Christmas

You probably know, or at least most of you, that I've just returned, actually a few weeks ago now from a wonderful time away on holidays, travelling and hopping across a few different cities, world cities across the globe, and it was a wonderful experience. It was truly one thing I'll never forget, I don't think. But one of the spots I visited was a little place called New York. Perhaps you've heard of it. Now if you've ever wanted to experience the ultimate lead up to Christmas, you go to New York.

Everywhere you go, everywhere you walk, you'll see florists bringing out beautiful organic material that you can buy to create live wreaths, you know, bend it beautifully and decorate your house fantastically. All on the sidewalks at places that aren't even florists. You could buy live pine trees that you can take home and have a live fresh smelling pine tree in your house for Christmas. Everywhere you go, not even just in the malls, everywhere you go, somehow there's Christmas carols playing. I don't know where they put the speakers, but it's just Mariah Carey and all those music songs playing.

And then in the midst of all of that, there's just happy people everywhere, you know, holding hands, kissing. It's so romantic. Everyone just senses that Christmas is coming. And in the midst of that, and maybe it's just me, all the while, just experiencing it and enjoying it, there's a little part of me that thinks and wonders.

What will all of us experience when that day finally arrives? There's a month long anticipation and building and excitement, but on Christmas day, what do we experience? Sometimes I think the anticipation can be far more exciting than the arrival itself. Sometimes I think Christmas is over far too quickly after that entire month of waiting. Think about it.

It's only a few hours of overeating. Perhaps there's a little bit of big drinking involved. Perhaps a hidden mixture of opening good and not so good gifts. A few hours of catching up with family and friends and that's it. It's over.

Christmas 2018 is done. I wanna ask you this morning, what are you experiencing today of Christmas? This morning, I wanna ask this question while we look at the Bible at John chapter 1, which is another Christmas story, which doesn't always get read. It's not a very easy nativity scene to build. John chapter 1, verse 1.

This is how the apostle John begins his account of the life of Jesus. In the beginning was the word, and the word was with God, and the word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through Him, and without Him was not anything made that was made. In Him was life and the life was the light of men.

The light shines in the darkness and the darkness has not overcome it. There was a man sent from God whose name was John. He came as a witness to bear witness about the light that all might believe through him. Yet he was not the light, but came to bear witness about the light. The true light, which gives light to everyone, was coming into the world.

He was in the world and the world was made through Him, yet the world did not know Him. He came to His own and His own people did not receive Him. But to all who did receive Him, who believed in His name, He gave the right to become children of God, who were born not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but born of God. And the word became flesh and dwelt among us. And we have seen His glory, the glory as of the only son from the father, full of grace and truth. So far, our reading.

The apostle John doesn't give us a Christmas time story like Matthew or Luke. He doesn't give us the stories about shepherds. He doesn't give us the stories about the wise men. Instead, he prefers to draw a much bigger picture. He gives us a cosmic explanation of the Christmas event.

He draws massive lines, massive shapes that if you were to read it with fresh eyes this morning, to read it perhaps for the first time, you would shake your head and clasp your mouth at what he is suggesting. Because right here at the beginning of his account of the life of Jesus, he begins with this proposal, this proposition for you to believe. God came to be with us. And just in case you get lost in all the detail about those shepherds and about the angels and the baby and the starry night and so on, hear this. John says God came to live among us. It is what theologians call the incarnation.

In the flesh it literally means, and it is one of the most important aspects. It is one of the fundamental pillars of the Christian message. It is the declaration that God has come to earth as a man to show who He is and to enable a relationship with Him. In majestic words, the apostle John writes about Jesus as the son of God, the second person of the Trinity. And he begins with verse 1 saying that this Jesus was the word, and the word was God.

Now in the cultural context in which John writes this, he's writing to people that have understood Greek philosophy, which had a very significant focus on this word, this term, the word. In Greek, it is logos, the logos. In Greek philosophy, this idea, logos, was the understanding of reason or logic that held the world together. It was the reason the world is consistent. It just works and hangs together, and it is the logos, the logic personified that enables this.

And here is John saying, this logos is not abstract. It is not a philosophy or a concept summed up. It is a person, and he is Christ Jesus. But Greek philosophy isn't John's main aim. He's not really that concerned about debating philosophy.

There's something far more sinister or ominous that John is alluding to as well in this passage. This logos that was to come on that first Christmas night, the night that Jesus was born, John continues in verses 4 and 5 saying, in him was life. And the life that was in him is the light of man. This light shines in the darkness, and that darkness has not overcome it. Again, if you get swept up in all the philosophical language of the logos and the world and creation, there is something ominous behind God's reason to have sent the logos, John suggests.

The word that was God had come to earth because there was something dark. God came to earth to provide light to darkness. In his book, which I really recommend, called The Pursuing God, author and pastor Joshua Ryan Butler writes a story of a phenomenal artist, a truly exceptional and gifted artist who was working on a masterpiece. And he writes as he painted a masterpiece. You can assume perhaps it's what's on the board there.

He writes with lavish brush strokes and bold strikes and colours. The artist splashes rich, beautiful colour and pours himself into his painting with passion, with energy. And on this large wall-sized painting covered or bordered by a golden frame, finishing it, he stands back, and as he stands and marvels at it, he says with joy, that is really good. But something strange happens next. On this canvas, a small dark spot, a black dark spot appears in the centre of the painting, and as the artist looks, this mould like decay starts spreading across the canvas.

And like a crack in a windshield, starting at one point, but gradually expanding its fissures and fractures across the entire masterpiece. This invasive intruder begins to stretch its thin straggly arms, and with its creeping corruption, it starts filling the entire picture. And the painter realises that his masterpiece is threatened with destruction. But then what happens next is perhaps the strangest and the most bizarre thing you could ever imagine. The artist lifts his leg and extending it forward steps into the painting.

First, his leg enters, then his torso, and then finally his head, and with a whoosh, the integration is complete. The artist stands within the work of his hand, and he stands in the centre of the masterpiece. But then even more remarkable than that, if you can imagine, is this. The mouldy black rot is scented right above his heart. And the creator begins absorbing the corruption from the core of his masterpiece into himself.

And the tentacles start retreating from the cornered edges and begin their assault on the artist himself. Blow by blow, because it is demanding that his painting, this painting belongs to it and not the artist. Blow by blow, the black rot strikes at the painter. But in doing so, the blackness begins to be weaker and weaker. And then with a loud sound, it is gone. The masterpiece is restored.

The rot is gone. The artist has absorbed the destructive power until it is extinguished. Yet as you watch this scene unfold, you notice the great painter doesn't step out of the painting again. What is remarkable is that having united his life with the canvas, he remains permanently at the centre of this restored masterpiece. But now, in a way, the word restored masterpiece doesn't feel like the right word because the art now has taken on an even more magnificent feel with the artist inside.

Because now he brings radiance and beauty such that the painting seems to glow with life. There's a sense that this was always the way it was intended to be, the artist at the centre of the painting. John says, in Him was life. And this life was the light of men. This light shines in the darkness and the darkness has not overcome it.

And John goes on further to sum up the irony of this entry into the world. Verse 10 says, he was in the world, and the world, though it was made through Him, did not receive Him. He came into the world to His very own and His own people did not receive it. And we see something of this even at the start of Jesus' life, don't we? We see in Matthew and Luke as Jesus arrives, King Herod, jealous over his reign and his power, hearing a king has come for the Jews, starts murdering male babies.

Even from the outset, we see Jesus entering a world that would hunt him, reject him, deny him. But thankfully, John goes on and says in verse 12, but to all who did receive Him, those who believed in His name, He gave the right to become children of God. And these children were born not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor the will of a father, the will of man, but of God. And so this is a promise for us this Christmas morning, that those who receive the incarnate God, those who will believe in His name, Jesus, they will be given the privilege to be reborn as though they were children of God Himself. Jesus did not come to earth to remain in a manger.

He came to die on a cross. He came to suffer our fair punishment from a God who has been disobeyed by us, and Jesus would bear that punishment. But because of this, because He does this, Jesus, John begins to say, he says this, we are offered the right to be children of God. The right. The legal privilege.

The legitimate title. Daughter, son of the living God. To all who would receive Him, who would believe in His name, He gave the right to become children of God. And so if you have received Christ, you have become a child of God.

And it also means that you have God as your father. Friends, do you believe that this morning? Perhaps some of us have said the Lord's prayer before. Perhaps some of us have begun that prayer by saying our father in heaven. I know the high school I attended, the private school, we said the Our Father every day.

But do you know God as your father? Verse 13 says that this new birth is not like anything we know. It is not a birth of blood, nor the will of the flesh, the will of a man, namely a father. This birth is being born of God. Whether your physical birth was an accident, whether it was something more carefully planned, whether your parents were ready to have you or they brought you into a situation that was less than ideal, this is what Jesus' arrival means for you.

God has chosen you to become His. And again, the wording here is so amazing and significant. To be born in the Greek, the word used here in verse 13 is loaded with meaning. It is the same word that is used of Jesus in John 3:16. For God so loved the world that He sent His only begotten son, translated here as one and only, His only begotten son.

John will explain further how Jesus' begottenness, His sonship is different to ours because He is God's unique and sinless son. But there's a parallel being drawn here. And Jesus being begotten as a perfect son, combined with the statement that we have the right to become children of God, is to acknowledge that we have received an authority by God Himself into His family. Paul writes later, we are co heirs with Christ. All that is God the Father's, we will inherit along with Christ.

And the apostle sums it up, the apostle Paul, in Galatians 4:4-7. He says, but when the time had fully come, this is his Christmas statement, the apostle Paul. When the time had fully come, God sent His son, born of a woman, born under law, to redeem those under that law that we might receive the full rights of sons. Because Jesus comes, we celebrate bright Christmas. But because Jesus comes, his work on the cross, we celebrated Easter, was possible.

And now we have the right to be called children of God, and we have the right to call God our father. I had a conversation with a friend last night who wrestled with something someone said to him and said more or less, we shouldn't expect God to do anything for us. God doesn't owe us anything. In a sense, that sounds right. I mean, God the creator, the word was God, and through Him, all things were created.

If God is the creator, if He painted the masterpiece, the masterpiece can't say to the artist, I demand that you add more colours to me. If all we have is from God, and we haven't given God anything in order that He should owe us back, then the statement we shouldn't expect anything from God sounds right. But this verse changes that. If God truly is father, He may not owe us anything, but He will give us everything we need, especially because the Bible says He is a good father. And friends, none of this would be possible if our final verse this morning didn't exist.

And this is perhaps the ultimate thing we are reminded of this Christmas. The word became flesh. Verse 1 says, the word was in the beginning was the word, and the word was with God, and the word was God. But John is saying here with undeniable clarity, God the word became man. And so it is no surprise that John goes on to say in the very same verse, and we have seen His glory. If Jesus is God in flesh, it is not surprising for us to say there is glory.

It is not surprising for us to see the word glory in that sentence, is it? If Jesus, the word that was God and before creation existed, before eternity existed, if Jesus is the word of God who is the creator Himself, as verse 3 puts it, all things were made through Him. If creator God took on flesh and dwelt among us, it is no surprise for John to say we have seen His glory. Because a God who has not simply given us the earth, but created a billion galaxies around us just because the Genesis account says God created the sun and the moon, and just in a throwaway sentence, and all the stars. A God that powerful, there's little wonder that you would see His glory in the face of Jesus when the word became flesh.

But that is not what John is alluding to. The glory of Jesus in John's eyes is not the creator in Jesus. It is what happened at the cross. In John chapter 12, verse 23, let's you can even look at that now. Let's go there.

John 12:23. Jesus answered them. These disciples had come to Jesus to say, some people wanna see you. Jesus answered his disciples, the hour has come for the son of man to be, what, glorified. John 17, have a quick flip over a few pages.

John 17:1. The well known famous prayer of Jesus, his high priestly prayer in the night before going to the cross. Says this, John 17:1. When Jesus had spoken all these words, He lifted up His eyes to heaven and said, father, the hour has come. Glorify Your son that the son may glorify You. And as much as there is glory in the fact that Jesus who created the heavens and the earth, there's glory in His power and majesty.

The glory, however, is witnessed. We have seen His glory. It's not the glory of creation they've seen. It's the glory of salvation. Friends, do you see His determination for you?

Father, the hour has come. Now glorify. Glorify. Do you see what this love is? He won't step back from the cross.

He feels the weight of punishment. He knows the absorption of sin that will happen at the cross. But there is a glory that is about to happen and it is a glory, friends, that His children will sing for all eternity. The word became flesh, dwelt among us, and we have seen His glory, the glory of the one and only son, full of grace and truth. And so it's not enough for us at Christmas to remember that Christ has come.

It's not enough that He was born a king in a humble manger. Christmas is meaningless to all of us unless you have personally established Christ as the saviour who needed to come for your sin. It means nothing even the most beautiful organic wreaths on your door, the freshest pine trees in your lounge. If you don't open your heart to receive the forgiveness by the death of God in flesh for you. And it is meaningless if you don't receive this king as your king today.

The early church father, Saint Augustine, wrote a beautiful summary of the glory of Christmas even as the shadow of the cross hung over that manger. He wrote in beautiful words, man's maker was made man. That He, the ruler of the stars, might nurse at His mother's breast. That the bread of life might hunger. That the living water might thirst.

That the light of the world would sleep. The way be tired on His journey. That the truth might be accused of false witness. The teacher be beaten with whips. The foundation be suspended on wood.

The strength might grow weak. That the healer might be wounded, that life might die. And so I pray for every person here this morning that Christ, the word who became flesh, might be the king of your life. That all of us may bow the knee and seek forgiveness for the areas in our life we know He is not king and know that God has become our father and that we have the right, the authority to expect that He will listen to us because we have the audacity to believe that my father in heaven loves me. Let's pray.

Father, we thank you that we have been given the right, the authority to be children of You and co heirs with Jesus. We know this is only possible because You sent Him to us. We thank you, Jesus, that You did not consider the glory with the father as something to be jealously guarded, but that You poured Yourself out to become a man on Christmas day. Thank you that even though You are a king, You offer us a share in Your kingdom. We thank you that every victory You win for the kingdom is a victory for us too.

And God, we thank you that today we remember that we are sons and daughters of God our father because Jesus Christ came to offer us a new birth into a new family. We thank you that through Jesus' powerful ministry, this was made possible, and we thank you in His precious name. Amen.