Introduction
In the beginning God said “Let there be light, and there was light”
• And God saw that all that He had created was good and He walked with Adam in the cool of the day in the Garden
Then with one act of disobedience sin entered in the world and there was DARKNESS
• First came Abraham who was told to leave his country and family and travel to a land that God would give to him as an inheritance – and light shined dimly
• Jacob wrestled with God and had his name changed and the light got brighter as He was told that his family would inherit the land He stood on
• Joseph was used to keep the people alive in Egypt – and the light remained
• Moses came and brought the people home and gave them the law – and the light was brighter
• The Kings and the Judges shined the lights – most of the time
• The prophets continued to point the people to the Light – sometimes they listened
Then there was 400 years of DARKNESS
Then the people saw a star in the east – that moved to the place where the true light entered the world – and the light was in the world.
John 1:1-5 (NIV)
1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was with God in the beginning. 3 Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. 4 In him was life, and that life was the light of men. 5 The light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not understood it.
Jesus came into the world to show everyone what God is like and what the message looks like inn flesh and blood.
This baby changed everything because Jesus, the Baby, is God in the flesh who has come to His creation to give his all.
1. Jesus came from the Father, Full of Grace and Truth
How long have been a Christian? If it has been a while then you may have one the problems I have noticed in myself. It get’s easy to read the Christmas story and say, Yeah, yeah I know that already…and miss the wonder of that day over 2000 years ago.
Jesus coming is amazing in itself!
John 1:1 (NIV)
1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
• Jesus has always been – there has never been a point in history where Jesus had to be created, or born – He existed in the beginning (Genesis says that God said, “let us make man in our image” – that is Jesus and in Colossians it tells us that all things were made through Jesus and for Jesus.
• Jesus is God – Not separate or inferior to God, but actually God in the flesh, the son who is savior and redeemer of all creation. When the disciples ask to see God Jesus answered them by saying
John 14:8-9 (NIV)
8 Philip said, “Lord, show us the Father and that will be enough for us.” 9 Jesus answered: “Don’t you know me, Philip, even after I have been among you such a long time? Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’?
The WORD became flesh – the unique (begotten or one and only) son of God became flesh for us – full of the character of God – Grace and Truth – He came from God – His origin is clear, and His character is the same as God
Why did Jesus come in the flesh?
• He came in the flesh so that we could identify with Him – He has been tempted in every way we are without giving in to sin, there is nothing we go through that he doesn’t understand and because this is true we can come knowing he knows what we are going through
• He came in the flesh so that we could see the message of Love up close – Jesus showed us how God would live in our place.
• Jesus came in the flesh, because the sacrifice must mean something
2. We’ve seen His Glory, the Glory of the unique son of God
In John’s words they had seen the Glory of the only begotten (unique) son of God. I think that this must be a combination of events, from the time when Jesus was on the mountain and God spoke about Jesus, and the Crucifixion and Resurrection of Jesus. God’s glory was on display clearly in Jesus
But in John 1 there is a great verse that reminds us that at Christmas the Glory of God became flesh
John 1:14 (NIV)
14 The Word became flesh and made 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.
The gospel of John is not a gospel with a lot of miracles in it, but there are 6, 7 really.
A. The word became flesh and celebrated a friends wedding – And the disciples saw the Glory of the one that came and made the ordinary – extraordinary
• Water to wine might not seem like a big deal, but it make a big impact on the wedding and on the disciples.
B. The word became flesh and healed the sick, and we saw the glory of the one that is the sovereign Lord of Life.
• A nobleman’s son was dying, it happened all the time, but not that day, Jesus healed the man’s son – the second sign of His true Glory
C. The word became flesh and died among us and we saw His Glory, the Glory of the one that lays His life down for His friends
• Jesus death on the cross and His resurrection are clear reflections of His true Glory – the Lord of Life
D. The word became flesh and we saw His glory, the glory of the one the Father sent to save the world.
• John 3:17 tells us that Jesus came into the world not to condemn the world, but to save it. His glory is seen in each new person who is rescued from the kingdom of darkness and the path toward Hell, and placed on the road home.
Over and over in the gospel of John we are reminded that Jesus was God in the flesh that invaded our world and we get a glimpse of the Glory of God touching his creation and we’re invited to come closer to God.
3. The word became flesh and made His dwelling among us
Jesus is God who came to live with His creation – I suppose it would be like one of the twins becoming a Lego man and living with the creation they made with their own hands.
• God with us (Immanuel) is Jesus taking on flesh and living with us for a while.
• I wonder what it was like to live in His creation – to be a human in the world He created and to experience all that this world had become
- Did Jesus shudder every time he hit a board with a hammer knowing what was coming in the future?
- Did he always know the right answer – or did He have to study the scriptures as a kid?
- Was it hard to hear someone say it was such a nice day, knowing that in Heaven it is always a perfect day?
- Or did the cold wind strike him as odd knowing that He’s always been in perfection.
The message of Love – became flesh and blood and lived with us and people finally caught a glimpse of the eternal – God who always existed and always existed
I know that most of you remember the promise that Jesus made to us
John 14:23 (NIV)
23 Jesus replied, “If anyone loves me, he will obey my teaching. My Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him.
• We’re invited to experience Christmas everyday because as Christians we get to be the dwelling place of God in this world.
- It is like being the manger or the stable where Jesus was born
- It is like being the home where the Magi visited when Jesus was about 2
Why is Jesus still present in the world? It is not just for out benefit, so that we will not be alone in the world.
Matthew 5:14-16 (NIV)
14 “You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. 15 Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. 16 In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.
2000 years ago a light shined in the darkness – a single star – to point those who would seek the savior to Jesus. That is our purpose as well – we are the stars who will point each new generation to Jesus.
Philippians 2:14-16 (NIV)
14 Do everything without complaining or arguing, 15 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 16 as you hold out the word of life—in order that I may boast on the day of Christ that I did not run or labor for nothing.
We’re the light of the world, stars in the universe – shining with the Love of God in the Good news that Jesus came into the world to save the people from their sins.
Every place you and I go in this week imagine that you are the star that was shining over Bethlehem, guiding people to see the messiah, the savior. You shine like a star in the universe
