God's Word Becomes Flesh

JOHN 1:10-14 - Christmas 1 - January 1, 2006 (Outline)

INTRO: Awe and wonder fill our hearts as we look back at the past year and see how God has taken care of us every day. There is awe and wonder when we consider the infinite care and concern of our God who even knows the numbers of hairs on our heads. There is awe and wonder when we consider God’s great gift to mankind – his Son, born a baby in a manger in Bethlehem. This Son of God be-came the Son of man because of man. When man tainted God’s perfect world with sin what did God demand? God did not demand payment for sin from man but from himself. We are filled with awe and wonder at God’s great love for us. "But when the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy" (TITUS 3:4,5a). It is with great awe and wonder that we stand on the threshold of another year. As get ready to enjoy another year of awe and wonder the words of our text remind us GOD’S WORD BECOMES FLESH. I. Jesus comes to all of mankind. II. Believers become God’s children.

I. JESUS COMES TO ALL OF MANKIND

A. John’s Gospel begins at the beginning – creation. God’s Word was in the beginning.

1. God’s Word created the world and everything in it in six days.

2. The connection to be made is the fact that Jesus is the very Word of God.

B. Jesus, as God’s Son, is eternal. Jesus, as man’s Son, lived among his own creation.

1. Verse 14 makes this clear; The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us…

2. Verse 10 states that the world created by God did not even recognize God’s Son.

3. Worse, in verse 11 even those who knew better did not receive Jesus.

a. Jesus came to his own, the Jews. b. Jesus’ own shouted, Crucify him!

C. Even today, in our enlightened society, more than ever still sit in darkness. Even though the light of the world has come they do not understand. It is with great awe and wonder this morning that we are able to look and see and believe in this Light of the world. With awe and wonder we can ask, why? Why me, Lord? Why have you chosen me to believe? I do not deserve salvation, cannot earn it, and certainly cannot buy my way into heaven. Why me when so many others reject the gospel of salvation.

Scripture answers, "The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God"(2 CORINTHIANS 4:4).

D. In awe and wonder we look at the life of Jesus and may find it amazing that he was despised and rejected. God’s people had plenty of time to prepare. They knew and studied the prophecies. Even Jesus’ rejection was foretold. "He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows, and familiar with suffering. Like one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not"(ISAIAH 53:3). In our sinfulness we also despise and reject Jesus. Whenever we do not fear, trust and love in God above all things we are actually despising and rejecting Jesus.

E. This Word that became flesh, which came to all of mankind and was rejected by mankind, is still the Savior of mankind. For this Son of God, this Word of Life came to pray the price with his own in-nocent sufferings and death. Mankind’s denial and rejection would not stop Jesus from being the per-fect sacrifice for all of mankind. "But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels, now crowned with glory and honor because he suffered death, so that by the grace of God he might taste death for everyone"(HEBREWS 2:9). This rejected Jesus is now crowned with glory and honor!

Transition: God’s Word becomes flesh. Jesus comes into this world for all of mankind. In awe and wonder we now see that believers become God’s children.

II. BELIEVERS BECOME GOD’S CHILDREN

A. It is truly sad to see so many reject the Way, and the Truth and the Life.

1. Rejection of the gospel and eternal salvation is the decision of the unbeliever.

2. Believers are saved purely, simply, and only by God’s grace – undeserved love.

B. John describes this process of the sinner made believer by the grace of God.

1. Verse 12 describes how God gives the right to become children of God.

2. No mistake it is not man’s choice as described in verse 13.