Christmas: "An Amazing Journey”

Christmas: “An Amazing Journey”

John 1:1-5, 14

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As we enter this Christmas season, the true meaning we should share with the world is that Jesus left His heavenly estate and came down as a human baby; it’s about God becoming flesh like you and me so He could take our place and die the death we deserve because of our sins.

This made me think about this amazing journey that took place on that very first Christmas.

When you consider it, humanity embarks on many different and diverse journeys.

The physically impaired enjoy “Accessible Holidays” — adventures for the adventurous at heart —despite their limitations.

Some embark on health journeys to discover the secret to a long and happy life.

History enthusiasts take trips to re-creations of famous periods and battles, or journeys to seek their genealogical roots.

There are also inner journeys, spiritual journeys, journeys of self-discovery, and journeys where people test themselves against nature or man-made obstacles.

There are also memorable journeys.

The first solo flight of Charles Lindbergh across the Atlantic Ocean, or the fateful flight of Amelia Earhart.

There’s the journey of Stanley Livingston into the heart of Africa, or Hudson Taylor into the heart of China, to spread the gospel.

There are the famous journeys of Christopher Columbus to America or Neil Armstrong taking the first steps on the moon.

And then there are the journeys of those who made famous discoveries, such as Thomas Edison, the Wright Brothers, and Louis Pasteur.

Yet all these journeys pale in comparison to the greatest journey of them all, and that is the Christmas journey from over 2,000 years ago. I’m not talking about the Wise Men’s journey, but rather the journey Jesus took.

All of us are familiar with the story, and some can even quote it verbatim — that is, the earthly version of how Mary and Joseph traveled to Bethlehem and, finding no room at the inn, stayed the night in a small stable on the outskirts of town.

We’re all familiar with the angelic proclamation that night to the shepherds, announcing that the long-awaited Messiah had arrived, and that He would not only be a Savior but also the Lord God Himself, coming in human form as a baby. And because of this birth, peace and goodwill on earth would now be available to all who would believe.

Today I’d like to share with you the divine version of this story, which is found in the first chapter of John’s gospel.

Read John 1:1-5, 14

This may very well be referred to as God’s view of Christmas, the most incredible, amazing journey of all time. So incredible, so amazing was this journey that people over the past 2,000 years have struggled to believe it. Somehow, it feels too good or outlandish to be true.

So, let’s that a look at this amazing journey. And the first thing we see is that it was a journey from heaven to earth.

From Heaven to Earth

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God… And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us.” (John 1:1, 14a NKJV)

The term "Word" is another name for Jesus. Not only was Jesus the Lord God, as it says, “He was God,” but He also came to earth and lived among us as a person.

But Earth was not Jesus’s home. Jesus lived in heaven, the place He created.

“All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made.” (John 1:3 NKJV)

Heaven is Jesus’s home. He built it. It is a place of perfection, more magnificent than anything we could ever see or even perceive. It’s more beautiful than the most stunning sky we could ever see, or a place where the most beautiful music we could hear is played. It’s a place that surpasses everything in beauty beyond our greatest imagination. It’s a place of eternal joy and peace. And this was His home.

But the Christmas journey brought Jesus from His home to ours. He moved into our hood. He moved into our world.

Now consider another story.

On July 12, 2001, a wall of garbage collapsed at Manila’s main dump, crushing shacks and killing more than 100 people.

And now consider this: there are over 40,000 men, women, and children who build their homes on the blackened, foul-smelling refuse of Manila’s garbage dump. These houses are made from whatever they can scavenge, and each morning, children go out to sift through the massive pile of the city’s trash in search of food.

And then there are those who live in abundance, residing in comfortable homes, dining at nice, clean restaurants, but have chosen to leave it all behind to become missionaries, living among and serving those who are living, eating, and dying in a garbage heap.