God's promises... (11)

The Word was made flesh...

Tonight as we look at the miracle of Christmas, the birth of God’s promise to save His people from their sins. There is only one that we can look to, and that is Jesus Christ.

Over the centuries, there have been those who believed that Jesus was a man but how could this man be God. Others have looked at God, but wondered how this God could be a man. John spells it out clearly and tonight, we’ll take a quick look at God becoming a human.

Tonight I’d like to read our Scripture in the translation that I memorized as an eleven year old boy at Bible Camp.

John 1:1–14 KJV 1900

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made. In him was life; and the life was the light of men. And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not. There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. The same came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all men through him might believe. He was not that Light, but was sent to bear witness of that Light. That was the true Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world. He was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not. He came unto his own, and his own received him not. But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name: Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God. And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.

God involved so many people in the story of Jesus, and I wonder if it’s because He wants to involve us int telling the story of His great love.

The obvious characters of Christmas are the Angel Gabriel, Mary, Joseph, the shepherds, the angels, the innkeeper, and we often include the Magi, but there’s also Zachariah and Elisabeth were there too.

This leads to

Jesus’ Forerunner

John 1:6 KJV 1900

There was a man sent from God, whose name was John.

Malachi 3:1–2 NIV

“I will send my messenger, who will prepare the way before me. Then suddenly the Lord you are seeking will come to his temple; the messenger of the covenant, whom you desire, will come,” says the Lord Almighty. But who can endure the day of his coming? Who can stand when he appears? For he will be like a refiner’s fire or a launderer’s soap.

John the Baptist came preaching, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near.”

God sent John ahead of Jesus to prepare the way. The Messiah is coming, it’s time to get right with God. Many heard this message and realized that they needed to get right with God.

He wasn’t born in a palace. He didn’t wear designer clothing. Many probably thought that he was an eccentric.

Prophets weren’t your average ordinary people. Noah built a boat. Elijah was known as the troubler of Israel. Isaiah went around naked for a time. Jeremiah was the weeping prophet. Ezekiel laid on his side for long periods of time. John ate locusts and honey and dressed in camel skin, Jonah spent three days and three nights in the belly of a large fish, and yet God had a message for each of them to share.

John was born to parents in their old age and was called to let people know that the Christ, the Messiah was near.

Trying to connect the dots

If you were looking for a deliverer, what would the person look like?

On December 11th, 1917, two days after Jerusalem had been freed from Turkish occupation, British General Edmund Allenby rode up to Jerusalem on a white horse, but dismounted because there is only one worthy to enter riding a white horse. (Haaretz)

Who would expect a baby?

Who would expect a carpenter?

How could a king come from Nazareth?

God chose one who came to His own and His own didn’t receive Him, or even recognize Him.

Isaiah 53:2–4 NIV

He grew up before him like a tender shoot, and like a root out of dry ground. He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to him, nothing in his appearance that we should desire him. He was despised and rejected by mankind, a man of suffering, and familiar with pain. Like one from whom people hide their faces he was despised, and we held him in low esteem. Surely he took up our pain and bore our suffering, yet we considered him punished by God, stricken by him, and afflicted.

When the Magi came to Herod, he had to get the leading priests and religious leaders of the day to see where the Messiah would be born.

The birth of Jesus was as follows...

This was God’s plan all along. God chose a young virgin to become the mother of our saviour.

Genesis 3:15 NLT

And I will cause hostility between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring. He will strike your head, and you will strike his heel.”

Jesus wasn’t any ordinary child, but He was like us. When Mary gave birth to Jesus, she wrapped Him in swaddling cloths like any other baby. He cried just like any other baby that needed to be changed. He got hungry like we did.He even needed to be burped to get rid of the gas.

He was a normal child, but He was no ordinary child. He came to save His people from their sins.

God became a human

Jesus became like us so that we could become like Him. He paid the price for our sins to make us right with God.

Philippians 2:6–7 NIV

Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness.

The Word was made flesh.

Logos = word

As the Word, the Son of God, Jesus , fully conveys and communicates God.

John

Life Application New Testament Commentary (God Became a Human / 1:1–18 / 2)

spoke of Jesus as a human being he knew and loved..., who was at the same time the Creator of the universe, the ultimate revelation of God, and also the living picture of God’s holiness. Jesus as the logos reveals God’s mind to us.

John 1:14 NLT

So the Word became human and made his home among us. He was full of unfailing love and faithfulness. And we have seen his glory, the glory of the Father’s one and only Son.

We have to be careful not to diminish His deity while He lived on earth, but at the same time realize that He completely human, while He was completely God.

The Word, the creator of the universe, became a human, to show us the Father. Jesus made a very telling statement to Philip, “If you have seen Me, you have seen the Father.”

Colossians 2:9 NLT

For in Christ lives all the fullness of God in a human body.

If you want to see what God looks like in a human body, It’s Jesus Christ.

This baby in a manger, healed the sick, opened blind eyes, mended broken hearts, had compassion for outcasts, took stripes on His back, died on the cross for our sins. Not only did He do that but He rose from the dead, ascended into Heaven, and is seated at the right hand of God the Father, and one day He will come again. He is King of kings and Lord of lords.

He came in grace and truth. The truth is without Jesus we deserve Hell, but that’s where grace comes in. “God demonstrated His love for us, that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”

Jesus Christ is the greatest gift that we could ever receive or share.

Romans 1:16 NIV

For I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes: first to the Jew, then to the Gentile.

Jesus gave up His rights so that we could find life.

We live in a society where rights and an attitude of entitlement are clung to, and yet Jesus didn’t cling to His rights as the Son of God to get Him out of dying on a cross.

By receiving Jesus into our lives, we are given rights and authority that we can’t earn.

John 1:12–13 NIV

Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God— children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God.

When you receive Jesus and believe that He died for your sins, He gives you the right to be called a child of God. You join a huge family because God’s love is so great.

This Christmas season, let’s not rush to get to the presents, but let’s be sure to consider the blessing of being a son and daughter of God.

Let’s take time and show that same love to all those around us.

Let’s pray!

Thank you for becoming a human so many years ago in Bethlehem. Thank you for coming to save us from our sins and giving us the hope that one day you will return.

Help us to keep our eyes on you and share your love with others. In Jesus’ name. Amen.