Good morning. If you will open
your Bibles with me to the Gospel of Luke chapter 1. As always, your brethren in Kingsport
send their love and greetings. It's an honor to be with you
today. In Luke 1, look with me at verse
26. Luke 1, 26. And in the sixth month, that
is the sixth month of Elizabeth's pregnancy with John the Baptist,
in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God into
a city of Galilee named Nazareth to a virgin espoused to a man
whose name was Joseph of the house of David, and the virgin's
name was Mary. And the angel came in unto her
and said, Hail thou that art highly favored, The Lord is with
thee. Blessed art thou among women. The words highly favored mean
graciously accepted. And the reason I'm even mentioning
this is we're not here to worship or praise Mary. We're here to
worship God. Mary was a sinner just like you
and me. And it warms my heart to know
that before the Lord told her, you're gonna bear the Son of
God. Before the angel told her that,
he told her, God has graciously accepted you. From eternity,
God chose to save you. And here's how he's gonna do
it. Don't you love that? Makes my soul rejoice. Verse
28 again, And the angel came in unto her, and said, Hail thou
that art highly favored, the Lord is with thee, blessed art
thou among women. And when she saw him, she was
troubled at his saying, and cast in her mind what manner of salutation
this should be. And the angel said unto her,
Fear not, Mary, for thou hast found favor with God. And, behold,
thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt
call his name Jesus. He shall be great, and shall
be called the Son of the Highest. And the Lord God shall give unto
him the throne of his father David. And he shall reign over
the house of Jacob for ever, and of his kingdom there shall
be no end. For our message this morning,
I would like us to consider the greatness of Jesus Christ. I understand that's a wonderful
subject, way higher than me, but I pray the Lord will enable
us to worship Him this morning. He shall be great. He shall be
great. What a declaration. What a prophecy. What an understatement. No man
can possibly do justice trying to talk about how great He is. Who shall His greatness declare? Well, if God will enable me,
I'm going to try to do just that this morning. Jesus Christ is
great. The first thing I want us to
consider is His person. Who He is, His person is great. Now this time of year, obviously
that kind of led me here to this passage, many people consider
the name Jesus. They consider this man this time
of year. But I'm here to say that he's
not who people think he is. We know that. He's not who people
think he is. Many people would have us to
believe that he's like us, just a little bit better. I can't hardly think of a more
blasphemous statement. He's nothing like us. Nothing. He's the exact opposite of us
in every single way. He knew no sin. We can just stop
right there. He knew no sin. He never knew what it was to
sin. That's all you and I are. We are sin. That's all we know
how to do. That's why Paul said, a wretched
man that I am, who shall deliver me from the body of this dead?
That's all we are. Jesus Christ, he kept God's holy
law, and that's what God's law is, holy. It's to be kept, it's
to be honored. Jesus Christ kept that holy law
perfectly. He obeyed God perfectly. He never
said one foul word. He never had one evil thought,
one bad motive. Not once. He's perfect. We're told that he went about
doing good everywhere he ever went. You know, we can't say we did
good one time. God said there's none good, no
not one. He's not like us. We're not great. Not at all.
We're not good. Not at all. He's great. Jesus
Christ, He's not a beggar. Oh, if this world would get a
hold of that. He's not a beggar. He's not begging and pleading,
hoping somebody will accept Him. I mentioned it with Mary. She
didn't accept Him. She didn't say, yeah, I think
I'll birth Jesus. What foolishness. But that's
exactly what people believe. That we decided to accept Him. It's a wonder of God's grace
that He would accept us. And I'm talking about that babe
that we just read about that was born. He is no beggar. He doesn't want us to give Him
our heart. He doesn't want us to decide
to follow Him. He is not a beggar. He is not the man upstairs, as
many would say. He is a man, and He's in the
heavens. That man is God Almighty, and
we ought to refer to Him as such. He's to be reverenced. This man, Christ Jesus, He had
no beginning. He had no beginning. He has no
end. He said, I am Alpha and Omega,
the beginning and the end, the first and the last. He said before
Abraham was, I am. That's His name. I am. His name is great. We'll get to that in just a moment.
Turn over with me to John chapter 1. John 1, verse 1. In the beginning was the Word. And you see the capital W, we
know this is speaking of Jesus Christ. In the beginning was
Jesus Christ. And Jesus Christ was with God,
and Jesus Christ was God. The same was in the beginning
with God. All things were made by Him,
by Jesus Christ. And without Him was not anything
made that was made. He's our Creator. You know that. Jesus Christ, the one who was
born from Mary's womb, was Mary's Creator. That's right. He's our Creator. He made us. Look at verse 4 here. In Him
was life, and the life was the light of men. That's who He is.
Life is in Him. Only in Him. And He is the light
of men. Christ is the light. Now, I didn't
show you, but in our text, in verse 15, it says that John the
Baptist has said that he also would be great in the sight of
the Lord. But His greatness is nothing compared to the Lord
Jesus Christ's greatness. Two totally different kinds of
greatness. And we're going to look at that this evening, Lord
willing. Look here in John 1 again. Verse 5, there was a man sent
from God whose name was John. The same came for a witness to
bear witness of the light, that's Christ, that all through Him
might believe. He was not that light, but He
was sent to bear witness of that light. John came to point Him
to Christ, who is great. Look down at verse 14. The Word
was made flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory,
the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace
and truth. Who is Jesus Christ? He is God. He's holy. He's righteous. He's full of grace. People want
to talk about grace. You know what grace is? Christ. You're only going to find God's
grace in Him. He's full of grace and He's full
of truth. He is the truth. He is great. Oh, He's so great. Turn over
to Hebrews chapter 1. Hebrews 1 verse 1. God, who at sundry times and
in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the
prophets, hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son,
whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made
the worlds, who being the brightness of his glory and the expressed image of his
person." You want to see the glory of God. Behold Jesus Cross,
behold the Lamb of God. He is the glory of God. He is
the express image of His person. Verse 3, Who being the brightness
of His glory and the express image of His person, and upholding
all things by the word of His power, when He had by Himself
purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty
on high, being made so much better than the angels, as He hath by
inheritance obtained a more excellent name than they. His person is
great and His name, His name is great. His name is great. Call His name Jesus. That's His name. Jesus means
Joshua, Savior. What a name. What a name. His name is to be exalted. God
hath given Him a name above every name. He hath highly exalted
Him. And we ought to exalt Him too.
Call His name Immanuel. God with us. You just think about
that. The fact that God was manifest
in the flesh. Does that amaze you like it does
me? That God would come here and become a man? Walk the same
earth we walk? I don't think I'll ever get a
hold of that. God became man. God with us. Jesus Christ is
the one mediator, the one reconciler, the one intercessor between God
and man. There's only one. There's only
one. And that's the God-man Christ Jesus. Turn back to Isaiah chapter
9. Familiar verse. Isaiah 9 verse 6, For unto us a child is born,
unto us a son is given, and the government shall be upon his
shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful. Counselor,
the mighty God, the everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government
and peace, there shall be no end. Upon the throne of David
and upon his kingdom, to order it and to establish it with judgment
and with justice from henceforth even forever, the zeal of the
Lord of Hosts will perform this. Don't you love what his name
shall be called? You talk about an amazing verse. His name shall be called Wonderful. Wonderful. Keep a finger here
in Isaiah. Turn over to Isaiah 25. Keep
a finger in Isaiah 9 there. Isaiah 25. Verse 1. O Lord, Thou art my God, I will
exalt Thee, I will praise Thy name, for Thou hast done wonderful
things. Thy counsels of old are faithfulness
and truth. His name shall be called Wonderful."
Counselor, back in our text. The Lord Jesus Christ is our
counselor. He's our wisdom. He's our teacher. Where do we go when we wonder,
Lord willing, I'm about to be a father. Where do I go when
I wonder how do I handle this? Where do I go? When I try to
be a husband, when I try to be a brother, where do I go? We
go to Him. He said, learn of me. Oh, I pray
that we would. Learn of me. His name shall be
called Wonderful Counselor, and I especially love this one, The
Mighty God. People will refer to Him, our
Lord, as Little Baby Jesus. Was He physically a little baby?
Yes. Yes, He was. But to speak of
Him that way is not the most glamorous. That baby was the
Mighty God. He is the Mighty God. And I love
reading in Luke chapter 2, that man Simeon, it was revealed unto
him that he should not taste death, so he should see the Lord's
Christ. And he went and he saw our Lord
as a baby. And he picked him up. He said,
mine eyes have seen God's salvation. That baby is God's salvation.
That babe is the mighty God. The Lord Jesus Christ is referred
to throughout the scriptures as the arm of the Lord, the strength
of the Lord, the right hand of God. That's who He is. That's
who He is. Wonderful Counselor, the Mighty
God, the Everlasting Father. Now this one has always kind
of confused me because we know the Triune God, you have the
Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost. But it really shouldn't
confuse us because it goes on to say these three are one. These
three are one. They are three separate persons,
but they're one. Our Lord said, I and my Father
are one. He said, he that hath seen me
hath seen the Father. He said, the Father's in me,
I'm in him. We're one. His name shall be called Wonderful,
Counselor, the Mighty God, the Everlasting Father, the Prince
of Peace. That's a good name. Prince of
Peace. Because of our sin, we do not
have peace with Holy God. Our sins have separated us from
Him. There's a middle wall of partition
that must be broken down if you and I are going to have peace
with God. Christ broke that wall down by
Himself. There's only one way we're going
to have peace with God, and that's in Christ, the Prince of Peace.
He is our peace. I love that. He is our peace. He is a sinner's only peace. Are you a sinner? It's a good
question for us to ask ourselves often. Some people might think
they're a sinner one day, then several years go by, well, I'm
not a sinner anymore. Are you a sinner? If you are, you love
the name Jesus. If you are a sinner, you love
just the thought of His name. Turn over with me to Malachi
chapter 1. Malachi chapter 1. The last book of the Old Testament. Malachi 1, let's read verse 11. For from the rising of the sun,
even unto the going down of the same, my name shall be great
among the Gentiles. And in every place incense shall
be offered unto my name in a pure offering, for my name shall be
great among the heathen, saith the Lord of hosts. His name shall
be great among the heathen. You know what the heathen is,
don't you? The ungodly. His name shall be great among
them. Is that what you are? Like I said, if so, I know His
name is great to you because that's what I am. And I love
and rejoice in His name. Let me read you the words of
a beautiful hymn. It says, how sweet the name of
Jesus sounds in a believer's ear. It soothes his sorrows,
heals his wounds, and drives away his fear. It makes the wounded
spirit whole and calms the troubled breast. Tis manna to the hungry
soul and to the weary rest. Dear name, the rock on which
I build, my shield and hiding place, my never failing treasury
filled with boundless stores of grace. Jesus, my shepherd,
brother, friend, my prophet, priest, and king, my Lord, my
life, my way, my end, accept the praise I bring. Weak is the
effort of my heart, and cold my warmest thought, but when
I see thee as thou art, I'll praise thee as I ought. Till
then I would thy love proclaim with every fleeting breath, and
may the music of thy name refresh my soul in death. Do you love His name? There's just something about
that name, isn't there? Kings and kingdoms will
all pass away, but there's something about that name. He'll never
pass away. His kingdom, there should be no end to His kingdom,
to His reign. There's no other name whereby
we must be saved. So if we don't love His name,
I pray God would cause us to, or we won't be saved. His person
is great, His name is great, and His work is great. Turn to Matthew chapter 1. Matthew 1. Verse 21. And she shall bring forth a son,
and thou shalt call his name Jesus, For He shall save His
people from their sins. That's why He came. The Lord Jesus Christ did not
come into this world just to live a good life and give us
an example that we might follow, that we could be good people.
That's not why He came. Now He absolutely set the best
example that could possibly be set and we're to learn of Him
in all things. But that's not why He came. He may be in history books as
the greatest man who ever lived. But if that's all you know Him
as, then you've missed it. Religion has missed it. And the
reason is they don't know who He is and they don't know why
He came. His very name means Savior. Doesn't that imply that
He's saved? It does. He did not come to make
salvation possible. He did not come to make salvation
possible. I love this verse. Zephaniah
3.17 says, The Lord thy God in the midst of thee is mighty.
He will save. Period. And when I read that
verse, I can't help but think about the Lord on the cross.
Here He is. Here these men are crucifying
Him according to God's Word. And they mocked Him and derided
Him. They railed on Him and they said, if He be the King of Israel,
let Him now come down from the cross and we'll believe Him.
He saved others. Himself He cannot save. That's
it. When they said He saved others,
you know what they were saying. They knew He'd perform miracles.
Many people saw the things that the Lord did. But they didn't
understand that by not saving Himself, He was saving others
from their sins. Praise God Himself He could not
save. He's the mighty God. And He was in their midst saving. I don't know if it was the man
to His left or to His right, but one of those thieves was
saved. The Lord thy God in the midst of thee is mighty, He will
save. Today, shalt thou be with me in paradise." He came to save. Well, whom did he come to save?
His people. He came to save his people. Turn
over with me to 1 Timothy chapter 1. 1 Timothy 1, verse 15. I remember when I was a kid,
we would memorize verses of Scripture. Well, this right here would be
a good verse to memorize for all of us, young and old. Paul
said in verse 15, this is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptation,
that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am chief." Whom did
He come to save? Sinners. He came to save sinners. Are you a sinner? Am I a sinner? Christ came to seek and to save
that which was lost. Are you lost? Have you ever been
lost? I once was lost, but now I'm
found. I pray that we can honestly say
that. I really do. A sinner is a sacred thing. The
Holy Ghost hath made him so. If God ever reveals to us who
He is, when Isaiah, when he saw the king, he said, woe is me. I'm undone. I'm a man of unclean
lips. And I'm in the midst of a people
of unclean lips. That's where we must come. We
must come to that point where we know I'm a sinner. And He's
the Savior. He's my Savior. Christ came to
save His people from their sins. And he did not fail. Praise the
Lord. He did not fail. I've got to
show you this. Turn to Isaiah 42. Isaiah 42
verse 1. This is God the Father speaking
of Christ the Son. Isaiah 42 verse 1 says, Behold
my servant, whom I uphold, mine elect, in whom my soul delighteth. I have put my spirit upon him,
and he shall bring forth judgment to the Gentiles. He shall not
cry, nor lift up, nor cause his voice to be heard in the street, And I'll just point out again,
he's not a beggar. He's not a beggar. He shall not cry. He shall not
lift up, nor cause his voice to be heard in the street. A
bruised reed, verse 3, shall he not break, and the smoking
flack shall he not quench. He shall bring forth judgment
unto truth. He shall not fail, nor be discouraged. till He hath set judgment in
the earth, and the isles shall wait for His law." It's impossible
for God to fail. It is utterly impossible for
God to fail. It's impossible for God to make a mistake. He
hath done all things well. And when Christ came, when God
sent His only begotten Son into the world, it wasn't so that,
well, maybe somebody will believe on Him. No. He sent Him to accomplish
His will. His will was that His people
would be saved and that they will believe on Him. I will and
they shall. Christ did not fail what He came
to accomplish. Look at the other page here, Isaiah 43 verse 1
says, But now thus saith the Lord that created thee, O Jacob,
and he that formed thee, O Israel, fear not, for I have redeemed
thee. I have redeemed thee. I have called thee by thy name,
thou art mine. Well that was before Christ came.
Yeah, it was. But when God says it, it's as
good as done. It is done. He said, I've spoken it, I'll
also bring it to pass. I've purposed it. Whatever God
decrees shall come to pass. Don't you love reading all throughout
the Scriptures, and it came to pass, and it came to pass, and
it came to pass. What came to pass? God's will. God's purpose. God's decree.
He shall not fail. Turn over to John 17. John 17,
verse 1. These words speak to Jesus. and lifted up his eyes to heaven
and said, Father, the hour has come. Glorify thy son that thy
son also may glorify thee. As thou hast given him power
over all flesh, that he should give eternal life to as many
as thou hast given him. And this is life eternal. that
they might know Thee, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom
Thou hast sent." How great is He? Life eternal
is just knowing Him. Not knowing about Him. My brother
said that many know about Him. But they do not know Him. Oh,
that we might know Him. That's what Paul's prayer was,
that I might know Him. and the power of His resurrection.
Verse 3, this is life eternal that they might know Thee, the
only true God and Jesus Christ whom Thou hast sent. I have glorified
Thee on the earth. I have finished the work which
Thou gavest Me to do. The Father gave Him a work to
do and He said, I finished it. I finished it. When He bowed His head and gave
up the ghost, He said, It is finished. And that's the good
news. We preach a complete salvation.
We preach a finished work. We preach a successful Savior.
What an honor it is to declare such a glorious message. Our sins are all taken away as
far as the east is from the west. So far have He removed our transgressions
from us. He's going to look for them in
that day and there will be none. There will be none to be found
because they're all taken away. He nailed them to His cross.
They're gone. And as a result of what He did,
as a result of His successful death, He was made sin, and He made
us to be the righteousness of God in Him. We are complete in Him. It's finished. Look here, John 17, verse 5,
And now, O Father, glorify Thou me with Thine own self, with
the glory which I had with Thee before the world was, as a result
of the Lord Jesus Christ's finished work. He is to be glorified. He is to be thanked. He is to
be praised. He is to be worshipped, honored,
magnified, and glorified. Turn over to Revelation chapter
5 and we'll close. Now you know this, but Christ
must get all the glory in our salvation. He must get all the glory because
salvation is 100% His work. Salvation is of the Lord. Now
look here in Revelation 5 verse 11. And I beheld, and I heard
the voice of many angels round about the throne, and the beasts
and the elders. And the number of them was ten
thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands, saying
with a loud voice, this is what the elect sing in glory. Worthy
is the Lamb that was slain." What's your story? What's your
song? Worthy is the Lamb. Worthy is
the lamb that was slain to receive power, and riches, and wisdom,
and strength, and honor, and glory, and blessing. What's he
worthy of? Everything. He's worthy of it
all. Christ is all. Verse 13. And
every creature which is in heaven, and on the earth, and under the
earth, and such as are in the sea, and all that are in them,
heard I saying, Blessing, and honor, and glory, and power,
be unto him that sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb
forever and ever. And the four beasts said, Amen.
And the four and twenty elders fell down and worshipped him
that liveth forever and ever. Amen. Psalm 145 verse 3 says, Great
is the Lord, and greatly to be praised, and His greatness is
unsearchable. He shall be great. Oh, He shall
be great. Amen. Thank you, brother. What a message.