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WHO IS THE CHRIST OF CHRISTMAS?

Introduction

ILL: A Child who had written a letter to his Aunt, ..... “Dear Aunt Sarah: Thank you for the Christmas PRESENT that you sent to me. The PRESENT you sent, ... was ALMOST as GOOD as the one ... I REALLY WANTED!
                                                                                    
God has given us a CHRISTMAS PRESENT in the form of HIS SON, the LORD JESUS CHRIST, and it is a GIFT GREATER than we could have ever imagined or wanted.

John Does not say anything about the BIRTH OF JESUS.

In his book you find No Manger, No Angels, No Shepherds, nor Bethlehem.

John says nothing about the BAPTISM of JESUS, nor the GARDEN OF GETHSEMANE.

JESUS gave 39 PARABLES, but not one of them is found in John.

However, in our text, these 5 VERSES consisting of 67 WORDS, John gives us ENOUGH TRUTH and THEOLOGY about the PERSON of CHRIST to fill up more books than we could read in a lifetime.

It is said that the Gospel of John was written on a 7th GRADE READING LEVEL.

1. Matthew, Mark, and Luke all look at Christmas through the Eyes Of MAN.
2. JOHN looks at CHRISTMAS THROUGH THE EYES OF GOD.

I. THE CHRIST OF CHRISTMAS IS JESUS THE WORD.
Notice that....John introduces.. JESUS AS THE WORD. (See verse 1 and verse 14)

Exactly what does verse 1 teach us? First. . .

            A.        It Teaches Us That Jesus Is Eternally God.
John 1:1 In THE BEGINNING was THE WORD,

The word “was” does not refer to a START, but to a STATE.
(JESUS EXISTED IN AN ETERNAL STATE)

                        Jesus Christ did not begin to exist on that first Christmas morning in Bethlehem.

He existed before creation “in the beginning” and “All things were made by Him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.” (John 1:3)

When you look back to the book of Genesis. God said, “Let us make man in our image.” (Genesis 1:26)

Who was God talking to when he said, "let us?"

                        The Father was talking to the Word and to the Holy Spirit!

                        The Word was talking to the Father and to the Holy Spirit!

                        The Holy Spirit was talking to the Father and the Word.!

Before the COSMOS ... there was CHRIST,

Christ was preexistent. This means He was before creation. He has always existed.

    a.     “In the beginning” does not mean just from the beginning. Jesus Christ was already there. He did not become; He was not created; He never had a beginning. He “was in the beginning with God”

John 8:58–“Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Before Abraham was, I am. “

John 17:5–“And now, O Father, glorify thou me with thine own self with the glory which I had with thee before the world was.”

    b.      The word “was” is the Greek imperfect tense of a word which is so often used for deity. It means to be or I am. To be means continuous existence, without beginning or origin.

             The testimony of John is that Jesus Christ was the Word, the One who had

             always existed. He was the Son of the living God.

          B.         It Teaches Us That Jesus Is Equally God.
                        Christ was coexistent. He was and is face to face with God forever.

                        The word “with” has the idea of both being with and acting toward.

Jesus Christ (the Word) was both with God and acting with God. He was “with God”: by God’s side, acting, living, and moving in the closest of relationships.

Christ had the ideal and perfect relationship with God the Father. Their life together—their relationship, communion, fellowship, and connection—was a perfect eternal bond. This is exactly what is said: “The same was in the beginning with God” (John 1:2).

“That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, of the Word of life; (for the life was manifested, and we have seen it, and bear witness, and show unto you that eternal life, which was with the Father, and was manifested unto us)” (1 John 1:1-2).

The testimony of John was that Jesus Christ was the Word, the One who had always co-existed with God. Jesus Christ was the Son of the living God.

                        At one moment He was hungry because He was fully human.

                        The next moment, He miraculously fed 5,000 because He was fully God.

One moment, Jesus agonizes on a cross and dies because He was fully human. Three days later, He rose from the grave because He was fully God.

That's why Jesus has the distinction of being history's only 200% man--fully human and fully divine. So we see that John introduces Jesus as THE WORD.

          C.         It Teaches Us That Jesus Is Essentially God.
John did not say that “the Word” was the God (ho theos). He says “the Word”
was God (Theos ). He omits the definite article. John was saying that “the
Word,” Jesus Christ...

· is of the very nature and character of God the Father, but He is not the
identical person of God the Father.

· is a distinct person from God the Father, but He is of the very being and
essence (perfection) of God the Father.

When a man sees Christ, he sees a distinct person, but he sees a person who is of the very substance and character of God in all of His perfect being.

“Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high” (Hebrews 1:3).

“Jesus saith unto him, Have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known me, Philip? he that hath seen me hath seen the Father; and how sayest thou then, Show us the Father?” (John 14:9).

“And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory” (1 Tim. 3:16).

The testimony of John was that Jesus Christ was the Word, self-existent and eternal, the Supreme Majesty of the universe who owes His existence to no one. Jesus Christ was the Son of the living God.

                        {“he that has seen me has seen the Father”} {“I and My Father are One”}

            THE CHRIST OF CHRISTMAS IS JESUS THE WORD.

                        Eternally, Equally, and Essentially God!

II.      THE CHRIST OF CHRISTMAS IS JESUS THE WORKER. (VS 3)
{Jesus has been busy .... up in HEAVEN and EARTH}
A.        Jesus Created All Things.
            John 1:3 ALL THINGS were MADE by HIM”...

This World is too much of a MARVEL to have EVOLVED.

Evolutionists confuse me. They say they can't believe in an eternal God. But they have no trouble believing that nothing plus nothing results in something.

                        Christ is the Creator. Note several things.

                        1.         “All things” is talking about every detail of creation—not creation as a whole, but every single detail. Each element and thing, each being and person—whether material or spiritual, angelic or human—has come into being by Christ.

“For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him” (Col. 1:16).

                        2.         The words “were made” gives the meaning that it came into being or became.

Note what this is saying. Nothing was existing—no substance, no matter whatsoever.

Matter is not eternal. God did not take something outside of Himself and create the world.

Christ, the Word, took nothing but His will and power; and He spoke the Word, and created every single thing out of nothing.

                        3.         Christ was the One who created all things. Among the Godhead, He was the active Agent, the Person who made all things. Creation was His function and work (cp. Col. 1:16 above).

“But to us there is but one God, the Father, of whom are all things, and we in him; and one Lord Jesus Christ, by whom are all things, and we by him” (1 Cor. 8:6).

“[God] hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds” (Hebrews 1:2).

                        4.         Note that two statements of fact are made:

                         The positive statement of fact: “All things were made by Him.”

The absolute statement of fact: “Without Him was not anything made that was made.”

                         a.         Christ was actively involved in the creation of every single thing: “Without Him was not anything made.”

                         b.         The words “not anything” mean not even one thing, not a single thing was made apart from Him.

                        Jesus Created All Things. 

            B.        Jesus Controls All Things.
Col 1:16-17 For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: ALL THINGS were CREATED BY HIM, and for him: ... And he is before all things, and BY HIM ALL THINGS CONSIST.

The Word “CONSIST” = literally means “to hold together” Jesus is holding every thing together.

John tells us that Jesus is the Word, Jesus is the Worker behind creation and then he tells us that the world is God’s; He made it, every element of it, one by one.

                        This means several things.

                        1.         God is not off in some distant place far removed from the world, unconcerned and disinterested in what happens to the world. God cares about the world. He cares deeply, even about the most minute detail and smallest person. He cares about everything and every person in the world.

                        2.         The problems of the world are not due to God and His attitude. The problems of the world are due to sin, to the attitude and evil of man’s heart.

3.The answer to the world’s problems is not man and his technical skill. The
answer is Christ: for men to turn to Christ, surrendering and giving their lives to know Christ in the most personal and intimate way possible. Then, and only then, can men set their lives and world in order as God intends.

            THE CHRIST OF CHRISTMAS IS JESUS THE WORD.

            THE CHRIST OF CHRISTMAS IS JESUS THE WORKER.

III.    THE CHRIST OF CHRISTMAS IS JESUS THE WAY. (Vs 4)
            Life: the simple statement “in Him (Christ) was life.” What does that mean?

1.Life is the quality and essence, the energy and power, the force and principle of being. Christ is life; He is...     ·         the very essence of life

     ·         the very energy of life

     ·         the very power of life

     ·         the very force of life

     ·         the very principle of life

                        ·         the very quality of life

Without Christ, there would be no life whatsoever. Life is in Him, within His very being. All things exist and have their being (life) in Him.

          2.          Life is purpose, meaning, and significance of being.

                        Christ is life; He is...

             ·         the very purpose of life.

             ·         the very meaning of life.

             ·         the very significance of life.

Jesus Christ is the source of life–physical life and spiritual life.

                        He is the way to life and He is the truth of life.

                        He is the very substance of life, its very being and energy.

          A.         Jesus Can Bring Life To The Dead.
Christ Is The Source Of Light.

Note the statement: “The life [Christ] was the light of men.”

From the very beginning man was to know that life.

                        That is, man was to know God personally and intimately.

                        The knowledge of the life of Christ was to be the light of men.

The life (Christ) was to be the light of man’s purpose, meaning and significance upon earth.

“The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly” (John 10:10).

“Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live” (John 11:25).

John 1:4 “In HIM was LIFE.....”
John 14:6 Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and THE LIFE: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.

John 5:39 Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me.

John 5:40 And ye will not come to me, that ye might have LIFE.

John 17:3 And this is LIFE ETERNAL, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent.

                        Jesus Came To Bring Life To The Dead.

          B.         Jesus Came To Bring Light To The Dark.
Christ Is The Answer To Darkness

                        What causes the darkness?–Sin. John 3:19–20.

                        Jesus brought life and light into the world.

                        Man brought death and darkness into the world.

                        Jesus again brought life and light into the world.

                         John 1:4-5; John 8:12; John 12:35, 46

CONCLUSION

Are you walking in life and light or death and darkness?

Without Christ in your life you may be physically alive, but you are spiritually dead.

You need the light of Christ to shine in your soul.

You need the life of Christ living in your soul.

You can have life and light today if you will come to Christ today and give yourself to Him and take Him for yourself.

Who is this Christ of Christmas?

            He is Jesus The Word--Eternally, Equally, and Essentially God!

            He is Jesus The Worker–He Created All Things and He Controls All Things.

            He is Jesus The Way–He Came To Bring Life To The Dead And Light To The Darkness.

Home Page   Contact Us    Service Times   Sermons   Are You Going To Heaven?

NOTICE:   THESE SERMONS ARE FREE TO BE USED BUT ARE NOT TO BE SOLD!