Advent of Christ

Video: The Promise of Eternity

(Diana Read)

Scripture Reading: John 1:1-5

John 1:1–5 ESV

1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God. 3 All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made. 4 In him was life, and the life was the light of men. 5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.

Songs:

“Hark The Herald Angels Sing / King of Heaven”

“Great are You Lord”

1. Jesus is Our Life

Where God Is

An atheist and a Christian were engaged in an intense public debate. On the blackboard behind the podium the atheist printed in large capital letters, "GOD IS NOWHERE." When the Christian rose to offer his rebuttal, he rubbed out the W at the beginning of where and added that letter to the preceding word no.

Then the statement read, "GOD IS NOW HERE."

“In Him was life, and that life was the light of man. The Light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.”

*How are you daily experiencing Jesus as Life?

The frequency of usage of the noun ‘life’ (hayya) is relatively rare, whereas the adjective ‘living’ (hay) is common, with 249 occurrences, as opposed to only 12 for the noun.

There is plenty evidence that ‘God is Life.’

Life

Life, both physical and spiritual, originates from God. Physical life is the time between one’s birth and death. Spiritual life is communion with God. Physical and spiritual life flourish when one is in communion with God.

John 5:24 ESV

24 Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life. He does not come into judgment, but has passed from death to life.

Life was the light of man ----- it shines in the Darkness ----- The Darkness has not overcome it

JESUS AS LIFE

Note: Only God as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit is eternal. All other beings have a beginning in time.

When we are talking about Salvation and the life Christ can give us, it is everlasting life that we are talking about - a life that begins in this mundane world and continues on into eternity.

CHRIST IS THE BEARER AND GIVER OF EVERLASTING LIFE

Jesus is speaking to Martha after the death of Lazarus and said to her, ‘I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die.’” Jesus is speaking to Martha about resurrection, postmortem experience. His point is that when it comes to salvation or the give of everlasting life, physical death cannot keep him down.

Eventually even physical death will be reversed for the believer in the resurrection.

Jesus not only gives life, he is the very source of life. The life he is referring to must be received in this lifetime, and it will continue on into and throughout life in heaven and then life in the resurrection when we regain a physical existence.

LIFE THROUGH DEATH

Consider how the world views death. Most of the world see’s death as a final chapter, an end of all things for us. However, when Jesus speaks of death he also puts it in the same context of life. For the believer even though they die they also live. We are called to die to this world and live for Christ.

When we become followers of Christ we are moving from death to life and then back to death again. The death we are being brought out of is the death of sin, the death we are going back into is crucifying the flesh.

C.S. Lewis

“Aim at Heaven and you will get earth ‘thrown in’” aim at earth and you will get neither.”

Christians live with much to hope for in an everlasting life. This is only true because God is love, light, and life.

Script:

“Jesus was born for all the World”

Song:

“Light of the World (sing Hallelujah)”

(Johanna Read)

John 1:6–13 ESV

6 There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. 7 He came as a witness, to bear witness about the light, that all might believe through him. 8 He was not the light, but came to bear witness about the light. 9 The true light, which gives light to everyone, was coming into the world. 10 He was in the world, and the world was made through him, yet the world did not know him. 11 He came to his own, and his own people did not receive him. 12 But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, 13 who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.

SCRIPT: The Call of Christmas Anthem

2. Jesus is Our Light

“The Light shines in the darkness and the darkness has not overcome it.”

“The true light, which gives light to everyone, was coming into the world.”

“Those who are born not of blood, nor of the will of flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.”

*How are you daily experiencing Jesus as Light?

In John 8:12 Jesus said: “I am the Light of the World.”

Those who understand and perceive the true light will never walk in spiritual darkness again. Physical light is necessary for physical life. The earth would certainly change very rapidly if there were no longer any sunlight. A forest full of trees with very thick canopies of foliage high above has very little plant life on the ground except for moss or lichen, which needs little sunlight.

Plants will never move away from the light - they are said to be positively phototropic, drawn to the light. In the same way, spiritual light is necessary for spiritual life, and this can be a good test of our standing in Christ. The believer will always tend towards spiritual things; he will always tend towards fellowship, prayer, the Word of God and so on.

The unbeliever will always do the opposite because light exposes his evil. The darkness is repelled and repulsed by the light that Jesus Christ brings at Christmas.

2 Conditions for Following Jesus

John 8:12 ESV

12 Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”

(1) His followers will never walk in Darkness

This is a reference to the assurance of Salvation we enjoy. As true followers of Christ we will never followthe ways of sin, never live in a state of continual sinning.

1 John 1:5–7 ESV

5 This is the message we have heard from him and proclaim to you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. 6 If we say we have fellowship with him while we walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. 7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin.

Instead we all repent of our sin in order to stay close to the light.

(2) We will Reflect the Light of Life.

Just as Jesus came as the light of the world He commands us to be “lights,” too.

Matthew 5:14–16 ESV

14 “You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. 15 Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. 16 In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.

Just as the moon has no light of its own, reflecting the light of the sun, so believers are to reflect the Light of Christ so that all can see it in us.

vs. 9 “The True light gives light to everyone.”

Jesus came to bring light to the world and we are now called to bear witness to that light. 1 Peter 3:15 “Always being prepared to make a defense for the light of Christ that is in you.”

“Receiving and Believing the Light Gives us the right to Become Children of God”

Song

“Behold”

(Troy Read)

John 1:14 ESV

14 And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.

3. Jesus is Our Glory

“And the word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as the only Son from the Father full of grace and truth.”

HE CHOSE TO DWELL AMONG US

Just like the tabernacle tent was pitched in the midst of the nation Israel. God has now come and pitched His tent among the people.

*How are you daily experiencing Jesus as Glory?

Divine Glory

Revelation 21:23 ESV

23 And the city has no need of sun or moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and its lamp is the Lamb.

Remember that his glory at the moment is largely veiled to us, for we do not yet see God face-to-face. It is impossible for us now, by faith, to see something of the glory of God. We get glimpses of the glory of God.

We must acknowledge that even apart from sin we cannot behold the glory of God and live.

The infinite glory of God is too high, and marvellous for us. It is utterly beyond our powers, and even a small drop of his glory, so to speak, would utterly consume us.

With the entrance of sin into the world this reality is even magnified.

Hebrews 1:3 ESV

3 He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power. After making purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high,

Note: Did not the son of God veil His glory when He took on human flesh? If we are talking about the revelation of divine glory as blindingly pure light, then the answer is yes.

To know Christ by faith is to know God Himself, and to know God is to know something of His divine nature, including His glory.

“Full of Grace and Truth”

*The Glory of God is revealed in the person of Jesus Christ.

The day that Jesus Christ was born is the day that the very glory of God came down and kissed the earth.

2 GLORIES WE SHOULD KNOW AND UNDERSTAND

1). His Personal Glory: The Glory of the God-man

Jesus glory was unique to him alone. Christ is the only part of the trinity who was fully God and fully man and experienced the unique glory of being the incarnate Christ.

Remember in Isaiah 6 he did not directly see God and live Isaiah saw Yaweh the God-man. He saw the glorification of Jesus Christ.

As sinners we should be thankful that we see God’s glory in the person of the Son, because that glory, when beheld by faith, is the kind of glory that saves us rather than consumes us.

2) His is a Mediator Glory: The Glory of the Bride

This is the glory that is acquired, purchased, and merited by his work on the cross for all sinners.

This glory involves Christ’s people which he died for because they are, after all, his bride. And the Bride of Christ is , naturally, his glory, just as woman is the glory of man. We, who are his body, are “the fullness of him who fills all in all.”

Think of it this way. The more blessings that the resurrected King of Glory pours out on his children the more glory he receives. The more love Christ shows the church the more love he shows to himself.

Therefore, in His bride he is glorified and the chief end of mankind is to bring God glory.

Look what Jesus says in John 17:10

John 17:10 ESV

10 All mine are yours, and yours are mine, and I am glorified in them.

God’s great end is the very glorification of His son.

Colossians 1:16 ESV

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

John Piper has coined the following phrase that He uses often.

God is most glorified in us when we are most Satisfied in Him.

Here is the reason most people miss the true Hope, Joy, Peace, and Love of Christmas. Most people in the world today do not find their greatest satisfaction in Him alone.

Many people are familiar with Philippians 4:13 “I can do all things through him who strengthen’s me.” But do you know what comes before this verse.

Paul writes, “For I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content. I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance.”

Christmas day 2022 is fading and soon will be a memory of Christmas past. If we are honest with ourselves many of us could not say that they find their greatest satisfaction in the incarnate baby in a manger or even the 33 year old Messiah who died on a cross over 2,000 years ago.

The reason why is that our image of God and his son are stilled veiled in darkness. But, here is the good news, there is no amount of darkness that can keep the light of Christ out. His light pierces through the darkest night to the most hardened heart.

The question I have for you this Christmas morning do you find your greatest satisfaction in the incarnation of Jesus Christ? And if not, what are you going to do about it?

The light has come into the world and one day, that same light of the world is returning at the second advent for His own.

THERE IS A VOICE THAT IS CALLING LIGHT A DARK WORLD.

Script

“The Call of Christmas Anthem”

Video

“God With Us”

Emmanuel is here, God in Flesh to take away the sins of the world. We light our candles this Christmas morning to remind us no only that the light of the world has come, but that we are called to light to the world.

Note: Lights out to complete darkness.

Song:

Silent Night