Untitled Sermon (6)

John 1:1-18, The Word Became Flesh

“A Condescending Word”

Please turn in your Bible to John 1

Read vs. 1-18

Pray

Introduction - Character development

Everyone likes a good movie or Netflix series. The best movies and series take time to do character development. At the beginning there is some extra time given for you to get to know the character. An extra 10 minutes of script is taken, so you get to know who the movie is about. The hope is you will like the character and get hooked not just by the story line, but by the

-If you like the Star Wars movies or series - You get to know the Mandalorian or you get to know Ray.

If you like Lord of the Rings (20 years old this year)

You get to know Froto.

If you are into Marvel you develop this soft spot in your heart for The HULK.

Transition

-We see this very character development in the book of John.

-Today we are introduced to who the book is about.

-The book of John is about the Son of God, Jesus Christ.

-Through out John Jesus will be called by other names and titles.

Here in verse on we are introduced to God’s Son as...

verse 1. He is called The WORD

What does it mean that Jesus is THE WORD.

The Son of God is the Spoken Word of God.

The Son is the mouthpiece for the God Head.

The Son of God gives the message of God.

We see an nod to the Trinity in verse 1.

The Word - God’s Son was with God and at the same time was God.

Verse 2, The Word (The Christ) existed before time began, was with God, Was God.

-(notice that) The Word was NOT created by God the Father, not given His power by God the Father. The Word was God.

-Before the Universe was created, The Word existed as the second person of the Trinity.

-He was eternal.

Transition - What good is someone called The Word if He doesn’t speak. We open the book of Genesis with God speaking, Let there be Light.

vs. 3 The Word (Jesus) spoke creation in to existence.

We worship not only a Savior, we worship the creator. The Creator spoke and the universe, our galaxy, our solar system, and our planet came into existence. Christ, the creator of all things created by the spoken word.

It is this God that spoke all things in to existence that has called you near to Himself. He has not called you near so that he can intimidate you are manipulate you. He has called you near to have a close, tender relationships with you.

We will see today that this powerful, mighty, other wordly, incomprehensible God is also a God of intimacy, purpose, & love.

Transition - We see in verse 4 as we continue in our text that the Song of God is not only The Word, but He is the ...

II. The Light

vs. 4, This great God and Christ that we serve came that He may bring light into your broken world.

When light is shined, darkness runs from it.

When the light of God shines on your broken places, healing can begin to take place.

The darkness and brokenness in your life need the light of Christ to shine on it.

Beautiful news about the sin and brokenness in your life is that it has no power against the light of God.

This same God that spoke and created the universe and the galaxies is the same God who desires every part of your life to experience His light.

Illustration - When I first came to this church 2.5 years ago, my family was living in Evans and Alissa was finishing the 9th grade. I would commute and a few nights a week I would stay in the Miller’s cabin. There is a detached kitchen and eating area. I would store some soda in the fridge.

-One night I went in the kitchen, flipped on the light, and saw some movement. Mr. Field Mouse found got smart and found a place out of the rain and found the 3lb package of grits.

-The light is the revelation of God. God has shown us who He is.

-Think of someone who was looking around an old diamond mine. They go in and with a sharp pick chip away at some rock and uncover a massive 10 karat diamond. While it is still rough - it is beautiful! It is the most glorious stone they have ever seen. They immediately take a handkerchief from their pocket and fold up the diamond. They show you this glorious diamond by taking it out of their pocket and unfolding, revealing it’s beauty.-Every time after that when I turned on the light I would expect that mouse to run. He didn’t like the light one bit.

There is nothing on earth more powerful than the light of God. Nothing can overcome it.

This is why we avoid reading our Bible or going to church. The light of God penetrates out life and shines on our darkness, we want to run.

The beauty and marvel of the light is this. That if you are a Christ Follower the light of God eventually has its way & God frees you from the darkness that his holding you down.

The light of God is motivated out of the love of God. Pause

Will you invite the light of Christ to shine into your life?

Will you allow Him into the hidden places of your heart?

He will lovingly transform you to be more like Him. Pause

Transition - So far we have seen that Son of God is The Word and The Light.

Now our text will shift. We will begin to see the Son of God moving toward His broken creation.

Transition - We see this by one of the greatest but strangest hero’s in the Bible

III. The Proclaimer - John the Baptist

This is a story tell of verse 6-8. Is it too long?

Illustration -

God in His great sense of humor sent someone to get us ready to receive the Light of Christ.

He sent a man dressed like an old testament prophet.

Hair and beard that had never been cut, camel hair for his clothing, he ate bugs and dipped them in honey.

Illustration -

In our culture, when there is a special appearance that will happen, a royal wedding there is media hype. Advertisement to watch on TV. The middle age and older ladies talking all about the queen, or the royal wedding or baby being born.

The day of the event you have fanfare. A royal event with the special long Herold trumpets to announce the event. Those announcing are dressed in their finest.

The announcement of the Son of God was way different.

God had not spoken to Israel through a prophet in 400 years.

God had been silent. His people ached to hear from God through a prophet.

And God sends them a prophet, John the Baptist.

John even dressed like the prophets of old with Camel skin.

John (full of God’s Spirit) proclaimed with boldness about Jesus being the light.

John was the heralding trumpet to Christ coming into the World.

-This Light - Who was Christ would bring a new Covenant - a new promise.

The biggest news of all - The Word, The Light was coming into the World.

Not only do we see that Christ Jesus is eternal and in the heavens, but that in his kindness and mercy that He has “Condescended” to us.

IV. The Light Condescended, vs. 9-13

Read 9-13?

This radiant Jesus has done something unheard of...

condescended to us, left the _____ of heaven, and came to a world of pain and fear. Like a jewel uncovered in a handkerchief, He revealed Himself and his beauty to us.

I have to tell you. The word condescend has a terribly negative connotation to me. As a child only 2 times I ever heard the word growing up was on TV when someone was in an argument and said, “Don’t use that condescending language with me.” I never really knew what it meant, but that it was bad.

Hymn: “Come, Christians, Join to Sing”

-Used the word and it didn’t sound like a good thing.

In our context today condescend simply means that Jesus humbled himself, left the greatness of heaven, and came to earth to suffer as our Savior.

Why did He have to come to us?

It was impossible for us to come to Him.

Our sin kept us from our creator.

God served His creation. He came to us.

We would never be able to go to Him.

Then we see this terrible tragedy in verse 10-11.

-When God came to us, we didn’t recognize Him.

-When He made Himself clear to us, we did not receive Him.

-We treated Him as an outsider and an enemy.

-You say, I wouldn’t have done that.

-But today, you have this great insight those in Bible times didn’t have. You have read the story. You know the end of he story.

-You would have rejected Jesus like everyone else.

-Can I tell you why those who saw Him rejected Him, (Even the 5,000 who at his miracle fish.”

Romans tells us in Romans 3:10-12

10 as it is written:

“None is righteous, no, not one;

11 no one understands;

no one seeks for God.

12 All have turned aside; together they have become worthless;

no one does good,

not even one.”

There is not one person who seeks God, apart from the grace and awakening of God.

Those who rejected Jesus did so because they were blind to the light.

They were blind to the miracle that God had come to them.

They could not see that Messiah Jesus was in the world with them.

Pause

Praise the Lord that our God is a God of hope.

That God always has a remnant.

Some did believe that Jesus was God who came to pay for sin.

Some did believe that the God man was making a new promise with His people.

The result, some were no longer JUST a descendent of Abraham - they were a child of The Living God.

Are you one who believes that Jesus is the Savior of your life?

If you have believed in Him, vs. 13 tells you how you came to trust in Jesus.

-Not because of your family heritage,

-Not because you willed yourself from sin,

-BUT only by God’s Kind Grace.

-It was God and God alone who changed you.

If you are a Christ follower, the God of Hope has opened your heart to see that He has come into the world and that He is light.

He has taken away your sin and made a covenant with you.

He was given you a new heart, a new identity as a child of his and an new home in heaven in God’s family.

You belong to Him.

If you are not a Christ Follower. Jesus invites you right now to come to Him.

Would you trust that Jesus is Lord and Savior?

Would you give Him all of your life, gain a new identity, and become a child of His?

Pause

God does not just save you and leave you to your own. He walks with you.

In our passage today we see levels of intimacy infolding.

First, The light came into the world.

Next, God’s Son condescended to us.

We saw that God is building a family, by saving children to His family.

Transition - There is another level of closeness and intimacy that Jesus brought.

V. vs. 14-18 The Word DWELT Among Us.

Word became flesh - All God, all man

God Dwelt with us - He took up residence with us.

Dwelt is most often used when the glory of God was present in the tabernacle and the temple.

God came to earth to dwell with - Reside with his broken creation.

Illustration - One of the beauties and curses of living with someone is that you really get to know the other person.

-You see their strengths in action

-You see their flaws

-You see their essence. Who they are.

When God in Jesus Christ came to dwell with us vs. 14 says, We beheld His glory.

Previously, No one could look on the glory of God.

God hid His glory in the inner most room of the Temple.

Now, The Word of God, Jesus Christ has opened Himself up to you.

-He has dwelt with humankind.

-On earth, He has had deep relationship with us.

In this relationship with you, He has not been harsh.

He has not related to you in anger.

He has related to you love and grace.

Listen to how Hebrews describes this relationship.

Sympathetic High priest, Hebrews 4:14-16

Conclusion -

The Word, Christ Jesus has

Created you,

He took on a broken body of flesh,

He came into our world,

He was rejected by the world,

Despite being rejected by the world, He dwelt with us

Jesus exposed Himself and showed us who he really was, His glory

Christ came