Let's pray as we prepare to hear from God's Word. Great God above, what a wonderful joy it is just to consider and think more specifically about what you accomplished in your incarnation while we celebrate at Christmastime. Open our ears to hear this Word. Open our eyes to perceive it. And may, Lord God, we be arrested by the majesty of what you have done and who you are. Open my mouth to be able to speak it. In Jesus' name, amen. Back in 2007, the Washington Post arranged for an intriguing social experiment. They asked a celebrated violinist to dress as a simple street performer and play in a certain Washington DC subway terminal to see what would happen. The experiment was looking to assess whether average people would recognize and respond to musical greatness when it comes in a humble and unexpected form. To quote the post directly, it was an experiment in context, perception, and priorities, as well as an unblinking assessment of public taste. In a banal setting, at an inconvenient time, would beauty Transcend. On the morning of January 12, 2007, during rush hour, the musician arrived at the prearranged location wearing only jeans, a long-sleeved t-shirt, and a baseball cap. He took out his violin, placed some seed money in his open case on the ground, and began to play. He played for about 45 minutes, choosing some of the most beautiful, timeless, and difficult pieces of music to play, and he played them with immense passion and skill. How did the people passing by respond? The whole performance was recorded on a secret camera. Of the 1,097 people who passed by, only seven stopped to listen for any length of time. Only 27 persons decided to pitch in any money to this musician for a grand total of $52.17. $20 of this donated amount came from one person, a woman who was the only one who recognized that this simple street performer was, in fact, Joshua Bell, the former child prodigy and now world-famous violin virtuoso. Bell regularly plays before thousands of people at the greatest concert halls. $100 might get you only a decent seat at one of his performances. Bella's so good that he's literally played before royalty in Europe. And on that day in January, he was playing in the subway the same instrument that he always plays, the Gibson Ex-Huberman Stradivarius, handcrafted by master violin maker Antonio Stradivari in 1713. Unparalleled in sound quality, this Stradivarius was estimated in 2019 to be worth $14 million. So it was to this brilliant musician and his precious instrument that most passers-by didn't even turn their heads to listen as they walked, or who tossed in mere quarters and pennies as token thanks for his performance. People assumed that this begging musician was just like all the others, no one special. Besides, these persons were too busy with the work, the play, the worries of their lives to really take time to notice. There's a parallel in this incognito music experiment and Christmas, isn't there? Talk about greatness being unrecognized. 2,000 years ago, the Son of God himself came into the world, but in a way so humble and unexpected that most people didn't notice. Many people regarded the babe and then the man, Jesus, to be no one special, just another teacher, Or worse, they treated him as an inconvenience, an annoyance, even an enemy to be destroyed. Response to Jesus is largely the same today, despite the great commotion our society makes over Christmas. People often say Jesus was merely a good man or a wise religious teacher. He was just another prophet in a long line of prophets. Or he's a myth. even a fraud. Whoever he was, he certainly is not someone worth giving up everything in your life to behold, to serve, and to worship. That is the common attitude. And even we Christians can be affected by this kind of thinking. I always find the Christmas season challenging because despite the attention that we intend to give to our Lord and to his incarnation. During this time, our calendars quickly fill up with busyness. We have many social, professional, and even ministry obligations to fulfill. Gotta get those gifts, gotta send those cards, gotta attend that event. Now these are fine things, and they can be done, and should be done, to the glory of God. But in all our Christmas activity, it is so easy to forget Christ, to make no time for Him. Ask yourselves, have you taken the time? Have you really taken the time yet this season to meditate on the magnitude of what the Lord did in coming to the world? Have you been, therefore, move to greater awe and worship and obedience to him. We do face a number of pressures, things that draw away our perspective. It can be difficult. So I think it'll be profitable this week and next week to look at a passage of scripture that is all about making sure that we do not miss who Jesus truly is or how staggeringly wonderful is coming into the world is for us sinners. I'd like to begin looking today at John chapter 1 verses 1 to 18. Please open your Bibles and turn there. John 1 verses 1 to 18. The title for the message today comes straight from the passage, The Word Became Flesh. And this will be part one. The Word Became Flesh. A few comments about this section of the Bible before we read the passage. John, this gospel was written by the Apostle John, one of Jesus' closest disciples. And this section, 1 to 18, is the introduction or the prologue section of his gospel. We have four gospels, of course, in the Bible, Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. These are records of the life and ministry of Jesus given to us in the Bible. John was written the last of the four gospels, probably around AD 90. And John likely was aware of the other three gospel accounts, and so decided to write his a little differently. As one preacher said, whereas the other Gospels are more concerned with the history of Jesus' coming, John is more concerned with the mystery of it. Not that John is historically inaccurate, he is not, but John is keen in his Gospel to draw our attention to just how amazing and unexpected and profound Jesus and his Gospel message are. He really wants you to be arrested by the Son of God. And John is not secretive about why he wants to do this for his readers. So great a salvation demands not only our attention, but also our sincere belief and obedience. John writes near the end of his gospel at John 20, verses 30 to 31, John 20, 30 to 31, Therefore, many other signs Jesus also performed in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book, but these have been written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing, you may have life in his name. This purpose is already at work in John's prologue, which summarizes and introduces many of the profound themes explored more fully in John's Gospel. Let's now read that prologue, John 1, verses 1 to 18. 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 came into being through Him. And apart from Him, nothing came into being that has come into being. In him was life, and the life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it. There came a man sent from God, whose name was John. He came as a witness to testify about the light, so that all might believe through him. He was not the light, but he came to testify about the light. There was the true light, which, coming into the world, enlightens every man. He was in the world, and the world was made through Him, and the world did not know Him. He came to His own, and those who were His own did not receive Him. But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name, who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God. And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us. And we saw His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth. John testified about Him and cried out, saying, This was He of whom I said, He who comes after me has a higher rank than I, for He existed before me. For of His fullness we have all received, and grace upon grace But the law was given through Moses. Grace and truth were realized through Jesus Christ. No one has seen God at any time. The only begotten God, who is in the bosom of the Father, He has explained Him. Right away, certain aspects of this passage stick out to us. First and foremost, the majesty of it, this majestic sense to this section of scripture. A number of interpreters have wondered whether this was an early Christian hymn or contain parts of an early Christian hymn. Ultimately, arguments that this was a hymn are not persuasive, and yet there is a clear poetic quality to these words. There's even some symmetry, which is often something that appears in poetry. For example, notice, like in Ecclesiastes, actually, we have here bookends that mirror each other in a certain sense. In verse one, it begins with the word, who was God with God. And in verse 18, we see the same thing, God with God, even the son in the bosom of the father. But while there is symmetry, there's also progression in this passage. Verse one starts with eternity and then creation. And then gradually we move more and more concretely into Christ's incarnation into history. first with the forerunner of John the Baptist, and then the enfleshment of the son, God himself, appearing and revealing to mankind the unseeable God. And by the end of this passage, we should be ready to proceed into the rest of John's gospel, hear more about John the Baptist and Jesus' arrival on the scene in Israel. Finally, notice how the passage uses many terms that are key in the gospel of John. If you ever read this gospel, you notice Terms like life, light, darkness, world, believe, they appear again and again in this gospel. But there's one term that John uses uniquely here, and that is the word, word. Logos in the New Testament Greek, a term which most basically refers to something that is written, spoken, or thought. A word, a logos. Now, intriguingly, The Apostle John, even though he's talking about the Son of God throughout this passage, he chooses to identify him primarily as the Word, the Word, the Logos. And we might be used to hearing or saying this title for Jesus, but actually it's rare in the Bible. It only appears here in this chapter and in Revelation 19.13, and perhaps 1 John 1.3. The Apostle John is the only one who calls Jesus the Word. Why? And why here? Why does John call Jesus the Word? And who exactly is this Word? We'll explore the answers to both of those questions as we work our way through the text. Now, this passage logically and grammatically divides into four sections, four sections of clarification. I would state the main idea this way. In 1 John 1, 1 to 18, John gives four vital clarifications regarding the identity of the incarnate word so that you will not miss who he is, but instead behold and believe. Four vital clarifications regarding the identity of the incarnate word so that you will not miss who he is, but instead behold and believe. Now we're just going to look at the first clarification today. There's actually a lot. A lot of profundity to unpack in verses one to five, so that's as far as we'll get, but we'll look at the others next time. The first vital clarification about the identity of the incarnate word is indeed in verses one to five, and it's this. Number one, who is the word? The word is the wise and powerful creator. The word is the wise and powerful creator. Look again at verse one, and we'll just start with that first phrase. in the beginning was the Word." If you know the Bible at all, the beginning of verse 1 here should remind you of another passage. And what passage is that? Genesis 1.1, the beginning of the Bible, the beginning of the account of how God created the earth. In fact, there are a number of terms here in just these first five verses that hearken back to Genesis and the creation account. light, darkness. Remember, light is the first specific creation that is recorded in Genesis 1. John is consciously evoking creation language as he introduces and clarifies for us who the Word is. And notice specifically what John does with the creation phrasing of that first verse in Genesis. Genesis 1.1 says, In the beginning, God. John 1.1 says, In the beginning, the Word. Now, what beginning are we talking about here in John? Well, maybe you think it's obvious, and in a certain sense it is, considering the purposeful use of Genesis 1 phrasing, the lack of qualification from John as to what beginning this is, and the explicit reference to creation in verse 3, John surely speaks about the beginning beginning here, the beginning of creation, the beginning of time and history, and of the earth. What does The word has to do with that beginning. Well, notice another change from the language of Genesis 1.1. Genesis 1.1 says, in the beginning, God created. But here it says, in the beginning, the word was. The Greek word for was here is in the imperfect tense, which in Greek usually indicates a continuing action or situation in the past. It's ongoing. So we could translate the beginning of John 1, 1 this way. In the beginning, the Word was being. Or even, in the beginning, the Word was already being. What is John saying? He is asserting and affirming the eternality of the Word. Unlike Genesis 1, 1, here we don't jump right into action. Rather, we linger for a moment in this space between eternity and time. And what was there in that space? The Word. The Word was there. The Word was already there, existing, being, living. But this eternal Word was not alone. For John goes on to say in verse one, and the Word was with God. and the Word was God. Now here is one of the most profound, mysterious, and wonderful sayings of the Bible. In giving us insight into the moment before creation began, John clarifies for us that it was not a situation of eternal loneliness, but rather eternal fellowship. In the beginning, the Word already was and He was with God. God is, of course, eternal, as is evident all over the Bible. So it only makes sense that the eternal Word should be with the eternal God in all eternity. God and the Word, God and the Word, in a way beyond the comprehension of our minds, have forever enjoyed fellowship outside of time and before time. What is that like? We can't properly imagine or picture it. But we know from John here that it is true. And now look at the end of verse one. It says, and the Word was God. Or more literally, God was the Word. The Word was with God, and God was the Word. Now John's phrasing here, the Greek construction is very precise and well translated. John does not say here what the Jehovah Witnesses accuse him of saying, in their Bible translation, that the Word was merely a God. No, rather, in these two phrases, John is articulating the wondrous mystery of the Trinity. The Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit are God, one substance, three persons. The Father is God. The Son is God. The Holy Spirit is God. Each person is and contains the fullness of God. Yet the Father is not the Son or the Holy Spirit. The Son is not the Spirit or the Father. The Spirit is not the Father or the Son. From eternity, the Godhead, the Triune God, has been infinitely enjoying fellowship with Himself. And John draws our attention to that reality here at the end of verse one, in using the language of the word. He says, the word and God, he's showing us the word and God are one. God was the word, and yet they are distinct, because the word was with God. Everything that God is, the word is, because the word is God. Yet the word was also distinct from God and forever enjoying fellowship with God. Now, another rhetorical question. Can you wrap your mind around the Trinitarian relationship? The eternal Trinitarian relationship? Of course not, unless you're God. This is a mode of existence that we simply cannot fully understand. And there's nothing quite like it in our world. Yet, it was and is true of the Word, the Logos. We must confess that it is wonderful. Wow! This is the Word. Verse 2 restates the truth expressed in verse 1. He, that is the Logos, the Word, was in the beginning with God. Before the world was, before any act of creation, the Word, the Logos, was already existing as God and enjoying fellowship with God. And what a fellowship that must have been. It was only God with himself, yet because God is infinitely glorious, fellowship with God is infinitely satisfying. This was the situation before creation. But then what happened? Let's go to verse three. All things came into being through him, that is the word. And apart from Him, nothing came into being that has come into being. Though verses 1 to 2 let us peer into the eternal space before creation, in verse 3 we arrive at creation itself. And what do we learn? That the Word was not a product of creation, or a bystander to creation, or even a lesser assistant in creation. Rather, John shows us the word was and is the creator. The word is the creator. Now before I go on, I think it's time to give you a little more background about the word word or logos. As you see, logos was a bit of a loaded term for the Greeks and the Jews when it came to creation. And they had a certain pre-understanding about the logos. For many Greco-Romans, many Greeks, according to their philosophies, the Logos was a certain principle, certain wise principle responsible for and operating in all creation. It's like a system, it's like a wisdom, a paradigm. These pagans, they didn't believe in, and this doesn't go for all Greco-Romans, but a large section of them. These pagans didn't believe in a personal, noble creator God, but they couldn't deny the wisdom obvious in the creation of the world, the origin of it, the design of it, the maintenance of it. So they posited some force, some principle that they called the logos, the word, as operating in creation. It's a bit like those today who marvel merely at the works of science or nature or natural law instead of God. I was listening to a secular radio program one time where the speakers were explaining something I'd never heard of before in terms of scientific discovery. These researchers had discovered how trees actually can communicate with one another. What? Trees communicate with one another? Yes! These trees are able, in certain instances, to warn each other of incoming threats and even sacrifice themselves to donate their resources to other trees. It's incredible. The speakers describe forests as complex yet purposefully designed systems. You can hear the awe in their voices as they even explain this discovery. But then, one of the speakers says this, Isn't evolution amazing? There's a total Romans 1 moment. The truth about God. evident in creation are staring people in the face, and yet they suppress the truth and unrighteousness. Yet that one example, it serves as a modern parallel to what many ancient Greeks and Romans thought about the Logos. There is an undeniable wisdom at work in creation, and they called it the Word. So this is the Greco-Roman side. But for the Jews, they thought about the Logos in a different way when it came to creation. And this comes from the Old Testament. For consider, does the Old Testament say anything that directly connects God, words, and creation? Of course. And we go right back to Genesis 1, because what do we see? In explaining how God created the world, then God said, Then God said, then God said, He spoke a word, and creation existed. Creation came into being. Psalm 33 6 says the same. Psalm 33 6, By the word of the Lord, that is Yahweh, the heavens were made, and by the breath of His mouth all their host. Actually, the Old Testament repeatedly emphasizes that God's word is powerful, and not just in creation, but in accomplishing whatever God desires and ordains. Famously, in Isaiah 55, 11, right after a large section of prophecy detailing what God will do for Israel and the nations in the future, God compares His Word to function-fulfilling rain and snow. They won't come back. They won't fail to do what I've ordained them to do. specifically verse 11, so will my word be which goes forth from my mouth. It will not return to me empty without accomplishing what I desire and without succeeding in the matter for which I sent it. According to the Old Testament, the spoken word or decree of God is what gets things done. It's powerful, it accomplishes, it creates, it destroys, it judges, it saves. And what is the Old Testament word for word translated into Greek? Lagos. So when John here refers to Lagos, he is speaking at some level to these conceptual backgrounds of his readers. But notice how John both builds on and changes the viewpoints in John's presentation of Jesus as the Lagos, as the word. On the one hand, right here in verse three, we see that John affirms both Greek and Jewish pre-understandings. It was the wisdom and power of God that brought about all creation. But on the other hand, John challenges those pre-understandings by asserting that this wisdom and power were not impersonal, not a mere force, but personal. Notice verse three, he says, him, he, a person, The Son of God, Jesus. He is the word that accomplished creation. You Greeks marvel at the wise word that brought about creation. He is that wisdom. You Jews marvel at the powerful word that brought about creation. He is that power. The eternal divine word is the creator. Personal creator and not just of some things but of all things that are created You know I'm amazed and a little bit amused that the Jehovah Witnesses go to such great lengths to alter John 1 1 and their Bibles because they want to deny the deity of Christ But they do nothing to alter John 1 3 you can actually look it up the New World translation That's their that's their Bible translation John 1 3 and their Bible looks very similar to John 1 3 in our Bibles and But if they thought about it for more than half a second, they'd realize that John 1 3 precludes the fact or the idea that Jesus is a created being. Because he created everything that is created. And John is very explicit about this. He says the same truth about the word being the creator, both positively and negatively. All things, John says, all created things came into being through him. His wisdom and power brought them forth. And apart from Him, without His creative agency, not a single created thing was created. If it came into being by creation, it was the Lagos who did it. And if the Lagos didn't do it, it didn't happen. It doesn't exist. If the Word, the Son, created everything that was created, then clearly He Himself could not have been created. He is the uncreated divine. Now, this truth about the Word, the Son being the Creator, it does not contradict other assertions in the Bible about the Father being the Creator, or even the Spirit being the Creator. See, whatever the Trinity does, it does together. Each person of the Trinity, each person of the Godhead takes a different role. In a way, we cannot fully describe the Bible is emphatic that the Father created the world through the Son. We see that here, we see that in verse 10, and we also see it in some other passages. Colossians, Colossians 1, verses 15 to 17, Paul writes, he, speaking of the Son, is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. For by him all things were created, both in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible. Whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities, all things have been created through him and for him. He is before all things, and in him all things hold together." The writer of Hebrews says the same thing. Hebrews 1, verses 1 to 3, God After he spoke long ago to the fathers and the prophets, in many portions and in many ways in these last days has spoken to us in his son, whom he appointed heir of all things, through whom also he made the world. And he is the radiance of his glory and the exact representation of his nature and upholds all things by the word of his power. Consider then, it was no mere human baby that was being celebrated by angels or shepherds or wise men that first Christmas night. It was, in fact, the wise and powerful word, the eternal creator, God, who not only made the world, but is the one who continues to uphold it, as he was doing even in his incarnation. Mary may have indeed sustained the infant Son of God with her milk, but it was He who was sustaining her, and the rest of mankind, and the entire universe, even while a baby. It was His divine power. Consider also, for any of you who disregard, treat lightly Jesus today, You ignore his teaching and commands. You reject what he has to say, so that you can pursue your own desires, your own goals for your life, apart from God, in resistance to God. Understand that you're not merely rejecting an ancient teacher or a good man. Rather, you are going against your creator, The God who not only made you and the world, but is continually upholding your life, even as you rebel against Him. You should not be so foolish and ungrateful to God to continue in such a path. And is there not great wonder in the Creator, the Word, the Creator, descending and deigning to take on the clothing of creation. The Infinite One took on finitude. The Timeless One enters into time. The Omnipotent One submits to human weakness. What kind of God does that? And why? According to the Scriptures, to show his love to the father and to the people that God had chosen for him as a bride forever, to be redeemed, the very sinners that the son came to save. If Jesus is indeed the word that John proclaims here, even our creator and sustainer, then we dare not this Christmas ignore Jesus or the great salvation that he has accomplished for us. Let us instead behold and believe. Now the words awesome work of creation has another dimension today based on his incarnation. We begin to get a flavor of this second kind of creation in verses four and five. So let's look at verse four now. John writes, in him was life and the life was the light of men. Here we have a further description of the creator that is only logical. The word as the one with life in himself, he must also be the one who gave and gives life to all creation. Indeed, if you are alive today listening to this sermon, it's only because the eternal creating word has given you and sustained you with the life that is in himself. He gave you life. And note the connection of life with light at the end of verse four. Life and light are often associated in the Bible. Light is used as a metaphor for life, but also for happiness, deliverance, salvation, understanding, hope, holiness. And darkness is used as an opposite metaphor. Darkness is often used as a symbol for death, for trouble, for sadness, for confusion, for despair, for evil and wickedness. And John tells us here that the life that comes from the Logos, the sun, is as itself the light of men. That is to say, if you have any experience of metaphorical light in your life, it is only because the creator of physical light and life also granted you a metaphorical light. The Word as the Creator is the source of all life and light for mankind. And of course, this is true in a very significant way when it comes to spiritual reality. John has intentionally phrased verse 4 so that his readers will make the connection between the original creation and the new spiritual creation that comes about in Jesus Christ. Indeed, it is fitting that the Creator of all physical life and light should also be the giver of spiritual life and light as part of a second act of creation. We see this brought out in other scriptures in the New Testament. The Apostle Paul says in 2 Corinthians 5.17, 2 Corinthians 5.17, Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature, a new creation. The old things passed away, behold, new things have come. There's been a second act of creation. Or the way that John describes it, via the words of Jesus in his gospel, in John 3, 3, John 3, 3, truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. There is only one source of life and light for the world and it is the word it is the eternal word any true light any true life must come from the one who is life and light in himself now consider how this makes jesus the word the exclusive hope for mankind all light and life is in him where else you gonna find it and again this is something the gospels that the gospel itself says john a twelve Jesus speaking, he says, I am the light of the world. He who follows me will not walk in the darkness, but will have the light of life. There again, light and life connected. In John 14, 6, John 14, 6, Jesus said to him, I am the way and the truth and the life, the life. No one comes to the Father but through me. It's only him. So if you have any spiritual light or life in your life, in you, where did it come from? It came from God. It only came from the Son. It only came from the Word. It was the wisdom and the power of the Lagos and the grace of the Lagos that gave it to you. Aren't you grateful for that light? For where would you and I be without the life and light of the word? Dead and in darkness. You know, I had an interesting experience with darkness the other day. I was here in the church doing some work and getting ready to go home. I turned off the lights in the sanctuary and I noticed that the light in the bathroom was still on. And of course, it was dark outside by this time. So I didn't want to go turn on the sanctuary lights all over again. I just said, OK, I'll go over there and turn off that light, and then I'll cautiously make my way in the dark out of the church building. I figured I knew where the furniture was, and I didn't want to get my phone out. I mean, it's in my pocket. I don't know. It felt like a lot of work, and I decided I'll be fine. Well, that was a big mistake, because I took only about five steps and then crashed into a chair. We humans typically don't do well in the dark. We hurt ourselves, and it's unpleasant. But consider that that's what our spiritual state, our world state was, and for those outside of Christ still is. Darkness, lostness, confusion, wickedness, despair. That's where we were until the one who is light, gave us light. In multiple ways we have been and are utterly dependent on the eternal Word and Son of God. He created us, He gave us life, He gave us light. First in our physical birth and then for those of us who have repented and believed in our second spiritual birth. And this is part of the joy of Christmas, isn't it? It is commemorating the coming of the giver of life and light to those who so desperately needed it, which is you and me. In verse five, John continues to describe the light giving aspect of the creator word. Notice that verse five, the light shines in the darkness and the darkness did not comprehend it. We again hear the echo to Genesis 1. Genesis 1, 2 says that darkness was over the formless waters of the earth. And then Genesis 1, 3, what did God say? Let there be light. And there was light. The darkness was quickly dispelled, banished, because light had appeared. The darkness could not overcome the wise and powerful word of God. But what was true at the beginning of creation is also true in the second creation and regeneration. The Word came into the world and shined the light of His everlasting life into the darkness. It's a fulfillment of the scripture we even heard earlier today, Isaiah 9-2, which says, the people who walk in darkness will see a great light. Those who live in a dark land, the light will shine on them. Also the words of Zacharias in Luke 1-78, The sunrise from on high came and visited us. And what was the result? When the Incarnate Word shined His light in a dark world by His life. Ultimately, the same result as that at creation. The darkness could not overcome the light. But that doesn't mean there wasn't some resistance and rebellion, which still continues today. Note the term translated comprehend in verse 5. You might have a note in your Bible, or maybe you use a different translation. And the word is not comprehend, but overcome. Something like overcome. And the reason we have both of these translations, both noted, is because the Greek term really could go either way. The Greek word is katalambano. It means to seize or to grasp. And so you can understand metaphorically speaking, the word could mean to grasp by strength and to hold on to it. This would be to overcome or to overpower. But it could also mean to grasp with your mind, to really understand something, to comprehend it. Which one is John's intended sense here? Ah, this is one of those special places in the Bible where the author is probably meant to use a term that is ambiguous. He wants the reader actually to consider both meanings, both senses, because they're both true according to his gospel. On the one hand, the evil one, his minions, and sinful mankind, it could not thwart the mission of the incarnate word, could not overcome the light in his purpose to save sinners and to reveal God. Jesus testifies that he fully accomplished the father's will and did not let a single one of his disciples perish or fall away except the son of perdition and the light of the divine word is still just as powerful today notice it is in the present tense here in verse five the light shines in the darkness it is still shining Jesus his light is still shining via his people and his word and it is still accomplishing God's purpose today will not be thwarted The darkness of our world will never ultimately overcome the light of the eternal word. On the other hand, part of the reason why a dark world has resisted and still resists and rejects the true light is because they do not understand it. They do not comprehend it. Jesus tells certain Pharisees in the Gospel of John and other would-be disciples that they cannot see because they are blind. And they cannot hear because they are not part of Jesus' chosen sheep. They don't hear. They don't recognize the Master's voice because He's not their shepherd. Verse 10 in our passage also testifies that the Word's own creation, His own people, they did not know Him or recognize Him when He came. And isn't this also true now? Though the light of Christ continues to shine in supernatural strength today, many still do not understand it or recognize it for what it is. They actually rage against it, don't like the light. They hide from it and they want to destroy it. It's in verse 5 that we begin to see another mysterious truth that we will explore more next week as we continue through the passage. Though mankind should have recognized and welcomed the eternal, divine, creating, life-giving, light-bringing Word, they did not, and would not, and could not. Paul says in 2 Corinthians 4.4, 2 Corinthians 4.4 of unbelievers, in whose case the God of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelieving so that they might not see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God." Why would the all-wise, all-powerful Word submit to such a reception in His incarnation? Why would He go along with that, accept that, tolerate that? Why would he submit to taking on human flesh only to be rejected by the vast majority of self-exalting, darkness-loving humanity? Why would the eternal exalted creator do that? This too, this too is part of the wondrous mystery of the gospel. Even the display of God's incredible humility, his immense patience, and his superabounding grace. With the Word becoming flesh and coming to serve a world that would mostly reject him, we get to see a revelation into the glorious character of God that we would never have otherwise been able to see. And that is another chief purpose of the word becoming flesh as we'll see. Right even in verse 18, it was to reveal God. More on that next time. For now though, let me press just this first clarification via verses one to five to your hearts today. As we anticipate December 25th, even our Christmas Eve service, What should this mean for us? Well, ask yourself these questions. Are you starting to recognize who Jesus really is? And who you really are before him? What John says here in verses one to five is true. What does that mean for who Jesus is and who you are before him? Are you beginning to hear the glorious music that emanates from his being? Is it getting your attention? Is it moving you towards obedience and worship? Or, out of continual misguided pride and devotion to the passing things of the world, do you still pay no attention to the Word, to the incarnate Word? Are you determined not to give heed to God's great salvation? Let us not neglect this gracious word to us today. We do see, just as the Greeks did, the wisdom and the power of God creation, even now. Even those of us who would like to deny, no, I don't think there's a God. We all know. We all know because the wisdom and the power of God in creation is evident all around us. We see the design, we see the goodness. We know there's a creator and we know that we are beholden to him. And He has called us to imitate and obey Him, according to His good commands, according to His good heart, and yet we have not done so. You have not done so. None of us have been perfect as our Heavenly Father is perfect. We have not loved the way that He loves. We have not been holy like He is holy. And what must a holy and just God do? He must destroy forever. He must punish forever those who are not like Him. which is a sentence of doom for all of us, if not for some rescue. And what a rescue God ordained, which is that the Word Himself, God, would come into the earth, take on human flesh, live a perfectly righteous life, and then die a substitutionary death. For raging, sinful humanity taking their place, suffering wrath, God's wrath on them, and paying it off in full for those who believe in Him. He died, but He rose again. He appeared to His disciples and then ascended to heaven, and He is coming back. The Word will return, just as John says in Revelation, when the time He uses that term is actually Revelation 19, which is, if I'm remembering correctly, Jesus actually storming back into the earth to establish his kingdom and to deal with his enemies. It is the Word of God. The Word is coming again. And those who are still resisting at that time will be judged and destroyed. But that doesn't need to be the case for any one of us. He says, if you will repent and believe, I will give you the right to become children of God. Repent of yourself. Repent of all attempts to make yourself right with God. Repent of every wicked way within you. And believe in the Word. Believe in the Son to be your righteousness, your only righteousness before God, to make you once and for all acceptable to God. Believe in His perfect sacrifice on your behalf and follow Him. Let your whole life be given over to Him. Take Him as the Lord and Savior. and follow after him until he comes, or until he takes you to be with him. It is the message, right? That is the gospel that we celebrate. That is the word connected to the word who is incarnate. You know, sometimes we get too familiar with the wonder of the gospel. And even statements that really should just arrest us, they become commonplace. But consider anew just how beautiful is that one famous statement from the gospel of John as a gospel promise. John 3, 16. For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. That's what we're celebrating this season. Let's celebrate it. with a renewed attention. Let's pray. Heavenly Father, thank you for sending the word. Jesus, you created us. Even right now, our lives are sustained by your power. And Jesus, for those that you have saved, it was only because you gave us your life. It's only because you shined your light on us. And we are so grateful for we were a people in darkness, and we yet dwell in a world of darkness. But you saved us, and you are coming again. Your light will fill the earth. There will be no place in which your glory is not extended. We look forward to that time. But this Christmas, God, we pray if there are any portions of our lives that we've begun to withdraw from you the word and say, no, I don't want you to have this. I want to go this way. I don't want to pay attention to you, Lord. I pray that we would repent of it. You're too great. You're too awesome for us to be able to hold anything back from you. Your salvation is too great not for us to pay attention. Lord, search us. If there's any unclean way within us that prevents us from worshiping you this Christmas, show us that we may repent. And if any do not yet know you who are hearing this message today, I pray that they would repent. Lord, let this be a time, indeed, this week, this season, a time of great celebration and worship as we just think about you, the creator, coming to save us, who are but dust. In Jesus' name, amen.