what Jesus was claiming. Jesus did not consider equality with God a thing to be grasped for. Why? Because he was equal with God. He claimed to be equal with God. And he does so through this title. He is the Son of God, his person, his identity. He is the Son of God. One commentator said it this way. He says, When you beget, you beget something of the same kind as yourself. And that's true. And think about this with me. This is a good illustration of this name for the Lord Jesus Christ, this identity of his person, Son of God. When you beget, you beget something of the same kind as yourself. A man begets human babies. A man begets a man, right? He begets human babies. A beaver begets little beavers. A bird begets eggs which turn into little birds. But when you make or create, you make something of a different kind from yourself. A bird makes a nest. A beaver builds a dam. A man makes a computer. So when Jesus then is said to be the Son of God, the only begotten of the Father, it means that he is of the very same nature, or the very same essence with God himself. In other words, Jesus Christ is of the same kind. Not considering equality with God, something to be grasped, but of the very same kind as God, of the very same essence, the way our confession of faith states it, of one subsistence with the Father. Now the terms here, Father and Son, Spirit, are used to maintain a distinction between these three distinct persons that make up the one undivided essence of God. With a mystery as great as the Trinity, or a mystery as great as the hypostatic union, words simply break down. Language is incapable. Language is a finite construct. And language itself is simply incapable of expressing or describing incomprehensible realities, incomprehensible mysteries. And so where the language breaks down, you're left with descriptions and pictures and words meant to maintain the truth that Jesus Christ is God, that the Father is God, the Holy Spirit is God, and yet at the same time to protect the distinctiveness of each of those distinct persons in such a way, and using these titles, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. The language then is meant to, in a very careful, very precise, in an all-wise way, in the hands of the Holy Spirit, you could say, this language used to protect both the deity of these three persons and the distinctiveness of these three persons within the Godhead. In that sense, considering that language, Jesus Christ then becomes the outshining, right, the radiance, the brightness of God's glory. He said in Hebrews to be the exact representation of His person. Again, that language, very intentional, Hebrews 1 verse 3. Colossians 2 verse 9 says this, that in Him, in the Lord Jesus Christ, the whole, the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily. And again, being very careful to maintain a distinction between God, the Son, incarnate, and God, the Triune God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. To say this, and to assert this, in Him, the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily, is to say without equivocation that Jesus Christ is God. That Jesus Christ is God. You can't find statements more clear and more careful and more precise as that. You know, immediately in church history after the early church was established. The very first heresies that the enemy raised up to assault the church were heresies against the person of the Lord Jesus Christ. Either attacking or assaulting His deity or attacking or assaulting His manhood. Or attacking and assaulting the fact that He is both God and man in one person, distinct though in nature, in one person undivided forever, it was an attack on these positions. And so many godly men early in the church began to formulate confessions that clarified this doctrine as what is taught clearly on the pages of scripture. Our confession of faith is 1689 London Baptist Confession says it this way. In Chapter 8.2, Article 2 of Christ the Mediator, the confession says the Son of God, being very and eternal God, the brightness of the Father's glory, of a one substance and equal with Him who made the world, who upholdeth and governeth all things that He hath made, did, when the fullness of time was come, take upon Him man's nature with all the essential properties and common infirmities thereof, yet without sin. According to the Bible, how did this happen? Being conceived by the Holy Spirit in the womb of the Virgin Mary, the Holy Spirit coming down upon her and the power of the most high overshadowing her, and so was made of a woman of the tribe of Judah, of the seed of Abraham and David according to the scriptures, so that two whole, perfect and distinct natures were inseparably joined together in one person without conversion, without composition or confusion, which person is very God and a very man, yet one Christ the only mediator between God and man. It's a very helpful, very clear description of the person of the Lord Jesus Christ. The Lord's two whole, perfect and distinct natures, both very God and very man are inseparably joined together in Him. The confession says they're joined together in Him without conversion, which means that one nature isn't changed into the other nature. They're joined to Him without composition. In other words, without mixing the two natures as to produce another or a third kind. They're joined together without composition and those two natures, very God, very man, joined inseparably together in Jesus Christ without confusion. In other words, without blending them such that the distinctive attributes of each are lost so that you can't tell Jesus Christ as God. In other words, two distinct natures, one person forever. All this while uncompromisingly affirming Trinitarian monotheism. One God, three persons. It's an incomprehensible mystery. A great mystery. But this is the clear and unvarnished revelation of God in His Word. Where would man ever come up with that? Never would man conceive of such a thing. This is how God in His Word is revealed to us. This is how He's revealed. Now the fact that Jesus Christ is God is asserted by the Word of God in five different ways in Scripture. Five different ways. There are five different ways in which the Bible directly asserts the deity of the Lord Jesus Christ. First, there are those passages that explicitly identify Jesus Christ as God. Jesus Christ is called God. We'll look at several of those this morning. But then think with me of the acronym, H-A-N-D. One, Jesus Christ is called God. But second thing, honor, attributes, names, and deeds. H-A-N-D. There are those passages where Jesus Christ is given and receives honor, divine honor. Secondly, there are those passages where Jesus Christ is ascribed or given divine attributes. There are those passages where Jesus Christ is given divine names or characteristics. And then there are those passages where Jesus Christ performs divine deeds or works. And the method that we'll use to assert this truth is by going to several texts together. That's where you go. You go to the Bible, right? So let's go to the Bible. The first that we want to look at this morning that explicitly refers to Jesus Christ as God is John chapter 1. Look back at John chapter 1 with me. Beginning in verse 1. Remember the acronym, right? There are explicit texts where Jesus Christ is called God. There are passages that ascribe to him divine honor. There are passages that ascribe to him attributes. There are passages that ascribe to him divine names or characteristics. And there are passages that ascribe to him divine works. We'll see most of those here in this text. John chapter 1 beginning in verse 1 where the Bible says in the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word was God. Verse 2, He was in the beginning with God. Right off the bat we know that the Word is a he because he was in the beginning with God. We're talking about a person here. The words in the beginning. Verse 1, those words are an echo of words that open the revelation of God to man. Genesis chapter 1 verse 1 the Lord says in the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. And John is saying now that at a time before the world was, before that creation, before anything was made that was made the Word was was in existence before time began the Word was in other words John places the Word in the annals of eternity where there is no beginning where there is no end where there is no time. Before time began the Word simply was this speaks to the pre-existence of the Word as eternal and that's an attribute of God isn't it? The Word was pre-existent with God. The Word was eternal with God. There was never a point at which the Word did not exist. That Word was imperfect. Means that He always existed. He always existed. He always was. In other words uncreated uncaused co-eternal, co-existent with the Father. The prophet Micah. Speaking of the Lord Jesus Christ in chapter 5 verse 2 says this he says though you are little among the thousands of Judah yet out of you shall come forth to me the one to be ruler in Israel. We're talking about the Lord Jesus Christ in this prophecy and that's obvious. But Micah then describes him as the one whose goings forth are from old from everlasting. The everlasting one. Do you see? John says this Word was with God, with God. In eternity the Word was with God. The Word was in communion with God. It speaks of an intimate, personal fellowship with God. But this phrase in addition to speaking of intimate communion with God, the phrase also communicates a distinction of persons in that communion doesn't it? The Word's eternal subsistence is shown to be distinct from God the Father. And then to immediately correct any notion that might creep into your mind that the Word was someone else less than or someone other or rather than God John immediately adds literally in the Greek and God was the Word. Do you see the issue that comes up in John's mind as he writes? This is authored ultimately by the Holy Spirit who is precise in making these things clear. He was in the beginning with God. He was with God. And so that we don't for a moment think that he is not God. John the Holy Spirit here adds the clause and God was the Word. Who is this Word? We know from verse 14 that the Word became flesh and dwelt or tabernacled among us and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father full of grace and truth. The Bible, the New Testament everywhere refers to the Lord Jesus Christ as the only begotten Son of the Father. There is none other than the only begotten Son is the second person of the Trinity, God the Son mentioned by name in verse 17 as Jesus Christ, the only begotten Son of God. I think with me for a moment God creates through His Word. God reveals Himself through His Word. Salvation and judgment are secured through the Word of God. By His Word God does all these things. So by John in John 1 verse 1 ascribing this name the Word to the Lord Jesus Christ the Spirit of God is asserting that all these things creation, revelation, salvation, judgment, all these things find their fullest accomplishment in the person and work for Jesus Christ who is the Word. Do you see? Hebrews chapter 1 verse 1 very helpful on this point where the author says God who at various times and in various ways spoke speaking of God's Word He at various times and in various ways spoke in time pass to the fathers by the prophets has in these last days spoken to us by His Son whom He has appointed through things through whom also He made the worlds. He has spoken to us by the Word the Logos the Lord Jesus Christ. John would later see a vision of the Lord in Revelation chapter 19 verse 12 John would record this his eyes were like a flame of fire on his head were many crowns he had a name written that no one knew except himself he was clothed dipped in blood and his name is called the Word of God in John chapter 1 verse 3 all things were made through Him and without Him nothing was made that was made reminds me of Psalm 33 Psalm 33 verse 6 the Word of the Lord by the Word of the Lord the heavens were made by the breath of His mouth Lord Jesus Christ was there at creation that wasn't made through Him nothing was made that wasn't made through Him He Himself uncreated verse 4 continues in Him was life and He has life in Himself just as the Father has life in Himself that's the testimony of John chapter 5 verse 26 in Him was a life and the life was the light of men and the light shines in the darkness and the darkness did not comprehend it you see in the text don't you ascribed to Jesus Christ are the works of God namely creation ex nihilo out of nothing that work ascribed to the Lord Jesus Christ ascribed to Jesus Christ are the attributes of God He is pre-existent He is eternal ascribed to Jesus Christ is the very name of God Theos God was the Word all an explicit clear statement that Jesus Christ is God there are many many others turn quickly to Romans chapter 9 Romans chapter 9 there are many others in Romans chapter 9 Paul is heartbroken over the spiritual condition of his lost countrymen the Jews they've been given unspeakable blessings great spiritual blessings tremendous privileges and they have squandered those privileges to the point now of rejecting their Messiah been given such privileges such that Paul says in verse 1 I tell you the truth in Christ I'm not lying my conscience also bearing me witness in the Holy Spirit that I have great sorrow and continual grief in my heart for I could wish that I myself were accursed from Christ for my brethren my countrymen according to the flesh they've been given such privileges Paul says not given to any other nation on earth they are verse 4 Israelites to whom pertained the adoption the glory the covenants the giving of the law the service of God the promises of whom are the fathers and then rising to climax this list in this list of unspeakable privileges comes its apex from whom according to the flesh Christ came who is overall the eternally blessed God amen so topping that list of spiritual privileges that the Jews have squandered is that from them the Lord Jesus Christ God the Son who is eternally blessed he came Titus chapter 2 verse 11 the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men teaching us that denying ungodliness and worldly lusts we should live soberly, righteously and godly in the present age looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ in 2 Peter chapter 1 verse 1 Peter writes to those who have obtained like precious faith with us by the righteousness of our God and Savior Jesus Christ there are other texts in the bible that refer to men, I believe that's John 10 men as gods 1 Corinthians chapter 8 the God of this age has blinded the minds, right there are other places where this term especially this New Testament term is ascribed to men or to idols a couple of places but where it is ascribed to Jesus Christ personally, intentionally and based upon the context there is no other meaning that can be derived from that ascription but that Jesus Christ is God the Son in other words it makes no sense you've got to look at the term you've got to look at the context of the term context is king and context helps us to understand the meaning of what's being said when ascribed to Jesus Christ we can't think of it in any other way Jesus Christ is God in the flesh a great text for this is Hebrews chapter 1 an inarguable text is Hebrews chapter 1 turn there with me Hebrews chapter 1 and look at verse 5 for to which of the angels did He and we're speaking of Yahweh here God for to which of the angels did He ever say you are my Son today I have begotten you God the Father says to God the Son you are my Son today I have begotten you and again I will be to Him a Father and He shall be to me the Son remember that means the same essential essence as the Father Christ Jesus belongs to deity He belongs to that essence that nature Jesus Christ is God but when He again brings the firstborn into the world firstborn meaning they are preeminent He is the one who is over all preeminent above all when He again brings the firstborn into the world He says let all the angels God worship Him the cults get confused tripped up over these uses of firstborn only begotten but remember we're dealing with a finite nature of human language and the way that these things are expressed are meant to ascribe to Jesus Christ both deity and to remain or to maintain sustain the distinction between the persons of the Godhead the Father, God the Son God the Holy Spirit this language is meant to maintain that distinction but don't get lost in the fact that this language is also used to ascribe to Jesus Christ deity that He is God He says let all the angels of God worship Him in of the angels He says who makes His angels spirits and His ministers a flame of fire in other words the angels are directed by the Father to worship the Son commanded by the Father to worship Him against a backdrop of Old Testament quotes and passages where the worship of the One True Living God is commanded and all other worship condemned the New Testament even the Old Testament constantly commands the worship and devotion of the second person of the Trinity the Lord Jesus Christ in John chapter 9 worships Him and the Lord receives His worship Thomas in John chapter 20 worships Him and the Lord receives His worship Philippians chapter 2 verse 9 every knee shall bow in worship to Him Revelation chapter 4 the four living creatures the elders fall down in worship of the Lamb Paul and Barnabas refuse worship in Acts chapter 14 refuse worship in Revelation 19, Revelation 22 Jesus Christ accepts and receives our worship why? because worthy is the Lamb who is slain to receive power riches, wisdom, strength and honor and glory and blessing in other words worthy is He to receive worship why? because He is God then in verse 8 Hebrews chapter 1 verse 8 we have a Messianic Psalm here Psalm 45 where both the Messiah and God the Father are referred to by the same name Elohim look at verse 8 but to the Son He says to the Son to the Son He says your throne oh God is forever and ever a scepter of righteousness is the scepter of your kingdom therefore God your God has anointed you with the oil of gladness more than your companions then verse 10 quoting Psalm 102 to the Son God says you Lord now listen this is God saying to the Son you Lord in the beginning laid the foundation of the earth all the heavens are the work of your hands they will perish but you remain that's eternality creation ex nihilo and eternality they will all grow old like a garment like a cloak you will fold them up they will be changed but you are the same immutability and your years will not fail eternality notice the connection between the New Testament and these Old Testament texts and Old Testament texts that refer to Yahweh refer to Elohim and these things are being said of the Son who is God the Son do you see Jesus Christ is explicitly referred to as God he is given the honor that is do God he is described attributes that belong only to God he is called by names reserved only for God and he performs the deeds or the works of God that only God can perform all that can be predicated of God can be predicated of the Lord Jesus Christ how is that possible? Jesus Christ is God the Son the second person of the Trinity so much more that could be said volumes upon volumes upon volumes have been written John says I suppose the world could not contain all the books that are written so many other texts so many other connections throughout the Bible so many others this is just a small sampling the evidence is overwhelming as you start exploring that thread that runs through the Bible of describing this messianic figure that would come and describing in terms of being God terms that only describe God Emmanuel God with us His name shall be called Emmanuel God with us Hail the Incarnate Deity this confession is the foundation on which the church of Jesus Christ is built this confession Matthew chapter 16 verse 13 listen when Jesus Christ came into the region of Caesarea Philippi he asked his disciples saying who do men say that I the Son of Man am so they said some say John the Baptist some Elijah others Jeremiah are one of the prophets he said to them but who do you say that I am who is Jesus Christ who is Jesus Christ Simon Peter answered and said you are the Christ the Son of the living God concerning his position he is the Christ the anointed one sent by the Father concerning his person his identity he is the Son of God of one nature with the Father God in the flesh Emmanuel God with us Jesus answered and said to him blessed are you Simon Barjona for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you but my Father who is in heaven and I also say to you that you are Peter and on this rock on this confession on the bedrock of this confession Jesus says I will build my church and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it what is that confession upon which the church is triumphantly built such that the gates of Hades will never prevail against the pressing forth of the kingdom of God into this dark world what is that confession Jesus Christ is God it's not Peter as the Pope for heaven's sakes it's definitely higher than Peter as a Pope infinitely higher we're talking about the bedrock of our faith that Jesus Christ, God the Son came to earth, died a miserable death at Calvary's cross to save sinners that's what we're talking about and it's on that confession that Jesus Christ is God that he builds his church the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ is based upon it do you see there's no prevail against it before Thomas encountered the risen Lord that night in Jerusalem Thomas was distraught he was despairing he was discouraged Thomas was heartbroken so much had been promised so much had been said so much had been invested so much had been done and now so much had been hoped for and all of that hope was lost at the cross where the Lord Jesus Christ died and now the Lord Jesus Christ is buried in the tomb he's been dead and Thomas is forlorn right the Lord told him in the upper room that you're going to weep you're going to weep but then joy will come the Lord forewarned him Thomas isn't yet putting all this together in his mind he's just crushed crushed over the events that have taken place in the last week but when Thomas encountered him face to face living before him in the flesh so to speak that night the Lord Jesus Christ raised from the dead when Thomas put his fingers into the print of the nails when he put his hand into the wound at the Lord's side what appeared to be a crushing defeat was at once in Thomas' heart and mind swallowed up in victory swallowed up again in hope swallowed up again in joy swallowed up again in all that God has said and all that God has done and all of that truth and all of that came flooding into Thomas' heart and into his mind death wears your victory Hades wears your sting wears your victory and Jesus Christ in that moment was seen was known by Thomas truly as he is God Jesus Christ was revealed in wondrous glory before the eyes the heart and mind of Thomas well who is he to you this morning who is he to you are you interuptured with that thought of who he is do you see him with the eyes of faith the way that he's revealed in the Word 1 Timothy chapter 3 verse 16 without controversy great, great is the mystery of godliness God was manifested in the flesh justified in the spirit seen by angels preached among the Gentiles believed on in the world received up in glory he is God manifested in the flesh do you believe it do you believe that it's essential that you do why would he do that why would he do that it's amazing isn't it that God would stoop to such depths it's staggering the thought God would do so in matchless immeasurable infinite and perfect love in order to save wretched sinners like me and you that's why God would do that what does it say what must it say about the desperate nature of our sin what does it say about the desperate nature of our condition that God himself must determine the incarnation make himself of no reputation take the form of a slave and come in the likeness of men what does it say about our condition what does it say about the depths of our sin when we should be humbled we should be flat on our face our face in the dirt when we should be weeping head in our hands he humbled himself for us he humbled himself became obedient to death even the death of the cross nothing less than God in the flesh provide for our desperate condition our desperate need and save us from our sin and because he is God therefore Hebrews 7.25 says he is also able no one else could but God because he is God because the Lord Jesus Christ is God he is able to save to the uttermost those who come to God through him we are guilty brothers and sisters we are guilty of thinking of our sin far too lightly even in our most sober of moments we think of sin too lightly when we are most clear headed most full of the spirit most infused with the word we still think of our sin far too lightly we need to know him who he is and what he has done for sinners what does it say about our condition but listen what does it say about his love that he would do this what does it say about his grace that he would do such a thing what does it say about his mercy what does it say about his glory that the Lord of glory would step out of glory and take on the flesh of our existence to save us it says so much about his person and work we need to worship him in light of all that we know of that person and that work he's worthy of our worship to the degree that we fail to understand and appreciate that Jesus Christ is very God of very God is the degree to which we fail to understand and appreciate the depths to which he condescended to redeem us we understand more about what he has done by understanding who he is who he is and that understanding of who he is fuels faith fuels devotion it's one of the reasons we're going to study him in small groups and during Sunday school as we are this time in our church understanding who he is fuels our love fuels our devotion fuels our gratitude fuels our worship fuels our prayer life fuels our faith Jesus Christ prayed in John 17 this is eternal life that they may know you the only true God and Jesus Christ whom you've sent Jesus Christ is God manifested in the flesh God determined to take on flesh in the face of scorn in the face of derision in the face of death and if you do not know him if you have not turned from your sin to entrust yourself to this one this one alone the one who is God the Son it is an awful rejection it is a brazen rebellion it is prideful haughty arrogant stiff-necked to reject this one who has given so much to save sinners and you will stand before him the one to whom all judgment has been committed you will stand before him one day in judgment why did God commit all judgment to the Son so that as John says they will honor the Son as they have honored the Father that's why all judgment has been committed to the Son Jesus Christ himself says you will stand before that one him, God the Son one day in judgment don't do that turn from your sin put your faith and trust in the Lord Jesus Christ and be saved if you see him today as Thomas did then fall down on your knees and confess with him my Lord and my God all praise, honor, and glory be to him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb forever and ever amen let's pray together Father in heaven we are grateful to you for the person and work of our Redeemer the second person of the Trinity God the Son our Lord Jesus Christ thank you for sending him the world to save sinners Lord Jesus Christ thank you for coming taking on the form of a man the appearance, the likeness of men humbling yourself to the point of death even the death of the cross and for going there a perfect sacrifice to die and take our penalty thank you Lord for this glorious work of redemption for standing in our place thank you for securing the righteousness that you would need to be justified and stand before God in you righteous as you are righteous thank you Lord for the love that that demonstrates the grace that that demonstrates the mercy that that demonstrates thank you Lord for this unspeakable gift we love you we adore you we worship you now in this that you are God the Son we praise you for all these things fuel our faith let us see with the eyes of faith and receive that blessing that you said we would that night in the room to Thomas and maybe we caught up with adoration of who you are and what you've done thank you Lord for this church thank you for the many ways in which you've blessed her and protect her and grow her and matured her preserve her and prosper her we're very very grateful Lord to you for these blessings I pray that you would continue and pray Lord in faith without doubting that you would soon in your perfect timing and according to your perfect will restore our corporate worship together for your glory we are here as your people gathered by your name to worship you be in spirit and in truth gathered as the people of God for your name's sake we pray these things in the name the blessed name of our great God and Savior the Lord Jesus Christ Amen