JOHN 1:10-14 - Christmas 1 - January 1, 2006 (Outline)
INTRO: Awe and wonder fill our hearts as we look back at the past year and see how God has taken care of us every day. There is awe and wonder when we consider the infinite care and concern of our God who even knows the numbers of hairs on our heads. There is awe and wonder when we consider God’s great gift to mankind – his Son, born a baby in a manger in Bethlehem. This Son of God be-came the Son of man because of man. When man tainted God’s perfect world with sin what did God demand? God did not demand payment for sin from man but from himself. We are filled with awe and wonder at God’s great love for us. "But when the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy" (TITUS 3:4,5a). It is with great awe and wonder that we stand on the threshold of another year. As get ready to enjoy another year of awe and wonder the words of our text remind us GOD’S WORD BECOMES FLESH. I. Jesus comes to all of mankind. II. Believers become God’s children.
I. JESUS COMES TO ALL OF MANKIND
A. John’s Gospel begins at the beginning – creation. God’s Word was in the beginning.
1. God’s Word created the world and everything in it in six days.
2. The connection to be made is the fact that Jesus is the very Word of God.
B. Jesus, as God’s Son, is eternal. Jesus, as man’s Son, lived among his own creation.
1. Verse 14 makes this clear; The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us…
2. Verse 10 states that the world created by God did not even recognize God’s Son.
3. Worse, in verse 11 even those who knew better did not receive Jesus.
a. Jesus came to his own, the Jews. b. Jesus’ own shouted, Crucify him!
C. Even today, in our enlightened society, more than ever still sit in darkness. Even though the light of the world has come they do not understand. It is with great awe and wonder this morning that we are able to look and see and believe in this Light of the world. With awe and wonder we can ask, why? Why me, Lord? Why have you chosen me to believe? I do not deserve salvation, cannot earn it, and certainly cannot buy my way into heaven. Why me when so many others reject the gospel of salvation.
Scripture answers, "The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God"(2 CORINTHIANS 4:4).
D. In awe and wonder we look at the life of Jesus and may find it amazing that he was despised and rejected. God’s people had plenty of time to prepare. They knew and studied the prophecies. Even Jesus’ rejection was foretold. "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"(ISAIAH 53:3). In our sinfulness we also despise and reject Jesus. Whenever we do not fear, trust and love in God above all things we are actually despising and rejecting Jesus.
E. This Word that became flesh, which came to all of mankind and was rejected by mankind, is still the Savior of mankind. For this Son of God, this Word of Life came to pray the price with his own in-nocent sufferings and death. Mankind’s denial and rejection would not stop Jesus from being the per-fect sacrifice for all of mankind. "But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels, now crowned with glory and honor because he suffered death, so that by the grace of God he might taste death for everyone"(HEBREWS 2:9). This rejected Jesus is now crowned with glory and honor!
Transition: God’s Word becomes flesh. Jesus comes into this world for all of mankind. In awe and wonder we now see that believers become God’s children.
II. BELIEVERS BECOME GOD’S CHILDREN
A. It is truly sad to see so many reject the Way, and the Truth and the Life.
1. Rejection of the gospel and eternal salvation is the decision of the unbeliever.
2. Believers are saved purely, simply, and only by God’s grace – undeserved love.
B. John describes this process of the sinner made believer by the grace of God.
1. Verse 12 describes how God gives the right to become children of God.
2. No mistake it is not man’s choice as described in verse 13.
3. Believers are made God’s children by any human decision or desire.
C. God’s will makes a believer his child. As God’s children there are great blessings.
1. Verse 14 describes one of the believers’ greatest blessings.
2. Believers now know Jesus as God’s Son, full of grace and truth!
D. Awe and wonder describes our reaction to our undeserved salvation from eternal damnation and punishment in hell. God by his choice and through the power of his holy word has made us his chil-dren in spite of all our wicked thoughts, words and actions. We have become God’s children in spite of the fact of being born in this world as God’s enemies. Jesus is God’s Son. We know, confess and believe that truth of Scripture. Now God even calls us his children – his sons and daughters. "Because you are sons, God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, the Spirit who calls out, ‘Abba, Father.’ So you are no longer a slave, but a son; and since you are a son, God has made you also an heir" (GALATIANS 4:6,7).
E. What an absolute blessing to be able to gather together to hear God’s word. What an amazing blessing to be able to gather together and study God’s word. How wonderful it is to be able to read God’s word every day on our own. Doing all of that – hearing, studying, reading – we only begin to scratch the surface of what God’s love is for us. We spend our lifetime on earth learning about God’s love so that we can spend eternity praising God for his love. "How great is the love the Father has lav-ished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him"(1 JOHN 3:1).
F. In awe and wonder we stand at the foot of the cross and see that all things are possible with God. Even enemies can be saved. Sinners such as ourselves are given an entrance into heaven. All because God’s word becomes flesh. Without that miracle all would be lost. We would be lost. Jesus becomes flesh to provide us with his free forgiveness. No longer are we strangers, aliens, or foreigners far away from the grace of God. "But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near through the blood of Christ"(EPHESIANS 2:13). Thus we are saved – not by our blood but by the precious blood of Jesus, our Savior, the Word that becomes flesh. This is awesome and wonderful!
CONCL: We stand on the threshold of another new year. It is my sincere prayer today that each one of us, every day will begin each day in awe and wonder. With awe and wonder we realize that God’s Word became flesh to save us in spite of ourselves. God makes us his children. With awe and wonder we react to God’s great love for us. "Do everything without complaining or arguing, so that you may become blameless and pure, children of God without fault in a crooked and depraved generation, in which you shine like stars in the universe as you hold out the word of life"(PHILIPPIANS 2:14-16). In awe and wonder we hold out the word of life to those still sitting in the darkness of sin and unbelief.
God’s Word becomes flesh so that his children may shine like stars! Amen. Pastor Timm O. Meyer
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CHRISTMAS 1 Readings: ISAIAH 45:20-25; COLOSSIANS 3:12-17; LUKE 2:25-40
