Christmas is Love
Text: John 1:1-12
Introduction: For more than 10 years two British artists named David Chorley and Douglas Bower waded into the grain fields of England. Using some basic tools (strings, boards and crude sighting devices) they formed intriguing geometric patterns in the crops or what we have come to know because of a popular movie called "Signs" as crop circles. They did this more than two dozen times each season. The results of their pranks generated a host of explanations, with some suggesting that these crop circles were the results of ball lightning created by atmospheric microwave fields, and others arguing that they had been the landing sites of unidentified flying objects (UFOs). The September 23, 1991, issue of TIME magazine recorded the actions of the two perpetrators of this giant deception, noting that in response to these unexplained formations, a new science had arose, labeled "cereology," along with a group called "The Circles Effect Research Unit" to study them. (See Foundational Faith, John Koessler, general editor, P. 104.)
Although the hoax fostered by Chorley and Bower was relatively harmless, deception can and often does cause great harm! For example, what if Jesus Christ was not really God in human flesh? If this foundational belief is nothing more than wishful thinking, or worse--a deliberate deception carried on by the early church, then many of our most cherished doctrines must be called into question.
Every year during the weeks leading up to Christmas, we celebrate the incarnation of the Christ, i.e. the human birth of the Son of God. The prophet Isaiah in the Old Testament alluded to this in chapter nine, verse six. "For unto us a child is born (a statement of His humanity)..." "He will be called (among other things) Mighty God (a statement of His deity)." Earlier he calls this person "Immanuel" meaning "God with us (See Isaiah 7:14)" To be fair the word "incarnation" is not actually found in the Bible, although when you break it down, its components "in" and "flesh" certainly are. It was John the Apostle who used these words together in 1 John 4:2 ("Every spirit that acknowledges that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God"). In the verses that precede the text that was read this morning he wrote, "In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word was God." Thirteen verses later we’re told that "... (God) the Word became flesh and made His dwelling among us." It is very obvious from these passages that John, like Isaiah, except that he had the privilege of seeing the Messiah, believed Jesus to be God in human flesh.
Why is this teaching so important to us as Christians? Actually there are a number of reasons, not all of which we will be able to cover in a thirty minute message. But allow me to address some of them by looking at the incarnation from three perspectives: What Christ came from; What Christ came to; and What Christ came for.
I. What Christ came from (See John 1:1). Before Jesus ever came to earth, He existed in the spiritual realm with the Father. Though He in every way was in the very form (essence) of God, Jesus did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped (in the incarnation), but emptied Himself (i.e. made Himself nothing--See Philippians 2:5-7)! There are some in the last two centuries who believe these verses teach that Jesus voluntarily gave up some of His divine attributes (i.e., omnipotence, omnipresence, omniscience etc) when He became a man. This is called the "kenosis theory." To support it, they point to occasions in Christ’s ministry when He could not do the things that God does (For an example see Mark 5:24-32). Bear in mind, however, that no recognized teacher in the first 1,800 years of church history interpreted the passage this way. Further, the passage doesn’t say this. No where does it state what He emptied Himself of! To understand this passage, you have to consider the context. Jesus did not set aside any of His powers as God when He took on flesh, but gave up the status that was His in heaven by taking the form of a bond-servant. In so doing, Jesus chose not to pursue the glory that He had with the Father before the world began (See John 17:5), the glory that was rightfully His prior to His human birth and now is again following His resurrection and ascension (See Philippians 2:9-11). Instead "though He was rich, yet for our sakes He became poor (See 2 Corinthians 8:9)." Application: Why did Jesus forego the glory that was His and take on human flesh? The answer is obvious: He loves us (See Revelation 1:5)! There’s really no other explanation. It isn’t some need of God’s that demands it! The truth is that God has always done quite well existing independently of us (See Acts 17:25). Neither does the justice of God for we could all just die in our sin and go to Hell and His justice would be satisfied. It is the love of God expressed in His mercy and grace which compelled Jesus to take on human flesh. He wanted the best for us regardless of the cost to Himself even if it meant setting aside His glory. Illustration: John Kass, a columnist for the Chicago Tribune, wrote about a waiter named Bouch who works at a tavern in Chicago. Bouch decided to write to the king of his homeland, Morocco. The king, Mohammed VI, is immensely popular because he often interacts with his subjects in public. He has free political prisoners, and he helps the poor and disabled. When Bouch wrote to him from Chicago, King Mohammed VI, true to form, wrote back. "Look at the letters," said Bouch. "These are letters from the king. If I meet him, I’ll be so happy." Kass, the columnist, muses, "How many guys hauling beer and burgers in a Chicago tavern have a correspondence going with a royal monarch?" He spoke with Morocco’s deputy counsel general in Chicago and was told that it isn’t unusual for the king to write personal letters to his subjects abroad. "It happens a lot," the official said. "He loves his subjects." To think that a king would associate with commoners -- go figure. You know, come to think about it -- it looks as if the Son of God has one-upped the King of Morroco. He didn’t write a letter, He paid a visit! You see, He, too, loves His subjects. Why else would He come?
II. What Christ came to. It is amazing when one thinks about it that the Son of God would come into our world at all! What is even more astonishing, however, is the response he received when He did so (See John 1:10-11).
A. He came to a world that did not recognize Him (See John 1:10). The mere fact that Jesus was born in a stable in Bethlehem tells us a great deal about the reception he received. Look for a moment about how John calls attention to this point in verse 10.
1. God (the Word) was in the world! This is what the angel Gabriel said when He announced the birth of Christ to Mary (See Luke 1:30-35).
2. God (the Word) made the world! Verse 3 sheds a little more light on this statement. The Father created the world, but did it through the Son (See 1 Corinthians 8:6).
3. God (the Word) was rejected by the world! We would think that given the first two statements, the 3rd would say something like, "The world celebrated His coming like none other." What we find is meant to shock us. "The world did not recognize Him." Of course this wasn’t a shock to the Lord (See Isaiah 53:1-3).
Illustration: I remember one time when I joined a group of kids who were picking sides for a game of baseball at a local park. I had played baseball since I was three or four and my skills were fairly advanced, yet I was at a disadvantage because none of the others knew who I was. So I stood there enduring the humiliation as person after person was selected before me when secretly inside I knew I was as good as any of them. It was really painful when a girl was taken while I stood there waiting for someone to say, "I’ll take him." I wonder what it must have been like for Jesus? Was He ever tempted to yell, "Hey! Don’t you know who I am? I deserve better than this."
B. He came to a people that did not receive Him (See John 1:11). The coming of the Messiah had long been anticipated by nation of Israel. When He finally arrived, it was a kind of "homecoming" for Christ. The phrase "He came to His own" can be interpreted "He came home." The Word did not go where He could not have expected to be known. He came home where the people should have known Him. Yet we’re told that they did not receive Him. Though the Jews had enjoyed many advantages, in particular the revelation made known to them "at many times and in various ways (See Hebrews 1:1)," they did not receive Him. The word "receive" is used of Joseph taking Mary as his wife (See Matthew 1:20,24) and of Jesus taking believers to Himself in heaven (See John 14:3). This was the kind of welcome that should have been offered to Jesus. Application: What motivated Jesus to come to a world that did not recognize Him and a people that did not receive Him? It was love plain and simple. A love that does not seek its own and does not take into account a wrong suffered. A love that bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things and endures all things. A love that never fails.
III. What Christ came for (See John 1:12-13). There are some people who believe you could use the phrase "His own did not receive Him," as a title for the first 12 chapters of this gospel. If that’s true then you could just as easily use "but as many as received Him" as the title for the last nine chapters. Jesus took on human flesh to bring us into the family of God (See Romans 8:15) through His selfless sacrifice on the cross in payment for our sin. This was His purpose. We had been alienated from God, but are now reconciled through His death (See Colossians 1:21-22). There is nothing Christ could have done to better demonstrate His love than dying in our place (See John 15:13). To receive Jesus means to believe that He is the Son of God who became a man in order to offer Himself in payment for our sin. When we place our trust in Him we are literally born again, not through our own devices, but by the will of God.
Conclusion: Will you receive the love of God in Christ today? Tedd Kidd was five years older than his girlfriend Janet, finished college before her and started to work in a city hundreds of miles from her home. They always seemed to be at different places in their lives. But that had been dating for seven years. Every Valentine’s Day, Tedd proposed to her. Every Valentine’s Day, Janet would say, "No, not yet." Finally, when they were both living in Dallas, Texas, Tedd reached the end of his patience. He bought a ring, took Janet to a romantic restaurant, and was prepared to reinforce his proposal with the diamond. Another no would mean he had to get on with his life without her. After salad, entree and dessert, it was time. Tedd summoned up his courage. Knowing that Janet had a gift for him, however, he decided to wait. "What did you bring me?" he asked. She handed him a box the size of a book. He opened the package and slowly peeled away the tissue paper. It was a cross-stitch Janet had made that simply said, "Yes." Yes---it is the word that God, in His relentless pursuit of us, longs to hear.
