Transcript Slide 1
How Do You See Christmas? John 1:1-18 How do you explain the meaning of Christmas? • John 3:16 – "For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life" – Christmas is about giving – But no one could give a greater gift than God has already given! The Meaning of Christmas? • To some – – – – • A A A A time time time time of of of of giving and receiving shopping and spending drinking and partying traveling and entertaining But, what is the real meaning of Christmas? – The meaning of Christmas is largely determined by how you see Jesus! How do you see Jesus? • C. S. Lewis – 2nd of the Chronicles of Narnia series, – Prince Caspian The Pevensie children return to Narnia a year after The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, and the youngest, Lucy, meets Aslan “Welcome, child,” he said. “Aslan,” said Lucy, “You’re bigger.” “That is because you are older, little one,” answered he. “Not because you are?” “I am not. But every year you grow, you will find me bigger.” How do you see Jesus? • “Grow” – Means not just getting older, but increasing in wisdom and understanding – As you grow in wisdom and knowledge of Jesus, you see Him more clearly and He always looks bigger! He Is The Word John 1:1-2 Logos = “The Word” – v. 1 • – John meant for us to read this many times! John 1:1-5 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. He Is The Word John 1:1-2 Logos = “The Word” – v. 1 • a. – b. – – c. – d. Communicate something 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. Make sense out of chaos - logic John 1:1 – “In the beginning was the Word” Genesis 1:1-2 - In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. The earth was without form, and void; and darkness was on the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters Create – bring into being John 1:3 - All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made All of the above! He Is The Word John 1:1-2 • – – – The testimony of John • • • • • – Jesus Christ was The Word – The Logos The One who had always co-existed with God Not “the Word was the God (o theos)” Not “the Word was a God (evas theos)” But “the Word was God (Theos)” – – Both the definite article and the indefinite article are missing “the Word,” Jesus Christ Is of the very nature and character of God the Father He is of the very being and essence of God the Father When we see Christ We see One who is of the very essence and character of God in all of His perfect being He Is Coexistent v. 1b, 2 • John 1:2 “The same was in the beginning with God” – He was and is face to face with God forever • “with” (pros) = the idea of both being with and acting toward – He was “with God” • • • By God’s side, acting, living, and moving in the closest of relationships The ideal and perfect relationship with God the Father Their relationship, communion, fellowship, is a perfect eternal bond He Is Eternal v. 1b • In the beginning, He already was! – Christ was pre-existent • • He was there before creation! He had always existed! – “In the beginning [En archeô]” • • • • • Does not mean from the beginning He did not become He was not created He never had a beginning He “was in the beginning with God” – John 17:5; John 8:58 He Is God! v. 1c • “The Word was God” – Written by a monotheistic Jew! • • • Not “a god” Not “the God” The Word became flesh – This is the Christmas Story! – John 1:14 “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” He Is God! • • Not only was the Son with God, He was God The Christ of Christmas – – – Reveals the most important Person in all the universe: God Reveals all that God is and wants to say to man Reveals God perfectly • – He is just like God, therefore, when we look at Christ we see God – John 14:8-9 Reveals that God is far, far beyond anyone we could have ever dreamed • He is loving and caring, full of goodness and truth; and He will not tolerate injustices and sin Christmas • Not simply about God’s visit – It’s about God’s view of everything – It’s the night God put the world into perspective – It’s the wonderful night that while the world slept, everything changed – In the coming of Christ our deliverance from sin became a reality! He Is the Creator - v. 3 • God Reveals Himself in Creation – No accident John moves from the Word as God to the Word as Creator The two primary ways God has revealed Himself – • • • Through Creation (natural revelation) Through His Word (special revelation) Colossians 1:15-17 – “He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones of dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him. And He is before all things, and in Him all things consist” “All Things” = panta v. 3 • Every single detail of creation – Each element and thing – Each being and person • • • Material or spiritual, angelic or human Nothing was existing, so matter is not eternal! Einstein “proved” this – General relativity equations – Cosmological “fudge factor” – Solving the field equations demanded that the universe could not be infinitely old! – “The biggest blunder of my life” “All Things” • Christ, the Word, took nothing but His will and power – He spoke the Word, and created every single thing out of nothing (ex nihilo) • • God to scientist who said he could create life out of dirt: “No, no! Make your own dirt!” Two statements of fact – “All things were made by Him” – “Without Him was not anything made that was made” • Christ was actively involved in the creation of every single thing A Crucial Point for Mankind • The world is God’s – – – • • He made every element of it! God is not in some distant place far removed from the world God cares deeply about the world - even about the most minute detail and smallest person The problems of the world – Due to sin, to the attitude and evil of man’s heart – – Not man and his technical skill Turn to Christ – The Author and Finisher of our Faith – Hebrews 12:2 Then, and only then, can men set their lives and world in order as God intends The answer to the problems – He Is Life and Light - vv. 4-5 • The source of life and light – v. 4 – From creation in general to the most significant element of creation, life itself • – John uses the word “life” 36 times The gift of life is important • • Only in Christ is spiritual life obtained Because Christ is the origin of life He is Life and Light • “The life [Christ] was the light of men” – From the very beginning man was to know that life John 17:3 - And this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent – • • – Eternal life is to know God personally and intimately Knowledge of the life of Christ was to be the light of men The life (Christ) was to be the light that showed man’s purpose and meaning and significance Christ Is the Answer to Darkness v. 5 • Christ was born in the darkness of night • But Christ’s life shines in the darkness! – Since man had brought darkness into the world by sin, the life of Christ was the light that showed man the way, the truth and the life • Christ showed man the way God intended him to live • Christ showed man the truth of life about God and man • Christ showed man how to save his life Christ Is the Answer to Darkness • Christ’s Light cannot be overcome – Jesus is the Light of the world – John 8:12 – The spiritual light cannot be extinguished by the darkness of this world Christmas • We sense that we can see more clearly in a dark world – – – That there’s a light within the darkness! And we always have a choice between the two Christmas tells us that we have a choice for embracing light in the midst of the darkness of this world Christmas • • We sense that we can see more clearly in a dark world We sense that our world is not fully lost and abandoned – – – We sense the presence of a spirit of hope! John declares the reality of that hope – that God is with us! “Peace on Earth, Good Will towards Men” is not just a good Christmas card - it is reality for God is with us Christmas • • • We sense that we can see more clearly in a dark world We sense that our world is not fully lost and abandoned We sense that our lives are given meaning – Through that baby in a manger we see the reality of God’s great love for us How Do You See Christmas? The more clearly We see Christ, The Bigger He is!