The Word Became Flesh.

Oppening

Good Evening and Merry Christmas everyone!

I hope you are having a wonderful evening. Thank you for coming out to eat and celebrate Christmas with us. At this time we are going to transition to our service.

For those of you who don’t know me, I am Pastor Jonathan Hansen. I am the pastor here at Connection Church. We meet here every Sunday morning at 10 a.m. If you do not have a place where you gather to worship God, I hope you will come and join us. We loving coming together to worship God.

Tonight is a special occasion. Tonight we are gathered not just to eat together and fellowship. We are here to celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ. We are here to celebrate the fact that God Himself stepped into humanity to save wretched sinners like us. This is what Christmas is all about. It is not about gift giving. It is not about being with family. It is not about a general sense of joy or peace or good vibes on earth to all. We enjoy those things at Christmas time, but that is not what Christmas is about. Christmas is about Jesus Christ coming to Earth. It is about salvation from sin. So tonight, we are gathered to celebrate and worship God for what He has done.

Introduction of the Passage:

If you have a Bible with you or on your phone, I invite you to open with me to the gospel of John, chapter one.

John was one of the twelve disciples of Jesus, but he was not just any disciple of Jesus. John was known as the disciple Jesus loved. John and Jesus were by all indications the closest in the group of Jesus and His disciples. They were best friends. They sat together when they ate. Jesus would take John with Him whenever He went with only a couple of the disciples. John was likely Jesus’ best friend while He was on earth.

This is what is so beautiful about the gospel of John. The gospel of Luke is a methodic writing of events. Luke was a very detailed doctor who set out to write a very structured account of who Jesus was. Matthew set out to write a gospel about the kingship and Lordship of Jesus. Mark recorded an easily detestable account of Jesus’ life that serves almost as an outline of what happened. These three are known as the synoptic gospels. They are very similar in their account. The gospel of John is unique. It tells the same story as the other three, but it tells it in a more artistic way. It is in ways a more intimate gospel. The other three gospels give us incredible detail of Jesus’ life and teaching. John’s gospel smells like Jesus. We see here the background and the heart of Jesus’ ministry.

So what does Jesus’ best friend tell us about Him? How does the one who knew Jesus so closely open his account about the life of Jesus Christ?

Let’s read together and see.

Reading of the Text.

John 1:1–18 ESV

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made. In him was life, and the life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. He came as a witness, to bear witness about the light, that all might believe through him. He was not the light, but came to bear witness about the light. The true light, which gives light to everyone, was coming into the world. He was in the world, and the world was made through him, yet the world did not know him. He came to his own, and his own people did not receive him. But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God. 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. (John bore witness about him, and cried out, “This was he of whom I said, ‘He who comes after me ranks before me, because he was before me.’ ”) For from his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace. For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. No one has ever seen God; the only God, who is at the Father’s side, he has made him known.

Prayer:

Pray with me.

Dear Heavenly Father,

Thank you for who you are. Thank you that we can gather together tonight to celebrate the coming of Jesus Christ into this world. Open our hearts to hear your word. Do not let me speak my own thoughts Lord. Let me speak only what You desire me to say. Open hearts to hear and receive the gospel tonight. Draw them unto Yourself.

Lord this has been a hard year. This year has hurt and devastated many people. I cannot save anyone. You can. I cannot offer anyone hope. You can. Save people tonight Lord. Give people hope tonight Lord. You alone are God. You alone can save people.

We ask this in Jesus name, Amen.

Sermon Body:

In the Beginning was the Word.

John opens his account of the Life of Jesus with this phrase. He calls Jesus, “The Word.” The Logos. This means the Speaking, the Logic, the Word. The Word was there at the beginning of time. When all began, there was the Word.

And the Word was with God.

There He was, in the beginning with God. God the Father and the Word. These two are distinct but present together. The Word was with God before time began. Eternally existent. Forever the Word. Forever with God.

And the Word was God.

The Word distinct from God the Father, is God. They are separate persons, but the same God. The Word was not a man. The Word was not created. The Word, forever existent, was with God and the Word was God.

He was in the beginning with God.

There at the start we see them. The Father and the Word in the beginning. Harkening back to the creation of the World recorded in Genesis 1.

All things were made through Him, and without Him was not anything made that was made.

In the beginning the God the Father and the Word made everything. At the creation, God spoke making everything through His Word. Christ is the maker of all things. He is not just a man. He is forever eternal creator God.

In Him was life,

The Word was the author of life. Not just matter, but life was authored by the Word. Jesus was the begging of all. Jesus was the beginning of life.

and the life was the light of men.

Mankind finds it’s life and it’s light in Jesus Christ. Apart from Him there is darkness. He is the light. He is life. Outside of Jesus Christ is only darkness and death.

The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.

The Word is victorious. The Light has not failed. The Lord, Jesus Christ is King. He is not shadowed. He is not overtaken. Darkness cannot shadow out Jesus Christ. He has overcome the darkness.

The true light, which gives light to everyone, was coming into the World.

What joy! The light was coming into the darkness! The Word, who made everything, was coming into the world. Men would at last see the one who made them.

He was in the world, and the world was made through him, yet the world did not know him.

What terror! The light was coming into the darkness! The Word, who made everything, was coming into the world. Men would at last be exposed by the one who made them.

He came to his own, and his own people did not receive him.

What horror! The light had come into the darkness. The Word had come to His own people. The Lord walked among the people of Israel whom He has chosen as His own nation. They rejected Him. What folly! Rejecting the only light. What evil! Men love darkness, not light.

But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God.

What Hope! The light has come into the darkness, and the light has won. To those who do not love darkness, there is hope. To those who do not reject Jesus Christ, there is hope. But what hope is that to us? If His own people rejected Him, then who would accept Him? Men are evil. We love darkness, not light. Our own will is corrupt and broken. Woe to us! Woe! For we are dead. Our will is to reject Christ. What hope have we?

Who were born not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.

Rejoice ,oh man! Your will is corrupt! But there is a greater will! The will of God is that which will save you! What hope have we who love darkness? We have hope in the will of God! He was rejected, but He has saved for Himself a remnant. Not of their own will, for their own will is corrupt. He has saved them from His own pure will. Love the light! Hate the dark. For this is the will of God.

And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us,

There is no greater joy. God has come to us. In our sin, in our corruption, in our death, God has come to us. We could not go to Him, but He came to us. We are dead men’s bones, but He has come and brought us to life. We could not achieve hope on our own, so Hope came to us.

And we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father.

The Glory of it! God the Son has come to us. The one who made everything has stepped into what He has mad. The glory of God has come to earth. The Son, sent from the Father has come. Glory to God, redemption has come.

Full of grace and truth.

Grace and Truth. The full embodiment of these things are perfectly united in Jesus Christ. The true darkness is revealed in His light. Sin is seen for the wretchedness that it is. The judgement of God is fully unveiled upon sin in Jesus Christ. And it is good. God will judge all. The deserved wrath of God towards sin is poured out. The grace of God is shown in who drinks the cup of wrath. Jesus carries the full judgement and wrath of God against sin on Himself for those He brings to life. Those who love Christ, are spared. Not because of any work on their part, but because of the work of Jesus.

For from his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace.

How else could this be described? We deserve to bear the punishment for our sins. But to those who have rejected the darkness to embrace Jesus, there is grace upon grace. Jesus in His fullness bore the fullness of the wrath of God on our behalf. Reject the darkness! Love Christ!

For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.

The law was given through Moses. God’s holy and righteous standard was given. We were to keep this perfectly. But we were unable to keep this even in part. We are all violators or God’s perfect standard. We have all trespassed the law. We deserve punishment for our violation. We deserve death for our crimes against God.

Then the Word became flesh. Jesus came. He stood in our place. God Himself bore the punishment we deserved for our crimes. He never committed a sin. But He took the punishment we deserved. The innocent for the guilty died. Jesus in our place was crucified. The truth of the wretchedness of sin and the grace of Christ in our place is found in the cross.

The cross is the perfect picture of how terrible our sins are. Our love of darkness resulted in the cross. Jesus died on the cross, and in that death we see how dark we all are. Our sins nailed Jesus to the cross.

Perfect God was crucified for our sins. We should have been hanging there for our crimes. We should have to pay our own debt! But perfect love was shown on the cross. Anyone who turns from their sins and believes in what Jesus has done in their place will have all of their sins forgiven and become children of God.

Application:

Have you done this? Are you still trapped in darkness? Reject it! Turn away from your sins! Embrace what Jesus did on the cross! He is God. Jesus is fully God. He alone can forgive your sins. You are hopeless without him. You may be trying to live a good life, to be a good person. But you are not a good person. You are trapped in darkness and need to be brought into the light. Do that today. Tonight, if you are trapped in darkness, come to the front. Let us pray together. Come to the light of the World.

If you have never surrendered your life to Christ, please come forward now. Do not wait. Do not stay in darkness. Reject the dark and embrace the light. Turn from your sins, and come to God. Jesus can save you. Please come now!