The Word Became Flesh
John 1.1-18
This is a profound passage. It is really beyond description. It was written by John, whom Jesus nicknamed the son of thunder, who became the Apostle of Love. It is hard to remember as we read these sublime words that they were written by a former fisherman. I remember being in Bible College and Dr. Charles Baldwin speaking for a hour on just the phrase “In the beginning”. These are deep deep words.
It is truly amazing what Jesus can do to a heart and a life that is open to Him. He took John, a fisherman and made him a fisher of men. He was a witness. He left his nets to follow Jesus. He was fishing for fish. Jesus gave him power to fish for men.
John, the Baptist was also a witness. He was the first witness of Jesus actually for Jesus.
He simply told Who Jesus was. He was sent from God. All witnesses are. We are all commissioned to be witnesses. Jesus said, “As the Father sent Me so send I you.” Since we sent from God by Jesus all we need to do is tell Who Jesus is and point people to believe.
1. Witness so that men might believe v.7
Only a witness. We make a bigger thing out of witnessing than we should. It is simple. The enemy tries to strike fear in our hearts so we won’t share our faith. Paul wrote to Philemon (6) I pray that you will be active in sharing your faith, so that you will have a full understanding of every good thing we have in Christ. It is beneficial spiritually to share our faith. It gives us a full understanding of our own salvation It helps us understand grace, faith, mercy and God’s love and much more. (Subjectively) It is an act of obedience to God. As with all acts of obedience, there are also blessings that come to the one who obeys. Hymn- Trust and Obey
What is a witness supposed to do? Tell the truth. That is what they are asked if they will do in court. That is what they are asked to do at an accident. Tina and I were in the car and saw a crash over on 5th Avenue one time a while ago, we saw it happen. I got out to prevent a pile up by directing traffic and when the police arrived the first thing I heard was, “Were there any witnesses? They wanted the truth of what happened.
We are to tell the story of Jesus. He is the Way, the Truth and the Life.
We are to tell the story of God’s light... in the beginning...
We see it in creation in Genesis 1.
This is referred to here in John 1.
Jesus is the One of Whom we are witnessing.Tell what He has done for you. Tell what He can do for the one to whom you are witnessing. John the Baptist told that He takes away the sin of the world. John, the Apostle, told that he beheld Jesus’ glory and that everyone who believes becomes children of God.
2. Believing become children of God.
Jesus came to die so that we could have life. Some think He came to teach us how to live better and why that is true, He took on flesh primarily so that He could have it torn open by nails as He was nailed to the cross and by a spear that was thrust into His side. He was beaten brutally. This was for our sins and iniquities. He carried them on Himself.
Moses had led the children of Israel. They rebelled against God. God sent venomous snakes into the camp. The only way to be healed was to look to this bronze serpent that Moses had built on a pole. Those who looked lived. (Numbers 21)
All have been bitten by the serpent of sin. We need to be healed.
Jesus said, “Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the desert, so the Son of Man must be lifted up...” John 3.14 He said this in part to signify the kind of death by which he would die.
John 3.15 that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life.
John 3.16
The Word becoming flesh was so that Word might die. Love was crucified. He bore our sins and our sorrows.
We are not children of God when we are born. We are not all God’s children. We are actually far away from God before Christ comes into our heart.
We become children of God through believing on Jesus John 1.12, John 3.16
This is not natural descent through the will of a husband, this is supernatural birth through the will and power of our Father in Heaven and His Son Jesus Christ and His Spirit moving on hearts drawing them to Him.
3. Jesus Christ made the Father known. v.18
He pitched his tent here. v.14 made His dwelling among us. He tabernacled with us
He was here for 33 years. His Spirit is with us now.
The Father is full of Grace and Truth.
Grace- mercy, kindness, delight, loveliness, joy, pleasure
Truth- reality, certainty
He blesses us over and over again
The Word Became Flesh.
Come with me again to the manger, the nativity scene. There on the outskirts of David’s town, in the back of an inn, there in Bethlehem, God comes down from heaven in human form.
Come with me to that place where the animals are kept, the donkeys, the cattle, those animals that are brought along for burdens and those that are going to be sold. Sheep are there too. I am sure the shepherds carried the lambs with them. (This was a common practice and had great spiritual significance. (Isaiah 40.11- He tends His flock like a shepherd: He gathers the lambs in His arms and carries them close to His heart; He gently leads those that have young.) There are the shepherds with lambs in the Presence of the Lamb of God. The Lamb of God came as a lamb. He was born of a woman.
No wonder Luke tells us that Mary treasured these things and pondered them in her heart. It is believed by many that Luke interviewed Mary as he wrote his gospel. What we have in the first and second chapters of Luke are the very things Mary treasured.
The Word became flesh.
The announcement came to Mary in Nazareth and Jesus was born in Bethlehem.
Jesus Christ was born in Bethlehem, not in Jerusalem. Jerusalem is just 6 miles up the road. Jerusalem was the place where the scholars and mighty and rich lived. Bethlehem was and is a small town. Jerusalem is a city. It has walls around it. Bethlehem had shepherds around it
We are going to close this morning with that hymn O Little Town of Bethlehem.
It is a real place! Emma yesterday when we were decorating... “Wait you mean it is a real place, Poppa?!” Two lines stand out to me:
O Holy child of Bethlehem be born is us today!
Where meek souls will receive Him still the dear Christ enters in
Think of some souls in your life that need Jesus. Witness to them. Perhaps this will be the season for them to come and taste and see that the LORD is good!
No longer can we depend on our nation to support our faith...
And also that we may then unite in most humbly offering our prayers and supplications to the great Lord and Ruler of Nations and beseech him to pardon our national and other transgressions--to enable us all, whether in public or private stations, to perform our several and relative duties properly and punctually--to render our national government a blessing to all the people, by constantly being a Government of wise, just, and constitutional laws, discreetly and faithfully executed and obeyed--to protect and guide all Sovereigns and Nations (especially such as have shown kindness onto us)Given under my hand at the City of New-York the third day of October in the year of our Lord 1789. President George Washington - Thanksgivng Proclamation
This Friday a WalMart Worker Jdimytai Damour at Green Acres was killed- trampled to death as “shoppers” knocked down the doors. Shock- real problem in our country. Deep sin. We need the Savior to change hearts. God help us share His love!
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