Upcoming Events- Lord willing!

Prepare for Worship!: We encourage you to spend

time in prayer each Saturday evening, preparing your

hearts and praying for the worship of our God.

Coming in 2016: Sunday School: “Knowing Christ”

in early 2016. Morning Sermon Series: “Acts of the

Risen Lord Jesus” beginning (D.V.) in January.

Sunday School Classes for Christmastime: We will

give our teachers a break from teaching Sunday

school from December through Jan. 3rd.

Caroling in Community: Our annual caroling in the

community is coming up! Details to be announced…

Christmas Eve Worship with Potomac Hills PCA:

Join us for our 5th year of combined worship on

Christmas Eve with our sister congregation in the

PCA. “Come, let us adore Him…” Watch your emails

for details/directions.

KCPC Booktable Sale! Take advantage of the

wonderful books on the KCPC Book table and reduce

the price of the books you would like to purchase by

20% for a limited time. Consider getting some of your

Christmas gifts in this way. These books are hand-

picked and recommended highly by your pastor!

KCPC Online:

www.sermonaudio.com/kcpc

www.ketoctin.org/resources

December Fellowship Meal! We will enjoy a

Christmas celebration and fellowship meal on Sunday,

December 20th. Let us encourage one another with

growth in our communion with God through Christ,

our “Immanuel”. More details from your Deacons

soon.

Women’s Bible Study: The study meets on the 1st and

3rd Tuesday nights at 7pm. All women are welcome to

attend. Contact Margaret Biggs for more information:

missmargaretbiggs@comcast.net

2016 Winter-Spring Sunday School Kick-Off on

January 10: KCPC will have a special Sunday school

kick-off with some of our children and their teachers

sharing with us what they are learning.

Week Ending, December 12th, 2015

“Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they

shall call his name Immanuel (which means, God with us).”

- ESV Matthew 1:23

THE SHEPHERD’S VOICE

KCPC This Week

“Knowing the love of Christ together with all the saints.” - Eph. 3:18-19

From Your PastorA Biblical-Theology of the Incarnation of the Son of God*

* Image of God (Gen. 1:26-28; Eph. 4:17-24; cf. Heb. 2:5-18) – In the beginning, God dwelled with man created in His Image.

Adam was not “God in the flesh” but he was “like God in the flesh”, and he enjoyed the “Immanuel presence of God” in the

Garden. Man made in God’s image was not exalted and confirmed in righteousness through obedience (cf. Psa. 8; cf. Heb.

2:5ff), but sinned and rebelled against his good Heavenly Father and Supreme Lord. Man lost the Immanuel presence of God.

But this is not the end of the story…

* Seed of the Woman (Gen. 3:15) - Though man brings the curse upon Himself through sin and rebellion against God,

tarnishing the image of God upon him, God promises hope for the future. This reveals God’s graciousness and steadfast love

toward His own. Though sin has broken the relationship, God will restore the fortunes of His people through grace (Hos. 6:1).

God will dwell with His people again. God will be “Immanuel”, God with us again!

* Son of Abraham (Gen. 12) – God promises to be a God to Abraham and His Offspring, and will bless the whole world

through him (Gen. 12:1ff; 15:1ff). Through Abraham, God would bring a son through His supernatural working. From Abraham

would come Isaac (“Laughter” that God gives to His own because of His power and grace!), and Jacob/Israel. From Israel, God

would bring forth a servant to redeem from sin and rescue His people from their enemies (Zech. 12:1ff).

* “God with us” in the Old Testament: Immanuel Theophanies and Christophanies – God grants a “prelude” to the

Incarnation (J. Calvin) in making appearances in human form in the Old Covenant. God the Son appeared as the

“Angel/Messenger of YHWH” to Abraham (Gen. 18), Moses (Exodus 3), and Gideon and Manoah (Judges 6, 13). Throughout

Israel’s pilgrimage in the wilderness, the Angel of the LORD led them, fed them, blessed them, and mediated on their behalf

before God (Num. 22; Judges 2:1; cf. 1 Cor. 10:1-4). These appearances are temporary, not permanent as the Incarnation will be.

God through the prophets prepared Israel for one who will be a faithful Israelite, who will be obedient unto death as a faithful

servant, but who will also be the LORD Himself (Isaiah 42, 49, 52-53; Zech. 9:9ff; 12:13-13:1).

* Messiah- “Anointed King”- God prepared Israel through a promise of a “Messiah” or “Anointed King” from David’s

offspring, who will also be the Son of Man and the LORD of glory (2 Sam. 7:12ff). “Your throne, O God, is forever and ever…”

(Psalm 45, 110); “For unto us a child is born; unto us a Son is given…” (Isaiah 9:6-7); “…One like a Son of man…” (Daniel

7:13-14; cf. Hebrews 1). True Israel awaited this “visitation” of God in the flesh, the One who would be her Consolation (cf.

Luke 1:68; 2:25; 7:16)…

* “The Mystery of Godliness” (1 Tim. 3:16) - The mystery of godliness is revealed in the fullness of the times (Gal. 4:4), when

God the Son was united permanently to humanity in the womb of the virgin (Luke 1:32-35); He was “born of a woman, born

under law, to redeem…” (Gal. 4:4-6). Although God the Son had appeared occasionally and temporarily, now God would come

permanently in the flesh “…And the Word was made flesh and dwelt in our midst…” (John 1:1-3, 14). All of the Old Testament

is about Jesus Christ, HIs life, death, resurrection and ascension. All of the Old Testament revealed “…Things Concerning

Himself [Jesus Christ]” (Luke 24:25-27; John 5:39). Though this had been “kept secret…[it has now] been made known…”

(Romans 16:25-27). This reminds us of the Deus Revelatus/Deus Absconditus-way (God is revealed/God is hidden) that God

chooses to make Himself known progressively throughout redemptive history. The “mystery” is that it was revealed in the Old

Covenant, but not as clearly revealed as it would be when Christ Jesus would come to make full sense of it all by His Spirit (“In

the Old concealed, in the New revealed…,” Augustine).

* Creation Restored (Rev. 21-22) - God dwells with Man as Glorified Man forever and ever. The Son of God became flesh

to live perfectly on our behalf, to die in our place for our sins, to be raised for our vindication, and to be exalted at Prophet,

Priest, and King at God’s right hand! Through Jesus’ perfect and completed work, the restoration of all things has begun.

Though now we suffer in and with Him, we shall be glorified in and with Him, too! (Rom. 6:1-11; 8:29). This glorious

appearing we await with patience and eagerness, living holy lives for Him in service to God and one another! Rejoice, the

LORD is Come!! (Tit. 2:11-14). * I am grateful for Graham Coles’ book ‘The God Who became Human’ for many insights! (IVP, 2013).

Westminster Shorter Catechism Q&A 21: Who is the Redeemer of God's elect? A. The only Redeemer of God's elect is the Lord Jesus

Christ,(1) who, being the eternal Son of God, became man,(2) and so was, and continueth to be, God and man in two distinct natures, and one

person, for ever.(3) (1)1 Tim. 2:5,6. (2)John 1:14; Gal. 4:4. (3)Rom. 9:5; Luke 1:35; Col. 2:9; Heb. 7:24,25.

In Christ’s love,

Pastor Biggs

“Comfort, comfort my people, says your God. Speak tenderly to Jerusalem,

and cry to her that her warfare is ended, that her iniquity is pardoned, that

she has received from the LORD's hand double for all her sins.”

- ESV Isaiah 40:1-2

THIS LORD’S DAY

Sermon Title: "Seeing the Glory”

- Pastor Stuart R. Jones

Scripture Lesson: Exodus 3:1-15

Scripture Text: Luke 2:1-21 (Text vss 8-15)

Hymns

O Come, All Ye Faithful - 208

While by the Sheep We Watched at Night - 215

Hark! the Herald Angels Sing - 203

“And they shall be my people, and I will be their God. I will give them

one heart and one way, that they may fear me forever, for their own

good and the good of their children after them.”- Jeremiah 32:38-39