The Word Became Flesh

Merry Christmas! My name is John Lee and I serve Mission Church as the Senior Pastor. I am humbled and honored to be with you this evening... especially in this context ....as we celebrate the birth of Jesus, anticipate His return, while also considering how these two events impact our lives today.

If you have a Bible please open it to John 1. It is here where the apostle John introduces us to Jesus..and my goal this evening is to help make sense of this text both practically and relationally especially regarding the Eternal life and heavenly light that comes to those who trust Jesus and are born again.

But, before we dive into the text let’s pause and ask God for His help. Let’s pray.

You and I ….we live in a time and space…we live in a culture and a society that is focused on the present…absorbed with the here and the now…and engrossed with how we can live the most comfortably…become the most successful ....and experience the most exciting life that we can. This notion is seen clearly in phrases like FOMO…..or the “fear of missing out” and YOLO……or…. “You only live once”…… these popular sayings speak to the mindset that says, “Do what you want……live it up….avoid what is difficult…and pursue comfort……you only live once so make it as awesome as possible.” The truth is…for many of us…this attitude …wether consciously or subconsciously ….has infected us like a cancer and it motivates how we plan our days…..it drives how we spend our money…it determines our priorities….and it ultimately reflects our shortsightedness.

But....What if I told you .....that in 5 billion years you and I will still exist and the quality of your eternity is tethered to how you answer and respond to the question…..Who is Jesus? You see...This is the most important question any of us will ever answer.

However….despite the importance of this question….there are a plethora of entrenched and divergent opinions about the answer. Too often we have mistaken Jesus for just another man…just another good teacher or prophet. But none of those descriptions are enough…for...they all fall short.

Now…..With this in mind.....let’s take a look at how John …who...many consider to have been the closest to Jesus when He physically and visibly walked this earth and who ...under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit ....defines for us who Jesus is.....and like the opening movement of a grand symphony…..… John’s words grab our attention and they draw us into the story—the story of all stories. Let’s take a look.

John 1:1–2 (CSB)

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.

Now the question is begging to be asked…..Who is the Word? …. Well……John’s choice and use of the greek word “LOGOS”…which is translated into English as “WORD” ...... is informed by the Old Testament teaching concerning the phrase…. “the word of the Lord”….which speaks to God’s agent in creation, revelation, and salvation…Jesus Christ Himself.

And....John is saying here…… everything that can be said of God ….can also be said of Jesus….John…..who was Jewish……who was monotheistic…meaning he worshiped only one God…..which speaks to the fact that he would never refer to someone or something else as a “God.” And yet……John answers the question… Who is Jesus?…. by saying something absolutely amazing… John is emphatically declaring that Jesus is God!

The Word was BOTH with God and the Word was God…..meaning……The Word is both DISTINCT from God…while also being the SAME as God.…..you see....there was never a time in which the Word was not…for the Word both was…… and was with God in the beginning!

Now that doesn’t mean that the Word came into existence at the beginning …for Jesus is the preexistent.. eternal Son of God! Rather John is saying that everything in existence came into being through the Word……..in other words....there never was a time when Jesus did not exist. Look at v3

John 1:3 (CSB)

3 All things were created through him, and apart from him not one thing was created that has been created.

Underline or make note of this phrase, “All things.” You see...John chooses his words very carefully and by doing so he’s drawing our attention to each individual thing Jesus created....he’s shining a spotlight on everything from the largest whale to the smallest amoeba… from the sunflower seed to the redwood tree, from the beautiful sunset to the tiny lightning bug, Jesus Christ designed and created all of it.

Consider

Colossians 1:16 (CSB)

16 For everything was created by him, in heaven and on earth, the visible and the invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things have been created through him and for him.

Consider also

Hebrews 1:2–3 (CSB)

2 In these last days, he has spoken to us by his Son. God has appointed him heir of all things and made the universe through him. 3 The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact expression of his nature, sustaining all things by his powerful word. After making purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high.

Did you know…There are about one hundred billion stars in the average galaxy…….and there are at least one hundred million galaxies in the known universe. Einstein believed that we have scanned with our largest telescopes only one billionth of theoretical space. This means that there are probably something like ten octillion stars in space……..that’s 10 with twenty-seven zeros behind it. And Jesus created them all! And………Not only is he the Creator of the macrocosm of the universe, but also of the microcosm of the smallest atom. Church ….this speaks to the truth that we can trust Jesus with everything. Because Jesus created everything .... He knows exactly what you need.

It was said of Charles Steinmetz, the mechanical genius and friend of Henry Ford, that he could build a motor in his mind, and if it broke down he could fix it in his mind. So when he designed it and actually built it, it ran with precision. One day the assembly line in the Ford plant broke down. None of Ford’s men could fix it, so they called in Steinmetz. He tinkered for a few minutes, threw the switch, and it started running again. A few days later Ford received a bill from Steinmetz for $10,000. Ford wrote back, “Charlie, don’t you think your bill is a little high for just a little tinkering!” Steinmetz sent back a revised bill: “Tinkering—$10. Knowing where to tinker—$9,990.”

Brothers and Sisters....only Jesus knows where the tinkering should be done in your life to keep you in perfect running order. Christ always knows which screw to turn, which belt to loosen, and the most beneficial oil to use. Think about this! Nothing that has been created was created apart from Jesus and everything that exists …He sustains. JESUS IS GOD…JESUS IS CREATOR…AND JESUS IS THE SUSTAINER! Tell me… Have you entrusted your life to him? Are you resting in him? Look at v4

John 1:4–5 (CSB)

4 In him was life, and that life was the light of men. 5 That light shines in the darkness, and yet the darkness did not overcome it.

Now……this word Darkness ……it’s not simply referring to the absence of light. …but rather… John is referring to evil…..and not just the evil that is out there in the world but the evil that exists inside each and every one of us.

Consider what John says in John 3:19

John 3:19 (CSB)

19 This is the judgment: The light has come into the world, and people loved darkness rather than the light because their deeds were evil.

You see…the greatest problem that you and I face today is not necessarily the evil that exists out in the world but it’s the evil that exists inside each and everyone of us.

The Bible calls this evil sin.....and sin is rejecting or ignoring God, disobeying his rule and law, and not receiving the good life he offers. And Sin separates us from God. It makes us rebels and outlaws who have committed crimes deserving death. Friends....sin has caused a rift between God and it destroys us and everything around us.

Consider Romans 3:23

Romans 3:23 (CSB)

23 For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God;

Consider also Romans 6:23

Romans 6:23 (CSB)

23 For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

You see..…sin ….it does’t just make you bad…but……it makes you dead…………..And……John is making the point that it's impossible for you and I to simply be indifferent towards sin or indifferent towards Jesus. He says we love sin……. and those who love sin ……Hate Jesus! And friends…..this is who we are……and If we hooked ourselves up to a spiritual heart monitor…… you would hear one long beep…….it would show a flat line……because….the truth is……apart from God’s intervening power and grace we are all spiritually dead.

Consider what the Apostle Paul says in Ephesians 2:1

Ephesians 2:1 (CSB)

1 And you were dead in your trespasses and sins

Paul doesn’t say you were bad……he is not saying that you and I just made a mistake…But he says we are dead!

Now……I have heard some compare salvation to a person stranded out in the ocean…..The waves are crashing all around him. He is about to lose his life when all of a sudden he sees a light out in the distance. With all the energy he has left, he starts to swim, crying out for help. He sees that the boat is being driven by a captain. The man screams, and the captain doesn’t turn the boat, doesn’t start to come to him, but throws him a life preserver. The person swims to the life preserver. He puts it over himself. Then…wWith the help of the boat, and the preserver he swims to shore.

I have heard preachers use this analogy and say….the Life Preserver is Jesus, and God the Father is the captain. God the Father threw the preserver and Jesus the preserver helped you swim to shore. But ….this is not what the Bible says…..

You see, the Bible is saying that you and I were at the bottom of the ocean with chains all around us, our feet were encased in concrete. The fish had eaten our fingers away. We weren’t screaming for help from the bottom….. because we were dead....and yet, God in his mercy sent his son to the bottom of the ocean … and breathed life where there was death. Church……….God saves sinners.

And……the truth is…we didn’t need help…we needed life. John says that Jesus is the light and this light is…LIFE! You see………Jesus doesn’t just make you good,…..moral or right! Jesus doesn’t throw you a life preserver or help you pull yourself up by your bootstraps. Jesus doesn’t make you more successful…healthy…or wealthy….No! Jesus makes you alive!

And there is no place with the slightest crack that can withhold the LIGHT OF HIS PRESENCE. John tells us that, “The light shines in the darkness.” In other words.... Jesus is continually bombarding every corner of our dark hearts through the work of his Holy Spirit. And when Jesus comes into our lives.... it is good…..but……….. if we’re honest…… it doesn’t alway feel good.

Tell me…..have you ever gone to see a movie in a dark theater…and after the movie you walked outside into the bright Las Vegas summer sun? It hurts! So what do you do?? Well..... Immediately you reach for your sunglasses to shield your eyes from the suns painful rays…..The light hurts.

And for some of you here this morning……that is the case right now. There are areas in your life in which Jesus is shining into ……..and like the sunglasses you’re searching for something to shield you from the shame, guilt and the brokenness that the light exposes.

But……..what happens when you stay in the light? Well…..Your eyes adjust and they no longer hurt. In the same way…..Jesus is not shining to hurt you, but to heal you. Tell me….where might the light of Jesus be shining in your life? Where are you tempted to retreat….to run…to hide …in order to escape the light? Where do you need Jesus’s healing this morning? Wherever or whatever it is……Run to him…repent of your sin…and trust in Christ....for only Jesus provides the healing and the rest your soul so desperately needs. (PAUSE)

Now…… those who experience the light….. they also reflect that light to others…..those who know Jesus live a life that leads others to Jesus……Look at v6

John 1:6–8 (CSB)

6 There was a man sent from God whose name was John. 7 He came as a witness to testify about the light, so that all might believe through him. 8 He was not the light, but he came to testify about the light.

Now……John introduces us to a different John…….He’s not the author of this book…….but….the one that many refer to as John the Baptist. We are told that he was sent by God with a purpose….And his purpose was to point people to the light…..his purpose was to tell people about Jesus! ….and like John…those who experience the light and life of Jesus are to reflect the life and light of Jesus to others.

I’ve heard it said…..that Christians are to be like the moon. The moon has no light. We only see it as it reflects the light of the Sun. In the same way…… You and I …as Christians….we are to reflect and share the light and life of the Son of God to others…as we intentionally Love Jesus….live like Jesus….and lead others to Jesus.

John continues…..look at v9

John 1:9–11 (CSB)

9 The true light that gives light to everyone was coming into the world. 10 He was in the world, and the world was created through him, and yet the world did not recognize him. 11 He came to his own, and his own people did not receive him.

Sadly… the majority of people rejected the light….they rejected Jesus and….they refused to acknowledge the one who made them…..and this truth remains the reality today. Remember……Jesus is both God and Creator……He created this world good…… but…we can all agree that the world in which we live is no longer good….we live in a world that is broken….flawed…and marred by sin……And this is exactly why Jesus came into this world…this is why the Light entered our dark world…..because it’s broken.

You see…..God’s creation …including you and me and everyone we see……everyone that Jesus made has willfully and voluntarily rejected him. We were created to represent….to love and to enjoy God forever….but instead…… we chose to reject God…we have rejected His love and instead of worshipping and enjoying God we have chosen to worship and enjoy ourselves.

But John tells us….. not all have rejected him. There are some who received him. Look at v12

John 1:12–13 (CSB)

12 But to all who did receive him, he gave them the right to be children of God, to those who believe in his name, 13 who were born, not of natural descent, or of the will of the flesh, or of the will of man, but of God.

Now….John …here is explaining to us……how we can receive the Light… but first he points out the common ways that we falsely receive Jesus…and these false assumptions are just as relevant today as they were when John wrote this.

There are many who have mistakenly believed that their receiving of Jesus is based upon the family they were born or brought into. In fact……many people live with the false assurance that they are saved…..they live with the false notion that they know Jesus and Jesus knows them because they grew up in Christian home or they were baptized as a young child …Some of you need to hear me……..It’s not your parent’s faith that saves you. Your parents are not the light, they are just reflecting it! You don’t need them, you need the light that is in them.

Other’s mistakenly believe that it is their efforts that earns their right to be made children of God. If they can just try really hard and exhibit just enough will power……. then they are good. …….Sadly many people’s favorite Bible verse is “God helps those who help themselves.” …in fact that was a friend of mine’s “life verse”….thats what he lived by……..The only problem with that is…well…. it's not the in Bible! You won’t find it! And it is the antithesis of the Gospel.

Some others believe that if they just work really hard to be good ….moral…and religious…….if they do everything they can to clean themselves up……then God’s will receive them.

But….John says it’s not of human blood or of human efforts that makes a person a child of God. Being born of God is not a result of our initiative…or ... of our own resourcefulness or cleverness……you see …receiving the Light and the Life He offers is a matter of incredible simplicity….and amazing grace.

Becoming one of God’s own comes by simply receiving Jesus…… which verse 12 explains by saying, “all who did receive him…..believed in his name,” which means……believing in who Jesus is…….that He is the eternal Creator who put flesh and bones on….who lived his life in perfect obedience to God….He took your sins…past, present, and future sins... upon himself and paid for them through his death on the cross…..He resurrected from the dead and now sits at the right hand of the Father. Do you truly believe him? That’s the question. There is nothing to join….. nothing to sign. Simply believe. I pray that if you have-not received Jesus that you would tonight…and that you would experience the greatness …the love …and the grace He offers

This is why the Word came into the world……Jesus came to call people from death to life—to a living, vibrant relationship with God—through faith in him. Take a look at v14

John 1:14–16 (CSB)

14 The Word became flesh and dwelt among us. We observed his glory, the glory as the one and only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth. 15 (John testified concerning him and exclaimed, “This was the one of whom I said, ‘The one coming after me ranks ahead of me, because he existed before me.’ ”) 16 Indeed, we have all received grace upon grace from his fullness,

This verse contains the entire Christmas story…….and these four words …..“The Word became flesh.” ….contain the most profound truth of all time….and this truth points us to why we celebrate Christmas……you see……we don’t celebrate because of the physical features of a stable and a manger and a star and a young couple and shepherds and wise men. They all participated in the story……of course…..But ……….the real story is …The Word …who has always…eternally…. existed…… became flesh….dwelled among us…and He did so without giving up any of His glory....and He perfectly and personally revealed the Father…..and redeemed humankind!

Brothers and Sisters.....this is amazing……you see…there is no other religion that can make this claim. John says that Jesus entered into the creation that he made. He literally took on flesh and bone… and He moved into our neighborhood.

Now…..Think about the significance of this. Jesus….the creator…He is not immune to what his creation goes through ….He is not immune to what you may be going through this evening……Church….Jesus knows both sorrow and joy. He knows what it is like to be tempted…. he knows what it’s like to be hungry and tired… he knows what it feels like to lose a friend or a family member……he knows the sorrow and despair that comes when a loved one dies……You see……as a genuine human being Jesus is able to sympathize with us in our weaknesses….but unlike us….. even in times of weakness Jesus never sinned.……..and now…..he is able to give us mercy and grace when we come to God through him. And we can come to Him….with confidence…..because …. Jesus as a man understands our struggles and…..Jesus as God … is able and willing to help us in our distress. (PAUSE)

Now....John ends his thought by making sure that we are not confusing the gospel with the Law. Look at v17

John 1:17–18 (CSB)

17 for the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. 18 No one has ever seen God. The one and only Son, who is himself God and is at the Father’s side—he has revealed him.

Through Moses God gave His people the law….and…..The law was meant to protect and show the people how to live in a relationship with God….you see…the law was never intended to be a means in which people could save themselves…..but rather the purpose of the Law was to show us our need for a savior.

Hear me…the law of God shows us what is right, but it can’t make us right. It shows us what is good…. but it can’t make us good! It was never meant to. The grace of the law is that it points us to the grace of God….it points to Jesus…..The one who came into this world ……shining a light in the darkness and giving GRACE to law breakers.

Jesus has come to save those who are actively rejecting Him…he came to save dead….rebellious sinners. And he came to shine his light into dark hearts in order to make these dead, rebellious, sinners…… sons and daughters of God.

Church…..These 18 verses remind us that the promises beginning in the book of Genesis and continuing throughout the entire Old Testament are finally realized in Jesus Christ. You see……Jesus is the promised Messiah. Jesus is our Savior…..and it’s only through Jesus that we can be reconciled with God….Brothers and Sisters….John points us to the fact that the Christmas story is a Gospel story……and this gospel story is a rescue story….. and Jesus is our rescuer....our redeemer. The gospel story is a promise…..and Jesus is the fulfillment. Christmas is all about Jesus and the grace he has made available to you.

Friends…I invite you to rest in Jesus for His grace is sufficient for you…… If you are here and you don’t know Jesus…..I invite you to trust in Him today and receive the grace and forgiveness He offers

Let’s Pray

The Lord’s Supper

Candle Lighting

You received a candle on the way in. "The lighting of...candles dramatically depicts the growing expectation we have for the coming of Christ, the light of the world."   For those of you that are not church goers. I hope this light is a spark for you….I pray it serves as a glimmer of hope……… I pray that this would be a light for you to continue to seek out the truth of Jesus as the light in your life.

For those who are followers of Jesus - He is the light of the world. And his light shines brighter though his people, the church. May we be a people who are a light, a city on the hill. Don’t shine so others can see you. Shine so that, through you, others can see Jesus! We light these candles as a sign of the coming light of Christ.

[*Light ushers' candles*]

Hear the Word of the Lord, Isaiah 60:1-3

Isaiah 60:1–3 (CSB)

1 Arise, shine, for your light has come,

and the glory of the Lord shines over you.

2 For look, darkness will cover the earth,

and total darkness the peoples;

but the Lord will shine over you,

and his glory will appear over you.

3 Nations will come to your light,

and kings to your shining brightness.

Matthew 4:16 (CSB)

16 The people who live in darkness

have seen a great light,

and for those living in the land of the shadow of death,

a light has dawned.

Let us walk in the light of the Lord Jesus Christ……will you join me in singing!