Christmas is about Grace and Truth
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Notes
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Introduction
Introduction
Merry Christmas everyone! I do hope that you have been enjoying it. I know in the Galvez home, we have had a couple of illnesses, Thank you for your prayers.
Turn in your Bibles to 1 John.
Christmas is really a special time of the year. But it is special not because we get a bit of relief from the heat. Common ordinary places get a little bit more magical, I know the Chick-fil-a near us always looks amazing. It is special because of what it causes us to remember. And despite the fact that during Christmas we are reminded of the Incarnation, the most significant event to ever take place, even the smallest thing can distract us from it.
We can spend so much energy on things that are small, but very little effort in the things that matter. We keep ourselves busy doing things, making our wish lists, hunting for sales, Advent devotions, advent calendars, decorations, trees, pictures, cards, music, traditions. Little things but hopefully we do not miss what is really essential. We can get so caught up with the sentimental trappings of Christmas and forget that Christmas is not about these things.
What we really need, often, is to be in awe of who Jesus is and not be content with merely knowing of him. In awe of him. In awe of what the Christmas is about. We are very familiar with the true Christmas story. We can recite the whole story in chronological order and describe the scenes , characters, and drama. Mary and Joseph traveling to Bethlehem and “the no room in the inn” drama, and the angels visiting the shepherds and talk about the significance of it all and, I worry, that the familiarity of it will cause us to read and think and discuss all of these things and be unmoved.
And what a contrast to everything. Consider how much joy you get in opening a present to reflecting on the purpose for the birth of Christ. Think about how you can watch a Christmas movie, even one that you are so familiar with. Like you know Bruce Willis is going to save his wife and take out all those terrorists or you know all of the traps that Kevin is going to setup in his house and the hilarious ways that the bandits are gonna fall into them.
We will watch a Christmas movie and laugh just as hard as the first time we saw a particular scene or become teary eyed at the exact same moment in that fictional movie, but not captivated or in awe when we read of Christ.
Perhaps, you are here and thinking “Another Christmas message, I already know this! But what is more shocking, more uncommon, more awe-ful, more weird, more dramatic than the incarnation of the Son of God?
We can be so easily distracted and caught up with the little things, that we forget what is most essential or be unmoved by it. What we really need is to repent of that and ask the Lord to give us a heart that is eager to see Him and to be in awe of His goodness. And this morning, in particular I want us to see Jesus like the apostles and is described in the text before us. To see Him, full of grace and truth.
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.
Jesus
Jesus
The Word, described here, is more than a title that the apostle John is giving to substitute for the name of Jesus. There is much more here that the original readers and even the careful reader today should see. John’s Jewish audience would have thought of the Old Testament and all that was associated with the Word.
And that word had power, they would think of Genesis 1:1, where the word is spoken and everything came into being. The psalmist even picks this up in Ps 33:6
6 By the word of the Lord the heavens were made,
and by the breath of his mouth all their host.
They knew that the word of God in some ways was typologically pointing to a future Messiah, which was Christ. Consider what the prophet spoke of the word that is sent by God in Isaiah 55:10-11
10 “For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven
and do not return there but water the earth,
making it bring forth and sprout,
giving seed to the sower and bread to the eater,
11 so shall my word be that goes out from my mouth;
it shall not return to me empty,
but it shall accomplish that which I purpose,
and shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it.
The context of Isaiah 55 is God’s call for the wicked to abandon their wicked ways and to respond in faith and trust in his word to receive blessing. Clearly a section in Isaiah’s prophetic ministry pointing to something beyond their immediate salvation and deliverance from foreign powers, but to Christ and what He accomplishes. He is sent by the Father from Heaven, who is life and light to all men. And His sending is effectual. The Logos, Christ, does not fail in his mission, but accomplishes the work and returns to the Father.
Additionally, in the Old Testament, every time that a prophet spoke the “very words of God”, that was significant. It was conveyance of God to man. When they delivered a message, it came as from the mind of God, the intent of God, was aligned to the character of God bore the authority of God, and was to fulfill the purpose of God without anyone or thing being able to be overcome that word. The Word that was sent forth was representative, in a way, of God Himself, not in just speaking to them but acting in creation.
The Jews understood what John meant when he said the Word. The Greeks would have even understood as well. Just one example, Heraclitus, living in 600-500 BC, was a philosopher from Ephesus connected the concept of order in all events. You are probably familiar with one of the illustrations that he made of how it is impossible to step into the same river twice. You step in and step out and if you were to step in again, it is a different river, the one you were in prior is gone downriver. It meant to illustrate how everything is in a state of constant change.
Some would think that this would cause Heraclitus to conclude that everything is chaotic, but that is not true. Instead, he mentions the Logos preserving everything from devolving into chaos. The Logos controlled, guided, deliberately ordered all things and that Logos according to Heraclitus was the reason of God. Both Jewish and Greek audiences would have had this association of the Word, the Logos, being related with divinity. And the Logos, the Word, was not a passive force, but an active one.
And we can come to the same conclusion today which is part of the beauty of John’s prologue. In Matthew’s prologue, we see how Jesus is the Son of Abraham and the Son of David. In Mark’s Gospel, we see how he is connected with the voice calling out in the wilderness, John the Baptist. In Luke’s Gospel, the prologue connects Jesus with prophetic fulfillments. And in John’s prologue, he connects the Word, Jesus, with the eternal God. So even though we are born in a different time, language, and culture we still can understand what he means when he refers to the Word and understand what he means when he says and the Word was God.
John 1:1-2- Eternality of the Word and the Word being God
John 1:2-3- Word is not an it, but a person. He and him is used.
John 1:3- Word was not created but created all things that are made
John 1:4- The Word is life and light
John 1:5- The Word cannot be overcome
And later in John 1:14 The Word is called the “only Son of the Father”
Paul, in Colossians, repeats much of these attributes in describing the son
15 He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. 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.
Jesus is the Son of God and is God and created all things and gives life and light to all men.
And the Word here is active.
In this verse we see three movements:
The Word Coming to Earth
The Word’s Time on Earth
The Effect the Word
The Word Coming to Earth
The Word Coming to Earth
We find this in the first clause “And the Word became flesh”. It is important to note that it does not say that:
God was made flesh in such a way that God the Son is a created being.
God converted into being solely flesh, losing his divinity.
God appeared to be flesh.
God possessed flesh, taking over His body like a demon possession.
God had relations with Mary physically to produce a type of flesh mingled with divinity, some sort of hybrid.
God simply added flesh as a separate distinct parts like some sort of Jekyll and Hyde figure.
God passed through flesh, using Mary simply as a portal to come to earth
As Cyril wrote, “If the Incarnation was a phantom, salvation is a phantom also.”
When John says that the Word became flesh it stretches our minds and understanding. But this is what occurs, Paul writes to the Philippians of Jesus that
6 who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, 7 but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men.
We first have the Word who is God, that is divinity, and then we have the flesh, that is humanity. He is the God man with two natures which are not confused, changed or divided. Both preserved in the single person of Christ. Truly God, Truly Man.
The Word’s Time on Earth
The Word’s Time on Earth
Then we see the Word’s Time on Earth. "he dwelt among us”. Why did he choose then to do it? When you consider the scope of history, there were plenty of times when it would have seemed like the perfect time for him to come.
In the beginning God created everything and quickly man sins. And if man needed salvation and a Savior, would it not have been then? Why not just fix things right then and there?
Or what about at a time when the height of wickedness was pretty high, Noah’s time?
5 The Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intention of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.
Evil and wickedness all throughout the land and only Noah was godly. Surely this would have been the perfect time. Man needed to be brought to turn from their evil ways and return to Him. But no, a flood is sent.
If not then, then perhaps when the people were all united. They all spoke the same language and they migrated east to the land of Shinar and settled there and started to work together to build a tower. Great time to send your Son and redeem the world right? The job is easy, they are united in tongue and purpose.
8 So the Lord dispersed them from there over the face of all the earth, and they left off building the city.
So not when gross immorality is present, or a great unity, but what about desperation? The ones God had singularly chosen to extend His love towards, picking a people not because they were mighty or more in number, but simply by His sovereign choice. Maybe send the Savior then to these people who are in slavery? No, he sends Moses and then Moses even tells them
15 “The Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among you, from your brothers—it is to him you shall listen—
How about when the people were calling out for a king. Instead of Saul, why not send Jesus when they wanted a leader? Instead, thousands of years pass and hundreds of prophesies are given. And He comes at a time when His own do not recognize him or receive him.
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.
What timing! And yet, though it not be our timing, it was the perfect timing for the Word to become flesh. It is what the people of Israel had longed for in a real way. When a storm comes and lightning strikes we can comfort our children by telling them I am here. But what do they really want? They want you to be physically there!
In the same way, the people of God did have a means for God to dwell with them. You will remember that they had the tent of meeting and the tabernacle.
8 And let them make me a sanctuary, that I may dwell in their midst. 9 Exactly as I show you concerning the pattern of the tabernacle, and of all its furniture, so you shall make it.
44 I will consecrate the tent of meeting and the altar. Aaron also and his sons I will consecrate to serve me as priests. 45 I will dwell among the people of Israel and will be their God. 46 And they shall know that I am the Lord their God, who brought them out of the land of Egypt that I might dwell among them. I am the Lord their God.
But there was still some distance that was made between them.
Exodus 33:7–11a (ESV)
7 Now Moses used to take the tent and pitch it outside the camp, far off from the camp, and he called it the tent of meeting. And everyone who sought the Lord would go out to the tent of meeting, which was outside the camp. 8 Whenever Moses went out to the tent, all the people would rise up, and each would stand at his tent door, and watch Moses until he had gone into the tent. 9 When Moses entered the tent, the pillar of cloud would descend and stand at the entrance of the tent, and the Lord would speak with Moses. 10 And when all the people saw the pillar of cloud standing at the entrance of the tent, all the people would rise up and worship, each at his tent door. 11 Thus the Lord used to speak to Moses face to face, as a man speaks to his friend.
What was God dwelling with them good for?
Well for one, like we read earlier, it reminded them of how God had delivered them.
But it also reminded them that they were his.
11 I will make my dwelling among you, and my soul shall not abhor you. 12 And I will walk among you and will be your God, and you shall be my people. 13 I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, that you should not be their slaves. And I have broken the bars of your yoke and made you walk erect.
But the people rebel from God and in Ezekiel 10, what do we read happens?
18 Then the glory of the Lord went out from the threshold of the house, and stood over the cherubim.
But what do we read here in John’s Gospel? A reversal! Again, as astounding as it is that God would come to dwell with sinful man, there is an even greater truth being conveyed here that was not lost on the readers. It would have reminded them of a verse that we actually read earlier in the service.
10 Sing and rejoice, O daughter of Zion, for behold, I come and I will dwell in your midst, declares the Lord. 11 And many nations shall join themselves to the Lord in that day, and shall be my people. And I will dwell in your midst, and you shall know that the Lord of hosts has sent me to you.
God’s glory was removed from the temple, but it was not for forever. He had promised that he would come again and dwell with his people. And that happened in the Incarnation.
Before we look at the last point which is the effect the Word has on us, have you understood and sufficiently thought on this truth?
Jesus is God. Yes, he was born as a child and placed in a manger, but that weak child was the creator of the universe. That crying baby was the divine word. That fragile child is what sustains all things. We are surrounded by nativity scenes and are we brought to our knees as we understand this is no ordinary birth. And his birth means the fulfillment of that prophecy. That the nations have been joined to him. We are his people only because he came and dwelled with us. Without the incarnation, there is no salvation. Without the incarnation, there is no claim to be his. No claim to be a child of God.
If there is no incarnation, what is it that we can expect? What is the only thing that we can look forward to? Judgment. Why? Because you and I are sinners. We break God’s law and fall short of the glory of God every single day. Even when we have a holiday to remind us of this deliverance, the little things draw us from the grand.
And if not judgment, without the incarnation, what are we left with? If you were with us last week, we considered what it meant to faithfully await the coming of the Lord by looking at Simeon and Anna. Both believed the word of God and waited. Simeon, somehow told by the spirit that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord’s Christ. Anna expectantly waiting for the redemption of Jerusalem because of the many prophetic words of old. But without the incarnation, God is a liar. And so what does that make us? Fools and blasphemers of God.
But there was a coming to the earth and there was a dwelling on the earth. And if man were to meet with God, you know that there is produced an effect.
The Effect the Word
The Effect the Word
We come to the final clause we are going to consider “We have seen his glory...full of grace and truth”.
We needed him to dwell with us so that by him we may see the glory of God and receive grace from the one who is full of grace. To know truth, it must be embraced in the one who is truth. This is an apostolic we.
1 That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we looked upon and have touched with our hands, concerning the word of life— 2 the life was made manifest, and we have seen it, and testify to it and proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and was made manifest to us— 3 that which we have seen and heard we proclaim also to you, so that you too may have fellowship with us; and indeed our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ.
These were not rumors or it was not hearsay. They were things visibly seen. It was not a peek or a glance, you sneak a peek at a package and think you know what your Christmas gift is, this is piercing seeing. Not a hallucination, but true sight.
So great was this sight that it changed everything for them. They were willing to live with abandon. It cost some their families, their wealth, their comforts, their occupations, their desires, their safety, their homes, their very own lives. What did they see?
These eyewitnesses saw the glory of the Son and He is described as being full of grace and truth.
Full of Grace . . .
Full of Grace . . .
Grace is receiving what we do not deserve. We do not deserve life or forgiveness of our sins. We have not done anything, despite all of the many things we might accomplish in this life, to deserve reconciliation with the Father. We did not deserve even for a Savior to have come and delivered us. God would have been completely in the right to have judged us in our sins and left us to have nothing but a fearful expectation of wrath and judgment. And yet, what is it that we receive?
God could have came down and destroyed them. God had sent angels before to traverse the earth and towns to find a righteous one. Consider Sodom and Gomorrah, only 10 needed to be found, but when the Lord came he found it lacking and that place was destroyed. But when Jesus came and displayed the glory of God it was graceful.
There are many in the world today who may recognize that Christmas is about Jesus being born. They may even submit themselves to thinking that Jesus is God, but they delay. There is no effect of that truth on their life. And God’s grace for them is that He does not smite them then and there.
. . . And Truth
. . . And Truth
They saw Truth in gazing on the glory of the Son. Truth because
He does not deny act contrary to himself.
Just: He must be just and so he does give what the wages of sin deserve.
Words: He keeps His word. They are effectual and they actually do come to pass.
He communicates truth
How can we know the truth?
By abiding in the word- life of obedience
31 So Jesus said to the Jews who had believed him, “If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, 32 and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”
By his spirit- keeping in step with the spirit
13 When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth, for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will declare to you the things that are to come.
This is the beauty of Christmas, when you see Christ, when you see the glory of Christ you see fullness of grace and truth. Not all saw though. The glory was visibly present and yet they betrayed him and cried out crucify him.
Until the Spirit brings light Satan prevents the fallen world from being able to see the light of the glory of Christ.
4 In their case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.
But if this is an apostolic we, then can we see grace and truth in Christ? We see, but in a different way and are still blessed for it.
29 Jesus said to him, “Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”
We believe by the spirit:
10 these things God has revealed to us through the Spirit. For the Spirit searches everything, even the depths of God.
And we believe by the power of the Gospel.
30 Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book; 31 but these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.
It’s no accident that verse 12–13 precede the verse that we have been considering this morning:
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.
Those who are born again will see His glory in fullness, but that does not mean that we are completely unfamiliar with the glory of Christ. We have the light of the Gospel which shines the glory of Jesus.
And our faith will be made sight when we see the Lord when He returns in His second advent.
2 Beloved, we are God’s children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when he appears we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is.
This is true and will happen until then, we must hold tightly to it, believing with faith. That is His desire.
24 Father, I desire that they also, whom you have given me, may be with me where I am, to see my glory that you have given me because you loved me before the foundation of the world.
Did you catch what Jesus just prayed? That we may see his glory. How?By going where he is. To be with Him. In Heaven. With... Him! He came and dwelled with us, so that we may see his glory and one day dwell with him.
And in dwelling with him the failings our bodies due to illness and disease and decay or of the bodies of those who we love will be restored for all who are in Christ. Where the disasters that hit our homes and cause severed relationships which bring tears into our eyes because one seat is empty at the table because we know that wayward child is out living in the world. Maybe not experienced here where we live, but in many countries, where believers are in fear to celebrate remembering the incarnation of their savior for their livehood will be no more because they will dwell in cities without any need of walls.
Those teary eyes will be dried to cry no more. Truly peace on earth.
That is where we the Christian is going. Why? Because of the Incarnation. Kinda makes the yearning for your Christmas bonus or the long vacation feel just a little bit less worthy doesn’t it when compared with a desire for the second advent, the return of our Lord.
What are we to do? Respond.
Perhaps, if you are hearing my words today, this may be the time for you to see Christ, the God Man and no longer delay.
In Benjamin Keach’s allegory The Travels of True Godliness, the character Godliness is found traveling all over trying to find a dwelling place, Riches rejects him, Poverty is fearful to accept him, Youth delays him, Old Age is too stubborn from old habits to open for him, and Mr. Legalist believes that he already has him. Only thoughtful receives him and is abundantly blessed and comforted.
If you ever get a chance to read it you will find that you are confronted with the question,w ho am i? Not existentially, but within the cast of characters who are you? Do you delight so much in your material goods that you reject Christ and a life of holiness because of what it may require of you? Do you fear the rejection and abandonment you might face? Do you feel as though you are young and have all the time in the world so you will first enjoy your little sins for a time longer (Keach writes how why would anyone choose live a life of poisonous death)
How do you know that by the time of old age you will even be soft in heart to abandon your sinful habits and even respond to the Lord?
“Not the salt sea of thy own tears, but the red sea of Christ’s blood must wash away thy sins. You must owe the life of your soul, to the death of your Saviour.”
That was the greatest grace-filled act of Christ. He came to save sinners. And the apostles saw and testified of this grace and truth. Every Christmas, we are reminded of it. May we also, like the apostles, go forth and proclaim of this grace and truth.