What think ye of Christ? We continue in the blessed theme of asking, What do you think of him? We come to the conclusion of our message relative to his incarnation. And we have been taking up the reasons for his incarnation in the preceding message of yesterday, and now we shall conclude it today. We have noted that he came to reveal God to men. We also noted that he came to reveal what man should be to God. And then, last of all, in our closing point yesterday, we found that He came to be a sacrifice for sin. What a sacrifice. Beloved, we hope that you're trusting Christ, the Son of God, and is the only work of Calvary for your redemption. Now we continue considering another reason, why He came in the flesh. He came in the flesh that he might destroy the works of the devil. My beloved, I'm sure that you're fully aware, I trust that you are, that the Lord Jesus in John chapter twelve and verse thirty-one calls Satan the prince of this world. And we know from John chapter five, first John chapter five, we know that even John wrote in verse nineteen, the whole world lieth in the wicked one. And the Lord Jesus ascribe Satan as being the prince of this world. You know, the joy of knowing. And we read the words that our Lord Jesus has written through his servant in the book of Hebrews. Listen to these words. For as much then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same. In other words, he became incarnate. He took upon him the flesh of humanity that, through death, he might destroy him that had the power of death. That is the devil. What a joy to know. Let me repeat it. The Blessed Lord Jesus has destroyed the power of Satan. My beloved, if you're a saved person, If you have known the Lord Jesus as you're saved for any length of time, have you not enjoyed the truth of the power of the Lord Jesus to deliver you from Satan's authority? What a joy to know! He came to destroy the works of the devil. Let me give you an illustration very simple. How many lives, whether they be drunken, prostitutes, name other kinds of vice and sin that many may have been found in before they came to the Lord Jesus Christ as their Savior to find him thus what changes he has wrought delivering them from the power of sin and Satan thank God he came to do that but then also we read the words of Hebrews chapter two again but this time in verse seventeen wherefore in all things it behoved him to be made like unto his brethren, that he might be a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, and to make reconciliation for the sins of the people. Ah, beloved, may I state, here is something very precious, especially for a believer. He came in the flesh. He suffered. He lived. He tasted life. He knows all about it. There's not a sorrow. There's not a pain. There's not an experience except sin that the Lord Jesus has passed through in this scene. So that as a merciful and a faithful high priest in heaven above before God, he represents the believer. I think of the words that are written in chapter four of Hebrews, where we are told to come boldly to the throne of grace. where there we are told we have a great high priest who is touched with the feelings of our infirmities for he was tested in all points like as we sin accepted and it is able to help us and my beloved let me say this apart from sinning the Lord Jesus never did that but apart from sinning He experienced all of life's sorrows, griefs, and trials. And He is merciful to you, and to me, to help us, as well as to maintain our relationship before God, merciful to us, faithful to God, in keeping us through His blessed, efficacious work in heaven above, in proper relationship, and even fellowship. Yes, thank God. He has become a merciful, together with being a faithful high priest. Chapter nine and verse twenty-four of the book of Hebrews tells us, He is now in the presence of God for us. He is now in the presence of God for us. Verse twenty-seven of the same chapter says, He ever liveth to make intercession for us. What a joy to know. he is there and the joy of knowing he represents us faithfully having destroyed the work of the devil he's able to maintain that work in heaven above listen to these words we'd like to read from Hebrews nine verse eleven and twelve regarding Christ Christ has become a high priest of good things to come by a greater and more perfect tabernacle Not made with hands, that is to say, not of this building. Neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood he entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us. Please may I note with you, you may remember, if you know your Old Testament, the high priest entered into the holiest of all. once a year on the great day of atonement he carried the blood of the sacrifice there on the behalf of the nation for the national forgiveness of sins once a year but oh the Lord Jesus did not enter into an earthly tabernacle we are told in verse twenty four of our chapter that he entered into heaven and it is now appearing in the presence of God and we are told as we have just read in Hebrews nine twelve By his own blood he entered in once into the holy place. There in heaven above he carries the virtue of his own precious blood in the presence of God with all of his efficaciousness. For you and for me, my fellow believer, having obtained eternal redemption for us. Oh, the joy of recognizing and acknowledging Why did he come in the flesh? Not only to destroy the works of the devil, but also to become, now, in his body above, my merciful, my faithful, and your merciful and faithful, my fellow believer, in things pertaining to God. But may I add another fact, why he came in the flesh? He came in the flesh to fulfill the covenant of David. I would only read, there are other scriptures in the Old Testament, but I would turn to the Gospel according to Luke, where we were once relative to the incarnation of the Lord Jesus Christ. You have the promises in the Old Testament where Samuel and David speak of the coming of the Messiah, and then he would be of the seed of David. But I would like to read what the angel told Mary. in Luke chapter one verse thirty three and these words beginning at verse thirty one now listen listen to what the angel told Mary in these words behold Mary thou shalt conceive in thy womb and bring forth a son and shall call his name Jesus he shall be great and he shall be called the son of the highest the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David and he shall reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there shall be no end. Now listen, friend, carefully. The Lord Jesus Christ was born. He came, born of Mary, the Virgin. He lived, and he died, and he went back to heaven. But he never has yet sat upon the throne of David. His people set away with him. We will not have this man to reign over him. He came unto his own, and his own received him now. But he will yet sit on the throne of his father David. And my beloved, listen. Way back in second Samuel chapter seven, God promised David he would never have a man that would not sit upon the throne of David. And it's only one eligible man. And it's the man Christ Jesus. Yes, he's the legal heir to the throne of David. And when he comes back to the earth, he's going to sit upon the throne of David. And as the angels said, the Lord God shall give him the throne of his father. Please note, the nation didn't give it to him. But Gabriel said the Lord God will give it to him. And when he gives it to him, he shall reign over the house of Jacob forever. and of his kingdom there be no end. So last of all we would say he came in the flesh to fulfill the covenant of David. But then we would close with a very precious truth. Why he came in the flesh. He came to be a man forever. Oh my beloved, what do you think of Christ? We've mentioned many reasons for the incarnation. We come to the final thought regarding the incarnation of the Son of God, and I hope you will take it into your thinking and cherish it within your heart. He came to be a man forever. May I state, it provokes worship in my soul, and love and devotion in my heart to such a person, Christ. What thinking of Christ? When He took upon Him our humanity, He took it upon Him forever. My beloved, let me state, frankly, the word of God substantiates it. He'll be unmanned forever. It'll be both God and man. But to think that the Son of God should take upon in humanity and willingly do it to be in humanity forever. Can I raise the question, what do you think of him? Do you know him as your Savior and do you love him? I hope you do. Oh, blessed Lord Jesus, may the Holy Spirit provoke in our hearts and our minds the true thoughts we should have of thee. And may every dear listener can say to be able to say today, He's my Savior and my God. Amen.