Manger Things: When God Moved in(John 1:1-5) Christmas Eve

SCRIPTURE READING — JOHN 1:1–5 (NIV)

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.”

OPENING INTRODUCTION

BEFORE THE MANGER

Most of us were introduced to Christmas through a picture.

A quiet night. A wooden stable. A soft glow around a baby in a manger.

And while that picture is not wrong, it is incomplete.

Because if all we see at Christmas is a baby, we may miss who that baby actually is.

John does not begin the Christmas story with straw and animals. He begins it with eternity.

Before there was a mother holding a child, before there was a star in the sky, before there was a town called Bethlehem—

there was the Word.

John pulls us back before emotion, before tradition, before familar things,

and he says to us tonight:

If you want to understand Christmas, you must understand who came.

This is not the story of God sending someone else. This is not the story of heaven offering assistance.

This is the story of God Himself stepping into our world.

The baby in the manger is not God learning what it means to be divine. He is God choosing what it means to be human.

And until we see that, Christmas will always feel sentimental— but it will never feel saving.

So before we move toward the stable, John makes us stop, look back, and look deeper.

Because Christmas did not begin with a cry in the night.

It began “in the beginning.”

CHRISTMAS DID NOT START IN A STABLE

John opens with three staggering truths.

“In the beginning was the Word.” Jesus did not come into existence at Christmas. He already was.

“The Word was with God.” Jesus is distinct from the Father, yet in perfect fellowship.

“The Word was God.” Jesus is fully divine.

John leaves no room for confusion here.

Christmas is not the story of God creating a Savior. It is the story of God revealing Himself.

The One born in time is the One who exists outside of time.

This is not a sweet story about a helpless baby. This is a holy moment where the Creator steps into His creation.

THE WORD IS NOT A FEELING, BUT A PERSON

John calls Jesus “the Word”—Logos.

That mattered deeply to his original readers.

To Jewish minds, “the Word” meant:

God speaking

God revealing Himself

God acting in history

To Greek minds, it meant:

Ultimate truth

Meaning

The reason everything exists

John is saying something radical:

Everything you want to know about God, everything you need to know about truth, everything you need for life—

is not found in a system, a philosophy, or a tradition.

It is found in a person.

And that person is Jesus.

THE CREATOR ENTERED HIS OWN WORLD

“Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made.” (v.3)

Let that sit for a moment.

The hands that formed galaxies would later be wrapped in human skin.

The voice that spoke light into existence would later cry in a dark room.

The One who holds the universe together allowed Himself to be held.

Christmas is not God remaining distant. Christmas is God coming near.

LIGHT ENTERED REAL DARKNESS

“In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind.” (v.4)

John is honest about the world Jesus entered.

He doesn’t say Jesus came into a peaceful world. He says Jesus came into darkness.

Darkness of sin. Darkness of fear. Darkness of grief. Darkness of brokenness.

That’s why this text fits Christmas Eve so well.

Some come joyful. Some come tired. Some come grieving. Some come pretending everything is fine.

John says the hope of Christmas is not that darkness disappears.

The hope of Christmas is this:

“The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.” (v.5)

Darkness did not stop Him. Darkness did not defeat Him. Darkness never wins.

GOD SENT A WITNESS, NOT A SUBSTITUTE

“There was a man sent from God whose name was John.” (v.6)

John the Baptist was not the light. He pointed to the light.

That distinction matters.

God does not save us through intermediaries who replace Christ. God sends witnesses who point us to Christ.

And that keeps the focus exactly where it belongs— on Jesus alone.

THE WORLD MISSED ITS MAKER

“He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him.” (v.10)

This may be the saddest verse in the Christmas story.

The world was created by Him— and didn’t know Him.

The tragedy of Christmas is not rejection by strangers. It is rejection by those who should have recognized Him.

Religious rites does not guarantee spiritual recognition.

You can be close to sacred things and still miss the Savior.

CHRISTMAS IS RECEIVED, NOT ACHIEVED

“Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God.” (v.12)

This is the invitation of Christmas.

Not perform. Not earn. Not prove.

Receive.

Faith is not climbing your way to God. Faith is opening your hands to what God has done.

Christmas is grace.

THE WORD BECAME FLESH (THE HEART OF CHRISTMAS)

“The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us.” (v.14)

God did not send instructions. He did not send a rulebook. He did not stay distant.

He moved in.

The word “dwelling” means tabernacled.

Just as God once dwelled among His people, He now dwells with us

That means:

God understands pain

God understands temptation

God understands loss

Christmas tells us we are not alone.

GRACE AND TRUTH ARRIVED TOGETHER

“We have seen his glory… full of grace and truth.” (v.14)

Grace without truth is empty. Truth without grace is crushing.

Jesus brings both.

John later summarizes it this way:

“For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.” (v.17)

The law shows us God’s standard. Jesus brings us God’s grace.

Christmas is not about trying harder next year. It’s about trusting fully in Christ.

CONCLUSION — BACK TO THE BEGINNING

Tonight, we started before the manger.

Before the music. Before the traditions. Before the familiar scenes.

We started “in the beginning.”

Because if we only see Christmas as a moment in history, we may admire it— but never be changed by it.

The Word did not begin in Bethlehem. He entered Bethlehem.

The Light did not come because the world was ready. He came because the world was dark.

And the Creator did not step into creation so we could feel inspired once a year— He came so we could be restored forever.

Tonight is not about how close you feel to God. It is about how close God has come to you.

The question of Christmas is not, “Do you understand all of this?”

The question is, “Will you receive Him?”

The Word became flesh. God moved in.

And Christmas is still happening every time someone opens their hands and receives Him.

CHRISTMAS EVE INVITATION (CANDLELIGHT APPROPRIATE)

In a moment, we’ll light candles.

A reminder that the light still shines— and the darkness still cannot overcome it.

If you need hope tonight—He came. If you need forgiveness—He came. If you need peace—He came.

The Word became flesh. God moved in.

And He is still calling people to Himself.