SCRIPTURE: Genesis 1:1,2; 24-31 (Page1); John 1:1-18 (Page 1259)
SERMON: Jesus: The Image of God					         23 December 2001

I.	JESUS CHRIST: THE ABSOLUTE IMAGE OF GOD 

a.	THE CREATOR OF MAN AS THE IMAGE OF GOD (Jn.1:1-3(Gen.1:3,etc.); see Col.1:16; 3:10; Heb.1:2)

b.	THE ONE PUTTING ON HIS OWN IMAGE (Jn.1:1f&14,18; Phil.2:3-8; see Gen.1:26,27; Col.1:15; 2Cor.4:4)

c.	RADIANCE VS. REFLECTION (Heb.1:3; see Jn.1:1,4,8,14; 12:45,46; 2Cor.4:4; see Jn.8:12; 9:5 & Mt.5:14/ note: exact, radiance, fullness vs.likeness, see Gen.1:26b)

d.	THE FULL REVELATION OF GOD (Jn.1:1f,14f&18; Heb.1:3&1,2; Col.1:15,19; 2:9; see Jn.14:9; 12:45,46; 10:30f,34f(Ps.82:6),36)

II.	JESUS CHRIST: THE FULL RE-FORMATION OF DISFIGURED MAN

a.	NOTE: “SONS” VS. “CHILDREN” (see Gen.1:26c; 2:18f; 1Cor.11:7f Gal.3:26,28; 4:5)

b.	NATURAL SONS: THE IMAGE & LIKENESS OF GOD (Gen.1:26,27; see Lk.3:23f,38)

c.	DISINHERITED SONS: THE DARK SIDE OF THE MOON (Gen.3:22-24/ 2Cor.3:13/ Rev.21:11f,23f)

d.	PREDESTINED TO ADOPTION IN CHRIST (Rom.8:15; 9:4(Ex.4:22; Dt.4:37); Eph.1:5; Heb.1:2,3; 2:5f,9f,10,12,13(Eph.1:4,5))

e.	HE IS THE FIRST-BORN SON (Col.1:15,18; see Rom.8:29; Heb.1:6; see Gen.25:31f(see Heb.12:16); 1Chr.5:1,2(see Gen.43:33; 49:3,4); Rom.5:12f; 1Cor.15:22f,45f; Lk.3:23,38; 1:35; 22:70)

f.	IMAGE RESTORED, RENEWED & PERFECTED IN CHRIST (Heb.1:2,3&2:8ff(!); Rom.8:29; 2Cor.3:18(4:4); Gal.4:5; Eph.1:5&4:24(Rom.7:12; 2:14,15); Col.1:15f; 2:9; 3:10; see Rom.8:23(8:15; 9:4))

III.	THE IMPORTANCE OF CHRISTMAS!

a.	JOY TO THE WORLD! (Lk.2:11,14; see 1-20)

b.	WORSHIP HIM! (Heb.1:1-6a&6b-14; see Mt.2:2f; see Psalm 97:7; 104:4; 45:6f; 102:25f; 110:1; 103:20)

c.	GET ADOPTED! (Eph.1:5; 2:18; see Acts 2:38 & Rom.8:14-17)

d.	GROW UP IN HIM! (Eph.4:24,13(11f); e.g., 5:25; Col.3:10,5f; see Rom.8:14f,13)

SUMMARY: 
Jesus took on His own image, the very image and likeness of Himself that He, with the Father and the Holy Spirit, created man to be.  He did this in order to restore and perfect us in that image by accomplishing for us the forgiveness of sin; sin that deformed us as God’s image and disabled us from reflecting His glory in that image.  He also achieved perfect obedience for us by which He  re-forms us in God’s image and enables us to fully reflect God’s glory.  In this way, Jesus “brings many sons to glory” by enabling us to be, truly, God’s image and to reflect, fully, His glory to and for the whole creation.  Jesus is the Son of God and came to be the Savior of the world.  No wonder the angels got so excited!  It would be a wonder if we did not as we meditate on the birth of our Redeemer!