Who is the baby?

We are entering into we fully entered into the Christmas season. And with that. I always like to enter the Christmas season kind of with a couple devotional thought for a couple reasons for why we celebrate this holiday. It's kind of an interesting question that I I don't know if many of us have ever asked it might seem too simplistic for some but should Christians celebrate Christmas.

Should we I mean, why should we what what makes this day this holiday this event something that's worth celebrating what makes it set apart from say other holidays were people celebrate. So I just Thanksgiving that we just had her Halloween before that her birthday. Is there any other day of the year that people choose to celebrate? Why should we celebrate it? Now I think that we absolutely should celebrate this day perhaps even more so than most other days that we choose to celebrate now whether or not you choose to celebrate it by Christmas tree is the lights and what not. That's up to you. But there are things about this day this event that we need to remember as Christians and they are worth celebrating their Worth US entering into and having thoughts of affection and adoration towards God and towards Christ. It's appropriate for us to sing songs like the song. We just sang a few minutes ago come let us adore him. To think about the meaning behind that phrase come let us adore. That's a very emotionally-charged affectionate loving statement. Don't you think come let us adore him. What I want to do today is I want to read a fairly large section of the Gospel of John just the first 18 verses.

Who wants to come get her?

She's going to inchworm her way all the way up to get your thank you, Christina.

Where to look at the first 18 verses of the Gospel of John this is not your typical Christmas passage. I'll say this is not the typical story that we go to when we're thinking about the Christmas story. We can go to the gospel of Matthew written to go to the Gospel of Luke.

But I want to look at this section of scripture these 18 verses. I don't want to pull out of there a couple things that make this holiday this event this Christmas something worth celebrating something we should worship through. So I'd invite you to read along with me or follow on the screen. If you don't have your own copy of God's word starting Gospel of John chapter 1 verse 1

There we go. 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 has been 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. 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 in 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 you did receive in who believed in his name. He gave the right to become children of God who are born not of blood nor of the will of Flesh nor of the will of man, but of God, And the word became flesh and dwelt among us and we have seen his glory glory as of the only son from the father full of grace and truth John bore witness about him and cried out he who comes after me ranks before me because he was before me for from his fullness. We have all received Grace upon Grace. The law was given through Moses Grace and Truth came through Jesus Christ. No one has ever seen God, but the only God was at the father's rights right hand. He has made him known. Let's pray as we dive into this passage Lord, you are good to us. God we thank you for everything Lord for the gift of your word for letting us gather here this morning to open your word to worship you to know you and got to be reminded of why we celebrate this day Lord. I pray that you removed from our minds that the distractions weather distractions of the day Lord. That would keep us from your word or whether it's the distractions of the Season that would keep us from realizing the real point the reason The why of why we celebrate this day. You're good to us and we are grateful blessed father and open our eyes so we may see what you have for us.

In your name we pray amen.

This is a massive chunk of scripture. And I'm going to try to unpack parts of it for us in just a couple minutes that we have this morning. This is a huge section of scripture. The Gospel of John is very dense. There is so much to it with every verse and here. We have 18 verses introducing the Gospel of John introducing Jesus to us that I think is really enlightening empowering an eye-opening as to who he is and why this is so important the first thing that I want us to remember as we look at these versus as we need to remember that Jesus is no mere man. That's what the Gospel of John opens up with this reminder. This truth that Jesus is not merely a man. He is not a human like you and I are here is human but he is so much more than that. Normally we think about celebrating the birth of someone because a new life has come into the world. Normally celebrate birth right with Jesus. It's not quite that simple. There's nothing natural about his birth. There's nothing natural about us consumption because there's nothing natural about him. He didn't begin to exist at conception like you and I do he began to exist long before that matter fact, he had no beginning. That's what this passage opens up with talking about. There's this big feel logical word. Some of us might have heard it before incarnation. That's what we used to describe Jesus's miraculous conception and his birth, but he was incarnate he already existed and now he came and took the form of a person of a human being but he now indwelled a body and walk this planet as a man.

We see that later here in this passage and verse 14 the word became flesh and we will get to that a little later but we see in these opening statements that Jesus always was he always was in the beginning was the word that's a title given to Jesus In this passage. He is the word he was just speaking of God. He's the person of God in the beginning was the word. So think about that for a minute. If you were to travel back in time to the very beginning of the beginning of everything you were to travel back before anything was made Jesus is already there. He's already there at the beginning. He had no beginning. He already was. Jesus himself describes himself in these words in Revelations. 22 says I am the Alpha and the Omega the first and the last the beginning and the end. He said I am he always was he always will be that's what that's what he's getting at in this statement here in Revelations 22. Naturally, if you don't know if you always was if he was in the beginning if he is the Alpha and the Omega the natural conclusion to that which we see here also in Gospel of John chapter 1 verse 1 and 2 that he was God.

The beginning was the word the word was with God and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God confusing language perhaps but the point that it's getting that is in the beginning there was God there was Jesus in there the same as mystery of the Trinity that we talked about every now and then the Jesus was and that he was God with the father Additionally the text explains further and verse 3 all things were made through him. And without him was not anything made that has been made. He's the creator of everything. He's the one who spoke the world into existence that we see in Genesis chapter 1 in Genesis chapter 2. As we see what this title of being the word he was the speaking of God we go back to Genesis 1 and 2. How did God create everything by speaking it into existence? Who was the one Speaking you ask Jesus is one who commanded in the mountains were formed in the animals? Breathe life and Adam took his first breath. Jesus was the one who created it all in scripture. There. Is this dude this reality that when someone creates something that person is Master over at he's a lord over at he has responsibility for it. It's his in totality sense.

We see in Genesis chapter 1 and 2 God created everything. Meaning he's the Lord over. He's a master at all. He's got over it all and here we have this reminder in these couple verses of John. That's Jesus. Who has that Authority. That's Jesus who has that lordship over everything.

so the thought of Christmas in the thought of Jesus being born as a baby. This is no mere baby. This is no mere man. This is not simply another life is coming to existence even though every life is hugely precious and valuable. This is infinitely more. This is God himself God incarnate. So when we celebrate the birth of Christ when we talked about Christmas don't get caught up and get your mind lost and all the hoopla of of what we do all these big flashy long enough, but keep your eyes focused. This is why this day is so important. God has come as a baby. This is what we need to remember for God so loved the world. He sent his one and only son.

The second thing we need to remember looking at these versus we need to remember the mission of Jesus coming.

We need to remember the mission of Jesus is coming here. In verse for it says in him was life. And the life was the light of men the light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not overcome it.

This gives us the purpose behind why you came this gives us though the why the mission that he entered into the world to come and fulfill the reason why Jesus needed to come. He came to give us life and to be light which is the same kind of picture given later in the Gospel of John at the very end of the Gospel of John and John chapter 20 says Jesus did many other signs in the presence of the disciples were not written in this book. But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ the son of God the Bible leaving you may have life in his name. Why did he come that we may have life, but you may be our light that he may be the life. We need that. He may be the light to our path guiding us back to God restoring the broken World. Think about this for a minute. Why is this so important? Why is this a necessity the we each have we need life? We need light. Why is this so important?

I've already drawn the connection between this passage in Genesis chapter 1 and 2 what happened in Genesis chapter 3

Genesis 1 and 2 God created everything right and everything was good. It was very good. What happened in Genesis chapter 3 God made a promise to Adam and Eve, but if they violated the one command. Made violated the command or happen they die. Not just what they died, but their offspring with die. When they violated that one command what happen if they died spiritually and then later they will die physically and now everybody born into humanity is born with a sense of spiritual death. We are not fulfilled and we all have that we all know that we all know we are not fulfilled. We do not live up to our purpose and we yearn for why are we here will try to fill that with something. The mission Jesus came to fulfill the reason he came was to give us life to be the light of men as it says Jesus brings the antidote to our sin. And he brings the antidote to the effects of our sin. Wallsend brings us death hardship and Chaos. Jesus came to give us life and to be our light. Later, and also in the Gospel of John Jesus would make this statement and John chapter 11 verse 25. He says I am the resurrection and the life whoever believes in me though. He die yet he shall live whoever lives and Believes In Me shall never die. He came to be the antidote. He came to be the Cure. He came to be the Fulfillment of really need and were created for life and relationship with God. This is why we celebrate this birth more than any other. This is why we remember it and that is why this season should be one of worship one of coming to let us adore him.

The third thing we need to remember from this text. We've already kind of touched on it. We need to remember that. God came as a baby. We need to remember that God came as a baby looking at verse 14. I know that there's a lot of stuff in between verse for enforce 14, but it's skipping Down 2 verse 14. It says in the word became flesh and dwelt among us. We have seen his glory glory as of the only son from the father full of grace and truth and then later also in for 17 and 18. The law was given through Moses but Grace and Truth came through Jesus Christ. No one has ever seen God, but the only god without the father side talking about Jesus. She has made him known.

God came God was born as a baby. Think about that for a minute. What does that say? What does that scream? What does that what does God want us to get from that reality that God himself came as a baby. He didn't send an angel get him Send a legion of angels. He didn't send his top officials of Heaven if there even is such a thing. He himself came if there is anything God wants us to know from this if there's anything we can take away from that one statement is that the most encouraging thing about remembering the birth of Christ is a God loved us so much. He himself k

He came.

keychain The most encouraging thing we can remember about the season and thing that should Inspire and us such affection and hump and humility and love of God is knowing that God love us so much. He himself game. For God so loved the world. He sent his one and only son that whoever believes in him might not perish but have everlasting life.

Now some other details we remember. From the other gospel accounts and just from the story of Christmas that Jesus was born of a virgin. Why was that significant? Why is this one of those doctrines of Christianity that we put on a pedestal and say this is so important. We cannot compromise on this. Why is the Virgin birth so important to us because it shows a couple things first off if it shows one Jesus Humanity. He was truly a human. He was born as a human and therefore he's able to pay the price of human sin as a human. Also shows he's God and he's seamless. there is a there's a line of thought that goes along the lines of this and I tend to agree with it that the sin nature of Adam passes through the male aspect of procreation because there wasn't that because Mary and Joseph didn't know each other because Mary was a virgin that aspect of it was not transferred. The sin nature was not transferred to Jesus in his birth because he was born of a woman of Virgin miraculously conceived by God himself without the natural intercourse that goes along with it the Virgin birth showing that the word became flesh being man being fully human but being God born as Emmanuel God With Us

Emmanuel that's one of the name ice going back to Isaiah chapter 9. It's prophesied that Emmanuel will come God With Us. Why is that so important? Why is it important for us to remember God came as a baby? Because from the whole text of scripture going back to Genesis looking forward to the Book of Revelation. We see the God has this desire for us. He wants to be God With Us. God never desires to be God far off. He never desires to be God separated from you. He wants that relationship. He wants to know you he wants to be known by you don't want it to be difficult for you to approach him if he wants to be God With Us. What do we see in the Book of Genesis before sending her The World God would walk in the garden with Adam and Eve the Blissful picture of that is amazing of Adam and Eve Walking In The Garden with God. What do we see in the Book of Revelation? What's a new Heaven? We see new Earth. We see God coming down to dwell with his people. This is the desire of God to be with us to know you'd have that personal relationship with each one of us that we also yearn for and know we need. And that is why his birth is so significant. It shows the length that he was willing to go to to be God With Us.

He is Emmanuel. He is God With Us.

On this line when in the Gospel of Luke we see this story. When the angel came to Mary and told her what was going to happen that she was going to have a baby but he was going to be Jesus the Christ. This is what the angel told her. So he will be great. He will be called son of the most high the Lord. God will give him the Throne of his father David and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever and have his kingdom there will be no end.

He will reign over the house of Jacob people rain and of his kingdom. There will be no end.

That's an encouraging thought.

That's encouraging knowing that he's coming that he has come. Video set up his kingdom that he is God of his reindeer will be no end of this intimacy between God and man there will be no more breaking there will not be another Genesis chapter 3, there will not be another fall. There will be Perfection will be Unity between God and man and we will have forever God us and this is why we celebrate this day the season this is why we remember it. This is why we celebrate of birth to thousand years old. We see a beautiful picture in this text above from the Gospel of John of who Jesus is he's great. He's come to save he's come to be our King has come to be a manual. He was the king. We need the king. We love he is the king that saves. Today, we remember why we celebrate him. And while we're celebrating his birth, we're also going to celebrate his death as interesting Lee as that sounds we're going to celebrate via the Lord's Supper that we have set up up here. Why did Jesus, come to die on the cross for us? He died to save us from our sins that he may be raised to give us life. He is the life he is the resurrection as it says. In the stacks do we have read today in verse 12. It says whoever did receive them who believed in his name. He gave the right to be called children of God. So we have entered into Christmas season as we have as we've looked through this pass this year from the Gospel of John and if we contemplated who Jesus really as he's known me your baby is not just another person. He is God In the Flesh Chris comes to love us and to save us I just want to pose this question. Have you received him? Have you believed on his name? Let's have a moment to pray as we begin to set a reminder on the Lord's supper and what this entails.