JOHN 1- CHRISTMAS
5 Outlines
JOHN 1:14
THE MESSAGE OF CHRISTMAS
Instead of going to one of the more
traditional locations in the Bible for our text for a Christmas Message, I have
directed your attention to John 1:1-14.
For all the great, wordy, needed account of Christmas given by Luke, John
gets at the heart of the meaning of Christmas in just one verse.
John 1:14 - And the Word was made 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
The topic of John's Christmas message is
the "The Word".
It doesn't take much thought to figure out
that the term, "The Word" is referring to God's Son, The Lord Jeuss.
Earlier in this chapter, John has some
things to say about "The Word". It will help for us to remind
ourselves what John says about Jesus as "The Word".
Vs. 1 - In the beginning was
the Word...
Sounds like Genesis 1:1, doesn't it?
We will find as we read on that there is good reason for John to begin
his Gospel this way.
"In the beginning, God..."
"In the beginning was the
Word..."
Both existed in the beginning.
Both involved in creation.
Both are deity, God the Father, God the Son.
Jesus is called "the word."
What does a word do?
First, a word expresses a thought. It is used to explain what we are thinking.
For example if I am thinking of an object that sits on a counter, has a door on
it, and cooks food real fast, the word I attach to that thought is
"micro-wave".
First, a word expresses a thought. Second,
a word communicates that thought to others.
The way you understand what I am thinking is by the words I use.
Jesus is called the "Word".
He expresses the thought of who God is and
what God is like.
He reveals God to us. He shows us how God
is thinking.
In the
beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God...
The idea of being with someone can have
various meanings. On separate occasions
I was with Johnny Cash, The Four Seasons, The Statler
Brothers, and John Denver. Of course so
were thousands of other people. I got
nowhere near them but I was with them.
However, we had our adult class Christmas
party we were eyeball to eyeball. We were with each other in a close way.
When this says that the word was with God,
it means they were face to face. They
were up close and personal. Jesus is
closer to God the Father than any other person in the universe, with the
possible exception of the Holy Spirit, who would be equally close. John 1:18
In the
beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
Here is a clear statement concerning the
deity of Christ, and you'll ever here.
THE WORD WAS GOD!
Some will say that Jesus was a great
teacher, and He was.
Some will say that Jesus was a mighty
miracle worker, and He was.
Some will say that Jesus was a great man,
and He was.
But above this, Jesus was, and is, GOD!
God is a trinity or a triunity.
One God, three persons in the Godhead.
They have the same characteristics of
deity.
They have the same purpose as deity.
Each on is God, and yet each one is unique.
Vs. 2 - Referring to the Lord Jesus, Proverbs
8:27-30 gives some good commentary on this verse.
Vs. 3 - Jesus is the Word. As The Word, Jesus reveals the thoughts of
God. Therefore, as the Word, Jesus expresses God's thoughts in God's creation.
Colossians 1:16-17, Hebrews 1:1-2
Vs. 4 - In Him was life
because He is creator.
In Him was life because He is God.
In Him was life because He went to the cross to
die for us that we might have eternal life.
In Him was life because He rose from the dead.
This life is the light of men.
You see, we as men and women have darkened
hearts, darkened by the darkness of sin.
It is the Lord Jesus, who not only gives
life, but light.
When a person puts His faith in Christ,
instead of residing in Satan's
Vs. 5 - The light of the world
is shinning in the darkness, and yet the powers of darkness did not comprehend,
or apprehend it.
If you have trusted Christ as Savior, you
are part of the Kingdom of light. If you
have not trusted Christ as Savior, you are not part of the Kingdom of
light. Which is true for you?
THE WORD
WAS MADE FLESH
We already saw that Jesus as the Word
existed from the beginning.
But there was a time when Jesus was made
flesh or became flesh. Isaiah 9:6, Micah 5:2, Philippians 2:5-8
THE WORD
WAS MADE FLESH
AND DWELT AMONG US
When Jesus came to earth He dwelt, or
tabernacled, or pitched his tent among us.
He was:
Among the sin though sinless
Among the sickness
Among the frustrations
Among the difficulties
Among the unfairness
Among the bondage
Just as God dwelled in a tent, a tabernacle
among the children of
THE WORD
WAS MADE FLESH
AND DWELT AMONG US
AND WE BEHELD HIS GLORY…
John is saying, "I am an
eyewitness." The apostles and I saw
it all!
John could say, I saw the glory of His
miracles, including the feeding of the 5 thousand, the healing of the man born
blind, the turning of water into wine, and the raising of Lazarus from the
dead.
John could say, I saw the glory of his
sinless life.
When others would be unreasonable, Jesus
was never unreasonable.
When others lost their tempers, Jesus never
lost His.
When others sought their own glory, Jesus
sought His Heavenly Father's glory.
When others lied, stole, and cheated, Jesus
was above reproach.
John could say, I saw the glory of his
death. John was an eyewitness of Jesus fulfilling Isaiah 53:6-9.
Then John saw the glory of his resurrection and his ascension.
Later, John would see the glory of the
glorified Lord in Revelation.
Of
course all of the glory of the Lord Jesus showed
Him to be as the "Only Begotten Of The Father."
There never was one like the Lord Jesus.
And there never will be.
THE WORD
WAS MADE FLESH
AND DWELT AMONG US
AND WE BEHELD HIS GLORY
FULL OF GRACE AND TRUTH
Grace - God's unmerited favor.
Ephesians 2:8-9 - For by grace are ye saved through faith; and
that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man
should boast.
Jesus is the truth - John 14:6 - Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the
truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.
What He says is true.
What He does is true.
What He stands for is true.
As truth, Jesus cannot stand for sin.
As full of grace, He satisfied the need
truth has to see sin punished.
He was full of both - grace and truth.
Reminds me of Psalm 85:10 - Mercy and truth are met together; righteousness
and peace have kissed each other.
So, we see the real meaning of Christmas.
THE WORD
BECAME FLESH
AND DWELT AMONG US
AND WE BEHELD HIS GLORY
FULL OF GRACE AND TRUTH
John 1:1-5, 14
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THE WORD (2)
THE WORD’S PREEXISTENCE – Vss. 1,2
THE WORD’S PARTNERSHIP – Vss. 1-2 (with the Father)
THE WORD’S POWER – Vss. 3-5
THE WORD’S PRESENCE – Vs. 14
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JOHN'S CHRISTMAS MESSAGE
John 1:1-5, 14
In the Gospel of John
you will find no account of
a
HIS ETERNAL IDENTITY
Vss. 1-2
HIS EARTHLY IMPORTANCE
Vss. 3-5
HIS EXTRAORDINARY
INVOLVEMENT Vs. 14
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John 1:10-14
JESUS COMES TO EARTH
(May be used for Christmas)
Jesus came to earth! A
summary of His ministry is seen here.
HIS RESIDENCE - Vs. 14a
- A human body. He dwelt or
"tabernacled" or "pitched his tent" among us.
HIS RADIANCE - Vs. 14b -
"we beheld his glory..." (See Vss. 1-5)
HIS REJECTION - Vss.
10-11 - People didn't know Him. His own people didn't receive Him.
HIS RECEPTION - Vss.
12-13 - Those who receive Him as Savior become sons of God. They are born into
God's family. (See John 3:1-7)
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John 1:29-39
FRIENDLY REMINDERS
I preached this message
this past Sunday. I introduced the message with
"Can This Be
Christmas?" a poem by M.R. DeHann. You can find this poem at
http://bible.org/illus/c/c-59.htm#TopOfPage.
You'll have to scroll down.
(If you are on Juno, I
will gladly send you a copy of this poem, if you
request it.)
At this time of year, we
need some friendly reminders of the true meaning of
Christmas. Although John 1:29-39 is not a Christmas text, we are
reminded
of three important facts to keep in mind as we approach
Christmas.
THE PRICE THAT JESUS
PAID Vss. 29-34
In Vs. 29 John calls
Jesus "The lamb of God which taketh away the sin
of the
world."
When the Jews offered
sacrificial lambs to God as sacrifices they were
supposed to be without blemish or spot.
The lambs offered in Old
Testament sacrifices were pictures of God's lamb
who came to die for the sins of the World. (See Isaiah 53,
Romans 5:6-8)
This is a friendly
reminder to place your faith in Christ, if you have not
already (Romans 5:1). It is also a friendly reminder to Christians
to
appreciate the price that Jesus paid for sins that we might have life!
THE PRIORITY OF JESUS'
PRESENCE Vss. 35-37
Two disciples of John The Baptist, Andrew and John, started to follow Jesus.
Jesus asks an important
question. He says "What seekest thou?", or "What are
you looking for?" People are looking for a lot of
different things today
such as money, fame, comfort, pleasure, sexual gratification,
family,
security, and a host of other things. We should ask ourselves,
"What am I
looking for? What is the priority of my life?"
In answer to the Jesus'
question the disciples answered "Master, where
dwellest thou?", or "Where are you living?" They
wanted to be in fellowship
with the one who John the Baptist just identified as "The
Lamb of God."
In asking this question,
they were asking for three things.
Location - They wanted
to be where Jesus was.
Learning - As disciples,
they wanted to learn from Him.
Likeness - As disciples,
they wanted to be like the one they were following.
As disciples of the Lord
Jesus, we too should want to be where Jesus is,
want to learn from him, and want to be like Him. (See John
3:2-3)
THE PRACTICE OF JESUS'
PRESENCE Vs. 39
Jesus invited these
disciples to "Come and see."
As disciples of the Lord
Jesus today, if we come to Him, we will:
1. See that He dwells within.
- Galatians 2:20, John 15:1-7
Through the Spirit of
God, Jesus lives inside of this.
Because of this we
should allow Him to live His life through us.
2. See that He dwells in
the Word. - John 5:39
We find Jesus as we
search out the Word of God.
3. See that He dwells in
the church.
Other Christians also
have the Lord Jesus inside of them.
We can learn more about
Jesus as we see the reality of our Lord living in
the lives of other Christians.