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I wonder what the Lord Jesus would have to say about the way we celebrate Christmas across the world today. Do you think He would be pleased for the most part? By and large I think I am an optimist, but I am fully persuaded that Jesus would not be pleased with the way we celebrate His birth, and here are some reasons why. Do you think Jesus is pleased with people who max out their c/c to buy presents and then take months to pay it off? Is going in debt being a good steward? Do you think husbands and wives ever get into heated arguments about whose parents they are going to spend this Christmas with? Do you think these arguments please the Lord? Do you think it is possible we are deceiving ourselves thinking we are celebrating Christ’s birthday when in reality we aren’t?
Think about this for a minute. Add up in your mind how much time and energy and thought and money you put into: Christmas cards (sending and receiving), the Christmas tree (selecting and decorating), other Christmas decorations both inside and outside your home with the lights, and wreaths and garlands and mistletoe and holly and candles and the knick-knacks on the mantle over the fireplace, Christmas presents (who are you going to get presents for this year and how much are you going to spend), and then the special get-togethers and meals that we all enjoy this time of year. Where is Christ in all of this? Is He the focus or is He an after-thought? Is He really no more than an excuse to have a party?
Why do we put ourselves thru this? I think we want everyone to be happy. We want to be able to get and give plenty… somehow we have bought the lie that spending more and receiving more equals a better Christmas. We want peace and joy to abound, but in reality, Christmas often turns into a real hassle. We are rushed and pushed for time. All too often we spend money we don’t have for people we don’t even like so they can acquire things they don’t even want or need. In our struggle to make Christmas a success, we often fail and end up making ourselves and others miserable. So how can we get Christmas right this year? How can we change our thinking so Christmas can be a time of blessing and wonder instead of a time of stress and tension? The Word of God has the answer.
John 1:1-5 – 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.
John is the human author of our text this morning, and let’s just for a moment consider the backdrop against which the Holy Spirit inspired him to write his Gospel. His brother James was dead… martyred for the faith. Peter, the leading apostle to the Jews was dead. Origen says that Peter felt unworthy to be put to death in the same manner as his Master, and was therefore, at his own request, crucified upside down. Paul, the dynamic apostle to the Gentiles was dead… church tradition tells us he was beheaded while Nero was emperor of Rome. In fact, at the time John was writing his Gospel, all the other apostles were dead.
So was John bitter? Was he thinking he had made the biggest mistake of his life by following that itinerant preacher by the name of Jesus? Hardly. Just the opposite is true. If we are going to understand the Gospel of John, we are going to have to understand John’s purpose in writing it, and to do that all we have to do is turn to John 20:30,31.
John 20:31,13 – And truly Jesus did many other signs in the presence of His disciples, which are not written in this book; 31 but these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in His name.
In other words, John is writing because he wants you to know that Jesus is the Christ, the promised Messiah, the Son of God, 100% man and 100% God, and John is writing so you will come to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ which will give you eternal life. Does that sound like John is thinking he made a bad decision by becoming a disciple of the Lord Jesus?
Think of the memories that were stored away in John’s heart. He had lived thru marvelous times. In his day the Son of God became the Son of Man, born in a manger in Bethlehem. In his day Jesus was baptized in the Jordan (by another John), tempted in the wilderness, and proven to be holy, harmless, and undefiled in thought, word, and deed throughout His entire ministry… and what a ministry that was. Jesus had healed the sick, cleansed the lepers, and raised the dead. He had made the blind see, the deaf hear, the dumb speak, and the lame walk. He had turned water into wine, walked on the water, and fed the hungry multitudes from five loaves and two fish.
In his day John saw Jesus betrayed, falsely accused, beaten, and crucified. But not only had John witnessed Jesus’ death and burial, but more importantly John witnessed Jesus’ resurrection and ascension into Heaven.
John was there in Jerusalem when the church was born on the day of Pentecost, 10 days after the ascension, when the Holy Spirit descended like a mighty rushing wind as cloven tongues of fire. He was a charter member of the church, and John had seen it grow from 120 to over 3000 strong in one day. Now at the end of the first century John had seen it take root and spread into many different parts of the world. Unfortunately he had also seen all kinds of false teaching enter into the church. Thus, the Spirit of God used John to write the fourth and last Gospel.
The moment we read John’s Gospel we are aware it is different from the others. There is no genealogy, no manger scene, no temptation, no Mount of Transfiguration; in fact, there are no parables such as we find in the first three Gospels. John’s language is simple and his vocabulary small. There are about 600 words in John’s vocabulary, which corresponds roughly to the vocabulary of a seven year old. But as Dr. Phillips says, “If John’s ‘coins’ are few, their denomination is large; they are golden coins, royal sovereigns, the kind one would find in a rich man’s purse.”
So while the structure is simple, John brings us face to face with eternity past and eternity future, and introduces us to the eternal, immortal, invisible, only wise God… our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
John 1:1 – In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
The word translated “Word” in this verse is the Greek word logos. It refers to “speech, reasoning, explanation, a word about something.” That is exactly who Jesus is. He is called the Word because a word is a visible expression of an invisible thought. Jesus is the perfect expression of who God is… the visible expression of the invisible God.
In our culture we are so used to hearing that Jesus is God in the flesh, but think about how the disciples must have struggled with this. What had they been taught all their lives?
Deuteronomy 6:4-6 – “Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one! 5 “You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength. 6 “And these words which I command you today shall be in your heart.
So when Peter said to Jesus, “Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God” this was no small confession.
As you know the Bible presents Jesus as God manifest in the flesh in many different places.
1 Timothy 3:16 – And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifested in the flesh, Justified in the Spirit, Seen by angels, Preached among the Gentiles, Believed on in the world, Received up in glory.
Romans 9:3-5 – For I could wish that I myself were accursed from Christ for my brethren, my countrymen according to the flesh, 4 who are Israelites, to whom pertain the adoption, the glory, the covenants, the giving of the law, the service of God, and the promises; 5 of whom are the fathers and from whom, according to the flesh, Christ came, who is over all, the eternally blessed God. Amen.
Titus 2:11-14 – For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men, 12 teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in the present age, 13 looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, 14 who gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from every lawless deed and purify for Himself His own special people, zealous for good works.
Hebrews 1:5-8 – For to which of the angels did He ever say: “You are My Son, Today I have begotten You”? And again: “I will be to Him a Father, And He shall be to Me a Son”? 6 But when He again brings the firstborn into the world, He says: “Let all the angels of God worship Him.” 7 And of the angels He says: “Who makes His angels spirits And His ministers a flame of fire.” 8 But to the Son He says: “Your throne, O God, is forever and ever; A scepter of righteousness is the scepter of Your Kingdom.
As you know Jesus claimed to be God.
John 5:18 – Therefore the Jews sought all the more to kill Him, because He not only broke the Sabbath, but also said that God was His Father, making Himself equal with God.
Jesus received worship that belongs to God alone. In the wilderness temptation Jesus said to Satan, “You shall worship the LORD your God, and Him only you shall serve.” And having said that, notice how Jesus received worship again and again.
Matthew 14:25-33 – Now in the fourth watch of the night Jesus went to them, walking on the sea. 26 And when the disciples saw Him walking on the sea, they were troubled, saying, “It is a ghost!” And they cried out for fear. 27 But immediately Jesus spoke to them, saying, “Be of good cheer! It is I; do not be afraid.” 28 And Peter answered Him and said, “Lord, if it is You, command me to come to You on the water.” 29 So He said, “Come.” And when Peter had come down out of the boat, he walked on the water to go to Jesus. 30 But when he saw that the wind was boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink he cried out, saying, “Lord, save me!” 31 And immediately Jesus stretched out His hand and caught him, and said to him, “O you of little faith, why did you doubt?” 32 And when they got into the boat, the wind ceased. 33 Then those who were in the boat came and worshiped Him, saying, “Truly You are the Son of God.”
Matthew 28:6-9 – He is not here; for He is risen, as He said. Come, see the place where the Lord lay. 7 “And go quickly and tell His disciples that He is risen from the dead, and indeed He is going before you into Galilee; there you will see Him. Behold, I have told you.” 8 So they went out quickly from the tomb with fear and great joy, and ran to bring His disciples word. 9 And as they went to tell His disciples, behold, Jesus met them, saying, “Rejoice!” So they came and held Him by the feet and worshiped Him.
Revelation 5:8-14 – Now when He had taken the scroll, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb, each having a harp, and golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints. 9 And they sang a new song, saying: “You are worthy to take the scroll, And to open its seals; For You were slain, And have redeemed us to God by Your blood Out of every tribe and tongue and people and nation, 10 And have made us kings and priests to our God; And we shall reign on the earth.” 11 Then I looked, and I heard the voice of many angels around the throne, the living creatures, and the elders; and the number of them was ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands, 12 saying with a loud voice: “Worthy is the Lamb who was slain To receive power and riches and wisdom, And strength and honor and glory and blessing!” 13 And every creature which is in heaven and on the earth and under the earth and such as are in the sea, and all that are in them, I heard saying: “Blessing and honor and glory and power Be to Him who sits on the throne, And to the Lamb, forever and ever!” 14 Then the four living creatures said, “Amen!” And the twenty-four elders fell down and worshiped Him who lives forever and ever.
I am sure you remember Thomas’ statement when he saw Jesus
John 20:26-28 – And after eight days His disciples were again inside, and Thomas with them. Jesus came, the doors being shut, and stood in the midst, and said, “Peace to you!” 27 Then He said to Thomas, “Reach your finger here, and look at My hands; and reach your hand here, and put it into My side. Do not be unbelieving, but believing.” 28 And Thomas answered and said to Him, “My Lord and my God!”
And one of my favorite stories that emphasize the deity of Jesus is found in Mark 2:
Mark 2:1-7 – And again He entered Capernaum after some days, and it was heard that He was in the house. 2 Immediately many gathered together, so that there was no longer room to receive them, not even near the door. And He preached the word to them. 3 Then they came to Him, bringing a paralytic who was carried by four men. 4 And when they could not come near Him because of the crowd, they uncovered the roof where He was. So when they had broken through, they let down the bed on which the paralytic was lying. 5 When Jesus saw their faith, He said to the paralytic, “Son, your sins are forgiven you.” 6 And some of the scribes were sitting there and reasoning in their hearts, 7 “Why does this Man speak blasphemies like this? Who can forgive sins but God alone?”
And if we compare Scripture with Scripture our text is a clear declaration of the deity of Christ.
John 1:1,14 – In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was 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.
The Word became flesh… that’s why we are celebrating Christmas today. And on a more technical note when the text states, “In the beginning was the Word,” it is important to understand the phrase doesn’t imply the Word had a beginning. It means that the Word has always existed. The word “was” is in the “imperfect tense” and it means an action in the past that continues into the present. It could be read this way, “In the beginning was the Word, is the Word and always will be the Word.” The Word is everlasting… He always has been and He always will be. Before anything else came into existence, there was the Word. Jesus had His birth in Bethlehem, but not His beginning.
Micah 5:2 – “But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, Though you are little among the thousands of Judah, Yet out of you shall come forth to Me The One to be Ruler in Israel, Whose goings forth are from of old, From everlasting.”
A couple of months before Christmas, a mail carrier’s wife was killed in a car accident. The husband was overcome with grief and was trying to work through his sorrow by staying late at the post office. One evening as he was sorting through the mountain of mail he came across a letter that was addressed to “Santa Claus,” and he noticed that the return address in the upper left hand corner of the envelope was his own address. So, he opened the letter and saw that his only daughter had written the following letter:
Dear Santa:
My Mommy died two months ago and since then my Daddy has been crying himself to sleep every night. He says only eternity will heal him. Would you please send a little bit of eternity to my Dad this Christmas?
Well God not only sent us a little bit of eternity, He sent us the very heart of Heaven. A little later in John 1 we read:
John 1:18 – No one has seen God at any time. The only begotten Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, He has declared Him.
Jesus is the perfect expression of who God is. The author of Hebrews puts it this way…
Hebrews 1:1-3 – God, who at various times and in various ways spoke in time past to the fathers by the prophets, 2 has in these last days spoken to us by His Son, whom He has appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the worlds; 3 who being the brightness of His glory and the express image of His person
In other words Jesus is the perfect explanation and revelation of God. If you want to know more about God, study the Person of Jesus. Remember, Jesus said I and My Father are one.
I think we get so used to hearing the Christmas story that we can easily lose the wonder of it all. Who was it that was born on Christmas day? Just the Creator of the world, that’s who.
John 1:3 – All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made.
The Creator of the universe humbled Himself and became a creature in the creation. God the Son became dependent upon a human mother. The Author of creation stepped out of eternity past, He laid aside His glory, and He entered this world as a baby. This is the essence of Christmas. That is why this season is not about decorations and packages and parties. Christmas is all about Christ… the Author of creation.
As I mentioned last week, Christmas then, is all about Christ… contrary to what the world thinks, Christmas is not the same as Happy Holidays. If you are not in Christ you cannot have a successful Christmas… you can have “Happy Holidays” but please don’t confuse the two. You can enjoy the family time, the shopping, the giving and receiving of presents, the food, the Christmas trees and lights and tinsel, the eggnog, the mistletoe and holly, the snow scenes, the music, and the time off from work. But you cannot have a Merry Christmas because the essence of Christmas is Christ. Trying to celebrate Christmas w/o Christ is like trying to celebrate the Super Bowl w/o football; it’s like trying to celebrate the World Series w/o baseball. It simply cannot be done. You cannot celebrate Christmas w/o Christ.
Not only is Jesus the Author of creation, He is the One who holds it all together.
Colossians 1:15-17 – He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. 16 For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him. 17 And He is before all things, and in Him all things consist.
Consider the vastness of space for a minute. Distances are so great that astronomers use a different yardstick to measure… it’s called light years (the distance light travels in one year). As you know light has a pretty heavy foot… it travels at the speed of 186,000 miles/second. By that yardstick our sun is about 8 light minutes away, but out in space there are stars believed to be billions of light years away. And some stars are large beyond thought. The star Antares for instance could hold 64 million suns the size of ours. And in the constellation Hercules there is a star that could contain 100 million stars the size of Antares. God created all this, and here in John 1 we are told Jesus is both the Author of creation and the One who holds it all together.
Then we can go from the world of the infinitely large to the world of the infinitely small. The building block of the universe is the atom, an entity so small that each one measures less than 150 millionth of an inch in diameter. If the molecules of a single drop of water could be converted to grains of sand, there would be enough sand to build a concrete highway 1/2 mile wide and one foot thick all the way from NY to LA.
And when we turn to the world of living things the complexities are even greater. Each cell in a living creature contains 200 billion molecules of atoms, and on and on I could go but I think you get the point. Jesus made it all.
John 1:3 – And w/o Him nothing was made that was made.
In the Greek it is even more emphatic, “”not even one thing.” This proves the excellency of the Christian faith, for the Author and Founder of it is the same as the Author and Founder of everything in existence.
John 1:4 – In Him was life, and the life was the light of men.
When Jesus came into this world, He entered a world filled with men who were spiritually dead. But, these dead men didn’t know that they were dead.
A farmer years ago was trying to teach his son the ways of life on a farm. So, he took his son out to the hen house, grabbed a chicken and said, “Son, your Mama wants a chicken for dinner, so you know what we have to do.” With that he cut the chicken’s head off, and the chicken began to flop around on the ground. Well, the little boy’s eyes got wide with amazement, and he said, “Daddy, look at that. That thar chicken is dead and he don’t even know it.” That is exactly the way lost people are, Eph. 2:1-3.
Life is one of the key themes in John’s Gospel… not simply being alive in the sense of a beating heart, but real life… the abundant life which is communion with God. Scientists tell us there are four essential qualities necessary for human life: light, air, water, food, and it is no accident that Jesus is all of these.
John 8:12 tells us He is the light of the world. John also tells us that when we come to a saving knowledge of the Lord Jesus we are born of the Spirit which is the breath of life. In John 6 we read that Jesus is the Bread of life, and in John 4 and John 7 Jesus tells us He is the Water of life, “If any man thirst, let him come unto Me.” So we can safely say the four essential qualities of life find their personification in Jesus.
John 1:5 – And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it.
That word “comprehend” is an interesting word as it has a two-fold meaning. It means to comprehend in the sense of understanding, but significantly it also means to overpower. Darkness rules and reigns in the human heart if a man has been born only once. Someone has rightly said if you are born only once you will die twice, but if you are born twice you will die only once.
Darkness is everywhere. There is the darkness of the political mind that thinks government can solve all our problems. There is the darkness of the scientific mind that thinks we are the product of evolution and that life is only chemicals. There is the darkness of the philosophical mind that speculates vainly about the meaning of life, but is described by the Apostle Paul as “ever learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth.” There is the darkness of the religious mind that thinks it doesn’t matter what your doctrine is (in fact, doctrine is bad because it is too narrow and thus it divides)… all that matters is your sincerity.
So darkness is everywhere swallowing up human souls, but darkness is not all powerful… it cannot overpower the Light. One small candle can dispel the darkness, and John’s Gospel and the Book of Romans teach us that in the heart of every person is the recognition of God and of right and wrong.
John 1:6-9 – 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.
John 16:7-11 – “Nevertheless I tell you the truth. It is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you; but if I depart, I will send Him to you. 8 “And when He has come, He will convict the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment: 9 “of sin, because they do not believe in Me; 10 “of righteousness, because I go to My Father and you see Me no more; 11 “of judgment, because the ruler of this world is judged.
Romans 2:12-16 – For as many as have sinned without law will also perish without law, and as many as have sinned in the law will be judged by the law 13 (for not the hearers of the law are just in the sight of God, but the doers of the law will be justified; 14 for when Gentiles, who do not have the law, by nature do the things in the law, these, although not having the law, are a law to themselves, 15 who show the work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience also bearing witness, and between themselves their thoughts accusing or else excusing them) 16 in the day when God will judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ, according to my gospel.
That light within the heart of man has never been extinguished and no amount of activism on the part of atheists or secular humanists can put it out. At Calvary, Satan and the powers of darkness thought they had put out the Light, but on that resurrection morning it blazed forth again, triumphant forever. The darkness overpowered it not.
I am sure all of you are familiar with the text we have looked at today as it is a familiar one. But I trust it serves to remind us once again of the majesty of God, and when we reflect on the majesty of the Lord Jesus our hearts should cry out, “Come let us worship and bow down.”
We the creatures are so limited in every aspect… in power, in knowledge, in time and in space, but God is not limited. He is eternal, infinite, and almighty. Like us He is personal, but unlike us He is sinless and majestic.
Isaiah 9:6 – For unto us a Child is born, Unto us a Son is given; And the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
Merry Christmas
