When He Came Series

“When He came…”

Introduction:

Long ago, there ruled in Persia a wise and good king. He loved his people. He wanted to know how they lived. He wanted to know about their hardships. Often he dressed in the clothes of a working man or a beggar, and went to the homes of the poor. No one whom he visited thought that he was their ruler. One time he visited a very poor man who lived in a cellar. He ate the coarse food the poor man ate. He spoke cheerful, kind words to him. Then he left. Later he visited the poor man again and disclosed his identity by saying, "I am your king!" The king thought the man would surely ask for some gift or favor, but he didn’t. Instead he said, "You left your palace and your glory to visit me in this dark, dreary place. You ate the course food I ate. You brought gladness to my heart! To others you have given your rich gifts. To me you have given yourself!"

This is the way in which Jesus came to us. He came disguised as a lowly man, but brought to us so much. He met our every need

If our greatest need had been information, God would have sent us an educator.

If our greatest need had been technology, God would have sent us a scientist.

If our greatest need had been money, God would have sent us an economist.

If our greatest need had been pleasure, God would have sent us an entertainer.

But our greatest need was forgiveness, so God sent us a Savior.

Jesus came to the Earth in a great way and brought to us just what we needed!

Christmas time is one of the most loved seasons of the year. There is no doubt that many of us love many of the things associated with Christmas. Maybe you love the smells, the lights, the giving or even the receiving of gifts; maybe you love the food, or Santa. Maybe you love the crowded malls. When Christmas time is talked about I am afraid that many people forget the first half of the word, many people forget the reason for the season. Christmas is one of the most misunderstood and abused holidays in America. I am afraid that many people when they think of Jesus they think of Him as the little baby in the manger and forget what he came for. Many people forget that Jesus moved beyond the little helpless baby, but he died able to call 10,000 angels to his rescue. He rose from the dead, and ascended to Heaven, sitting down at the right hand of the throne of God. I hope this morning to get everyone thinking about the incarnation of Jesus, before the Christmas season. I hope that when we think of Christmas we will think of the way that Jesus came.

I hope that we can realize that Jesus was unlike any man that ever lived. No man has ever spoken like Jesus spoke. No man has ever done what Jesus did. No man had the authority that Jesus had. Jesus was unlike any person who ever lived. Jesus the very son of God, and equally God himself, came down to this Earth and took on the very nature of a man, making him nothing. I love what Paul said, that Jesus did not consider equality with God something that could grasped so he came as a man, to redeem us from our sins.

Text: John 1:1-18

I. Jesus came as the Light of the World

We sing a song at school sometimes that says:

Light of the World you stepped down into darkness

Opened my eyes let me see

That is exactly what Jesus did; he came as the light of the world, clearing out the darkness.

I don’t know if you have ever been in a dark place, but light penetrates that darkness and shows the way. Being in a completely dark place is a scary and intimidating thing because you are left helpless and lost. Jesus came as the light of the world that shed light onto the world. He showed the way to a dark world to God.

For years the world walked around in darkness not sure of the way to be restored in a relationship with God, but when Jesus came he shed the light on the world showing them the way. Jesus even claimed at a later time that he was the light of the world and that he that walks with Him will never walk in darkness. When Jesus lived he offered that light to any that would follow after him, but even after he left the earth he made it clear that we are the light of the world. We as John did, are to testify concerning the light. We who walk around bearing the name of Jesus are to be the light of the world.