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He became what we are, that we might become what he is.
And the word was made flesh and dwelt among us.! And angels.
You may speak of a child wrapped in swaddling clothes and laid in a manger. And all of that is true and right and beautiful. But the church also dares to speak more boldly than that.
She dares to tell us who this child is. St. John does not begin with Bethlehem. He begins with eternity. In the beginning was the word.
And the word was with God. And the word was God. The child born of Mary is not a new figure on the stage of history.
He is the eternal word through whom all things were made. Before there was light. Or land. Or life.
Before there was Adam. Or Abraham. Or David. The word already was. And this is the great shock of Christmas.
Isn't it? That that word became flesh. God does not merely send help. He does not merely issue forgiveness from a distance.
He comes himself. The word does not pretend to be human. He does not merely appear among us.
He becomes flesh. Real flesh. Real blood. Real humanity. He takes what is ours.
Without ceasing. To be who he is. As Iblos tells us. He remains. The radiance of the father's glory.
And the exact imprint. Of his nature. Even as he lies in a feeding trough. This is why Christmas is not small.
It is not just sentimental. Christmas is cosmic. Scripture tells us that in Adam. Humanity fell.
We lost righteousness. We lost fellowship with God. And even we lost our destiny. Because that was the way the world is.
The way we are. Is not what God intended. But we lost all of it. But the gospel announces.
Something far greater. Than restoration. In Christ. The gospel tells us. We gained. And we do gain. More than we lost.
The first Adam. Was only human. The last Adam. Is human. And God. By the way. The last Adam. Is Jesus Christ. He is both human and God.
In one person. Because of this. Jesus does not. Merely repair. Our humanity. He elevates it.
John tells us. That those who receive Christ. Those who receive Christ. And how do you receive Christ? By faith. By believing. That he is.
Who. Who. Who. He said he is. Through the pages. Of holy scripture. Not only believing.
And assenting in your mind. But trusting. In your heart. Staking your life. On this belief. That's how you receive Christ.
John tells us. That those who receive Christ. Are given power. To become children of God. That's not.
Poetic language. It isn't just a turn of phrase. It's not metaphor. That is real. Those who receive Christ. Are given power.
To become. Children. Of God. That is adoption. The son of God. Becomes.
What we are. A woman's child. Born. In humility. And poverty. Born. Not as a celebrity.
Not celebrated. Except by the host of heaven. Born. Into our. Darkness. So that we might become.
He became. One of us. He became a son of a woman. So that we might become. Who he is. And what he is. By grace. Children.
Of the father. This is why Christmas matters. For us. This is why. Christmas matters. At all. Here and now.
It is not only about. What happened then. Over 2,000 years ago. Christmas. Christmas is about. What. Is true. Now.
Today. It's not just a mere historical fact. Which it is. But. It's a call.
And it's a beckoning call. To all of us. Who are sitting here. And who are celebrating Christmas. Will you make that reality. That truth. Will you make it true for you.
Do you know that this event. In history. Was for you. And will you turn to the one. Who has come to rescue you. And believe in him.
Hebrews. Reminds us. That. This same son. Born in time. Is also the one.
Who opposes. Here's a marvelous mystery. This same son. Born to the Virgin Mary. Is the same one. Who opposes. All things.
By the word. Of his power. He is not diminished. By the incarnation. He becomes no less. God. Because of his incarnation.
But in him. We. Become infinitely more. Do you realize. That Christ becoming human. Is not for him. It is for you and me. He's not diminished.
He's not lesser. He does condescend himself. To take on human flesh. But he did it. So that he may rescue. Us. So that he may.
Make us infinitely more. More. Than we are. Our humanity. Once destined. For dust. Is now carried.
Into the life of God. Because of the incarnation. Our flesh. Once marked. By sin and death. Is now seated. As. Paul would say. In his epistles.
Our flesh. Is now seated. At the right hand. Of the father. In Christ. The manger. Which points. To the wood.
Of the cross. That. Little. Wooden. Or stone. Trough. Is now. Also. The throne. From which. The king. Of the universe.
Sustains. The world. The child. Already bears. The glory. Even as he is there. Born. In the smelly.
Stable. So. Christmas. Is. In a sense. One small step. For God. But it's a giant leap. For mankind.
God stoops down. God stoops down. But humanity. Is raised. To a tremendous height. God descends.
But we. Because of his. Condescension. And his. Descending to us. We are lifted up. And this. Changes how we live. I hope.
It changes how you live. If God. Has taken our humanity. Seriously. In order to assume it. Then our lives matter.
Your life. Matter. Our bodies matter. And even our suffering. Matters. God has bound himself to us.
Isn't that wonderful? The God of the universe. Has bound himself to us. Not in a temporary way. But forever.
Isn't this one of the truths. That we confess. And we delight in. That because of the incarnation. Christ became man. And forever. He remains man.
And so that we can say. We have an advocate. We have a man in heaven. And. This is why the church can rejoice.
Even in a broken world. This is why. If you have this light. That. No darkness can overcome. You have.
An eternal joy. Even in the midst of suffering. The light shines in the darkness. We're told. And the darkness has not overcome it. The word has made us dwell in among us.
And he has not gone away. He's still among us. So tonight. Friends. We do not simply admire the Christ child.
We receive him. We trust him. We. Along with the heavenly host. And the shepherds. Worship him. And in doing so.
We discover the astonishing. Truth of Christmas. That in Christ. God has come. All the way down to us. So that in Christ.
We might be brought. All the way home. To God. Let us pray. Almighty God. You have given your only begotten son.
To take our nature upon him. And to be born. Of a pure virgin. Grant that we. Who have been born again. And made your children. By adoption and grace.
May daily be renewed. By your Holy Spirit. Through Jesus Christ. Our Lord. To him be glory. With the Father. And the Holy Spirit. Now.
And forever. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen.