Today we continue our series entitled, “God Loves You”, under the overall theme for the year of, “Supernatural Manifestation.” Last week we started looking at John 3:16. Let’s go back to it this morning.
The Apostle John said, “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life” (John 3:16 KJV). Today I want to focus in on the fact that Jesus was the “only begotten Son” of God, and what that means to us.
So what does this mean to you today? A few things.
1. Jesus was absolutely unique.
a) The English words translated “only begotten Son” in John 3:16 are translated from the Greek word monogen?s. This is a compound word made up of two words. The first, mono, means: singular; single; unique. The second, gen?s, means: classification; kind; category. Jesus was the only one of His kind.
b) Jesus was the only human on the planet ever to be BORN of God directly. Adam was made by God’s hands, but he was not born. Jesus was the only human born as a result of a divine conception. I like to say that Jesus was the only human ever born with blood type “G”.
2. Jesus became the ultimate sacrifice for mankind.
a) Adam’s disobedience in the Garden of Eden introduced two problems: sin and death. I call these satan’s dynamic duo.
b) The blood of the Atonement lamb (sacrifice) was a symbol of God’s deliverance from sin. But this was a temporary solution, it was only a “covering” for sin, and it had to be repeated annually.
c) The blood of the PASSOVER lamb (sacrifice) was a symbol of God’s deliverance from death. But this was a temporary solution, it was only a “covering” for death, and it had to be repeated annually.
d) The blood of Jesus did two things: it cleansed us from sin and delivered us from death – once and for all.
e) Jesus, the Lamb of God, became both the ultimate Atonement lamb and PASSOVER lamb. Once Jesus was sacrificed for us, it ended the need for any further animal sacrifices. Jesus delivered us from both sin and death in one fell swoop. Jesus redeemed us from everything that Adam got us into.
f) In Jesus we graduate from temporary to permanent, from ritual to relationship, from depiction to definite… from covering to cleansing!
3. We are the continuation of Jesus’ ministry.
a) While Jesus was in the earth He was the only begotten of the Father. He was singular and unique. No one else on earth was like Him.
b) Once Jesus died, He became like the kernel of corn (He talked about) that remains alone (single) until it is sown into the grown. When it is sown into the grown, it dies and out of it comes a great harvest. Jesus was that seed. He died, He was sown, and now the Father is producing a great harvest out of the life and sacrifice of Jesus.
c) When Jesus was in the earth He was the only one of His kind. But after He died and was sown as a seed, His life produced a great harvest. We now live today, JUST LIKE JESUS, in this world! Jesus was the incarnation of God and we are the continuation of His incarnation!
Closing Confession: Father, this is a year of Great Victory for me. My victory does not come as a result of my actions. My victory is not something I strive for. I am not seeking to obtain victory. I am simply seeking to receive and maintain the victory Jesus already obtained for me. Through Jesus You already gave me the victory. I now receive it by faith and I walk as Jesus did in this on this planet. As Jesus is, so am I, in this world. Jesus embodied You Father, in the flesh. He was You, incarnate and I am the continuation of His incarnation! I declare this by faith. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
This is Today’s Word! Apply it and Prosper.
