God Dwelt Among Us

What am I saying? I’m asking if you have ever been a part of a group or something and maybe the plans had been made that you were supposed to know about, but somehow didn’t. Therefore, when it came time for it, you were obvious to it & unprepared, because you “missed the memo?”

Maybe it was picture day at school?

Maybe it was hearing your parents mention doing the chores before they got home?

Maybe it was you did not complete your homework in time, because you didn’t know the deadline?

All of the following would have been done by simply knowing it.

Me

It shows up a lot in my life when I’m at a traffic light in my vehicle. When it’s red, I pull out my phone. Therefore, I get preoccupied with my phone and “miss the memo” that the light has now turned green & people behind me are waiting.

“Missing the memo” happens all the time. Most of the time it happens for the only reason of us not paying close attention. If we’re completely honest.

I think we do it when it comes to Christmas. Chances are, most of us here tonight know the Christmas story (or the main point of it).

TRUTH: Christmas is the story of hope.

I think a lot of the times we view it as another story about Christmas that has just a little bigger meaning than the others. We fail to recognize the weight of what Christmas actually means for you & me.

Christmas is the story of hope because with Christmas came grace & truth. Let’s explore that together.

God’s Word

John 1:14 ESV

14 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.

I. God became man

John 1:14 ESV

14 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.

Until Jesus stepped out of heaven & into our world, God’s people only experienced Him at the temple/tabernacle.

Until Christmas, God was not accessible, because man was sinful & God was holy. Discuss levitical sacrifice system & the need for a Savior.

because man was sinful & God was holy.

400 years of silence from God. God was still present & involved, but God did not raise a prophet to speak on His behalf to the people. Therefore, the people served God through bringing their sacrifices to the temple & following the law of Moses.

Then at the time God had already planned, God stepped into our world, our sinful/wicked world, in Jesus. God dwelt among us. The same God that could not be near us, because of our sin, became one of us. The same Word that spoke the universe into existence, stepped into our world.

Jesus lived among us, identify with us, so He could die for us.

Jesus was fully God and fully human.

Hebrews 2:14 ESV

14 Since therefore the children share in flesh and blood, he himself likewise partook of the same things, that through death he might destroy the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil,

Have you gotten this memo? This isn’t just a story. This is God’s story.

II. God came full of grace

John 1:14 ESV

14 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.

It’s the only explanation on our part! God’s grace!

We did not deserve Jesus coming.

In the fullness of God’s grace, Jesus came to us. We could not come to Him. Therefore, the pursuit of God for us was relentless.

Grace was Jesus coming to earth. Grace was Jesus dying our death. Grace was Jesus resurrecting in power over sin & death.

TRUTH: Christmas is the story of hope.

Have you gotten this memo? This isn’t just a story. This is God’s story.

III. God came full of truth

John 1:14 ESV

14 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.

When Jesus came, He came full of the truth. The truth He came with was the only truth that saves.

Dead in our sin, separated from God. Could not save ourselves.

God came to us to fulfill what we never could, so that God could die for us and resurrect for us. God came in Jesus to save us!

By repenting of our sin & trusting in Jesus we are brought to God.

This is the meaning of Christmas students. Without the manger, there’s no cross. Without the cross, there’s no resurrection. Without the resurrection, there’s no hope.

TRUTH: Christmas is the story of hope.

Have you gotten this memo? This isn’t just a story. This is God’s story. This is YOUR story.

Christmas is the unwrapping of God’s story. As we unwrap God’s story, we find our story.

It’s Jesus. It’s always been about Jesus and we’ll be about Jesus. He’s all we got.

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