Sermon Tone Analysis

An Amazing Journey

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Introduction: “Over the river and through the woods...to Grandmother’s house we go”...is a seasonal journey that we sing about and often make at this time of the year.

If you have seen or read the Tolkein trilogy of “The Lord of the Rings” you have made a fantastic journey to “Middle Earth.”

There are amazing journeys that people have made.

Think of the brave journey of the Mayflower in search of the New World.

Or, the bold adventurous journey of Lewis and Clark.

Or, the brave pioneers with all their belongings in a covered wagon heading west.

Or, our first astronauts to leave our atmosphere and then on to the Moon.

Introduction: “Over the river and through the woods...to Grandmother’s house we go”...is a seasonal journey that we sing about and often make at this time of the year.

If you have seen or read the Tolkein trilogy of “The Lord of the Rings” you have made a fantastic journey to “Middle Earth.”

There are amazing journeys that people have made.

Think of the brave journey of the Mayflower in search of the New World.

Or, the bold adventurous journey of Lewis and Clark.

Or, the brave pioneers with all their belongings in a covered wagon heading west.

Or, our first astronauts to leave our atmosphere and then on to the Moon.

The Bible also records some great journeys…Like that of Noah’s ark till it rested on Mt.

Ararat.

Or, Abraham’s journey of faith from Ur to Canaan.

Or, Moses leading the children of Israel out of Egypt.

Or, the journey of pregnant Mary and noble Joseph from Nazareth to Bethlehem.

Yes, there have been journeys made that have affected the course of human history but none of these remotely compares to the Christmas journey that we will consider this morning...it truly was an incredible journey!

We are reminded of this wonderful journey at this time every year.

We are so familiar with it and we should be.

But, we should also remember that this Amazing Journey began long before the prophets spoke of the Messiah…it began long before Matthew and Luke’s account of the announcement to Mary and Joseph.

We are told about the beginning of this journey in the first chapter of John’s Gospel.

I. Jesus Journeyed from Heaven to Earth

I. Jesus Journeyed from Heaven to Earth

1. John provides us with God’s-eye view of Christmas.

John records in verse one, “In the beginning was the Word.”

“Word” is a term for the pre-existent Jesus.

It is the Greek term logos, and it refers to the Son of God, who as the Word lived forever in heaven.

To be accurate, we need to say that the Son of God as the Word designed heaven.

He created it.

He built heaven.

The third verse says that “through him all things were made”–including heaven and earth—“Without Him nothing was made that has been made.”

So heaven was his home.

He owned it.

It was his perfect place, a place of satisfaction with the best of everything, more magnificent that all the stars on a cloudless night, more magnificent that the most beautiful sunrise or sunset you have ever seen or the most beautiful music you have ever heard, happier than the happiest days that any of us have experienced in all of life.

That was home for him.

1.

Notice if you will that John provides us with God’s-eye view of Christmas.

John records in verse one, “In the beginning was the Word.”

“Word” is a kind of nickname for the Son of God.

It is the Greek term logos, and it refers to the Song of God, who as the Word lived forever in heaven.

To be accurate, we need to say that the Son of God as the Word designed heaven.

He created it.

He built heaven.

The third verse says that “through him all things were made”–including heaven—“Without Him nothing was made that has been made.”

So heaven was his home.

He owned it.

It was his perfect place, a place of satisfaction with the best of everything, more magnificent that all the stars on a cloudless night, more magnificent that the most beautiful sunrise or sunset you have ever seen or the most beautiful music you have ever heard, happier than the happiest days that any of us have experienced in all of life.

That was home for him.

2. But the Christmas journey brought him from there to here.

“The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us.”

He moved to our world.

He was born to one of our women, in one of our stables, in one of our villages, in one of our countries, right here on our earth.

It’s hard to imagine the contrast between heaven and earth.

2. But the Christmas journey brought him from there to here.

“The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us.”

He moved to our world.

He was born to one of our women, in one of our stables, in one of our villages, in one of our countries, right here on our earth.

It’s hard to imagine the contrast between heaven and earth.

3.

There was a report awhile back from Manila in the Philippines.

If one were to visit the garbage dump of Manila you would see a disturbing sight.

On the dump in Manila there are tens of thousands of people who make their homes there.

Shacks are constructed out of the things other people have thrown away, and their children are sent out early every morning to scavenge for food out of other people’s garbage, so they can have family meals.

People have been born and grown up there on the garbage dump.

They have had their families, their children, their shacks, their garbage to eat, finished out their lives, and died there without ever going any place else...not even into the city of Manila.

Can you imagine such an existence?

But there is more to this story!

There are Americans who also live on that garbage dump.

They are American missionaries, Christians who have chosen to leave their home country and go there in order to communicate the love of Jesus Christ to people who otherwise would never hear it or have the opportunity to receive it.

Can you imagine that kind of commitment?

That people would leave what we have to go and live on a garbage dump.

That is amazing...but not nearly as amazing as the journey from heaven to earth!

3.

There was a report awhile back from Manila in the Philippines.

If one were to visit the garbage dump of Manila you would see a disturbing sight.

On the dump in Manila there are tens of thousands of people who make their homes there.

Shacks are constructed out of the things other people have thrown away, and their children are sent out early every morning to scavenge for food out of other people’s garbage, so they can have family meals.

People have been born and grown up there on the garbage dump.

They have had their families, their children, their shacks, their garbage to eat, finished out their lives, and died there without ever going any place else...not even into the city of Manila.

Can you imagine such an existence?

But there is more to this story!

There are Americans who also live on that garbage dump.

They are American missionaries, Christians who have chosen to leave their home country and go there in order to communicate the love of Jesus Christ to people who otherwise would never hear it or have the opportunity to receive it.

Can you imagine that kind of commitment?

That people would leave what we have to go and live on a garbage dump.

That is amazing...but not nearly as amazing as the journey from heaven to earth!

4. The Son of God made that journey...and he knew what he was doing.

He knew where he was going.

He knew what the sacrifice would be.