John 1:1-14 GOD BECOMES HUMAN
What if you were forced to give up something during Christmas – you couldn’t have it all. If you had to choose between the gift-giving, or the decorating – you can’t have both - which one would you give up? Either you have decorations, but no gifts, or you have gifts, but no decorations. Or what about this one – either you can have Christmas music, or Christmas food – you can’t have both - which one would you let go? Would you prefer a quiet house with food? Or the music of Christmas, but no food? What about this one – decorations food – which one could you give up? Either you have the decorations, but nothing to eat, or you have food, but no lights, and no tree. Do you know which one a lot of people give up? It’s the most common aspect of Christmas that is “left behind” – and that is remembering the birth of Jesus Christ. A lot of people skip that one. “I’d love to go to church on Christmas. But we have a family gathering, with the gifts and the food and the music around the tree – you can’t have it all at Christmas– I have to give up something, and so I’m going to give up remembering Christ on Christmas – I’m just going to have to let that part go this time of the year.”
If you wanted to sum up Christmas in one Bible passage, what would it be? I got one for you if you don’t want to page around. Look at John 1:14: “The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us.” That, my friends, is the essence of Christmas. There once was a man in a cave in Africa on December 25th. He was all by himself – no Christmas gathering with all the relatives. He had not gifts, no decorations, no music, and no pile of food. Not even a glass of eggnog – can you imagine, on Christmas! All he had was a torn up, old Bible. But somehow, he knew it was Christmas. And so, he opened his Bible up to John 1:14, and he read to himself, “The Word became flesh, and made his dwelling among us” and then he closed his Bible, and prayed in his heart, “Thank you God.”
In the meantime, there was a family in America. The house was decked out with every Santa decoration you can buy – you know those ones you can blow up now, and put on your front yard, all lit up? The house was packed with people – relatives you like, and relatives you don’t even know. Bing Crosby was singing about snow and open fires on the home entertainment system. The table was covered with piles of food. Children were opening up one gift after another as the parents made small talk in the background. A good time was had by all. And then, one by one, everyone went home. There was no mention of Jesus that night, or the next morning. Nothing.
Now, who really celebrated Christmas – the man in the cave, pondering in his heart that “the Word became flesh, and made his dwelling among us” – or the traditional, jolly family gathering? Isn’t it a blessing this morning, that you don’t have to sit by yourself in a cave somewhere, with nobody around. You don’t have to worship God on your own. What a blessing, that we can gather together as a Christian family this morning, and ponder this miracle of God – the Word becomes flesh – God becomes human - let’s look at that today – John chapter one.
The “Word” obviously is who? It’s Jesus, isn’t it. In fact, you can substitute “the infant Jesus” where it says “the Word” and come up with some interesting pictures. Look at verse one – read it with me: “In the beginning was the ‘infant Jesus,’ and the ‘infant Jesus’ was with God, and the ‘infant Jesus’ was God. He was with God in the beginning.” Isn’t that amazing to think about? Jesus existed long before Christmas. Technically, Jesus wasn’t “born” on Christmas – he became a human being on Christmas. Jesus existed long before he became human. He was even around when? At the beginning of time. The infant Jesus was God.
Do you know why the Gospel of John calls Jesus “the Word”? In Old Testament times, if you wanted to see God, where did you have to look? I want to see God – I will look… Well, nature gives me somewhat of a picture. But for a real clear picture of God, I would have to look where - at the Word – the Old Testament. And they didn’t have books back then, like we have today. In fact, most people didn’t read. Most people would… listen. If I wanted to see God, I would have to go to the temple or the synagogue, close my eyes, and listen, and I would hear the Word of God. I would listen to the amazing stories, the gracious promises, the warnings, the blessings – those words were how I saw God.
But on Christmas, everything changed. The Word became flesh. Instead of being far-away and distant, God gets up-close and personal. He becomes human. Just think about that. If you wanted to, you could jump on a plane (I suggest buying a ticket before you do something like that), and tomorrow you could be standing on the same hill, and look at the same views, and splash in the same lake and river, as the Maker of Heaven and earth splashed in and looked at and stood on. God became human - he stepped onto our planet, and he gave himself the name Jesus. Isn’t that interesting? Jesus is the only infant I know of, who technically named himself. Before he was born, he sent the angel to tell Mary and Joseph what to name him – have you ever thought of that before?
This is what sets the Christian faith from all the other false religions in the world. Only in Christianity does God become human. In all the other world religions, god keeps his distance. But our God, he didn’t just write us a letter, or send us a representative. And he didn’t come with his entourage to visit us. He actually became one of us. He spent nine months in the womb, putting on the same human flesh that you and I are wearing right now.
Isn’t that amazing? There once was a crazy old man. At least, everyone thought he was crazy. He took care of horses for a living. That’s not what made him crazy. But every winter, this man would lock himself out of the house, and move into the barn with his horses. He’d sleep there, eat their food, drink their water. Can you imagine that? What would that be like? I’d like for one of our members to try that some time. One day, someone had the courage to ask him why he did this, every winter. He told them, “I want to know what it feels like to be a horse.” The point of that odd story, is that this is what God did on Christmas. He locked himself out of heaven and threw away the key. Then he put on a human body, and allowed himself to be born into a lowly peasant family. He even spent the first night of his life sleeping in a stable for animals. God did that.
Why? It’s because our world was a very dark place when he arrived, wasn’t it. I’m not talking about it being night-time. I’m talking about our world being dark with sin. Adam and Eve had brought sin into the world. And ever since then, every human being has been born with a sinful heart. There’s an incredible amount of selfishness and self-centeredness in our world. Have you noticed that? Have you seen that come out of your own heart, at times? Deep down, every human being, wants to be God. “I want to be in charge of my life. I want to trust in myself. I want to make money for myself and spend time with people that make me feel good about myself. Me me me.” That’s self-centeredness. And that’s sin. We all have it. The world is filled with it. Adam and Eve acted in a very self-centered way when they sinned many years ago – what a moment that was! At that moment, the human race basically said to God, “God, we don’t want you to be our Father anymore. We want to be on our own.”
And ever since then, the world has been a very dark place, spiritually. Deep down, everyone knows that there’s something wrong here. There’s something missing in my life. I have no relationship with God. There’s a hole in my heart, and nothing fills it. There’s a dark cloud hanging over our planet, and it’s not going away. People try to forget about that with decorating and snow men and cookies and gifts – but that dark cloud won’t go away. There’s sin in our world. There’s sin in my heart. Sin leads to death. And sin leads to hell.
And that’s why God became human. That’s why he stepped into our world. Look at verse 4: “In him (talking about Jesus) was life, and that life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, but he darkness has not understood it.” When God stepped into our world, it was as though a bright light had been turned on in a dark and dirty basement. Jesus, the light of the world had come. In him was something that was lacking in our world, and that something was “life.” Not physical life – there was plenty of that. The “life” that Jesus brought into the world was a deeper, more spiritual life. Do you want to have a relationship with God? That’s life – Jesus brings that. Do you want to understand where you came from, and what the purpose of your existence is? That’s life, and Jesus brings that to you. Do you want to have hope, that these 70 or 80 years you live on this planet isn’t it – that there’s something more, something better? That’s life, and Jesus brings that to you.
Why was it so important for Jesus to become flesh? Why couldn’t Jesus, or God, just come down as a spirit, and set up shop somewhere, and everyone could come and listen to him, and he could set us all straight? God became flesh, because as a human being, he had to do something to give you “life.” He had to die. Isn’t that awful? When a baby is born, you’re not supposed to think about how this baby is going to die. And yet, when you look at the infant Jesus, you can’t help but think about his death, because that’s the number one reason why he became human. That’s why Christmas happened, so that God could die for you. God became human so that he could take your sin – and we’re not just talking about those little moments in your life when you make a small mistake.
God became human so that he could take upon himself the darkest, the worst, the most horrible sins you have ever committed – and even that sinful nature you inherited from your parents – Jesus was born to take that sin, and, 33 years after his birth, to die with it, on the cross. That’s why God became human.
And look at what happens to all those who believe in what the infant Jesus would someday do – look at verse 12: “Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God.” Believe in Jesus, and God will make you one of his children. Isn’t that good news? God became a part of our earthly family, so that we… could become a part of his heavenly family. Jesus took on our flesh, and died with all of our sins, so that you and I could someday rise from the dead, with none of our sins. People say that “Christmas is all about family.” What a meaningless cliché, until you bring Jesus into the picture. Then, Christmas is about family. Here, God becomes a part of our human family, so that we could become a part of his.
What’s the passage that sums up Christmas best? Which one? Let’s read John 1:14 together. Before we read it, think about this – Christmas is over. All the earthly stuff – it’s all gotta be put away. But the one part about Christmas that’s never over is what read about in verse 14 – this is something you can never put away. This part of Christmas is the best part, the part that lasts all year round – “The Word became flesh, and make his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.” Let all God’s people say “Amen.” Amen.
