2.1.4 12.26.2021 Word, Son, Savior John 1.1-18

Start

Entice: The common question? What did you get for Christmas? There are lots of different kinds of gifts. One taxonomy divides gifts into two classifications:

Gifts for the "hands." Hobbies. Tools. Crafting. Toys. Games. Certain Books. "interests."

Gifts for the heart. Personalized. Christmas ornaments. Jewelry, Artistic creations and crafting. Certain books. purposefully sentimental stuff.

The best answer? To the question of what did you get for Christmas?

Jesus

and all the blessings He brings! This morning as we continue in John's Gospel. I want to think more specifically about the gifts we receive and our ongoing reception of them.

Engage: Have you ever gotten a gift which seemed epic at the time, but which now you only remember for the guilt at how quickly you forgot its original pleasure? We all have those.

Expand: The Christmas stories each give us a special insight to the gift of Jesus. Matthew and Luke highlight different aspects of His nativity. Mark plunges right into Jesus’ ministry. John begins his own Gospel story by showing us how the incarnate coming of Jesus impacts all of human history. Why? What is God's motive? What does Jesus gain? How are we impacted by His coming--long after the tinsel and trimmings of Christmas have been hauled away?

What is durable and lasting about the greatest gift of Christmas?

--->Jesus Himself!

All of those questions assume that we are able to continue valuing and understanding and accessing that indescribable gift. Sadly, we often lose focus and stop even trying to comprehend the greatest gift of all,

Excite: Jesus is the Gospel. He is Himself the Good-news. He came as the final answer to the perennial question:

What is God like?

John 1:1–18 ESV

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 was not any thing made that was made. 4 In him was life, and the life was the light of men. 5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. 6 There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. 7 He came as a witness, to bear witness about the light, that all might believe through him. 8 He was not the light, but came to bear witness about the light. 9 The true light, which gives light to everyone, was coming into the world. 10 He was in the world, and the world was made through him, yet the world did not know him. 11 He came to his own, and his own people did not receive him. 12 But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, 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 have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth. 15 (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.’ ”) 16 For from his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace. 17 For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. 18 No one has ever seen God; the only God, who is at the Father’s side, he has made him known.

Explore:

Jesus discloses God to us.

That is why all of this happened. That is the ultimate gift to all of us at Christmas, the reason He came--the purpose for His presence.

Explain: This morning John provides three frameworks for understanding Jesus disclosure of God.

The first framework is...

1. Relationship

The eternal relationship between the Father and son is...

1.1. Creative

John 1:1–4 ESV

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 was not any thing made that was made. 4 In him was life, and the life was the light of men.

Everything was made through Him and not without/apart from Him: anything

1.2 Intentional

John 1:5 ESV

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

Creation & Intervention

light shines, John is sent,

1.3 Intimate

verse 1 Word in presence of God

verse 12 Word extends the authority of God

verse 14 Word displays the attributes of God

Verse 18 son is in the bosom of the Father

The next framework for Jesus' disclosure of God is

2. Restoration

2. 1 Rejection

John 1:8–11 ESV

8 He was not the light, but came to bear witness about the light. 9 The true light, which gives light to everyone, was coming into the world. 10 He was in the world, and the world was made through him, yet the world did not know him. 11 He came to his own, and his own people did not receive him.

2.2 Regeneration

John 1:12–13 ESV

12 But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, 13 who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.

2.3 Residence

John 1:14 ESV

14 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.

The final framework for Jesus disclosure of God is..

3. Revelation

How do we understand this revelation of God?

3.1 Communication

Word

Witness

3.2 Illumination

The light, undiminished and unconquered shines in the darkness.

3.3 Explanation

John 1:18 ESV

18 No one has ever seen God; the only God, who is at the Father’s side, he has made him known.

Shut Down:

What you and I need to know about God is found in the Word made Flesh, Emmanuel, Jesus.

Without Jesus there would be absence of God/With Him we experience the presence of God.

Without Jesus there would be silence/With Him we hear the voice of God.

Without Jesus there would be darkness/With Him we dwell in the light of God.

Without Jesus there would be loneliness/With Him we are Children of God.

Without Jesus there would be ignorance./With Him we have real Knowledge of God.

We don't deserve it. We did not, could not, earn it. For much of our lives, even when we live by faith it evades our efforts to describe it and understand it. But to each of us who believes He includes us in an intimate embrace which is bigger than family, race, nation, place of origin, or any other terrestrial loyalty. Child of God. Son of God. Daughter of God.

Your Greatest Christmas present ever...God's promise, God's Word incarnate for us today December 26, 2021.