When Did Christmas Begin? – John 1:14 Have you ever wondered when Christmas began? I’m not referring to the celebration of Jesus’ birth on December 25 because we don’t know exactly when he was born. It might be December 25 but it might be June 14 for all we know. The Bible doesn’t say and it doesn’t give us many clues. December 25 is a good day and it might even be the right day but no one can say for sure. I’m asking a slightly different question. When did the earthly life of Jesus Christ really begin? John 1:14 tells us that “the Word (referring to Jesus Christ) became flesh and lived among us.” That takes us back before Bethlehem to the conception of Jesus in Mary’s womb. Christmas began not in Bethlehem but nine months earlier when the Holy Spirit overshadowed Mary and implanted within her the divine-human Person of the Lord Jesus Christ (see Luke 1:35). Christmas began in the womb of a virgin girl. God spent his first nine months on earth as a preborn baby. Fully alive. Fully human. Fully God. That is why the ancient creeds affirm that Jesus was “conceived of the Holy Spirit.” He didn’t become the God-man at Bethlehem. He was God incarnate from the moment of conception. John 1:14 may not seem like a great Christmas text—but it is the truth behind the story of the angels and shepherds and the Wise Men and the journey to Bethlehem. Without this verse, the rest of the story has no meaning. Our text tells us what really happened 2000 years ago—and what it means for us today. I. Incarnation The whole truth about Christmas is contained in the first phrase of our text—The Word became flesh.” Better yet, I need to say it and then I need to show it and then you’ll understand what I’m trying to communicate. Something like that is what John means when he says, “The Word became flesh.” Jesus is God’s Word made flesh. Now we know what God was thinking when he tried to communicate his love to us. Jesus is the visible Word of God. He is God in human flesh. Theologians call this truth the Incarnation. It’s a hard concept to understand, and in the early church there were many debates about what it really meant. Some people said Jesus wasn’t really a man, he just looked like a man. Maybe he was something like a ghost. Finally, this text ends with a powerful word of invitation. It tells us that Jesus came to the earth “full of grace and truth.” Grace and truth are two attributes that don’t often appear together. We humans tend to err on one side or the other. If we stress grace, we are often too quick to forgive without demanding true repentance. If we stress truth, we often sound harsh and unloving. We need both, don’t we? If we forgive too quickly, we make light of wrongdoing. If we judge too harshly, we make forgiveness impossible. 1. Grace and truth. These two words explain why Jesus came to the earth. They go to the very heart of the gospel. Because he was full of grace, he died for you and me while we were yet sinners. Because he was full of truth, he was able to pay for our sins completely. He forgives the sinner because he bore the sin himself. Do you need a trustworthy Savior? Fear not. Jesus is full of truth. 2. Do you need a forgiving Lord? Come to him and repent .He is full of grace and mercy.
Posted on: Thu, 04 Dec 2014 20:19:26 +0000