Building the day after Thanksgiving, more than any other holiday, the pending arrival of Christmas marks the start of a marathon. By the time December 25, Christmas Day, rolls around, Christmas Day, the finish line is in sight. Except this year, a well-timed blizzard forced us to pause. The blizzard warning expired Saturday at 7PM but many side roads were impassable. Parties and gatherings were delayed; so were worship services like ours. Yet quick as a flash, Dec 26 came. The stores were all too ready to clear out any remaining Christmas merchandise. By Dec 27 – the radio stations ceased playing Christmas music – returning to regular programming. Add to that the way the calendar flowed, today is New Years. Somehow it seems like Christmas and its impact was a long time ago.
Yet, John’s Gospel begs to differ. Compared to the other Gospels, John 1’s view of Christmas is far more cosmic in scope – and less tied down to a specific window of passing time. From beginning to end John’s Prologue in chapter 1 offers us a panoramic view encircling the entire spectrum of Scripture.
It is as if John had said, “I want you to consider Jesus as Lord in His teaching and deeds. I too want to celebrate the baby born in Bethlehem. But you will not understand the good news of Jesus in its fullest sense unless you take a big picture view from the beginning.” So this morning, we’ll heed John’s advice and do just that.
A. Beginning with Genesis, we often begin our anticipation for Christ in Genesis 3, where God promises Jesus’ arrival for the first time. John, however, takes us back even further to Genesis 1:
John 1:1-3: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made.”
John is quick to highlight the eternal divinity of Jesus Christ. Why is that so important? In a 2022 survey, The State of Theology in the United States. 3000 self identified believers surveyed were asked a True or False Statement. “True or False – Jesus is the first and greatest being created by God.” 55% agreed or strongly agreed while another 10% weren’t sure. From the Christmas songs learned as children to even the novice person, they know Christmas to be a legend about a baby – but we have our work cut out for us to say that Jesus was more than just a baby.
From the start John highlights the divinity of Jesus Christ – The Word of God. Jesus Christ did not suddenly come into existence with his human birth. Our curiosity is peaked because the word had been there all along with God. There was a time in which the Son was not fully human – But there was never a time the Son did not exist. He was with God in the beginning – an active participant in creation.
B. Next, John’s cosmic scope brings us to humanity’s fall into sin through Adam and Eve’s disobedience. In Genesis 3 as God proclaimed the consequences of their actions, at the same time, God introduces the promise of the Messiah who will crush the serpent’s head.
John 1:4-5 “In him was life, and that life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not understood it.” Here light and hope are equated with the promise of the Messiah long awaited. John’s words here whet his readers appetites to learn more about this eternal God-Man. Simultaneously there is also a tension between light and darkness. His arrival and incarnation – even the purpose for which Jesus came is met by much confusion.
Returning to the survey of self-identifying believers . Questioning Christ’s role. “True or False” – Jesus was a great teacher in his day, but he was not God.” Again 53% strongly or somewhat agreed while 11% were unsure. This is how Jesus has been repurposed by much of the world – a great teacher, a person with high morals – but John shows that all along the hope of humanity was tied into his arrival.
C. Then for a brief moment, John steps away from the cosmic scope to clear up some confusion as to who The Word is – JESUS or John the Baptist? That came to be a bigger issue that needed sorting out than we might think. Nipping that confusion…
John 1:6-9 “ There came a man who was sent from God; his name was John. 7 He came as a witness to testify concerning that light, so that through him all men might believe. 8 He himself was not the light; he came only as a witness to the light. The true light that gives light to every man was coming into the world.
The Great Prophet John the Baptist was not the light – He definitely was an attention getter with his prophecies and appearances and strange food he ate - but John clarifies John the Baptist’s role as Christ’s forerunner sent by God. How does John introduce this Christ child all grown up? John 1: 29 The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the people. Going back to the survey, even though the majority of self-identifying believers denied Christ’s divinity or identity as God -- this answer leaves us a bit more hopeful with its results. “True or False – Jesus Christ’s death on the cross is the only sacrifice that could remove the penalty of my sin.” Finally the majority have the right answer – 66% agreed. But at the same time 34% of BELIEVERS denied this when Scripture is crystal clear on the necessity of the crucifixion. I would have loved to ask follow up questions but that opportunity was not available showing many self-identifying Christians are still confused.
D. Returning to his Cosmic Scope, John now highlights Jesus reception through fulfilled prophecies.
John 1:10-11 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.
The other Gospels do this as well but John is the one to affirm Jesus negative reception even to the point of rejection. From Isaiah 53:3 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. While there was this initial rejoicing – among Zechariah and Elizabeth, among Mary and Joseph, among the Shepherds and later the wisemen – ultimately, Christ was rejected by his own people. The king of the land sought to kill him. Ultimately his own people sharing his same genealogy would call for his crucifixion! John ties together inseparably the birth of Christ with the reason why Jesus came. To die on the cross.
It’s finally in verse 12 that John’s Prologue nails down the specifics as to why the Christmas event is so significant.
John 1:12-13 Yet to all who received 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.
It’s only after John lays out this cosmic scope of Jesus birth and the reason why his birth is significant that finally the long awaited Christ Child is born. His view highlights how truly incarnational Christ’s birth is so there is no mistake.
John 1:14 – The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us.
This is the Luke 2 Christmas moment in Bethlehem at the manger. Mary and Joseph and Jesus in a stable because there was no room at the inn. Here too are the angels announcing the good news unto Shepherds who drop what they are doing to go and find the Christ Child.
By highlighting the incarnation of the Word made flesh rather than the Bethlehem scene – John shows out of God’s sheer love for us. Christ’s first breaths of life were already our gain. Immanuel, God with us was here.
But the question still lingers for us every day of our lives. Why did he do that? Why was he willing to leave his kingdom home and come here? Why a manger? Why a weak and helpless baby?
We couldn’t be there literally at the manger looking down upon the Christchild. We couldn’t be there at Jesus baptism or his first miracle of turning water into wine. We couldn’t be there for the sermon on the mount. We couldn’t be there at the last supper or in the Garden when he was arrested or the cross for that matter. We couldn’t be there for his resurrection or for his ascension. But we will be here one way or the other – when the Christmas Christ Child all grow up returns.
While others are quick to put Christmas in the rearview mirror and go on with their lives. The story doesn’t end at midnight just because December 25th comes to a close. Every Christmas that passes is essential.
We can never grow weary of the Christmas message. Our faith, Our kingdom citizenship, and our eternal future depend on that little baby born in Bethlehem.
