The Christmas Love

John began his Gospel quite differently from the rest of the Gospel writers.

• The rest started with the historical accounts of the events that took place.

• Matthew and Luke talked about circumstances leading to Jesus’ birth.

• Mark started off with Jesus entering into ministry, and how John the Baptist was preaching repentance and preparing the people’s heart for faith in Jesus.

• Matthew, Mark and Luke all starts off as story-tellers, except JOHN.

JOHN launched straight into the purpose of his writing – to present to you Jesus as the Son of God who came to save you.

• The first 14 verses lay down the theme of his book.

• At the end of this book, he said: “Jesus did many other miraculous signs in our presence, which are not recorded in this book because if every one of them were written down, I suppose that even the whole world would not have room for the books that would be written.” (20:30, 21:25)

• But “these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in His name.” (20:31).

The first 14 verses set the tone for the whole book, and it reveals TWO simple truths:

(1) GOD COMES TO YOU - His Presence is What You Need

We did not go for Him, He came for us. By our sinful nature, we do not want God to be around.

• But He came. Call Him IMMANUEL. He wants to be with you.

• To blame God for ignoring or neglecting us (at least that’s how we feel sometimes), is a great injustice, because it never the case.

• The Bible has never depicted God in that light. The Lord says, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” (Josh 1:5).

The truth is we are the ones, because of our sinfulness, because of the distractions of life, been the ones who have left Him.

• Martha was distracted by all the preparations. We are consumed by all the activities of Christmas. We are preoccupied by the affairs of life.

• We did not seek Him. He sought us. “Only on thing is needed” (Luke 10:42) Jesus says. Mary has chosen the presence of the Lord. That’s what we need.

John paints this movement of God towards men in this passage.

• He starts with the creator God who is eternal. Jesus was there right from the beginning.

• In fact, John went even beyond Genesis 1 – that’s creation. John went further back, before creation took place – Jesus was there with God – from eternity and uncreated.

• And then “through Him all things were created” and that includes you and me.

And then as you read on, John painted this movement towards his creation...

v.5 "the light shines in the darkness...."

v.9 "the true light... was coming into the world." And then...

v.10 "He was in the world..."

v.11 "He came to that which was His own..."

v.14 "The Word became flesh..."

Paul describes it in a similar way in Phil 2:6-8

• 6 Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, 7 but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. 8 And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death - even death on a cross!

• He even died a human death, and a most shameful one at that.

The One who made this world, came into the world He made, became the man he created, and died the human death in a most gruesome manner.

• That’s the great DESCENT that Martin Luther says is “beyond all human understanding.”

• HE CAME TO WHERE I AM.

You go to a fine-dining restaurant, and you see the waitress standing close by waiting on you. Ready to serve; ready to meet your need, to change your plate and fill your cup.

• Jesus came and said, “I did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give my life as a ransom for many.” (Matt 20:28)

• “We love because He first loved us.” 1 John 4:19

Ever since Adam and Eve fell and went into hiding, God has been reaching out to man.

• He wants to draw near. Fellowship with you is at the heart of God.

• This desire was so great that He was willing to do whatever it takes to redeem you and restore the relationship, even if that means the sacrifice of His Son.

God proved His commitment to us at Christmas. Jesus made Himself understandable, so that we can understand Him.

Dr John Rosen, a psychiatrist in New York City, was a well-known doctor serving in the city’s mental institution for his practice of moving into his patients’ wards and staying with them. He literally moves in with them and spends time with them, and even sleeps over in their same wards. If they talk, he talked. If they don’t want to talk, he doesn’t talk either. He lives the life they live.