A very good morning to you my precious family and friends.
Later this week we will be celebrating Christmas. We celebrate that God became a fellow traveller with us in a new way.
Just as Mary placed the infant Jesus in a manger, God placed Himself into our difficult, messy, and often tiring journey in this world. The apostle John says it this way in John 1 verse 14 says “The Word became flesh and made His dwelling among us. We have seen His glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.”
At Christmas as John 3 verse 16 reminds us, that the God of love gave His one and only Son to redeem us and to be with us at all times and in all places. He wants to join us on our way, listen to our joys and sorrows, prevent us from walking in meaningless circles, and direct us to His home of peace and joy.
This is the great mystery of Christmas: Almighty God became a helpless infant.
Because of the Word—Jesus in the flesh—believers are not alone on our journey.
We can always trust that He is walking with us. No wonder we sing today, “Joy to the world! The Lord is come”!
The gospels give a complete and trustworthy account of Jesus’ coming, but they don’t all repeat the same events. In Matthew and Luke, we learn details about Jesus’ birth. John doesn’t mention Jesus’ birth, but he explains its deep meaning.
John links Jesus with the creation of the world: “In the beginning was the Word.”
Who is this eternal Word? As the rest of John’s gospel shows, the Word is the one and only Son of God. But He did not create the world and then step back, remaining aloof from His creation. He entered the world He had made, took on flesh, and became just like us. He came within our reach, He identified with us, and He came to trade places with us. He came close enough so that even shepherds who were looked down on, were able to see and touch Him. He grew up in an ordinary carpenter’s home, in a small, common place village. He willingly obeyed His earthly parents.
At Christmas, we see, as Joseph, Mary, and the shepherds saw long ago, the glory of the Son of God, who became like us to save us from our sins. Now that’s good news of great joy!
Wholly divine and wholly human? Christians have pondered this question since the earliest days of the church. We can’t explain it logically. God, who is not bound by human logic, sent His Son, who became flesh, to provide the very Saviour we need. Fully divine and fully human (though without sin), He makes us right with God by His sacrifice on the cross.
The very first Christmas, God gave the greatest gift ever. His Son! And His Son gave the gift of His life - which was why He came. Because of this, we can have relationship with God as His children.
Through Jesus Christ, we are Sons and Daughters of the Most High God.
“He came to that which was His own, but His own did not receive Him” found in John 1 verse 11 are some of the saddest words found in the Bible. “The Word became flesh,” and the Son of God “moved into the neighbourhood,” but people locked their doors to shut Him out. How arrogant, how dangerous, and how foolish!
Little has changed since John wrote those words in his gospel. Millions today celebrate Christmas without receiving Christ into their hearts and homes. They do not need God in their lives and say that they were doing just fine without Him.
In John 3:18 we find a warning to those who refuse to receive Jesus as their Saviour: “Whoever believes in Him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already.”
Those who reject Jesus as Saviour give up the right to become children of God.
As believers we are children of God and can call Him our Father! We have received His forgiveness and the gift of eternal life!
No matter how 'secular' the world has become by disregarding the truth of Christmas, let us boldly proclaim the truth about the birth of Jesus as the reason for the season and let us claim 'CHRISTmas' back.
The 'True' Christmas story, led to the 'True' Easter story. So give thanks and praise to our heavenly Father for these events, which have changed our lives forever.
Prayer
All honour, glory and praise be to You, Father God, for the gift of Your one and only Son. Lord Jesus, in love.
Lord You have come to walk with us through life and death to Your house of peace and joy. Thank You, Lord Jesus, that You came.
You are full of grace and truth, our great Creator and gentle Saviour, we ask that You be born in our hearts again today. Amen.
Wishing you much love in Christ at the Christmas time from Maurice and Margaret
