Beloved friends, we greet you in the precious and worthy name of the Lord Jesus, as we welcome you again to the broadcast today. We continue our precious study that we are beginning on the blessed person of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. May we repeat the premise of our scripture verse from which we have based our study in these messages we have today and continuing. The verse is found in Matthew chapter twenty three, or twenty two rather, in verse forty two, where the Lord Jesus raised a question, a question of the greatest importance for every man, every woman, and every boy, and every girl. Though the words were addressed to the Pharisees in particular, they are very pertinent for you and for me to consider. This is the question. Our blessed Savior would ask it of you. The blessed Savior would ask it of me, saying, what think ye of Christ? This is a pertinent question. He wants to know what we think of him. This is a penetrating question. He desires that we should express the thoughts of our being concerning him, what we think, and it is also a personal question. He is not concerned, but with each of us individually regarding the question. Not what do others think of him, but directly he brings the question to your heart and conscience and mind. What do you think of Christ? And then, may we repeat, with gladness of heart, the question is in regard to the greatest person in the universe of God. And if Christ, the Son of God, is the greatest person in the universe, surely it should be of interest for human hearts to understand who he is and what he is, the Christ and the Son of God. May I repeat, the blessing of our life and the blessing of our souls for all eternity depends upon what we know concerning him and believe. But may I add, it is only through the word of God we can know who and what he is. We are consi- considering seven special revelations of truth relative to his person that we all should understand. We name them again. Number one. his pre-existence, which we studied in our preceding week of messages. Second, which we shall study this week, his incarnation. Third, his atoning death. Fourth, his resurrection. Fifth, his glorification. Sixth, his great heavenly administration. And last of all, the seventh, we shall consider in the will of God his glorious manifestation when he comes to be crowned the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords over the whole world. Now, today we begin our study on the second phase of his blessed person, his incarnation. I would like to read but two texts as the premise of this study on the incarnation, which we shall see from other scriptures pertains to the person of the Son of God. It is written in John chapter one and verse fourteen by the beloved Apostle John himself through divine inspiration, and the Word was manifest in the flesh, and he dwelt among us, full of grace and truth. This is evidently directly referring to the life of the Lord Jesus, the one who in the beginning of the Gospel of John is called the Living Word. May I suggest to you, what is the meaning of this expression, Word? Is not a word the expression of a thought? And is not the Lord Jesus the expression of God's thoughts toward mankind? And he came to the earth as the living Word. But may I repeat the text in, in, in some phase of it to emphasize the Word was manifest, made known in the flesh. Now this is the one who was pre-existence in a bygone eternity before coming to the earth, but that same blessed pre-existent Word was made flesh and dwelt among us. Let me repeat another scripture, Philippians chapter two verses six and seven, where Paul the Apostle has written, though he was in the form of God, and there you can recognize the pre-existence of this person is indicated. Though he was in the form of God, he made himself of no reputation, and he took upon him the form of a servant and was made in the likeness of men. Once again, we recognize not only his pre-existence, but in these words, the very fact he took upon him the form of a bondslave, which is the meaning of the word servant, and was found, and he was made in the likeness of men. Now, may I give you some reasons, and they are important reasons, for understanding the great doctrine of Christ's incarnation. My beloved friend, the doctrine of his incarnation is a basic, a basic doctrine of Christianity. For it is a doctrine that Satan, we admit, Satan has very effectively attacked. He has led many people and many preachers, in fact, astray from this blessed doctrine. Why? In order to undermine and to attack the person of Christ. And beloved, you and I, we are to withstand the errors that Satan propagates, and our protection lies in complete submission to the teaching of the Word of God on this subject. Now, may I state, and this is precious to realize, no special theological training is required for the simplest believer whose heart delights in Christ will instinctively shrink from any of Satan's false teachings relative to the person of his or her Savior. Now, let me give just a brief summary, thus to make clear why the doctrine of his incarnation is so important. And a brief summary of the doctrine is this: the Lord Jesus Christ was the only, let me emphasize the word only, he was the only perfect man who ever walked upon the earth. He was perfect in his thoughts, he was perfect in his words, he was perfect in his deeds all the days of his life. And beloved, if Christ in such perfection upon the earth was the perfect object of God's satisfaction, for did not God say on three occasions, this is my well-beloved Son in whom I find all my delight? Then if God so delighted in him, can we also, also delight in fellowship with God concerning his own son, and thus enjoy with satisfaction in our hearts the blessed person of Christ? Oh, if I could only convey, and I pray that the Holy Spirit himself will do it, convey to every heart that is listening the valuation and the consideration so needful concerning the person of Christ. Now, may I state from our text that John has written in the first chapter of his gospel in verse fourteen when he declared God was manifest, the Word was manifest in the flesh and dwelt, and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten Son of the Father. He dwelt among us, full of grace and full of truth. Now listen very carefully to the statement I make. John, by divine inspiration, is stating that the one who was very God from all eternity past became flesh and tabernacled, dwelt among. Paul also, as we have read from Philippians chapter two verses six and seven, he stated that the one who was in the form of God took upon him the likeness of men. Now, beloved, I want to challenge your heart. I want to challenge your mind. What think ye of Christ? Do you confidently, on the ground of believing the revelation of the word of God is the only substantial basis to do it? Do you believe that Jesus Christ, the Son of God, the eternal Son of God, God forever in the past, took upon him the form of humanity? My beloved, this is an essential doctrine for you and for me to believe. Let me repeat, John himself states, the one who was God from all eternity became flesh and lived amongst us. Paul states by divine inspiration that the one who was in the form of God took upon him the likeness of man. You say, is this essential to believe? Absolutely, positively. For may I repeat the danger that surrounds us today, when Satan has so effectively not only used atheistic, agnostic men, but theological professors of divine so-called knowledge to deny the incarnation of the Son of God, that he was very God manifest in the flesh. Beloved, I'm going to leave the question with you. We shall follow it more clearly and in detail through the week regarding his incarnation, but I leave with you the question that we have raised. What think ye of Christ? Do you believe, on the basis of the teaching of the infallible word of God, he pre-existed in the form of God before he came to the earth? Second, do you believe that that same very person came to the earth and took upon him the form of our humanity in order to redeem us? God grant you'll think it through and believe it with all your heart. Father, we pray in the name of the Lord Jesus, by the Holy Spirit, create thoughts in our hearts and minds concerning thy dear Son for his glory? All we ask it for the blessing of all, in Jesus' name, amen.