Read John 1:1-11. (focus on 10 and 11)
John 1:11 He came to His own, and His own people[g] did not receive Him. HCSB
John 1:11 The light came to His own people, and His own people didn’t welcome Him. CEB
Intro: Help me finish this sentence, Tis the season to be ______________! In the next few weeks we are going to expand our understanding of Tis the season.
We are entering on of the most amazing seasons of the entire year. Decorations, lights, Christmas carols and presents. For students and teachers Christmas break. This is supposed to be a season of joy and celebration. We seem to welcome the hustle and bustle that comes with this highly advertised and commercialized season.
For some this season isn’t filled with joy and celebration but pain and frustration. For those that seem to have it all together but below the surface is the frustration and aggravation of trying to live up to the standard of having the perfect house, the perfect party, everything is all together but inside they are falling apart. There are those that don’t appear to have anything together because of a loss of a job or a loved one.
It is so easy to get caught up in welcoming the season we forget to welcome the reason for the season. It is very easy to welcome the season and all its wrappings. The decorations and presents, the celebrations and gatherings. How do we survive the days leading up to the Christmas celebration we make sure we welcome Jesus into our preparations and celebrations.
Even if the Christmas seasons isn’t your favorite we can make this season full of hope and joy instead of pain and stress.
We find in the gospel of John the deep thoughts of a philosopher that teach the simple truths about welcoming Jesus. The people in John’s day were distracted by politics and economics, struggles for power and poverty. Into this season of the world comes God in the flesh.
I. The world ignored Him
It’s not as if God wasn’t involved in the world. John 1.10 “He was in the world.” The conception and birth of Jesus make very clear the desire of God to be involved in the world He created. He was not far removed He indeed wanted to be God with us in Jesus.
The birth of Jesus wasn’t very exciting. He was born to a virgin in a cave and laid in a feeding trough. It was the conception of Jesus that was amazing!! He was conceived of the Holy Spirit to a virgin girl. The gospel of Matthew records that Joseph went through with his marriage to Mary because of a dream given to him by the Holy Spirit.
God went to extraordinary lengths to step into the world He created. What manner of love God has to step into the chaos and suffering of man!
A) Jesus came to be involved in our daily lives
The greatest truth of history is that Jesus came into the world. History hinges on this event, the birth of God into the world. He wants to be Immanuel to us God with us. He wants to comfort us in our pain, calm us in our chaotic moments, encourage us in our fear, strengthen us in our weakness and bear our burdens.
The answer for the burdens and barriers of their life was right before them and they ignored Him. Today the same is true. The answer to the pains and problems of the heart are found in Jesus yet still His forgiveness and presence are ignored.
B) Jesus came to intervene in our sinful lives
1:9 tells us “the true light, who gives light to everyone, was coming into the world.”
Bruce Barton – “Whenever we see the lights of Christmas, let them remind us that they recall Christ, our true Light.”
What does light do? Light reveals, Jesus reveals our great need for a savior to pay the penalty of our sin before a holy God. Light enlightens, it enlarges our vision and knowledge of God. Light reveals, it makes clear what is important in life. Light exposes the darkness in our life and then defeats it. Light reveals the way between right and wrong. Light warns of danger and lights our way to keep us from tripping and falling.
He clearly revealed himself as from God to intervene on our behalf.
The greatest tragedy of history is that the world didn’t and still doesn’t recognize Him.
Some say he was an angel, a phantom or a spirit. His completely natural birth makes clear that He was completely man He was God in the flesh. God with us!
Jesus walked, hungered, got tired, slept and wept. He was completely man but also completely God. He spoke to the winds and waves and they obeyed Him. He spoke to the dead and they came to life. He touched the sick and they were healed. He has power over life and death.
The people of the day were too busy to recognize who Jesus was and Is. People were involved in the business of life. There were caught up in the political, economic and social chaos of the day. Survival was their main focus and Jesus came to reveal their main struggle was with sin not each other, the politics or economics or terrorists of the day.
Not much has changed today. The Christmas season comes and trees are decorated, lights are hung, carols are sung and Jesus is ignored. People are so busy with the season, with their struggles and pain they miss the light.
The leaders of the day were desperately seeking to keep the status quo, keeping everything the same not wanting to shake things up with Rome or the people. They didn’t want their system or status to change. They continued their celebrations while not welcoming the light of the world. When you welcome Jesus everything changes!!
Not much has changed. Folks are still ignoring Jesus today.
II. His people rejected Him
The ignorance of the world is not the worst part of our story. John 1:11 Jesus came to His own chosen people that had the prophets who had foretold His coming.
Jesus Himself makes clear every verse, every chapter and every book of the Old Testament makes clear that Jesus was coming. Luke 24:27 “Then beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, He interpreted for them the things concerning Himself in all the Scriptures.”
His people had the prophets and the prophecies. His people had the scriptures we call the Old Testament. Yet with all the preparation for His coming they missed it. The priests and political leaders couldn’t or wouldn’t put the pieces together. The wise men, foreigners had put the prophetic puzzle pieces together to make clear where he would be born.
Herod hated Him, the scribes and Pharisees insulted and falsely accused Him, His only family didn’t have room for Him. Only the shepherds and the wise men, the poor and foreigners welcomed Him. Simeon and Anna the old welcomed and announced Him.
John 12:37 Even though He had performed so many signs in their presence, they did not believe in Him. (This was to fulfill Isaiah’s prophecy)
Because Jesus didn’t come like they thought he would they rejected Him. They thought He would be a political activist. He was a humble servant. They thought He would be a king that would destroy Rome’s power and restore Israel as a sovereign nation. He came as a suffering servant not a sovereign king.
People still reject Him today because he doesn’t come in an expected way. Isaiah 53:2-3 He grew up before Him like a young plant and like a root out of dry ground. He didn’t have an impressive form or majesty that we should look at Him, no appearance that we should desire Him. 3 He was despised and rejected by men, “
He comes a savior and calls for us to die to self. People expect Him to come as the God who gives us everything nice and nothing difficult. So He is rejected. He comes as Lord and master and expects us to bow.
III. His voice calls all to receive Him
Tis the season to welcome Jesus!! How do we do this? We roll out the welcome mat and invite Jesus to come in and stay!! This is what John says that some people did in Jesus’ time. While they were in the middle of political, economic, spiritual and sometimes personal turmoil they received Jesus. Here in John 1:12 we find a blessed but. But to all who (say that with me)
John shares some very important verbs in this passage. Verbs are action words. To welcome Jesus means to take actions.
A) Receive (read John 1:12 – read)
It means to roll out the welcome mat. Receiving Jesus means that we lay aside our political, economic and life plans and welcome Him in as He is, savior, master, King. To receive Him isn’t limited to worship services and singing songs. We don’t receive Jesus to become more religious we receive Jesus to become more relational! St Irenaeus, “The glory of God is man fully alive”
When we welcome Jesus into our lives we turn over our schedules, wallets, time, resources and our very breath to Him! If he comes as savior we welcome His salvation. If he comes as leader welcome His leadership. If he comes as to you as provide you welcome His provision. If he comes to you as counselor you welcome His counsel. If he comes to you as protector you welcome His protection. If He comes to you as authority you welcome His authority. If He comes to you as king you welcome His rule!
So we have a responsibility to respond to God’s greatest gift in Jesus!
We begin spending time in prayer seeking His wisdom and direction.
I suggest you pray about adopting a family that you can pray for and get gifts and spend time with this season. “as much as you have done to the least of these”
I suggest you pray about incorporating the gospel and Jesus’ birth into you Christmas celebrations.
I suggest you pray about spending less this year so you can give more to God’s kingdom and mission.
B) Believe
Here the balance is made between our human responsibility and God’s divine sovereignty!
Not of natural decent. Being born into a Christian family and dragged to church by your grandma does not a Christian make!! Your family background means nothing when it comes to salvation.
Not a human decision. God gifts you with the ability to believe! While you were yet sinners Christ died for you! (Romans 5:8)
Not of the will of man.
But of God. Grace is all about God!! God’s riches at Christs expense.
Believing doesn’t meaning abandoning all you doubts. It means trusting God even if you have doubts. We trust what God says. When you receive God’s grace it grips you. It takes ahold of your life and old things pass away and behold new things come!!
Believing all that God says about Jesus, Savior, Lord, God and all that He says about us, sinner, separated, sentenced we become receivers of His grace.
Here is a clear teaching of the Bible. Not everyone is a child of God. Everyone is a creation of God but only those that believe and receive Him are given the right to become His children.
Have you put the welcome mat out for Jesus?
Rick Warren, “You can put up Christmas trees and still be in the dark!”
1) In the crazy demands of this season remember – Welcome Jesus
2) In the crazy demands of this season remember – Be realistic and enjoy things as they come.
3) In the crazy demands of the season remember – Be alert. God can enter your daily routine when you least expect it
