(4) John’s Birth and Naming

I. The Joyful Birth
II. The Contested Naming
III. The Resulting Awe




Thy Will Be Done!

I. On Earth
II. As the Angels in Heaven




The Spirit of the Age and the Church




(2) Christ’s Real and Complete Human Nature

Article 18: The Incarnation of Jesus Christ.
We confess, therefore, that God did fulfill the promise which He made to the fathers, by the mouth of His holy prophets, when He sent into the world, at the time appointed by Him, His own, only-begotten and eternal Son, who took upon Him the form of a servant, and became like unto man, really assuming the true human nature, with all its infirmities, sin excepted, being conceived in the womb of the blessed Virgin Mary by the power of the Holy Ghost, without the means of man; and did not only assume human nature as to the body, but also a true human soul, that he might be a real man. For since the soul was lost as well as the body, it was necessary that he should take both upon Him, to save both.
Therefore we confess (in opposition to the heresy of the Anabaptists, who deny that Christ assumed human flesh of His mother) that Christ is become a partaker of the flesh and blood of the children; that He is a fruit of the loins of David after the flesh; made of the seed of David according to the flesh; a fruit of the womb of the Virgin Mary; made of a woman; a branch of David; a shoot of the root of Jesse; sprung from the tribe of Judah; descended from the Jews according to the flesh; of the seed of Abraham, since He took on Him the seed of Abraham, and became like unto His brethren in all things, sin excepted; so that in truth He is our Immanuel, that is to say, God with us.




(3) Unborn John Leaps for Joy!

I. The Occasion
II. The Significance




The Kingdom Is the Lord’s!

I. The Citizens of the Kingdom
II. The Calling of the Kingdom
III. The Message of the Kingdom




(1) The Fulfilment of God’s Covenant Promise

Article 18: The Incarnation of Jesus Christ.
We confess, therefore, that God did fulfill the promise which He made to the fathers, by the mouth of His holy prophets, when He sent into the world, at the time appointed by Him, His own, only-begotten and eternal Son, who took upon Him the form of a servant, and became like unto man, really assuming the true human nature, with all its infirmities, sin excepted, being conceived in the womb of the blessed Virgin Mary by the power of the Holy Ghost, without the means of man; and did not only assume human nature as to the body, but also a true human soul, that he might be a real man. For since the soul was lost as well as the body, it was necessary that he should take both upon Him, to save both.
Therefore we confess (in opposition to the heresy of the Anabaptists, who deny that Christ assumed human flesh of His mother) that Christ is become a partaker of the flesh and blood of the children; that He is a fruit of the loins of David after the flesh; made of the seed of David according to the flesh; a fruit of the womb of the Virgin Mary; made of a woman; a branch of David; a shoot of the root of Jesse; sprung from the tribe of Judah; descended from the Jews according to the flesh; of the seed of Abraham, since He took on Him the seed of Abraham, and became like unto His brethren in all things, sin excepted; so that in truth He is our Immanuel, that is to say, God with us.




Grow in Grace

I. The Activity
II. The Means
III. The Urgency




(3) Led by the Shepherd

Bible Text: Psalm 23:3 | Preacher: Rev. Martyn McGeown | Series: The Happiness of Jehovah’s Sheep

I. His Leading
II. Our Need
III. His Motivation




(1) The Recovery of Fallen Man

Article 17: The Recovery of Fallen Man.
We believe that our most gracious God, in His admirable wisdom and goodness, seeing that man had thus thrown himself into temporal and spiritual death, and made himself wholly miserable, was pleased to seek and comfort him when he trembling fled from His presence, promising him that He would give His Son, who should be made of a woman, to bruise the head of the serpent, and would make him happy.