Well, good evening everyone. It's my pleasure to be here with you this evening. My name is Alistair.
I have the privilege of being on staff here at the church and I'm just going to spend a few minutes
thinking with you together about the true meaning of Christmas.
But before we get into what Christmas is all about, I have a few questions for you.
What first comes to mind when you see this number?
696,271.
Now, maybe as you sit there, you're thinking, well, that's probably the amount of Christmas trees,
real Christmas trees that were bought in Scotland this year.
What about this number here?
54,488.
What do you think that is?
Maybe it's the amount of mince pies that have been eaten this past week here in Edinburgh alone.
It's probably close to that in my house alone. I do love a mince pie.
But what these numbers are is 696,271 is the amount of babies that were born in England and Wales in 2016.
And 54,488 is the number of babies that were born in Scotland alone in 2016.
So these are huge, huge sums of little tiny babies.
But most of them, if not all of them, went by unnoticed by most of us in this room, didn't they?
We didn't really think about them.
We didn't really contemplate these births as they were happening.
But yet, once a year, we all gather and we contemplate one birth.
And so as we come to Christmas tomorrow, as we think about the birth of Jesus,
I want us to think about the question of, is this just another one of those babies?
Is this just another number to add to the statistic?
See, one of the things I always wonder when I hold or see a newborn baby is,
what will they grow up to be?
What will they be like?
What will they do?
What will this tiny little baby do one day?
What will people say about them?
What will they be like?
Who will they be?
So bring those very same questions into the Christmas story.
Who is this baby?
Is this just another baby?
And what will he do?
And what will he be like?
Well, John, as Alistair read out to us earlier,
one of Jesus' followers leaves us in absolutely no doubt at all
as to the character and identity of this little baby.
We know him as Jesus.
John describes him as the Word of God.
He describes him as light.
And he describes him as the Word became flesh.
See, unlike the other eyewitness accounts of Jesus' life,
unlike Mark, Matthew, and Luke,
John's a little bit different.
He doesn't start with Jesus' birth.
He doesn't start with the first acts of Jesus in his adult life.
Instead, he goes way, way back to the beginning.
He goes way back, and he goes really, really deep.
See, John isn't the kind of guy who's up for that kind of small chat,
small talk that we like.
He isn't the kind of guy, when he first meets you,
to ask you what you do for a living.
Instead, he says,
Hi, my name is John.
And then he asks you the question,
which makes you search your soul for that whole evening.
John says that Jesus made us,
that Jesus taught us,
and that Jesus forgave us.
John's invitation to us this Christmas
is where you come and see that Jesus is not just another baby,
but that he is the Son of God
who has huge significance for this world.
So what did this baby grow up to do?
What has he done?
What has he done to give him such prominence in history
and in the Bible?
Well, John begins his explanation of who Jesus is
by stating some amazing truths in John 1.
And he says that Jesus is the Word,
and the Word is God,
and that everything that was ever created
was created through this Word.
John is telling us that Jesus made us.
Now, I know that sounds a little bit strange.
I've read the Bible.
I know there are a few things in it
which can seem a little bit odd.
How can the Word, words, become flesh?
Well, John is drawing our attention
to the identity of Jesus as the Son of God,
as the one through whom God is working.
In short, John is telling us that Jesus is God.
The language that John uses rings of Genesis 1,
doesn't it?
Where God spoke the whole world into existence,
almost without any effort at all.
The stars that we admire on a clear night,
the planets which we haven't even begun
to understand yet,
they are given almost a throwaway verse
where it says,
yeah, and he also made the stars.
That is the greatness and power of God.
And John reveals to us
that Jesus is the Word of God.
Jesus is the one in whom and through whom
all things were created.
This baby that we see pictured so calmly
and so small,
that is the baby who created
and who upholds the universe.
This baby so small and so fragile
is the one whose hand
upholds the world that we live in
and the world that we love,
whose power created the stars and planets
and whose love made him stoop down
from his place in heaven
to an animal feeding trough
in the first century Israel.
This is the Jesus that we celebrate this Christmas.
This is the Word of God
who created us,
who made us,
who knows us
and who loves us.
But John doesn't stop there.
See, in John chapter 1 verse 14,
we find the most heartwarming verse
filled with love and deep theology
which should make us want to praise God
with every inch of our bodies.
It says,
and the Word became flesh
and dwelt among us.
Jesus taught us.
So why is it significant
that Jesus,
this person,
this Word of God
became flesh
and dwelt among us?
And what exactly did he teach us?
Did he teach us by becoming flesh?
You see,
John explains that Jesus is light.
And what does light do?
Well, light exposes things.
It reveals things.
And that is exactly
what Jesus did.
See, the Bible tells us
that mankind is naturally
in spiritual darkness.
We are naturally separated
from God.
Each of us is born
with a natural desire
to reject God
and his rule over our lives.
See, we think we know better
than our Creator.
That's the truth.
We live in darkness.
But Jesus,
being light,
came into this world
and he became
one of us.
Jesus left his place
of glory and honor
to become
one of us
so that our God
can know our struggles,
so that our God
can know our temptations,
and that he knows
what it's like
to live in
and suffer
in a broken world.
Light exposes darkness,
both the good
and the bad
that come with that.
See, sometimes
we like
what light reveals.
Sometimes we don't.
So during a blackout
in our flat,
for example,
I will go to the cupboard
where I know
exactly where I've left
the torch,
because it happens
quite a few times a year,
and I'll go to the cupboard
where I know
I've left the candles
and I will light everything
up around the flat
so I know where I'm walking,
so I don't bump into anything.
Light,
in that sense,
is good.
We need light.
But then we also have
a little card
on our fridge.
Now, it is in German.
You see it there
on the bottom right-hand
side of the screen,
but it says something
along these lines.
The kitchen
looks like a pigsty,
but I've turned off
the light,
so now it's all right.
And I definitely
fell out today.
We celebrated Christmas today,
and I haven't done
any of the dishes yet,
so I turned off the light
and shut the door
and walked away happy.
See, I definitely
have the tendency
to shut the kitchen door
and walk away.
Out of sight,
out of mind,
there is no light,
it's fine.
Light exposes
both the good things
and the bad.
Now, Jesus coming
into the world
has shone a light
on mankind.
Jesus taught people
who they really were
at their very core,
how people love
to be
and live in darkness,
how people love
to be in rebellion
against God.
Jesus came in flesh
to teach us
about our spiritual state
before God.
And even though
he did that,
the truth is
that the world
didn't recognize him.
They didn't see him
for who he truly was,
and that was true
in the first century
Middle East,
and it is just
as true today.
If you go out
into Edinburgh
tomorrow morning
and you say,
Merry Christmas,
what's the reason
for the season?
Why do we celebrate
Christmas?
The first response
will probably be,
well, Christmas trees,
Christmas decorations,
presents,
and maybe if you're lucky
in your fifth
and sixth guess,
you might get
to Jesus.
Or ask people
who Jesus was
or what Jesus did.
some people
don't even recognize
that he was
a historical person.
And there aren't
many people
who recognize him
to be the son
of God.
Some people say
that he was just
a good moral teacher.
See, even today,
people do not recognize
that Jesus
is the light
of the world.
The light
who came
into our darkness.
The light
who exposed
who we truly
are.
as a human
race.
See, but Jesus
didn't just shine
light onto
our sinful nature.
He didn't just
come into the world
to point the finger
and tell us
how we are
bad, bad people.
Jesus didn't come
to point the finger,
but he came
to bring the solution
to our problem.
And the truth
is that Jesus
forgave us.
Most of us
know someone
who finds it
really, really
easy to point
out flaws
or problems
with an idea
or something
at work maybe.
But when you
ask them
what their
solution to
those flaws
or to those
problems would
be, they lift
their hands
and say,
well, I don't
know.
They find it
really easy
to point the
finger, but not
to bring a
solution.
You see, well,
Jesus doesn't
do that.
He comes into
the world and
he brings the
only solution.
He gives us
the only fix
to the problem
of our
spiritual darkness
and rejection
of God.
What is that
solution?
Well, it is
Jesus himself.
The word
became flesh.
Because mankind
is so naturally
sinful, we
naturally do
things wrong
in and of
ourselves, we
cannot turn
to God.
And so Jesus,
the word of
God, God
himself, the
light of God
became flesh
to show us
who God
is and to
make it
possible for
mankind to
be forgiven.
Now, how
was that made
possible?
Well, it's
made possible
because this
baby that we
celebrate lived
a sacrificial
life after
teaching people
about God,
after loving
people with a
perfect love.
He was nailed
to a cross,
even though he
was perfectly
innocent.
so that we
could be called
children of
God, so that
we could be
forgiven.
On the cross,
the anger of
God against
sin was poured
on Jesus.
He took the
punishment that
each of us
deserve.
And so that
we could be
offered the
amazing gift
that is the
forgiveness of
sins.
Jesus has
shown us the
fullness of
grace.
And he has
made it
possible for
us to know
God, as
John says in
John 1,
verses 17 to
18.
See, grace is
one of those
words that
Christians love
to throw
around, but
quite often we
don't explain
it.
When the
Bible speaks
of grace, it
refers to God
giving us
something that we
don't deserve.
grace.
So a modern
example would
be if a man
stood before a
judge and
pled guilty of
a parking
ticket, for
example, the
person should
take that
punishment because
it is a
consequence of
their actions.
But grace is
when the judge
passes judgment
but stands up
and says, well,
I will pay that
man's fine.
I will take the
punishment so that
he doesn't have
to.
That is grace.
grace.
See, Jesus
shows us true
grace, perfect
grace, unfailing
grace, because
being God, he
knows exactly what
mankind is like.
He knows our
hearts, how we
constantly do
things wrong, how
we constantly rebel
against God.
And still, all of
that, despite all
of that, Jesus
still shows us
grace.
the Bible is a
revelation of
God's character, of
God's love for a
fallen and broken
world, of God's
desire to see his
creation redeemed
and restored to a
right relationship
with him.
And the Bible tells
us how that is
possible through
this person, Jesus
Christ.
It's possible
because the word
of God became
flesh and dwelt
amongst us.
Jesus, the son of
God, was born into
this world.
He lived the
perfect life,
that we could
never, ever
live.
And he died the
death that we all
deserve, taking the
punishment for our
sins and our
wrongdoings.
And he rose,
victorious,
defeating Satan,
sin, and our
ultimate enemy,
death.
And so let's ask
that question again.
Is this just
another baby?
what the Bible
shouts at us,
no.
This is the word
of God.
This is God whose
power created the
world and who
upholds it even
now.
Jesus made us.
This is the light
of God who came
into the world to
shine light into
the darkness of
our human souls.
Jesus taught us.
And this is the
Son of God,
revealing God to
us and taking the
punishment for our
sins so that we
can be forgiven.
Jesus forgave us.
Jesus is not just
another baby,
but he is the
Son of God who is
offering you life
and forgiveness.
Will you accept
this gift of
heaven?
Will you consider
this Christmas that
this baby Jesus
that we celebrate
is the one and
only in the world
who can offer us
true love and
true forgiveness?
Will you see
Jesus for who he
truly is this year?
And will you give
him all of the
praise and honor
that he rightfully
deserves?
Let's pray
together.
Heavenly Father,
we thank you for
sending Jesus.
Lord,
we confess that
we are all
sinful,
we do things
wrong,
we rebel against
you day in and
day out,
and yet still in
your grace and
in your love,
you sent your
Son to pay the
punishment for
our sins.
Lord,
help us this
evening and
tomorrow morning
remember the
reason for the
season.
Help us remember
that you are the
Word of God who
became flesh and
dwelt among us.
Father,
we thank you so
much for your
Son, Jesus
Christ, in
whose name we
pray.
Amen.