God Over Us - Dec. 21st, 2025

Passage: John 1:1–2, 14 (Scripture Reading: Genesis 1:1–31; John 1:1–14)

Text (KJV): “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… 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” (John 1:1–2, 14).

Central Idea of the Text (CIT): John declared the eternal Word was God with God, and became flesh among us, revealing divine glory.

Sermonic Proposition: Because Jesus is the eternal Word made flesh, we must bow to His lordship and trust His grace.

Statement of Purpose:

General Purpose: Consecrative.

Specific Objective: I want my hearers to worship Jesus as God over us and to submit to His rule—by faith for salvation, and by obedience for service.

Service Notes (as given):

Hymns: “A Mighty Fortress Is Our God”; “Hark! the Herald Angels Sing”; “God of Our Fathers, Whose Almighty Hand.”

Offertory Prayer: O Lord, our Redeemer and Creator, we are yours—our lives, our all. Now we give you an offering, a small token of our allegiance to you as citizens of your kingdom. In the name of Jesus, our Lord, Savior, and King. Amen.

INTRODUCTION

It is Sunday morning, December 21, 2025—“the year of our Lord.” We write that without thinking, we speak it without even realizing what we’ve said. But if you stop and listen to your own mouth, you’ll hear a confession: Jesus Christ is the measuring stick of history.

How did that happen?

How did a tiny, dependent Baby—born in a borrowed place, laid in a manger, needing His mother’s milk, wrapped in swaddling clothes—become so important that the world still dates time around His coming?

We have seen the Baby; we have heard His cry. We have pictured Him learning to walk—stumbling, falling, trying again. We have read how He grew “in wisdom and stature, and in favour with God and man” (Luke 2:52). We have watched Him teach in the synagogue. We have stood at the foot of the cross. We have listened to the tomb’s silence, and then to resurrection morning’s shout.

And yet here we are: 2025—“the year of our Lord.”

Friend, there must be more to Jesus than a sentimental scene on a Christmas card. There must be more than a manger, more than a melody, more than memories.

And there is.

John does not begin the Christmas story with shepherds. He begins with “In the beginning.” He pulls our eyes off the cradle and lifts them to eternity. He tells us that the Child in Bethlehem did not start in Bethlehem. Before God is for us and with us, He is first over us—Creator, King, Lord.

And this Son—this Word—shows us not only that God came near, but that God has every right to reign.

So this morning, from John 1:1-2, 14, I want us to see this: Jesus Christ is God over us—eternal, incarnate, and reigning—so we must respond in faith and obedience.

And that’s why we can sing with confidence—whether it’s “A Mighty Fortress Is Our God” or “Hark! the Herald Angels Sing.” Those aren’t just seasonal songs; they are strong declarations about who Jesus is.

I. CHRISTMAS POINTS US BACK TO THE ETERNAL WORD WHO IS GOD OVER US (John 1:1–2; Genesis 1:1)

A. He was already there—He is eternal (John 1:1a)

“In the beginning was the Word…”

John chooses the same doorway Moses used: “In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth” (Genesis 1:1). Before there was a star in the sky, before there was an ocean in its bed, before there was a bird in the air or a fish in the sea—there was God.

And John says, “In the beginning was the Word.”

Notice that little word “was.” It doesn’t say, “In the beginning the Word began.” It says, “the Word was.” When “the beginning” began, the Word already was.

That means Jesus Christ is not the best man who ever lived. He is not the highest angel. He is not merely God’s greatest messenger. He is eternal.

Bethlehem was not His starting line. Bethlehem was His arrival.

The prophet Micah said of the Messiah, “whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting” (Micah 5:2). Jesus Himself said, “Before Abraham was, I am” (John 8:58). That is not the language of a created being. That is the language of the eternal God.

Application: Some of us live like God is an emergency contact—somebody we call when life falls apart. But if Jesus is eternal, He is not your “Plan B.” He is the beginning, the center, and the end. Your life is not bigger than His lordship.

B. He is distinct in Person—He is with God (John 1:1b)

“And the Word was with God…”

John is careful. He doesn’t mash everything together as if God is one Person wearing three different masks. No—“the Word was with God.”

That word “with” carries the thought of personal relationship—face-to-face communion. From all eternity, the Son enjoyed perfect fellowship with the Father.

So the Word is not the Father—but He is not less than the Father.

This is the Godhead: one God, eternally existing in three Persons—Father, Son, and Holy Ghost (Matthew 28:19). In the beginning—before creation, before time—there was loving fellowship within the Trinity.

Application: This means God is not lonely. He did not create you because He lacked something. God is complete in Himself. He created and redeemed out of love and grace, not need. That humbles our pride. We are not the center of the universe—God is.

C. He is equal in nature—He is God (John 1:1c–2)

“And the Word was God.”

John could not be plainer if he tried. The Word is not “like God.” The Word is not “a god.” The Word was God.

And then John underlines it: “The same was in the beginning with God” (John 1:2). He is distinct in Person, but equal in nature.

Christmas is not merely the celebration of a good man’s birth. Christmas is the celebration that God the Son stepped into time.

The manger does not reduce His deity. It reveals His humility.

The swaddling clothes do not weaken His power. They show His condescension.

The little hands of a Baby do not contradict His omnipotence. They show that the Almighty chose to come near.

Application: Since Jesus is God, then He has the right to rule. We don’t get to vote on His authority. We don’t negotiate His commandments. We don’t edit His Word. We bow.

And let me say it plainly: You cannot be right with God while refusing the deity of Jesus Christ. If Jesus is not God, He cannot save. If Jesus is God, you must answer to Him.

D. He is Creator and Owner—He made all things (John 1:3; Genesis 1)

Though our preaching text is verses 1–2 and 14, the very next verse completes the thought: “All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made” (John 1:3).

Do you see what John is doing? He is tying Jesus Christ directly to Genesis 1.

In Genesis 1, God creates by speaking: “And God said…” over and over. The Word of God goes forth, and creation obeys. Light comes when He says, “Let there be light.”

John will go on to say, “In him was life; and the life was the light of men” (John 1:4). The same Christ who commanded physical light in creation shines spiritual light into dark hearts.

The Son is not part of creation; He is the Creator. As Paul wrote, “by him were all things created… and he is before all things, and by him all things consist” (Colossians 1:16-17). The writer of Hebrews said God “made the worlds” by His Son (Hebrews 1:2).

Now, if He made you, He owns you.

The world says, “My body, my choice. My life, my rules.” The Word says, “Ye are not your own… for ye are bought with a price” (1 Corinthians 6:19-20).

The first Christmas points backward to the first creation. The Baby in Bethlehem is the very One who hung the stars in place.

Illustration: Every artist signs his work. Creation bears the signature of its Maker. The rising sun preaches a sermon. The Rocky Mountains stand like silent deacons declaring the glory of God. The ordered seasons are like a steady metronome of His faithfulness. And the Word that made it all became flesh for us.

Application: If God is over us as Creator, then our deepest freedom is not rebellion—it’s surrender. The question is not, “Lord, what do You want to do with my life?” as if it’s ours to loan Him. The question is, “Lord, what do You command, since I already belong to You?”

Transition: So Christmas points us back—back beyond Bethlehem, back beyond Abraham, back beyond Adam—to the eternal Word who is God over us. But it also points us forward, because that eternal Word did not stay at a distance.

II. CHRISTMAS POINTS US FORWARD TO THE INCARNATE WORD WHO DWELT AMONG US AND REIGNS OVER US (John 1:14)

A. The Word became flesh—true God and true Man (John 1:14a)

“And the Word was made flesh…”

Let that land on you. The eternal Word—God Himself—was made flesh.

John does not say the Word stopped being God. He says the Word became flesh. Without surrendering His deity, He took on full humanity.

He became what He was not, without ceasing to be what He was.

He did not come as a phantom. He did not come as a spirit pretending to be human. He came in real flesh—bone, blood, breath—yet without sin.

Why does that matter? Because sinners need more than a teacher. We need a Substitute.

Only a man can stand in man’s place. Only God can pay an infinite price. In Jesus Christ, God provided both—God with us, so God can be for us.

Philippians 2 tells us that Christ “made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant… and being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross” (Philippians 2:7-8).

Application: Some people want a “spiritual” Jesus—an inspiring idea, a comforting feeling, a religious mascot. But the Bible gives us an incarnate Christ. He stepped into our world and into our skin. That means He understands your weakness. He knows hunger. He knows fatigue. He knows sorrow. He has been “touched with the feeling of our infirmities” (Hebrews 4:15). And because He is sinless, He can help you—not merely sympathize with you.

B. The Word dwelt among us—God moved in (John 1:14a)

“…and dwelt among us…”

That word “dwelt” has the idea of pitching a tent, tabernacling. It points our minds back again—this time not to Genesis 1, but to the wilderness.

In the Old Testament, God’s presence was manifested in the tabernacle. The glory cloud rested over the mercy seat. God lived in the midst of His people.

But that tabernacle was made of animal skins and acacia wood. It was a shadow. It was a picture.

Now John says, “The Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us.” In other words, the true Tabernacle has arrived.

God did not shout His love from heaven. He came down and lived it.

And here is the wonder: God is not only over you; in Christ He came near you.

Application: Some of you carry this hidden thought: “If God really knew me, He’d back away.” But Christmas says the opposite. In Jesus Christ, God came close to sinners. He ate with publicans. He touched lepers. He welcomed children. He wept at graves. He did not come to admire the righteous; He came “to seek and to save that which was lost” (Luke 19:10).

So don’t stand at a distance this morning. If God came near in Christ, then you can come near by faith.

C. The Word showed glory—He revealed the Father (John 1:14b)

“…and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father…”

John says, “We saw it.” Not once. Not in a dream. Not as a rumor. “We beheld his glory.”

That glory was seen in His works—when He opened blind eyes, cleansed lepers, raised the dead, and spoke with authority. That glory was seen in His words—when sinners felt both exposed and invited. That glory was seen in His character—holy, tender, fearless, pure.

And yes, His glory was seen on the mount of transfiguration. But don’t forget: in John’s Gospel, the greatest display of glory is the cross and resurrection. Jesus said, “The hour is come, that the Son of man should be glorified” (John 12:23). How? By being lifted up to die for sinners.

Christmas is not an end in itself. The manger points to the cross.

Application: If you want to know what God is like, look at Jesus. Not the Jesus of movies. Not the Jesus of culture. The Jesus of Scripture. He is “the express image” of God (Hebrews 1:3). He can say, “he that hath seen me hath seen the Father” (John 14:9).

So when you are tempted to think God is harsh, look at Jesus. When you wonder if God can forgive, look at Jesus. When you fear God will cast you off, look at Jesus. The glory of God is not merely power—it is holiness wrapped in mercy.

D. The Word is full of grace and truth—He saves and He rules (John 1:14c)

“…full of grace and truth.”

What a pairing. Grace and truth.

Not truth without grace—that would crush us.

Not grace without truth—that would deceive us.

Jesus Christ brings both: truth that exposes sin, and grace that forgives sin. Truth that demands repentance, and grace that empowers new obedience.

This is why we can sing Christmas hymns with real joy. “Hark! the herald angels sing” is not sentimental noise—it’s a declaration: God has acted in history to save sinners.

And that is why John 1:12 is so precious: “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.”

Grace invites you to come. Truth tells you why you must come.

Grace says, “Whosoever will may come.” Truth says, “Except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish” (Luke 13:3).

Grace says, “Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest” (Matthew 11:28). Truth says, “No man cometh unto the Father, but by me” (John 14:6).

Application: Some of us want “grace” that never corrects, never confronts, never commands. But that’s not grace—that’s permissiveness. And some of us want “truth” that never weeps, never helps, never heals. But that’s not truth—that’s pride.

Jesus is full of grace and truth. And if He is God over us, then His grace must lead us to trust Him, and His truth must lead us to obey Him.

E. The Word requires a response—Christmas is a call to decision (Hebrews 1:1-2; Luke 9:62; Matthew 8:22; Luke 14:26-27)

Now hear me carefully: When God speaks, man must answer.

Hebrews tells us, “God… hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son” (Hebrews 1:1-2). Christmas is not merely God sending a message; it is God sending His Son. That means neutrality is not an option.

Just look at the first Christmas: shepherds left their fields to worship. Wise men traveled to give Him honor. But Herod raged, because a rival king threatened his throne. Same Child—different responses.

And it’s still that way. Christ either becomes your Savior and Lord—or you push Him away, because you will not have Him reign over you.

The world loves a harmless Jesus—one who stays in the manger, one who never confronts, one who never commands. But the real Jesus grows up, preaches, calls men to repent, and demands discipleship.

He says, “Follow me; and let the dead bury their dead” (Matthew 8:22).

He says, “No man, having put his hand to the plow, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God” (Luke 9:62).

He says, “And whosoever doth not bear his cross, and come after me, cannot be my disciple” (Luke 14:27).

He even says, “If any man come to me, and hate not his father, and mother… and his own life also, he cannot be my disciple” (Luke 14:26). He is not commanding hatred in the sense of cruelty. He is commanding comparison. He is saying, “Love Me so supremely that every other love looks small beside it.”

That is “God over us.”

And when Jesus reigns over us, He does not merely hand us a list—He gives us a new heart and a new love.

He commands us to love the Lord with all our heart (Mark 12:30), to love our neighbour as ourselves (Mark 12:31), and even to love our enemies (Matthew 5:44).

That kind of love isn’t natural—it’s supernatural. It is the fruit of bowing to the King and walking in His Spirit.

So Christmas is not only comfort; it is a summons. A King has arrived. A kingdom has been inaugurated. And every person must answer: will you bow, or will you resist?

Now, let me put the gospel right in the middle of that decision.

You cannot obey your way into salvation. You cannot “be good” enough to earn forgiveness. Salvation is by grace through faith in the finished work of Christ. He came to live the life you failed to live, and to die the death you deserved to die, and to rise again the third day (1 Corinthians 15:3-4).

But saving faith is never mere mental agreement. When you receive the King, you receive His rule. When you trust Him as Savior, you bow to Him as Lord.

Application:

To the lost: You are not just missing church—you are resisting a King. Your greatest need this Christmas is not better circumstances. It is reconciliation with God. “Receive him” (John 1:12). Turn from sin. Trust Christ. Call on Him today.

To the saved: Don’t sing about the manger and refuse the Master. If He is God over us, then there is no room for divided loyalty. Where have you been half-obedient? Where have you been holding back? This is the season to lay it down—pride, bitterness, secret sin, spiritual laziness—and say, “Lord Jesus, reign in me.”

Transition: We have looked back to eternity and creation, and we have looked forward to incarnation and kingdom. Now we must bring it home—what will we do with God over us?

CONCLUSION

So here is Christmas in one sentence: The eternal Word who is God became flesh, dwelt among us, and now calls us to bow to His gracious rule.

The manger tells you God is mighty enough to rule.

The cross tells you God is loving enough to rescue.

The empty tomb tells you God is powerful enough to keep His promises.

And one day, the same Jesus will be seen not in a manger, but on a throne. Revelation calls Him “The Word of God” (Revelation 19:13). Every knee shall bow, and every tongue shall confess that Jesus Christ is Lord (Philippians 2:10-11).

The only question is when you will bow—and how.

Will you bow now, gladly, by faith—receiving grace and salvation? “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved” (Acts 16:31).

Or will you bow later, unwillingly, under judgment?

Beloved, God has been good to us. He has given us His Word. He has given us His Son. He has given us another Christmas season not just to decorate, but to decide.

So I’m asking you:

If you are saved, will you crown Him where you’ve been resisting Him?

If you are lost, will you receive Him today?

Let’s not leave Jesus in the manger. Let’s enthrone Him in our hearts.