TITLE: Christmas with John - The Word Became flesh
TEXT: John 1:1-14
SERIES: CHRISTMAS WITH JOHN!
TOPIC:
OCCASION: Burnside Christian Church, December 5th, 2010
PROP.: It is important to believe in the incarnation of Jesus Christ - then we can celebrate it fully!
INTRODUCTION: Good morning! I trust you had a memorable Thanksgiving with your family! Lindsay and I enjoyed ours. But as always, it’s good to be home. It’s December! Can you believe it???? 20 days till Christmas. Less than 3 weeks away!
So today, we are taking a break from our LETTERS FROM JOHN series. And today begins a two part sermon series called: Christmas with John.
Open up your Bibles to the Gospel of John beginning in the first chapter. John’s gospel starts out a little differently than the Gospels of Matthew, Mark and Luke. John isn’t the traditional “Christmas” gospel that you might expect to be read or preached from as we enter this Christmas season. In fact, John skips over the magi. John doesn‘t dwell on Shepherds keeping their flocks by night. You find no mention of Angels. In fact, John doesn’t give any detail of Mary or Joseph whatsoever!
Instead, John opens up His gospel much in a very unique way. Let’s begin reading our text this morning.
John 1:1-14
1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was with God in the beginning. 3 Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. 4 In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. 5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome[a] it.
6 There was a man sent from God whose name was John. (a side note…this John isn’t the author of 1st, 2nd and 3rd John. He’s not the apostle John. This John is the forerunner of Jesus. He’s known as John…the one who baptizes people.)
7 He came as a witness to testify concerning that light, so that through him all might believe. 8 He himself was not the light; he came only as a witness to the light.
9 The true light that gives light to everyone was coming into the world. 10 He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him. 11 He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him. 12 Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God— 13 children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God.
14 The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.
John is a brilliant writer. In these 14 Holy Spirit inspired verses, we learn more of Jesus Christ’s coming as a baby human than we do by reading all of the other three gospels. And that’s because John puts it plainly. What I want to do is to go back and examine the first 5 verses of John’s gospel. And as I read these words, I want you to do something. Imagine you are a reader who is hearing John’s words for the first time.
So John starts out by writing:
“In the beginning was the Word.” - Let’s stop right there for a moment. What you would normally expect to hear following the words of: “In the Beginning” is “God created the heavens and earth.” I mean that is the very first verse of the Bible.
But John says: In the beginning was the WORD. But this makes sense if you stop and think about it. Because how did God make the Heavens and the Earth? With WORDS. So in the beginning, WAS THE WORD! The WORD of God. Two things about God’s word. When God speaks, it is POWERFUL. It is PURPOSEFUL.
You and I are CARELESS with our words aren’t we? We say things that aren’t true. We exaggerate what really happened. We even trivialize words that have great meaning: “I LOVE pizza. I LOVED that movie.” Our words are not powerful or purposeful ALL THE TIME. But God’s words are! When God speaks…it is powerful. It is purposeful! Put that in your back pocket.
Let’s continue reading our text:
“In the beginning was the WORD. The Word was WITH God and the Word WAS God.” - Wow. Ok. So I was tracking with John. In the beginning God spoke things into existence. But now John is saying that the word is a person! And that the person IS God! Hang with me for just a few moments on this because I think you’ll see something pretty amazing!
It was through God’s word that we know He is real. The heavens. The earth. The land animals. All of it was SPOKEN into existence and proves that there is a God.
What John is getting at is that Jesus Christ is the ultimate and supreme WORD. God speaks for Himself through Jesus Christ! When you hear Jesus speak, you hear God speak! In Hebrews 1:1ff it reads:
“In the past, God spoke to our forefathers through the prophets at many times and in various ways, but in these last days he has spoken to us by His Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom He made the universe.”
Jesus is the WORD - the power, the purpose of God - MADE FLESH!
Let’s keep reading VERSE 2:
“He was with God in the beginning. 3 Through Him all things were made; without Him nothing was made that has been made.” What John is doing here is giving Jesus equality with God. Jesus is not a created being or lesser being that God. HE is equal to God. Jesus has always been and always will be. Jesus is the creator of the universe. And now
T.S.: The truth is that God came in the form of a baby born to a virgin and her soon to be husband. And it’s important to believe that THE WORD became flesh. There would be NOTHING to celebrate if Jesus didn’t come to earth born as a baby. Why?
Because there would be no Easter without Christmas. There would be no forgiveness of sins without Christmas. There would be no Salvation without Christmas. The world would be dark without Jesus Christ coming to this place, amen? And that’s why John writes in verses 4 & 5 of our text:
4 In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. 5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome[a] it.
We have reason to celebrate because of Jesus coming to earth! This month, we seek to do just that. December is the month to celebrate our Messiah coming; our God coming in the flesh.
T.S.: This morning, I want to give you three reasons it’s a Good thing that Jesus came in the flesh!
Because we learn a lot! This morning, I want to tell you about three things we learn.
First…God coming to earth as a man…
I. Reveals the HEART of God! (loving heart, humble heart)
God’s appearance in human form on earth speaks volumes about God’s love for us! I’ve heard some say that the God of the Old Testament is so different from the God of the New Testament. The God I read about in the Old Testament is all about judgment and wrath and punishment. But the God I read about in the New Testament is all about love, and grace, and forgiveness. What’s up with that?
Well first off, let me say that God doesn’t change. He remains the same as he was, he is and will be. Second of all, the reason that we think God is different in the New Testament than the Old Testament is because we get to know GOD better through Jesus Christ!
You are perhaps too familiar with the words of John when he wrote: “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him, will not perish, but have eternal life. For God did not send His Son into the World to condemn the world, but to save the world through Him.” (John 3:16,17)
God loved you so much that he came down from the glories of heaven to pursue a relationship with you! You see, in the beginning, there was a strong relationship between mankind and God. You read of it in Genesis 1. God would walk in the Garden of Eden in the cool of the day. Why? Because God loves flowers? No. Because God loves exercise? Why did God walk in the Garden? Because God loves mankind!
And when Jesus came to be born as a babe in Bethlehem, he came because God loves Mankind! So Much so, that he confined Himself in human skin. No longer could God the Son be in all places at all times. God the Son would succumb to physical pain. God the Son would need to be sustained with food and water. God the Son would eventually die. Here’s one for you. When Jesus came to earth, no longer would he be Omniscient. Knowing all things. For He would have to learn. You see, before God came to earth, he NEVER had to learn anything! He was omniscient. But Jesus gave that up and had to learn how to talk. How to walk. That is part of being fully human!
But despite all of this. God came. Even though He knew the consequences! Jesus knew that he would eventually be born so that He could die. He came so he could take our burdens upon Himself.
ILLUSTRATION: Booker T. Washington was born a slave and later became one of the great educators of our country after the emancipation. He headed the Tuskegee Institute, which flourished under his leadership. In his autobiography, Up from Slavery, he tells a story about his brother: “The most trying ordeal that I was forced to endure as a slave boy. . . was the wearing of a flax shirt. In the portion of Virginia where I lived, it was common to use flax as part of the clothing for the slaves. That part of the flax from which our clothing was made was largely the refuse, which of course was the cheapest and roughest part. I can scarcely imagine any torture, except, perhaps, the pulling of a tooth, that is equal to that caused by putting on a new flax shirt for the first time. It is almost equal to the feeling that one would experience if he had a dozen or more chestnut burrs, or a hundred small pin-points, in contact with his flesh. . . . But I had no choice. I had to wear the flax shirt or none. . . . My brother John, who is several years older than I am, performed one of the most generous acts that I ever heard of one slave relative doing for another. On several occasions when I was being forced to wear a new flax shirt, he generously agreed to put it on in my stead and wear it for several days, till it was ‘broken in.’”
Jesus Christ is our elder brother who has come along side of us to take on the roughness of the world on our behalf. He has put on our shirt — experienced what we experienced, walked where we have walked, and eased the pain of life. He is willing to place our suffering and pain on his own back.
Philippians 2:5-8 says:
5 In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus:
6 Who, being in very nature[a] God,
did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage;
7 rather, he made himself nothing
by taking the very nature[b] of a servant,
being made in human likeness.
8 And being found in appearance as a man,
he humbled himself
by becoming obedient to death—
even death on a cross!
Why would Jesus do that? Because it reveals the LOVING heart of God!
Second reason the incarnation of God is important is because it…
II. Reveals the need of Man (vs. 4-10)
Go back and read with me verses 4 - 11 and this time, see if you can determine the NEED of man.
4 In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. 5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome[a] it.
6 There was a man sent from God whose name was John. 7 He came as a witness to testify concerning that light, so that through him all might believe. 8 He himself was not the light; he came only as a witness to the light.
9 The true light that gives light to everyone was coming into the world. 10 He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him.
Humans are needy. We have a lot of needs. We need food. We need water. We need the right temperature. We need oxygen. Those are all physical needs. If you go long enough without any of those, you will die! You will not have LIFE.
(A. The need of LIFE)
The word LIFE is an interesting word. There are two words in the Greek that talk about life. One word is BIOS. That’s the medical term of the word life. If a nurse was to come in and check your vitals - your blood pressure, your oxygen level, your pulse - that would all determine if you have life. If you are a live.
But there’s a second use of the word LIFE that John uses 2 times in verse 4. It’s the Greek word: ZO-AY. Zoe. Zoe means THE QUALITY or VITALITY of life! So as you are pausing to take time to notice a beautiful sunset, that’s zoe! Or to be surrounded during the holidays with your family and to take time to pause and appreciate what you’ve been blessed with is ZOE. It’s the QUALITY of life.
And John says that in Jesus is ZOE! Jesus is LIFE! This is in fact what Jesus says in John 10:10.
John 10:10 NIV
The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.
And you and I need to have ZOE! We need to have a joy filled life! Because as John also points out, you and I are in darkness! We are in sin! And the penalty for our sin is DEATH. And we deserve death. It’s a fair punishment because we have wronged God. And what John points out here is that Jesus is the true life. And Jesus comes not to just give you lungs that breathe and a heart that beats - but to give you a life that can’t be summarized in any other word BUT Awesome!
LAZARUS:
In fact, remember when a guy by the name of Lazarus dies? And Jesus goes to raise him from the dead. Do you remember what Jesus says to Mary at that time? “I am the resurrection and the life.” I am the resurrection and the ZOE. He comes not to just bring back to life your body so your heart beats again, he comes to regenerate your life so that you will cling to everything that was created to be life in the beginning! JESUS IS SOOOOOO GOOD! Amen?
But then John does something interesting. John talks about light! In fact, John is the only writer in the Bible who obsesses with light. He writes about light all the time! In fact, that’s our second need…
B. The need for LIGHT
John says that Jesus is LIFE and that LIFE is the LIGHT of the World. And do you know why John chooses to use that word? Because we were darkness! We were lost. We were stumbling around not really living. And what has happened is that you made the decision and accepted Jesus Christ; you found LIFE. And now as you continue your life in Him, you have light! You have direction. You have meaning. You have purpose!
The coming of Christ reveals God’s heart. The coming of Christ reveals OUR NEED. And finally, the coming of Christ
III. Reveals the plan of God! (vs. 12 - 14)
Lets finish up our text this morning. Verses 12-14. 12 Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God— 13 children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God.
You see, when Jesus Christ came, God’s plan for mankind became clear. And John outlines God’s plans here in these 3 verses. God wants to be our Father. And those who accept Jesus Christ, God calls are his children. But John uses a very special word that I love.
It’s not just accept JESUS. Look at it in verse 12. John says TO ALL WHO DID RECEIVE HIM. That word Receive is such a cool word. It means to capture or to Catch.
ILLUSTRATION: THIS IS SCOOBY DOO. And not just any Scooby doo. This belongs to our Dog - CALLIE. Callie has plenty of toys. But for some reason, she is enamored by this particular toy. When she sees Scooby, she will literally pounce on Scooby and shake him to and fro. I don’t know if she’s dancing with Scooby or what.
And that’s kind of the description that John is giving. That when we see the light, we’re not just - “hey light…how are you doing?” No. We LEAP to capture the light! We run towards it. That’s why we do church every Sunday. That’s why we have small groups. That’s why we have Sunday school. Because we are absolutely nuts about the light of the world!
Now maybe you’re like: Ok Mark, Good sermon. But I’m failing to see the Christmas theme in this morning’s message. Well, we’re getting to it right now. Verse 14.
14 The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.
Even though Jesus knew that humans were far from perfect. Even though Jesus knew that some would believe, but many would not believe…He came anyway. Jesus decided to put on the skin of his own design…to become flesh.
CONCLUSION: This is what Jesus has done for us. The Word became Flesh. The King of heaven put aside his heavenly robes and divine prerogatives. He came to us as one of us. He lived among us; ate with us; drank with us; felt with us - all to win our love. He could have forced us. He could have overwhelmed us. But instead, he chose to be-friend us. He is the God who became flesh so that we could experience his transforming truth and love for our lives.
He LOVES US. And for some in this room, it has been a long time since you’ve heard the words I Love You. Atleast not the real words I LOVE YOU. And what you need to know is that even in your dark world here this morning, the message contained in John’s Christmas message is that the WORD who knows it all, sees it all was from the beginning, who created you, loves you, who understands you, wants to draw close to you!
And if you’re here this morning and you’ve never accepted the Love of Jesus, my challenge for you is DO IT!
Jesus is not just a truth to be believed in, he is a person to be experienced! Won’t you experience Him today??
We come now to our time of decision.
