A few
years ago I preached a Christmas sermon on John 1. The history of this sermon is
interesting. In college (and in
seminary) I was challenged by my preaching professors to do a Christmas sermon
on John 1. In both classes I wrote just
such a sermon. It was not until I moved
to Virginia, however, that I decided to share these thoughts. I borrowed the name of a popular Christmas
song, and the notes below are the result.
As I've been thinking about the story of Christmas, I kept coming back
to these thoughts on John 1. So, I
decided to reprint these sermon notes (with some changes). Feel free to leave some comments, I hope
these notes are a blessing to you! Merry
Christmas!
God’s Word of Love at Christmas: Do You Hear What I
Hear?
John
1:14-18
What’s
the good word? Our world seems obsessed with communication. We have phones that
are not for making calls only, but are also used to surf the internet, to send
text messages, to even read books and watch movies! All around us we are bombarded by some sort
of communication—and yet we have never seemed so disconnected, even so lacking
in genuine love or depth of relationships.
We
are a people drowning in information who at times seem to be longing for
meaningful communication. We are people who are desperate to be loved. We want
to hear a “good word,” something that is helpful or communicates hope and grace.
We want to hear some good news.
Have
you ever noticed how often “words” play a role in Scripture?
1. In the beginning, God “said” or “spoke” and there
was ______________
2. God spoke to Adam and Eve in the morning
3. God spoke through prophets (Hebrews 1)
4. God speaks to us today through his Son the Word and
through his written Word—Scripture
Whenever God wants to make something known, he speaks.
God likes to communicate, he wants us to know what he
is doing.
He takes a personal role in this communication, and
through it he shows us what true love looks like.
This
Christmas, God offers us a Word—that Word is his self-disclosure, his speaking
of himself through his Son. In Jesus, God offers us a communication and a gift,
and both of these speak of his great mercy and love.
When God speaks, we should listen
Do you hear what I hear?
John 1:14-18
In this passage I hear three things:
1. I hear that the Word is among us and reveals God’s
true character, vv. 14, 18 (The Word Among Us)
2. I hear that The Word is Before Us, v. 15 (The World
Before Us)
3. I hear that The Word is full of Grace, vv. 16-17
(The Word of Grace)
First, I hear that the Word is among us, vv. 14, 18
(The Word Among Us)
a. The Word became “flesh”—when God spoke, it was
personal and a bit messy. God spoke in these last days to us through his Son
(Heb. 1:1-3). This “Word” takes on flesh (Romans 8:3). The word “flesh” here is
not a pretty word. God doesn’t say that his “Word” became simply “human.” No,
Jesus became “flesh,” he took on our situation; he identified with us; he was
tempted like us (yet without sin—cf. Heb. 2:14-18; 4:14-16; 2 Cor. 5:20-21).
Jesus got involved in our messy existence and by doing so offered a means to
clean up our mess. He came to offer God’s mercy and grace, and he came to deal
with our sin. By being one of us, Jesus healed and redeemed our situation. Do
you hear what I hear?
b.
The Word dwelt among us—When God spoke, he didn’t do it from a distance. He
came among us. In the OT, God’s presence among his people was signified by the
tabernacle and its three chambers. The inner chamber (where God’s glory dwelt)
was only accessible once a year by one person on the Day of Atonement. Jesus’
coming as God’s Word makes that glory accessible to all of us by making his
dwelling among us. He lives with us, he lives among us. He has not left us nor
forsaken us. God is not distant, he comes to us in our situation to show us his
character, to reveal his love. God loves us by being among us. He is here to
rescue us by that grace. Do you hear what I hear?
c.
The Word is full of glory—When God spoke, he made his glory known. When Jesus
came, we saw God’s glory. In the OT, God’s glory was sometimes hidden, but with
the birth of Jesus God’s glory now becomes obvious to all. God makes himself
known in Jesus. The full character of God is explained in Jesus. All of God’s
holiness, justice, mercy, grace, faithfulness and love are in the Incarnate
Word. Jesus is here, so the full character of God is here as well. Do you hear
what I hear?
d.
This Word was never seen before, but now we see him—He who was invisible has
now become visible (Colossians 1:15-17; cf. Rom. 1:18-20). In Jesus we see the
invisible attributes of God. Jesus makes God visible and known. God’s character
and love is clear. It is not hidden to us. Jesus has made it known. Do you hear
what I hear?
e.
The Word has explained God—Jesus showed the way to God, he “exegeted” God. He
explained God. Jesus made God understandable. What was inexplicable now is
explained. What was inscrutable is now “scrutable.” In Jesus humanity can now
see God’s character in a way they can understand. God’s person is now made
known in the words and actions of Jesus. God’s incredible grace and love to
rescue condemned people has been made know. We can know God. He is not a
distant Father. He is here, and Jesus makes him known. Do you hear what I hear?
Those
of us who claim to follow Christ should seek to imitate Jesus in making God
clearly known to others, but like Jesus that means we must engage a hurting
world lost in the destruction of sin and death. That engagement requires us to
be humble and to serve. In the spirit of Hebrews 10:24, I’d like to incite my
fellow Christians to love and good works today.
May
we in this Christmas season find ourselves like our Lord wrapping a towel of
humility around our collective waists as we pursue the greatest job ever—loving
those God has loved in a way that they do not expect. Remember, Jesus came as a
child—a seemingly defenseless, helpless babe. He lived among us as a “normal”
person—he worked with his hands, he talked to people, and he showed them love.
He
was human (in the “flesh” as John and Paul tell us), and in community with us
he revealed to us the character of God: selfless love, humble service, and
unmerited grace. Jesus also encouraged and admonished his followers to serve
one another, to outdo one another in being kind and in service. "The one
who serves is the greatest" says Jesus. We have to go where they are if we
want to serve as Jesus serves. Will we go? We will be examples of Jesus’ grace
by giving our own lives to help others find life in him? Will we hear God’s
Word of love to us today? Will we “explain” God to others by our service of
love?
When God speaks, we should listen
Do you hear what I hear?
When God “spoke” in Jesus, he became one of us
(flesh), he pitched his tent among us (tabernacle), he made visible his
invisible glory (we saw his glory which no one had seen), he offered an
explanation of God’s grace, love, and truth, and our response is to witness his
glory/character and to proclaim it to others.
Second, I hear that The Word is Before Us, v. 15 (The
World Before Us)
a. He is superior to us because he existed before us
(John 1:1-3; Phil 2:5-8)
Jesus’ superiority is explained in detail in the
letter to the Hebrews. Although the author of that letter dwells on Jesus’ superiority to many things
and people (i.e., angels, Moses, Aaron, the Levites, the sacrifices, etc.), he
also goes out of his way to remind us that Jesus is one of us (cf. Heb.
2:14-18; 4:14-16). He is not an alien. He is superior, yes, but in his humanity
the child in the manger brings God’s glory to all people (remember the angels,
“Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among men with whom He is
pleased."—Luke 2:14). God, in his great mercy and love, came among us to
rescue us from condemnation. God’s love is made clear in the life and words of
Jesus.
Jesus is “before” us
Do you hear what I hear?
Because of his position, we are called to testify of
all that relates to him, and this is what John does here.
b. Jesus is “before” us in his superiority, but he is
also “before” us in the sense of presence. He is there—in front of us and before
our very eyes. He is the revelation of God’s character. His coming is an
expression of God’s amazing humble love. God loved, and he showed that love by
means of the birth of Jesus. He showed that love in the life and death and
resurrection of Jesus. This is the scene “before” us this Christmas; an amazing
scene of self-sacrificing grace, amazing holiness, and wonderful, giving,
humble love. Remember, what was unseen is now visible. The babe in the manger
makes the glory of God known to all humanity. Jesus’ very existence has
explained God to us all. He is right in front of us. Will we pay attention?
When God speaks, we should listen
Do
you hear what I hear?
When
God reveals himself, he sometimes uses the testimony of others (John), he
reveals his character (he is before us, existed without us, and makes himself
known to us), as a result he is worthy of our worship and our testimony.
Third,
I hear that The Word is full of Grace, vv. 16-17 (The Word of Grace)
a. We have all received from his fullness (full of
grace and truth—cf. John 1:14; Col. 1:5-6)
Jesus is the fullness of God (Col 2:9-10). Christ is the ultimate expression of grace and
truth. He is
grace in that he was freely given for us all—He is the expression of God’s love
for humanity (John 3:16; 1 John 2:1-2). He is truth in that he reveals
clearly who God is and how to get to God (John 14:6).
b. Grace stacked up on grace (cf. Heb. 4:16)
Like a warehouse with an unending supply of boxes
stacked up against each other, so Jesus offers an ongoing and seemingly never exhaustible
warehouse of grace. He is grace beyond measure, He is grace yesterday,
today, and forever. His grace is never shallow and is always trustworthy.
c. We all receive his grace
1 John 2:1-2 reminds us that Jesus is the
propitiation for the sins even of the whole world (i.e., in 1 John 5, the
“whole world” is described as those in the hands of the devil). The grace of God is available to all people by
means of the incarnation as Jesus reveals and explains God’s grace. The grace of God is effective in the crucifixion
as the blood of Jesus is applied to the sins of humans. The grace of God is sealed by the resurrection in
which God declares his work completed and finished.
Followers of Christ are called to share the testimony
of his mercy to others and to offer those wrecked by the destruction of sin the
promise of rescue through Jesus. Who are these people? Who are our modern day "lepers"? Are they the drug addicts? The alcoholics? The divorcees? The liberal
democrats? The conservative republicans? The victims of cancer, aids, etc.? Are
they the orphans of war? The ones left behind by our refusal to care? They may
be all around us.
Finding them isn't hard--they are out there.
Loving them is sometimes harder.
May we learn today to offer debt-free love and service
to others. Like Jesus may we learn to take joy in the smiles and laughter we
receive. May we (like Jesus) even be willing to be killed by those we love and
yet love them anyway.
When God speaks, we should listen
Do you hear what I hear?
When God “spoke” the word of grace, he provided an
unlimited storehouse of the gift of grace, he made it available to all (we
“all” received it), and he makes grace and truth a reality in Jesus, our
response is to live God’s grace and truth as a tangible example of God’s Word
spoken to us—we (in a sense) “incarnate” God’s grace and truth in our own lives
by living out what he has worked in us.
Application/Conclusion
a. Are we listening to God during this Christmas
season? Are we paying attention to the “Word” he speaks in Jesus and the
Incarnation? Do people see his “grace and truth” in how we live in response to
God’s Word?
b. Have you experienced his grace? What a Christmas
gift you could receive today if you yield yourself to God and receive his grace
in Jesus Christ. John 1:11-13 reminds us that to those who receive him (i.e.,
put their trust in him) he gives authority to be called the children of God.
(Give an overview of Gospel here, offer salvation to all).
c. For those of us who have experienced this wonderful
gift, how can we respond to this “word” from God? Do you hear what I hear? If
so, here are some suggestions for you:
i. This Christmas, testify of his
glory in the “baby Jesus”
ii. Speak of his grace and truth,
his character, his holiness, his love, etc.
iii. Show his love in service to
others
iv. Take opportunity to share the
truth of God’s Incarnation in Jesus
When God speaks, people ought to listen
Do you hear what I hear?
Thanks for reading!
