God Incarnate

As we celebrate Christmas, the birth our Savior, we conclude our series that we have been working through the past 4 Sundays, “The Celebration of the Incarnation”

As we celebrate the coming of our Savior, we look look to John chapter 1 tonight to gain a full picture of the baby in the manger that we celebrate tonight.

John 1:1–18 CSB

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. All things were created through him, and apart from him not one thing was created that has been created. In him was life, and that life was the light of men. That light shines in the darkness, and yet the darkness did not overcome it. There was a man sent from God whose name was John. He came as a witness to testify about the light, so that all might believe through him. He was not the light, but he came to testify about the light. The true light that gives light to everyone was coming into the world. He was in the world, and the world was created through him, and yet the world did not recognize him. He came to his own, and his own people did not receive him. But to all who did receive him, he gave them the right to be children of God, to those who believe in his name, who were born, not of natural descent, or of the will of the flesh, or of the will of man, but of God. The Word became flesh and dwelt among us. We observed his glory, the glory as the one and only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth. (John testified concerning him and exclaimed, “This was the one of whom I said, ‘The one coming after me ranks ahead of me, because he existed before me.’ ”) Indeed, we have all received grace upon grace from his fullness, for the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. No one has ever seen God. The one and only Son, who is himself God and is at the Father’s side—he has revealed him.

The Word of God

Jesus Is the Word of God.

The Word was in the Beginning

With God and was God.

Creator of All Things

Life found within Him.

The Light in the Darkness

Look at how beautifully this passage in Colossians 1 echos John 1 here:

Colossians 1:15–20 CSB

He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For everything was created by him, in heaven and on earth, the visible and the invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities— all things have been created through him and for him. He is before all things, and by him all things hold together. He is also the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, so that he might come to have first place in everything. For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him, and through him to reconcile everything to himself, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross.

Not only described here.

Prophesied About:

There were over 300 Prophesies of the Messiah, all fulfilled by Jesus

Born of a Virgin

Born in Bethlehem

Heal the sick, cause the blind to see.

Despised and rejected

Hands and feet pierced

All of these prophesies became true because the Jesus, the Word of God came nearer than any would have imagined…

The Word Made Flesh

The Word became Flesh and dwelt among us.

Humility

Here is how Paul describes that humility in Philippians 2:

Philippians 2:5–11 CSB

Adopt the same attitude as that of Christ Jesus, who, existing in the form of God, did not consider equality with God as something to be exploited. Instead he emptied himself by assuming the form of a servant, taking on the likeness of humanity. And when he had come as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death— even to death on a cross. For this reason God highly exalted him and gave him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee will bow— in heaven and on earth and under the earth— and every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

He had glory as the one and only Son from the Father.

Was in the world, but even though he created it was not recognized.

Celebrity Street Interviews.

Was not recieved by his people.

He did not come to establish a government or to claim his rightful glory at that time, he came in humility because He had an explicit purpose.

In this we see...

The Work of the Word

Those who did receive Him, He gave the right to be called children of God.

Those who believed in is name.

Those who are born again.

To be the vessel of Grace and Truth.

To reveal God to the world.

To be a sacrifice for the reconciliation of the lost.

Isaiah 53:5 CSB

But he was pierced because of our rebellion, crushed because of our iniquities; punishment for our peace was on him, and we are healed by his wounds.

In Him is the hope that we take refuge in. In this manger, the Word of God who took on flesh was born. He was born for this very purpose, to reveal God to men, and to be a sacrifice for the sins of the world.

In a few moments we are going to take the Lord’s Supper.

Explain Significance

Lead into Communion

The Lord’s Supper

1 Corinthians 11:23–24 (CSB)

On the night when he was betrayed, the Lord Jesus took bread, and when he had given thanks, broke it, and said, “This is my body, which is for you. Do this in remembrance of me.”

1 Corinthians 11:25–26 CSB

In the same way also he took the cup, after supper, and said, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.” For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.

Candlelight

We celebrate this evening the light of the world, come into the world. We celebrate the light of life that he has given to us, so that we no longer walk in darkness. Tonight we will light our candles so that we can remember the light he has given to each of us.

As we sing, those closest to the candles can light theirs and light the candles of those around them.

In doing this we see the light that Christ gives to us, and how we should spread that light into the world.