The Word Became Flesh Series

TITLE: Christmas with John - The Word Became flesh

TEXT: John 1:1-14

SERIES: CHRISTMAS WITH JOHN!

TOPIC:

OCCASION: Burnside Christian Church, December 5th, 2010

PROP.: It is important to believe in the incarnation of Jesus Christ - then we can celebrate it fully!

INTRODUCTION: Good morning! I trust you had a memorable Thanksgiving with your family! Lindsay and I enjoyed ours. But as always, it’s good to be home. It’s December! Can you believe it???? 20 days till Christmas. Less than 3 weeks away!

So today, we are taking a break from our LETTERS FROM JOHN series. And today begins a two part sermon series called: Christmas with John.

Open up your Bibles to the Gospel of John beginning in the first chapter. John’s gospel starts out a little differently than the Gospels of Matthew, Mark and Luke. John isn’t the traditional “Christmas” gospel that you might expect to be read or preached from as we enter this Christmas season. In fact, John skips over the magi. John doesn‘t dwell on Shepherds keeping their flocks by night. You find no mention of Angels. In fact, John doesn’t give any detail of Mary or Joseph whatsoever!

Instead, John opens up His gospel much in a very unique way. Let’s begin reading our text this morning.

John 1:1-14

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 all mankind. 5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome[a] it.

6 There was a man sent from God whose name was John. (a side note…this John isn’t the author of 1st, 2nd and 3rd John. He’s not the apostle John. This John is the forerunner of Jesus. He’s known as John…the one who baptizes people.)

7 He came as a witness to testify concerning that light, so that through him all might believe. 8 He himself was not the light; he came only as a witness to the light.

9 The true light that gives light to everyone was coming into the world. 10 He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him. 11 He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him. 12 Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God— 13 children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God.

14 The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.

John is a brilliant writer. In these 14 Holy Spirit inspired verses, we learn more of Jesus Christ’s coming as a baby human than we do by reading all of the other three gospels. And that’s because John puts it plainly. What I want to do is to go back and examine the first 5 verses of John’s gospel. And as I read these words, I want you to do something. Imagine you are a reader who is hearing John’s words for the first time.

So John starts out by writing:

“In the beginning was the Word.” - Let’s stop right there for a moment. What you would normally expect to hear following the words of: “In the Beginning” is “God created the heavens and earth.” I mean that is the very first verse of the Bible.

But John says: In the beginning was the WORD. But this makes sense if you stop and think about it. Because how did God make the Heavens and the Earth? With WORDS. So in the beginning, WAS THE WORD! The WORD of God. Two things about God’s word. When God speaks, it is POWERFUL. It is PURPOSEFUL.

You and I are CARELESS with our words aren’t we? We say things that aren’t true. We exaggerate what really happened. We even trivialize words that have great meaning: “I LOVE pizza. I LOVED that movie.” Our words are not powerful or purposeful ALL THE TIME. But God’s words are! When God speaks…it is powerful. It is purposeful! Put that in your back pocket.

Let’s continue reading our text:

“In the beginning was the WORD. The Word was WITH God and the Word WAS God.” - Wow. Ok. So I was tracking with John. In the beginning God spoke things into existence. But now John is saying that the word is a person! And that the person IS God! Hang with me for just a few moments on this because I think you’ll see something pretty amazing!