What Child is this?
John 1:1-18
Introduction-
This year flew by us! Anyone besides me think that we spend a lot of time looking in our rear view mirrors because everything is going so fast. We say it every year and every year it flies bye.
When you read the Christmas Story Luke chapter 2- it will point you to Jesus Christ.
When you read Isaiah account of the coming Savior 700 years before Jesus walked this earth- it points to Jesus. It points to a coming savior.
Isaiah 9:6-
“For unto us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders and He will be called wonderful counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.”
Lyrics to what Child is this
What child is this, who laid to rest,
On Mary’s lap is sleeping?
Whom angels greet with anthems sweet,
While shepherds watch are keeping.
“This, this is Christ the King “
The answer to whose child is this is- God the Father! The Son of God! Christ the King!
Jesus is not God’s son in the sense of a human father and a son.
God did not get married and have a son. God did not have relationship with Mary, and, together with her produce a son.
Jesus is God’s Son in the sense that He is God made manifest in human form. John chapter 1.
Jesus is God’s Son in that He was conceived in Mary by the Holy Spirit of God.
Luke 1:35
“The angel answered, the Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you, so the Holy one to be born will be called the Son of God.”
Matthew 1:23
“The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel which means God with us.”
John 1:1-18 Read from Bible
The Son of God-Christ the king the king has come to this earth not in the familiar way of birth, but by choice, out of supernatural love for a world that so desperately needs Him but most will reject.
The creator of the universe- the creator of all things! God the Son, came to this earth and the ones he came for did not recognize him, did not understand or care what had happened, yet to all that received him, to those that believed in His name, He gave the right to become the Sons of God.
That will preach! That will change your life forever if you will let it.
Each of us tonight has come to this service for many different reasons.
You like Christmas carols
You may feel obligated, you might feel it is your duty to attend.
I hope the reason you came tonight was because you recognize that Christmas is more than presents but about the birth of our savior and you came to worship and honor Jesus.
Maybe you came out of duty, but I pray that the God of the universe tugs on your heart and you respond by giving him your life.
God is delighted that we are here tonight. In a moment we will have a candlelight service. God is interested in what we have done with Jesus everyday of our lives, not just Christmas time.
We have to look at Johns Gospel to understand what difference this child makes in our lives.
John does mess with all the details.
No angel visitation
No manger scene
He summarizes the whole birth story by saying “The Word became flesh and made His dwelling among us.”
The message Bible says “The Word became flesh and blood, and moved into the neighborhood.”
I like that! God came right where we live, He became our Savior!
Jesus the Word was there in the beginning.
He was a part of creation. He was more than a human child,
He was and is God come to this earth to dwell with us and for us.
He had to come in the flesh, walk among us to experience the same ups and downs, same temptations, heartbreaks, and died a brutal death on a cross.
Why would He leave heaven and all its glory and splendor and come to this dark world? Because he loves you that much!
He knew we had no other way to God- we could not experience abundant life apart from Him.
Very quickly tonight I want to share 3 thoughts of Christ coming to this earth.
We become adopted as God’s children
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, children born not of natural descent, nor of human decisions or a husband’s will, but born of God.”
1st point probably the most important- all those who believe on Him, He gave the right to be adopted into God’s family.
God desires every person to be adopted into the family of God, but just because we are born on this earth does not mean that we are children of God.
We must be born again- a spiritual rebirth.
The Bible tells us that when we believe on Him and accept what He has done for us on the cross that we become family and we receive all the benefits of being a child of God.
Romans 8:17
“Now if we are children, then we are heirs, heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in His sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory.”
The treasures we enjoy
Forgiveness
Eternal and Abundant life
Joy, Peace, and the power of His Spirit working in our lives.
It is why believers should live victorious lives and why it should not matter on what struggles we are going through.
We receive life
John 10:10
“The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.”
Abundant life, life to the fullest is joy, peace.
These are things most are looking for but without Jesus will always fall short.
Jesus repeats many times that He wants us to live forever with Him to experience heaven in its fullness.
He also promises fulfillment of life now. “I have come that they may have life and have it in its fullness.
That is not only for the future, but it is for right now (the present)
Jesus is the source of all good things.
You know what happens when you don’t receive that life?
You experience hopelessness, an emptiness that just won’t go away no matter what you try to fill it with.
Bitterness of never measuring up. If you are experiencing that emptiness, you have to realize only God can fill that.
He lights up the darkness
John goes on to say, God came in the flesh, not only that we might receive life but so we could receive His light. In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.
Whether we like it or not, this world lives in darkness. It has been that way since the very first man and women walked this earth. We say stupid things, we do stupid things, reality is darkness remains and His light has to shine in us.
There is only one way to eradicate darkness, sin whatever you want to call it, and that is Jesus.
Jesus reminds us
He came so we can escape darkness
We are not strong enough to resist evil and make thing s right for ourselves.
He came so that we can walk in His light and dwell within us to help us everyday of the rest of our lives.
Part of receiving that light is allowing His light to shine in our lives.
The power of darkness wants to stay in the dark.
Darkness loses its power when it is exposed to the light.
Living Christmas means we receive the light of Jesus and follow Him daily, so that darkness does not overtake us.
Closing
What better time than Christmas Eve to begin a relationship with Christ.
What better time to renew and come back to the Lord than the celebration of Christ birth.
Let tonight be the night that transformation begins in your life and God does a brand new thing in your life.
Would you bow your heads for a moment? Amen.
Transition to candlelight service.
