Biblical Framework: Redemption

In this part of the sermon: Martin introduces the sermon's theme: the renovation of man through redemptive grace, which is the restoration of the image of God, not after Adam, but after Jesus Christ. He…

Genesis 3:15 is described as a 'little ray of light' and a 'little star' against the 'inky black darkness' of the curses, illustrating the first promise of redemption.

In the midst of curse upon curse upon curse, God gives this marvelous first, little, little ray of light against the inky black darkness of curse upon curse. He puts one little star in the heaven of man's condition in verse 15. God says he will take the initiative now to establish a relationship of enmity between the serpent and the woman, between the seed, the offspring of the serpent, and man. The offspring of the woman.

1:25 - 2:06 Read in full sermon

Driving home: It is nothing less than the restoration of the image of God not after the pattern of Adam, but now after the pattern of the last Adam, Jesus Christ.

The way to kill a snake is to crush its head, illustrating the decisive victory of the seed of the woman over the serpent, while bruising the heel signifies a non-fatal injury.

God tracks him down in grace. And now God says, I'll put enmity. And in the course, in the course of that enmity, ultimately the seed of the woman will utterly bruise and crush the head, the vital part of the serpent. The way you kill the snake is to crush its head.

3:57 - 4:18 Read in full sermon

Driving home: His purpose in salvation or restorative or redemptive grace, whatever term you want to use or all of them, was not just to proof us from the fires of hell.

God's purpose in salvation is not merely to 'proof us from the fires of hell' or 'cloak us in divine asbestos,' but to restore His image, highlighting a deeper, more transformative purpose.

Now that's God's purpose right back into the bosom of eternity. His purpose in salvation or restorative or redemptive grace, whatever term you want to use or all of them, was not just to proof us from the fires of hell. It wasn't to cloak us in divine asbestos so we wouldn't roast in hell.

12:26 - 12:49 Read in full sermon

Driving home: His purpose in salvation or restorative or redemptive grace, whatever term you want to use or all of them, was not just to proof us from the fires of hell.

Salvation is not about being 'injected with happy serum,' but about the restoration of God's image, contrasting superficial happiness with profound spiritual transformation.

Nor was it to inject us with happy serum.

12:51 - 12:55 Read in full sermon

The point: Meditate for half an hour on what happened in Mary's womb to grasp the profound reality of the Incarnation.

Martin vividly describes Mary's normal human pregnancy (morning sickness, swelling, stretch marks, labor pains) and Jesus' birth (blood, mucus, swaddling clothes) to emphasize His true humanity.

Mary went to the sink and puked like any other mother did with morning sickness. And Mary's tummy began to swell and she had a stretch marks. And she felt the first twinges when she was great with child that says. Think of the deity sustained by an umbilical cord.

29:35 - 30:00 Read in full sermon

The point: Meditate for half an hour on what happened in Mary's womb to grasp the profound reality of the Incarnation.

The image of 'eternal undiluted deity' encased in a virgin's womb, 'drawing life from an umbilical cord,' stretches the mind to grasp the profound mystery of the Incarnation and Christ's true humanity.

And get your mind away from your TV long enough to let it really be used for the purpose for which God gave it. Just sit for half an hour and meditate on what happened in Mary's womb. Essentially eternal undiluted deity is encased in a little virgin's womb. Drawing life from an umbilical cord.

30:00 - 30:24 Read in full sermon

The point: Meditate for half an hour on what happened in Mary's womb to grasp the profound reality of the Incarnation.

The 'upholder of the universe' being 'upheld by the nourishment of a teenager's breast' is presented as a profound truth that challenges human understanding, underscoring Christ's true humanity.

And then he had to reach up and she gave him her breast. And the upholder of the universe is upheld by the nourishment of a teenager's breast. You want something to stretch your head you think about that. But that's what the Bible teaches.

31:10 - 31:30 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: Expounding Luke 2:52, Martin illustrates Jesus' normal human development in wisdom, stature, and favor with God and man. He emphasizes that Christ experienced the physical…

Martin suggests Jesus likely experienced the physical awkwardness of teenage years, like feet and hands growing faster than coordination, to illustrate His normal human development in 'stature'.

He advanced in wisdom and stature. Probably a primary reference to his physical development. He probably went to the stage most of us did in our teens when our feet and our hands grew faster than our ability to coordinate them. And Mary and Joseph had a klutzy teenage boy in the house.

33:52 - 34:15 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: Expounding Luke 2:52, Martin illustrates Jesus' normal human development in wisdom, stature, and favor with God and man. He emphasizes that Christ experienced the physical…

Martin shares a personal anecdote about his own teenage clumsiness, frequently knocking over drinks at dinner, to normalize the idea of physical awkwardness as part of human development, which Jesus likely experienced.

So much so that there was hardly a meal where I didn't knock something over in my teens until my father would say would discuss Albert you got a gift. He wasn't referring to any gift of preaching. He was referring to the gift of baptizing the table with milk or water almost every single night. Well that wasn't sin, was it?

34:37 - 35:01 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: Expounding Luke 2:52, Martin illustrates Jesus' normal human development in wisdom, stature, and favor with God and man. He emphasizes that Christ experienced the physical…

Martin speculates that Jesus might have experienced 'a good case of zits' and 'hormonal changes' to emphasize that His humanity was complete and normal, not a 'plastic Christ'.

He may have even had a good case of zits and felt some social discomfort with his zits. We've got a plastic Christ my friends. There's nothing to indicate. He didn't pass through all the hormonal changes of any ordinary Hebrew young.

35:09 - 35:27 Read in full sermon

The point: Regulate your own emerging manhood and womanhood in every area, including emotions, by understanding Christ's true humanity and development.

Jesus' interaction with Simon, noting the lack of social amenities, illustrates that Jesus understood and valued proper social conduct, demonstrating His growth in 'favor with men'.

No that's why when social amenities were denied him he recognized it and was disappointed and even spoke of his disappointment. He said Simon I came into your house you didn't give me the ordinary social amenities of washing my feet. This woman she's doing what you didn't do. Jesus knew what was a proper social response for a guest in a home.

36:58 - 37:26 Read in full sermon

The point: Regulate your own emerging manhood and womanhood in every area, including emotions, by understanding Christ's true humanity and development.

Martin describes Jesus as not a 'social boor' who drove people away, but one who learned to make interesting conversation and put people at ease, further illustrating His growth in 'favor with men'.

He grew in favor with men. How? Because as a social being he learned how to make interesting conversation. He wasn't a boor who sat around and just talked about himself and delighted and everybody just one by one drifted off.

37:26 - 37:45 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: Martin further demonstrates Christ's true humanity by highlighting His experiences of physical weariness (sleeping through a storm) and loneliness (in Gethsemane). He stresses…

Jesus sleeping so soundly in a boat during a violent storm, as if 'drugged,' illustrates His profound physical weariness as a true man, not sustained by His deity.

He got so dog tired he fell asleep in the middle of the night. In the middle of the day in a boat. In a storm so violent he was about to sink the ship. As though the Lord had been drugged.

38:48 - 38:57 Read in full sermon

The point: Be well-grounded in the fact and nature of our Lord's true humanity to take Him as your pattern and example and pray for the Holy Spirit to make you like Him.

Martin recounts observing people sleeping deeply on long flights, comparing their exhaustion to Jesus' deep sleep during the storm, to emphasize the reality of Christ's physical fatigue.

He was sound asleep on a pillow in the back of the ship. He had to come and shake him. I mean you talk about somebody being in the sleep. I marvel sometimes when I take these trips to Australia and to Pakistan and I'm on a plane for 20, 22 hours.

38:57 - 39:10 Read in full sermon

Driving home: As the old formula states it he was as much God as though he were no man as much man as though he were no God. There was no mingling no passing of the deity into the humanity of the humanity into the deity.

The burning bush (Exodus 4) is used as the closest analogy for the hypostatic union, where the bush retained its nature while fire burned within it, distinct yet united, illustrating Christ's two natures in one person.

Two distinct natures joined in the one person forever. And all illustrations and analogies cannot, cannot, cannot mirror this blessed reality but the closest one that's been most helpful to me is the burning bush there in Exodus chapter 4. Moses turned aside to see this burning bush. It was an ordinary bush on the backside of that wilderness.

41:49 - 42:17 Read in full sermon