The Light Into Darkness

John 1:1–14 NKJV

1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God. 3 All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made. 4 In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. 5 And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it. 6 There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. 7 This man came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all through him might believe. 8 He was not that Light, but was sent to bear witness of that Light. 9 That was the true Light which gives light to every man coming into the world. 10 He was in the world, and the world was made through Him, and the world did not know Him. 11 He came to His own, and His own did not receive Him. 12 But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name: 13 who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God. 14 And the Word became 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.

In The Beginning Was The Word

Everything except God has a beginning

In the Beginning, there was only The Word

and This Word Was with God

This Word was God

Whatever He Spoke Was - Is

Everything that is, was or will be comes from This Word

Everything we can see had this beginning

And everything that We cannot see

The eternal, self existent God had no beginning Himself

He always was, and always will be

Outside of time and space, yet occupying all of it

every square inch of the universe

Every moment of time, and beyond

He IS

From the highest mountain, to the deepest abyss

From the closeness of this room to the furthest galaxy

From the microscopic germs and viruses, to the greatest stars, and black holes

He Is

Al Things Were Made By Him

Not only is God Omnipresent in this Universe, everything in it was created By Him

There was a time when nothing existed except Him - And nothing before Him

He alone stretched out the heavens by Himself

All matter and energy, Dark matter and dark energy - Made by Him

Everything that lives and everything that does not live - Made by Him

Consider for a moment the awesomeness of our God!

If you have never considered His awesomeness you will not fully comprehend the wonder of Christmas

And Without Him, nothing was made that was made!

Reminds me of the joke about the scientist who thought he could create a man - get your own dirt.

To those who do not believe, this seems like such a grandiose statement that it is not credible

But, to those who have considered, and believe, Nothing else could be true.

All things had to have a beginning- Yet, something with intelligence and power, must have brought about that beginning

The big bang theory is preposterous, and to anyone who seriously and objectively considers it, it falls under the weight of its own absurdity

Anyone who believes that all the matter and energy in the universe, was once compressed to the size of a pin head, and suddenly exploded into everything that is, should have no problem believing in a God who created everything that is, Ex Nihilo

We believe in a God who created everything that is, Ex Nihilo - out of nothing (Heb. 11:3)

If, anything “could” be created without God, surely someone would have figured out how to do it by now

And consider the beginning of life - not a single cell of anything has ever been made to live, even though we know and have all the ingredients

Even though we can split an atom, and examine the very molecules that make up cells, yet, of the things that are not alive, we cannot make even the simplest virus to live

and, of all the things we can make, we must use that which is already here ---

Without Him, nothing was made that was made!

And there is so much more than we can even see -

other life, other beings, angels and demons, and things we have never imagined -

so much is written in the Bible, and much more is not written -

Our God truly is an Awesome God

In Him Was Life, and this Life was the Light of Men

And now we can get in to the Christmas story

In Him, The Word, Jesus Christ, is Life!

We have life in Him

The abundant life

We have become so accustomed to this we often take it for granted

This is the light - the good - the joy of men

If there is anything good in you, it is from Him.

Although we have all fallen short of His glory - because of sin

We have all earned the judgement of death

we have all become enemies of God through wicked works,

Yet we were, every single one of us, created in the image and likeness of God

We were not created to sin against Him

we were created to be like Him

To emulate Him

To Love like Him

to Live Like Him

In Him is that Life, and Light

The Light Shined into Darkness

This is what Christmas was about -

Into this darkness of all mankind lost from God

Into this world of dead works and ritual, and violence and evil

Shone the light of Jesus Christ

He came to His Own - To give us Life

To set the example for us

to demonstrate life by faith, and by the Spirit

To pay the penalty that we could not bear

So that we may inherit the eternal life He intended for all of us

The darkness could not comprehend this light

the darkness could not stop it, and does not understand it

the darkness rejects it

John 3:19–21 NKJV

19 And this is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. 20 For everyone practicing evil hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed. 21 But he who does the truth comes to the light, that his deeds may be clearly seen, that they have been done in God.”

Before Him, there was not path out of the dark

Imagine No Christmas

WE enjoy the Christmas trees

the lights and ornaments

the gifts and giving

the family meals, and Christmas parties

Yet, none of these were before Jesus was born in the manger

And all of these are only byproducts, extras, of the wonderful reason He came

When we consider it, we really do want to shout Joy to the World!

Before Him, we could not “come to the light”

But now, every one who wants to can, come to the Light -

And no amount of darkness or evil can stop you!

He is the True Light, who gives light to every man coming into the world!

He Came to His Own, and His Own Did Not Receive Him

But as many as received Him --- every one who was willing to receive Him

To Them He gave the right to become sons of God!

That is your right - if you will come to Him

No man can give you this right

no amount of wealth can buy it

no power on earth can take it away

no demon or angel can limit this right

If you will come to Him

If you will receive Him

John 1:14 NKJV

14 And the Word became 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.

The Word became Flesh

This wonderful God, chose to become a man - to become flesh - to live among us,. and now, within us.

We have beheld His Glory - and still do

He is full of grace and truth

The truth will set you free

trutht hat confronts your sin

truth that admits you inability to save yourself

truth that acknowledges the state of eternal damnation that we are in without Him

Truth that demonstrates His infinite love for us

truth that he set aside all the glory of heaven - more than we can fathom - demonstrate this love to you

Truth that there is no other path that leads to salvation.

Truth that there is not other name whereby you may be saved

Grace, that grants you eternal life

Grace, through faith, that forgives all your sin

Grace that replaces your judgement of condemnation with a gift of eternal life

Grace that allows you to be accepted in Him

Grace that allows you to love like Him, and now, live in Him and for Him

Grace that allows you to be, part of the body of Christ, and a citizen of the kingdom of God!

Merry Christmas!