Temple Baptist Church - 12-25-2016
John 1:14; Matthew 18:1-25; Luke 2:1-19
Introduction:
A. Christmas morning is Sunday morning this year. What a wonderful time to be in church! This morning makes this Christmas a special one. Christmas is all about the incarnation of Israel’s long awaited Messiah and our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ.
1. 456 passages of Scripture in the Old Testament refer directly to Christ.
2. 45 times in the New Testament, when referring to the incarnation, the Bible declares that it was “fulfilled” concerning Christ.
B. I do not want to go into the math this morning but will give some figures proven to be true by a secular mathematician concerning the prophecies of Christ and their fulfillment.
C. Peter Stoner, Professor Emeritus of Science at Westmont College, used the science of probability to determine the chance that these prophecies could all occur in one person. The value and accuracy of the science of probability has been well established. Professor Stoner, calculated the probability of one man fulfilling the major prophecies concerning the Messiah and submitted his figures for review to a committee of the American Scientific Affiliation. Upon examination, they verified that his calculations were dependable and accurate in regard to the scientific material presented (Peter Stoner, Science Speaks, Chicago: Moody Press, 1969, 4). I have all the computations that were mathematically derived from this study at the end of this message but I want to just give the “gist” of it. If you would like to see it all, I have the notes.
1. The mathematical conclusion was that for the Messiah to be born in Bethlehem was one in 300,000. That is just the fulfillment of one prophecy.
2. After studying just 8 different prophecies, they conservatively estimated that the chance of one man fulfilling all 8 was one in 10^17 or one with 17 zeros behind it. That is 100 quadrillion! Suppose that we take 10^17 silver dollars and lay them on the face of Texas. That is 268,820 square miles! They would cover all of the state two feet deep. Now mark one of these silver dollars and stir the whole mass thoroughly, all over the state. Blindfold a man and tell him that he can travel as far as he wishes, but he must pick up one silver dollar and say that this is the right one. What chance would he have of getting the right one? Just the same chance that the prophets would've had of writing these eight prophecies and having them all come true in any one man, from their day to the present time, providing they wrote them in their own wisdom (Idem, 106-107).
3. In another calculation, Stoner used 48 prophecies (Idem, 109) (even though he could have used Edersheim's 456), and arrived at the extremely conservative estimate that the probability of 48 prophecies being fulfilled in one person is the incredible number 10^157. (ten unquinquagintillion – un-quin-qua-gin-tillion) Again, 45x the Bible uses the word “fulfilled” when speaking of the life of Christ.
4. Electrons are very small objects. They're smaller than atoms. It would take 2.5 TIMES 10^15 of them, laid side by side, to make one inch. Even if we counted 250 of these electrons each minute, and counted day and night, it would still take 19 million years just to count a line of electrons one-inch long (Stoner, op. cit, 109).
5. God so thoroughly vindicated Jesus Christ that even mathematicians and statisticians, who were without faith, had to acknowledge that it is scientifically impossible to deny that Jesus is the Christ.
D. I wanted to read 3 accounts of the birth of Christ this morning as each sheds light upon the incarnation of Jehovah God in the flesh.
1. The Book of John sets forth the deity of the eternal Jesus Christ, the Word of God—Jehovah God in flesh. When describing the eternality and incarnation of Israel’s Messiah, our Lord and Saviour—Jesus Christ, we find no more detail anywhere in the Bible than is found in these much-preached verses.
2. The Book of Matthew shows who He was, how He came, and the reason for His coming. The virgin born Son of God, the Saviour of the world.
3. The Book of Luke shows the time frame in which He was born, the place of His birth, who He was, and why He came.
E. So much can be said about the birth of Christ and what He did for us through the incarnation.
1. He sought us.
2. He bought us.
3. He illuminated us.
4. He convicted us.
5. He convinced us.
6. He graciously saved us.
7. He abides within us.
8. He marvelously keeps us.
9. He works through us.
10. He protects us.
11. He provides for us.
12. He guides us.
13. He succors us.
14. He is coming for us!
15. That will preach!!
F. For a few minutes this morning, I want to look once again at the Lord Jesus Christ. I do not think that I can preach enough about Him. I do not think that I will ever understand everything about Him.
1. There was none before Him
2. There is none like Him
3. There is none beside Him
4. There will never be one after Him!
5. He was that He was.
6. He is that He is
7. He will be what He will be!
G. John 1:1-14 has perhaps the best description of who our Lord Jesus was as well as what He became and came to do. I just want to lift His name for a few minutes this morning. He certainly is worthy of both our praise and our preaching. Dr. Harold Sightler taught us “preacher boys” to preach Christ. He often told us to never stray far from the cross for it was the preaching of Christ and Him crucified that would win the world to God.
H. John 1:1-14
1. Vs. 1-2 – His Person - We See Christ As God! He is the eternal God and the only true God!
John 8:58 Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Before Abraham was, I am.
Exodus 3:14 And God said unto Moses, I AM THAT I AM: and he said, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, I AM hath sent me unto you. (The phrase “I AM” means “to exist!” All that I can say about God is that HE IS! The world can accept Him or reject Him but that does not change the fact that HE IS!! When this world is gone and time is no more HE IS!!)
2. Vs. 3 – His Power - We See Christ As Creator – Jesus Christ is the Jehovah God of the Old Testament, the Creator of all things. Don’t take my word for it. Take God’s Word for it.
Genesis 1:1 In the beginning God (that’s HIM) created the heaven and the earth.
Psalms 33:6 By the word of the LORD (that’s HIM) were the heavens made; and all the host of them by the breath of his (that’s HIM) mouth.
Colossians 1:16-17 For by him (that’s HIM) were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether [they be] thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him (that’s HIM), and for him (that’s HIM): 17 And he (that’s HIM) is before all things, and by him (that’s HIM) all things consist.
Hebrews 1:2 Hath in these last days spoken unto us by [his] Son(that’s HIM), whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom (that’s HIM) also he made the worlds; (All I can say is that HE DID IT! I do not have to understand it to believe it! I know that the Word of God declares that He formed the heavens and the earth through the spoken Word of His mouth and I believe it. HE DID IT!! Nothing has been created since He DID IT! Matter can neither be created nor destroyed. It can only be changed!)
3. Vs. 4-5 – His Purpose - We See Christ As Life! It is because of the very breath of God that you and I live. He is our mortal Life! He is our spiritual Life! It is through Him that we believe!
John 3:36 He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him.
John 5:24 Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life.
John 20:31 But these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through his name.
1 John 5:12 He that hath the Son hath life; [and] he that hath not the Son of God hath not life. (Without Him, there is no life. Without Him no life could possible exist! You may have physical life ([and that came from Him] but without Him you have no spiritual life. You are dead in trespasses and sins!)
4. Vs. 6-9 – His Purity - We See Christ As Light! I want to say this morning that He is THE LIGHT, not a light! THE LIGHT that shines through this sin darkened world to point the wandering sinner to Himself!
1 John 1:5 This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all.
John 8:12 Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.
Psalms 18:28 For thou wilt light my candle: the LORD my God will enlighten my darkness. (To have Christ is to have Light, to not have Christ is to live a life of total darkness!)
5. Vs. 10-14 – His Pre-eminence - We See Christ As Saviour! If you get to Heaven, it will through the FINISHED WORK of Jesus Christ: the gospel!
Isaiah 12:2 Behold, God is my salvation; I will trust, and not be afraid: for the LORD JEHOVAH is my strength and my song; he also is become my salvation.
Isaiah 43:11 I, even I, am the LORD; and beside me there is no saviour.
Acts 4:12 Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.
John 10:9 I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture.
John 14:6 Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.
John 20:31 But these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through his name. (Jesus Christ is my Lord and Saviour! All my hope is found in Him! He is my eternal Life!)
Conclusion: What a wonderful Saviour is Jesus my Lord! Do you know Him this morning?
***
“Professor Emeritus of Science at Westmont College, Peter Stoner, has calculated the probability of one man fulfilling the major prophecies made concerning the Messiah. The estimates were worked out by twelve different classes representing some 600 university students. The students carefully weighed all the factors, discussed each prophecy at length, and examined the various circumstances which might indicate that men had conspired together to fulfill a particular prophecy. They made their estimates conservative enough so that there was finally unanimous agreement even among the most skeptical students. However Professor Stoner then took their estimates, and made them even more conservative. He also encouraged other skeptics or scientists to make their own estimates to see if his conclusions were more than fair. Finally, he submitted his figures for review to a committee of the American Scientific Affiliation. Upon examination, they verified that his calculations were dependable and accurate in regard to the scientific material presented (Peter Stoner, Science Speaks, Chicago: Moody Press, 1969, 4).
For example, concerning Micah 5:2, where it states the Messiah would be born in Bethlehem Ephrathah, Stoner and his students determined the average population of BETHLEHEM from the time of Micah to the present; then they divided it by the average population of the earth during the same period. They concluded that the chance of one man being born in Bethlehem was one in 300,000, (or one in 2.8 x 10^5 - rounded), After examining only eight different prophecies (Idem, 106), they conservatively estimated that the chance of one man fulfilling all eight prophecies was one in 10^17. To illustrate how large the number 10^17 IS (a figure with 17 zeros), Stoner gave this illustration : If you mark one of ten tickets, and place all the tickets in a hat, and thoroughly stir them, and then ask a blindfolded man to draw one, his chance of getting the right ticket is one in ten. Suppose that we take 10^17 silver dollars and lay them on the face of Texas. They'll cover all of the state two feet deep. Now mark one of these silver dollars and stir the whole mass thoroughly, all over the state. Blindfold a man and tell him that he can travel as far as he wishes, but he must pick up one silver dollar and say that this is the right one. What chance would he have of getting the right one? Just the same chance that the prophets would've had of writing these eight prophecies and having them all come true in any one man, from their day to the present time, providing they wrote them in their own wisdom (Idem, 106-107). In financial terms, is there anyone who would not invest in a financial venture if the chance of failure were only one in 10^17? This is the kind of sure investment we're offered by god for faith in His Messiah. From these figures, Professor Stoner, concludes the fulfillment of these eight prophecies alone proves that God inspired the writing of the prophecies (Idem, 107) - the likelihood of mere chance is only one in 10^17! Another way of saying this is that any person who minimizes or ignores the significance of the biblical identifying signs concerning the Messiah would be foolish.
But, of course, there are many more than eight prophecies. In another calculation, Stoner used 48 prophecies (Idem, 109) (even though he could have used Edersheim's 456), and arrived at the extremely conservative estimate that the probability of 48 prophecies being fulfilled in one person is the incredible number 10^157. In fact, if anybody can find someone, living or dead, other than Jesus, who can fulfill only half of the predictions concerning the Messiah given in the book "Messiah in Both Testaments" by Fred J. Meldau, the Christian Victory Publishing Company is ready to give a ONE thousand dollar reward! As apologist Josh McDowell says, "There are a lot of men in the universities that could use some extra cash!" (Josh McDowell, Evidence that Demands a Verdict, California: Campus Crusade for Christ, 175). How large is the number one in 10^157? 10^157 contains 157 zeros! Stoner gives an illustration of this number using electrons. Electrons are very small objects. They're smaller than atoms. It would take 2.5 TIMES 10^15 of them, laid side by side, to make one inch. Even if we counted 250 of these electrons each minute, and counted day and night, it would still take 19 million years just to count a line of electrons one-inch long (Stoner, op. cit, 109). With this introduction, let's go back to our chance of one in 10^157. Let's suppose that we're taking this number of electrons, marking one, and thoroughly stirring it into the whole mass, then blindfolding a man and letting him try to find the right one. What chance has he of finding the right one? What kind of a pile will this number of electrons make? They make an inconceivably large volume. This is the result from considering a mere 48 prophecies. Obviously, the probability that 456 prophecies would be fulfilled in one man by chance is vastly smaller.
According to Emile Borel, once one goes past one chance in 10^50, the probabilities are so small that it is impossible to think that they will ever occur (Ankerberg et. al., op. cit., 21). As Stoner concludes, 'Any man who rejects Christ as the Son of God is rejecting a fact, proved perhaps more absolutely than any other fact in the world (Stoner, op. cit., 112).' God so thoroughly vindicated Jesus Christ that even mathematicians and statisticians, who were without faith, had to acknowledge that it is scientifically impossible to deny that Jesus is the Christ. our thanks to David Williams, a mathematician who believes in the Lord Jesus Christ.”
