Scripture:
John1:1-14
Last
night (Christmas Eve), we considered the Hope that became fulfilled at the
birth of Jesus. Today, we look to the
Glory that was revealed at His birth, and we take that glimpse through the
Gospel of John. This Gospel is quite
unique in one sense, when compared to the other 3 – Matthew, Mark and Luke tend
to be more chronological, while John’s work seems to be more spiritually contextual.
The
other major difference, at least for me, is that John makes an obvious and
intentional connection between the eternal aspects of Godly presence, and the
worldly proclamation of divine intervention, through John the Baptist, and to a much greater degree, through the humanity of Jesus. The point is that God not only created the universe
and all that exists within it, but He never sits back to ponder what He has put
into motion and is willing to just let it play out in whatever way it
happens. He becomes actively involved in
letting humanity know, in no uncertain terms, what it is that He intended, and continues to desire, for
our lives.
The
story of God’s presence in our lives begins in Genesis, and continues through
the law and the prophets, into the gospels with God in the Flesh, proclaimed in
Acts and the letters of Paul and the other evangelists, and into the last days
of this existence. But instead of trying
to cover all time in 1 short message, today we consider God’s arriving presence
in this world through the eyes of John.
Read
John 1:1-5
There
has been a lot of discussion centered on the concept behind “Word”. But for our purposes, let’s consider what a
“word” is for our lives. Remember that
in Genesis 1:1-2:2, God “spoke” creation into being. Later in the Exodus, the Lord called Moses to
ascend the mountain, and He, again, spoke the commandments into being (Exodus19:20:21). God spoke to humanity
through the prophets, and over and over, He speaks to the nations to let us
know that our lives are being lived in direct contrast to divine will. Basically, God uses His Word as a means of
expressing Himself, and explaining His actions, His thoughts, His desires, and
so on, that we might know His divine will for our own lives.
For
Jesus to be known as the “Word”, He has become God’s presence in this place and
in this life, to become the means for us to know that God has only good at
heart for us. But in this introduction
to John’s gospel, we read that Jesus, the “Word”, is not only the expression of
God, but He is the very Light that exposes the work of darkness in this world,
that His Truth is the Light that guides us and sustains us in Godly ways, the
Word of God is both consistent and the power of unification for all, and He is
truly Emmanuel - “God With Us”. Jesus
was the Voice of creation, He is the Voice of the Holy Spirit, He is the Voice
of both the Law of God and of our Salvation (Matthew 5:17-18).
Jesus
is not just a part of God’s work, He is God’s work and will for our
lives. So to deny the teachings of the
Lord Jesus is to deny God and all that He has done.
Read
John 1: 6-8
This
“John”, known in the other gospels as the Baptist, came not, primarily, as a
preacher or prophet, but as a witness to the Light of the Word. His birth was a miracle, but not on the order
of Jesus’ birth. He was sent by God’s
divine will, to point the way to Jesus, the Word of God. Why was this important? In Luke 7:18-28, we read that Jesus
described John as more than a prophet, that he was a messenger, sent by
God. In Malachi 3:1-3, the
prophet refers to the future John as a messenger who will come before the Lord,
and will be “preparing the way” for faith to lead us into His truth and
glory.
The
point that is being made is that John is more than a prophet, more than a
preacher, and actually more than a simple messenger – he is a witness who
testifies to the truth of God in this One who is to be revealed to them. Does this sound familiar to the opportunities
that we have during each Sunday’s time of Worship? When the Lord works His way through us or for
us, we can also be the one who points the way to Jesus for someone else! Sunday mornings is a time to prepare
ourselves to do that very thing for others.
Why
is this important for us to understand?
As John the evangelist wrote in verse 7, we are to witness to the
work of God so that others will hear and believe that Jesus is the One who came
for their, and our, salvation. We are
certainly not in the same category as John the witness, but we can step out and
testify to the grace and mercy and love of God that will come to all through
faith in Christ.
Read
John 1:9-13
An
important thought that we should consider is how John uses the words “light”
and “life” to describe and explain the work of the Word. Light is that which exposes the work that is
going on within the darkness of this world.
The darkness creates obstacles and other hazards that trip us up, and
causes us to accept falsehood instead of the truth. Light, which is important in God’s truth, reveals
the lies that those who live in “darkness” believe and profess. These are the same people who were spoken
into existence by the Word, and who have benefitted from God’s creative order,
and still, they have yet to recognize and acknowledge the One who has given
them life.
When
the writer refers to the world, and says that even though God came to His own –
not referring to only Israel, but to all of humanity – that they rejected Him
without even giving the Lord a chance to reveal Himself to them. We all are given the opportunity to discover
what God has already done for us, and what He still has in store for us during
this lifetime and beyond. But why is
there such a difference between the heart of believers and those who reject God
outright?
The
truth is that they need a witness, and maybe more than one, to encourage them to unbundle
the grace and glory that can come to them by faith in Jesus! Remember that a witness doesn't condemn those
who live in darkness, they don’t tell others how wrong they are in the life
they live, they don’t take the position that “I know better than you do, so you
better listen to me!” They simply relate
their own experience with Jesus, the Word of God, and what He has come to mean
in their own walk of faith, And then, we
live by that old saying “Be a friend, make a friend, bring your friend to
Christ”, and let the other person discover the Lord’s love and glory and make
their own decision regarding God’s “light and life” for themselves.
Read
John 1:14
You
would think that with the power and authority that God has within Him, that
this would be the means that He uses to take all people into His presence. But the truth is that folks seem to listen
more closely to others who are like them – specifically with those who look and
act like they do. So God takes all
things into account, and gives the Word of God flesh, to make Him look like us,
so that we might listen to what He has to say.
Remember the Lord’s words later in this gospel – that the Word has come
into this place out of love for the people of this world - not for their
condemnation, but for their salvation! (John 3:16-17)
This
is why we have also been called to testify to who Jesus has become for each of
us and how He touches our life and changes it for the better. We are also of the “flesh”, and when we reach
out to a friend in faith, they just might step into the light of Christ, and
suddenly realize that this Word is truly and fully for them, too! And when someone comes to Christ seeking
divine goodness, they will come to know His grace and His glory, and the true
Word just might become theirs before too long!
Are
you willing to be a witness for God? Are
you prepared to see His glory at work through you?
It’s a joy that will always be worth it in faith!
