Well, a week ago, the Salvati family got into one of our vehicles and we went and got our Christmas tree.
We got it on the other side of 31 and on our way back, we hit Christmas Tree Lane.
Anybody been there yet?
Mm-hmm.
Well, we were driving along looking at the lights and you can't help but notice the different nativity scenes in front lawns
and plastic baby Jesuses all over the place.
And in two lawns in particular, we're going around the cul-de-sac and there are two signs, put Christ back in Christmas.
And it started me thinking, well, how do you get Christ out of Christmas?
And I started thinking and realizing that it's not that hard to do.
If you don't know who the baby is, and if you don't know why he came, Christ is going to leave Christmas.
And you make Christmas about something else.
Something else becomes the central focal point of Christmas.
Maybe it's Santa Claus.
Maybe it's giving and receiving gifts, which is fun.
But if it becomes the primary focus of Christmas, you're missing the point.
Maybe it's about time off, time away.
It's great at Christmastime.
But is that why Jesus came?
Maybe it's about family.
You think about Christmas and you think about family.
And sometimes it's like, yay, let's get together with our family.
Other times it's like, no way, I don't want to be with those people.
Sometimes it's Christmas, the central focus becomes about smells and sounds and tastes.
Sometimes the Christmas season, the primary focus becomes helping other people.
But if you see that as the primary focus of Christmas, you're missing the point.
But Jesus didn't come so that we could see some new releases at Christmastime.
So these things vie for our focus.
And they can occupy kind of the center focus of Christmas.
And we can't let that happen.
The central figure of Christmas is, of course, Jesus.
Christmas is about Jesus.
The incarnation of the second person of the Trinity.
And Christmas is about Jesus.
Jesus is about salvation.
Our salvation.
Christmas, therefore, is about salvation.
Our salvation.
How do we put Christ back into Christmas?
We refocus on who he is and why he came.
And that's what we're going to do this morning.
And that's what we're going to do for the next few Sundays together.
Our theme is, what child is this?
Who is this baby in the manger?
And this morning, we're going to be turning to the Gospel of John.
John chapter 1, verse 14.
David read the whole prologue, verses 1 through 18.
If you would turn in your Bibles with me to John chapter 1, verse 14.
I'll read that for you.
John is what's known as a gospel.
It's a story about Jesus.
And so if you're not familiar with the New Testament or the Bible,
you want to get to the New Testament,
just basically open up to the middle and go right.
You're looking for Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John.
I want to get to John chapter 1.
Find that little 14.
And here's what it says.
And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us.
And we've seen His glory.
Glory as of the only Son from the Father.
Full of grace.
Full of grace and truth.
This morning, I want to answer the question,
what child is this, by looking at John 1.14.
And we're going to have five answers from John 1.14
of who this child is.
What child is this?
This child is the Word made flesh.
This child is fully God, fully man.
This child is fully present with us.
This child is full of glory.
This child is full of grace.
This child is your salvation.
That's what this child is.
What child is this?
First answer to the question.
This child is fully God.
Verse 14,
And the Word became flesh.
And the Word.
Now, if you're not familiar with the Gospel of John,
John actually starts talking about this Word character
earlier on in verses 1 through 5.
Would you look up there with me?
We read this.
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 were made through Him.
And without Him was not anything made that was made.
In Him was life.
And the life was the light of men.
The light shines in the darkness.
And the darkness has not overcome it.
Who is this Word that John is talking about?
This Word who became flesh.
Well, He was in the beginning.
In the beginning was the Word.
And we read that in the beginning was the Word.
And the Word was with God.
Now, I'm guessing there's something going on you
that you know something kind of innately.
But I want to draw it out just to make sure you're seeing it explicitly.
When John says,
In the beginning was the Word.
And the Word was with God.
What he's saying is,
This Word who is a person.
Look at verse 2.
He was in the beginning.
This person, the Word,
was with God.
He was distinct from God,
but present with God in the beginning.
That's what John is saying.
In the beginning,
the Word was the Word,
and the Word was with God.
And as we read in verse 1,
we read,
And the Word was God.
So this Word is distinct from God,
present with God,
and God.
This Word of God is someone unique,
distinct from, present with, and fully God.
All of a sudden,
here we are talking about Christmas
and the incarnation of Jesus,
and we are in the deep end of the swimming pool
talking about the Trinity.
Because that's what John's getting at.
God's eternally existed as three persons.
Each person's fully God.
There's one God.
Did you notice how John reaches back
to the beginning?
In the beginning
was the Word.
And the Word was with God.
And the Word was God.
Why?
Why is he doing this?
Why is he reaching back
to the very beginning?
Matthew doesn't start
at the very beginning.
The Gospel of Luke
doesn't start at the very beginning.
They start at the beginning
of Jesus' life,
on earth.
John starts
way back
in the beginning.
I hope that when you hear
those words,
in the beginning,
you go to
Genesis 1.
Verse 1.
In the beginning,
God created
the heavens
and the earth.
So what John does
that the other Gospels
don't do,
he brings us
all the way back
to creation.
And he's saying,
in the beginning
was the Word.
This person
who is distinct from
but present with
and God,
he was at the beginning.
Do you remember
how God created
the heavens and the earth?
Do you remember
how God created
light out of darkness?
Do you remember
how God created life
out of a lifeless void?
Do you remember
how he did that?
He spoke it.
In the beginning
was the Word.
When John talks about
in the beginning
was the Word,
he's referring
to a person,
the second person
of the Trinity,
the eternal Son,
who was the agent
of creation.
We read that
in Colossians 1.16.
We also read about that
in Hebrews 1.2.
If you look at
Proverbs 8,
he goes by
the title
Wisdom.
He is the Creator.
And so John
brings us
all the way back
to the beginning
and he's helping us
understand
the Word
who became flesh.
this child
in the manger,
do you know
who he is?
He's your Creator.
He is
fully God.
Verse 3 of chapter 1,
all things were made
through him,
him being the Word.
And without him
was not anything made
that was made.
Everything came
from him.
He's the Creator
of all.
Therefore,
he's your Creator.
So John brings us
all the way back
to the beginning
of creation
and helping us
understand
who this child
is,
this Word
who has become
flesh.
So the child
is the Word
of God,
the Creator,
the one and only
Son,
verse 14,
the second person
of the Trinity,
the one who created
all things,
the one who created
you.
What child is this?
This child is
fully God.
That's answer
number one.
You see,
Christmas is about
the incarnation
of Jesus,
and the incarnation
of Jesus,
it's about
your salvation.
Answer number two,
not only is this
child fully God,
this child is
fully human.
what we're talking
about is the
incarnation of the
second person
of the Trinity,
the incarnation
of Jesus.
And so when you
hear the word
incarnation,
be thinking
infleshing,
the infleshing
of the second
person of the
Trinity.
The Word
became flesh.
God has always
existed as
a triune God.
That's the way
He's always been.
And the second
person of the
Trinity has always
existed as the
Son.
The Father,
the Son,
and the Holy
Spirit,
they've eternally
existed in a
triune communion
forever.
In Luke 135,
we read about
how Jesus,
the second
person of the
Trinity,
was enfleshed.
God the
Father overshadowed
the Virgin Mary
and by the
Holy Spirit,
she conceived
this baby
who's named
Jesus,
the second
person of the
Trinity,
enfleshed
into a
human being.
So here's
what John is
getting at.
The Word
became flesh.
The uncreated
Creator took
on flesh.
He became
a human
being.
God became
man.
Paul in
Philippians 2,
6,
and 7
addresses it
this way,
the enfleshing
of the second
person of the
Trinity,
who,
though he was
in the form
of God,
did not count
equality with
God a thing
to be grasped,
but made
himself nothing,
taking on the
form of a
servant,
being born in
the likeness of
man,
taking on
flesh.
God became
man.
This week,
as I was
studying,
I came across
this quote,
and I thought
it was very
helpful.
Kind of
explaining the
incarnation and
how the second
person of the
Trinity remained
fully God when
he became fully
man.
It says this,
remaining what
he was,
he became what
he was not.
Remaining what
he was,
he became what
he was not.
Remaining what
he was,
the Word,
fully God,
John 1,
1 through 3,
he became what
he was not,
fully man.
The Word became
flesh.
So,
here's what this
means about the
person of Jesus
for us.
The person of
Jesus has two
distinct natures.
He's fully God
and he's fully
man.
And,
when we talk
about Jesus
being fully
man,
it's possible
to think that
because he was
fully man,
somehow he ceased
to be fully
God.
That's just not
true.
The 33 years
Jesus lived on
this planet,
he was fully
God.
He did not
cease to be,
in essence,
God at any
point in his
life.
In fact,
to this day,
he remains fully
God and fully
man at the
right hand of
the Father.
God.
So,
we can't make
the mistake
that,
thinking that
when Jesus
became a man,
somehow he
became less
God.
No,
he's fully
God.
And the other
side of it is
this.
If we understand
Jesus to be
fully God,
we can start
thinking,
well,
somehow he was
less man.
He wasn't
fully man if
he was fully
God.
Somehow he's
less human.
human.
He was fully
human in
every way.
But you
might be
thinking,
maybe you're
familiar with
the teachings
of Christianity
and you start
thinking,
well,
I know that
what the
Bible teaches
is that Jesus
never sinned
and,
you know,
to err is
human,
to sin is
human,
and so,
obviously,
he's not
fully human
if he never
sinned.
Well,
that assumes
something.
But let me
just remind
you,
of this,
sin is
not always,
it's not
always been
essential to
our humanity.
Sin has
become a
part of our
human experience.
It has
become part
of our
nature
because of
the fall.
Paul talks
about it in
Romans 5.
We've inherited
the sinful
nature from
Adam.
But it
wasn't always
the case.
When God
created Adam
and Eve,
he created
a man and
woman in
his likeness
without sin.
And so,
they had
sinless
communion with
God and
each other
in the
garden.
It's
possible to
be human
without sinning.
And then,
there's going to
come a day
when all of
us who put
our faith in
Jesus,
when we are,
when our
faith becomes
sight.
And we're in
the presence
of Jesus
himself.
And our
indwelling
sin is
removed from
us.
We are going
to experience
sinless
communion with
God and
each other
and even
ourselves.
And we're
going to be
fully human.
And so,
to think
that sin
is necessarily
essential to
our human
experience,
forget some
things.
So,
when Jesus
was born
and became
fully human,
even though
he was without
sin,
he was fully
human.
Actually,
I just want
to be honest
with you,
he became
fully human
because of
our sinfulness.
It was
because that
we were
sinning and
sinning against
God that
the second
person of
the Trinity
took on
flesh and
dwelt among
us.
This
indwelling
of the
second person
of the
Trinity as
a man
was part
of God's
plan of
salvation from
the beginning
of time,
from before
the foundation
of the world.
God had
set this
rescue mission
in motion.
Galatians 4,
4-5,
we read this,
but when the
fullness of
time came,
when it was
right according
to plan,
God sent
forth His
Son,
born of a
woman,
born under
the law,
to redeem
those under
the law,
so that we
might receive
adoption as
sons.
Jesus came
in order to
save.
It's in His
name to
save a
people from
their sins.
So when we
read that
phrase,
the Word
became flesh,
and we think
about the
second person
of the Trinity
becoming a
man, it's
amazing in
itself that
God would
do that,
right?
What other
God has
done that?
But He
didn't do it
just to do
it.
He became a
man in order
to save.
To save you.
To save me.
To offer
salvation to our
city, and to
our nation, and
to our world.
So one of the
things that this
means is this.
This Christmas,
Christmas is
bigger than a
shopping season.
It's bigger than
a shopping season.
This is about
God becoming a
man in order to
save sinners.
That's what it's
about.
The Savior of the
world, He came
in order to
broker peace.
He's the perfect
mediator between
God and man.
He's fully God
and fully man.
And in order to
reconcile us
sinners to a
holy God, He
became a man.
Remaining what
He was, He
became what He
was not.
In order to
offer us
salvation.
All part of
God's plan.
Christmas is
about the
incarnation of
Jesus and the
incarnation of
Jesus is all
about your
salvation.
The third
answer to the
question.
We've looked at
this child's fully
God.
He's fully human.
This child is
God fully
present with His
people.
The word became
flesh and
dwelt among us.
That word dwelt
is a really
interesting word in
the original language
of the New Testament.
It literally means
to pitch a tent.
Like, you know,
you go camping,
you strike up your
tent, pitch a tent,
to dwell among,
to tabernacle.
That's what that
word dwell means.
And John is being
very intentional.
He's wanting to
bring something to
our minds when he
says the word became
flesh and pitched his
tent among us.
You know, there's
one way you can
summarize the entire
Bible.
And you can
summarize the entire
Bible by saying it
like this.
The Bible is the
story about God
dwelling with a
people.
It's about a holy
God dwelling with a
sinful people and
of what God had to
do in order to
provide grace upon
grace so that a
sinful people can be
in His presence.
So the Bible is a
story of God
dwelling with His
people.
You see it in Adam
and Eve in the
garden.
Adam and Eve were
in God's presence
in His place.
The garden.
They sinned.
They got expelled.
Israel was
delivered out of
the captivity to
Egypt.
Do you remember
how they were
led out by a
pillar of cloud
by day and a
pillar of fire
by night?
It was God in
their midst.
God dwelling with
His people to
deliver them.
to lead them.
It doesn't end
there.
At Mount Sinai,
God gives His
people, Israel,
the law.
He gives His
people a
sacrificial system
in order that
they can be in
relationship with
Him, a holy
God.
It governed their
relationship with
Him.
And in Exodus
25, we read that
God gave His people
some very specific
instructions about
building Him a
very fancy tent.
It's called
a tabernacle.
They were to
pitch that tent
wherever they
would go.
And it was made
out of wood.
It was made out
of fabric.
It was made out
of animal hines.
And in Exodus
chapter 33, we
read about God
in a cloud of
His glory coming
down and dwelling
at the entrance
of this tent
of meeting,
the tabernacle,
and Him talking
with Moses face
to face as with
a friend.
God dwelling
with His people.
It's just the next
chapter that we
read about God's
kind of self-
revelation of who
He is.
He says this
about Himself
to Moses.
The Lord passed
before Moses and
proclaimed,
The Lord,
the Lord,
a God merciful
and gracious,
slow to anger,
and abounding in
steadfast love and
faithfulness.
Do you know
there's another way
you can talk about
steadfast love and
faithfulness?
It's a God who's
abounding in grace
and truth.
God has always
sought to dwell
with His people.
In 1 Kings 8,
there's a new way
in which God
dwells with His
people.
Solomon,
David's son,
builds a temple
in Jerusalem.
And what we read
about in 1 Kings 8
is the priests
bring up out
of the tabernacle
the Ark of the
Covenant,
which is believed
to be God
dwelling on the
top of the
mercy seat of
that Ark of the
Covenant.
And these priests
brought out the
Ark of the Covenant
from the Holy of
Holies in the
tabernacle,
and they brought it
out, and they
brought it into
this newly
constructed temple
made out of
just stone and
beautiful woodwork
and gold all over
the place.
And they brought it
in from the Holy
Place into the
Holy of Holies,
and they set it
between these
gigantic angels
with outstretched
wings called
cherubim,
and they set
the Ark down,
and do you know
what happened?
The cloud of the
glory of God
filled the temple.
God came and
dwelt among His
people in His
place in the
temple in Jerusalem.
The story of the
Bible is about God
dwelling with His
people.
And then it gets
tragic.
in Ezekiel.
Ezekiel has this
vision of the
temple in chapters
10 and 11.
There's abominations
taking place.
God's people are
going AWOL with
their God.
And you know
what Ezekiel sees?
He sees the glory
of the Lord,
this cloud,
gradually removing
Himself from the
Holy of Holies,
gradually removing
Himself from the
Holy place,
gradually removing
Himself from the
temple itself,
from dwelling with
God's people.
The story of the
Bible is about God
dwelling with His
people.
By the close of the
Old Testament, we're
asking the question,
is God talking
anymore?
Is God with His
people anymore?
400 years of
silence.
And then,
Luke chapters 1 and
2, Matthew chapter
1, John 1, 14.
God comes and dwells
with His people in a
new way.
God pitches His tent
with His people in a
new way.
Jesus, the second
person of the
Trinity, pitches His
tent to dwell with
His people.
And the tent that's
been pitched is not
made out of fabric,
it's not made out of
animal hides, it's not
made out of massive
blocks of stone.
The tent that was
pitched is the tent
of human flesh.
God dwelt among His
people by becoming
one of us.
The incarnation is
about God dwelling
among us.
Christmas is about
Jesus, and Jesus is
about our salvation.
He pitched His tent
among us to save us.
What child is this?
Well, He's the second
person of the Trinity,
fully God.
He's fully man.
And He came and
dwelt fully among us.
Jesus, after His death
and resurrection,
ascended to heaven
where He's right now
at the right hand of
the Father.
Fully God, fully man.
And right now, do you
know what?
Know what the Bible
talks about?
As the dwelling place
of God?
We are the dwelling
place of God.
The new temple is
God's people.
We are the dwelling
place of God by the
Holy Spirit.
And there's going to
come a day when Jesus
comes back and it's
going to, His, the
final dwelling place of
God with man is the
new Jerusalem in which
we will be seeing our
King face to face.
He's going to light up
the joint.
It's just going to get
better.
The story of the Bible
is a story of God
pitching His tent among
His people.
God dwelling fully with
us.
Answer number four, this
child is full of glory.
John 1.14, we read,
and the word became
flesh and dwelt among
us.
He pitched His tent.
And we have seen His
glory.
Glory as of the only
Son from the Father.
So the storyline of the
Bible is God dwelling
with His people and the
glory of God shows up
time and again.
They're called
theophanies.
Appearances of God.
The cloud of God's
glory leading Israel out
of Egypt.
Theophany.
The cloud descending.
The tabernacle in
Exodus 33.
Theophany.
The filling of the
temple in 1 Kings 8.
Theophany.
I don't know what
Ezekiel 10 and 11 is.
It's kind of a theophany,
but it's kind of a
backwards theophany.
God departing.
Theophanies are
appearances of God's
glory in what John 1.14
is saying is this.
That when the second
person of the Trinity
became a man, it was
the ultimate theophany
of God.
The ultimate showing up
of God Most High.
The ultimate theophany.
John 1.14 talks about
a glory as the only
Son of the Father.
That word only is a
very special word
throughout your Bible.
Some of the earlier
versions talk about the
only begotten Son.
It's talking about the
one and only, the
unique Son of God.
And when John uses it,
it's only of Jesus.
So we see it showing up
in 1.14.
The only Son.
You see that word
showing up in 1.18.
The only God
referencing Jesus.
It shows up in
John 3.16.
For God so loved the
world that He sent
His one and only
unique Son.
That whoever believes
in Him shall not perish
but have eternal life.
There is a unique glory
on display in the
person of Jesus.
Here's how it works.
God.
Instead of beholding God
in the written word
of revelation,
what Jesus did was
reveal God
in a living word
of revelation.
In His person,
in His life,
in His work.
It's a whole new medium.
He pitched His tent.
He walked among us
to John 1.18.
Make known God.
To literally
exegete the Father.
Big word.
It means to
make known.
The author of Hebrews
talks about Jesus
as the radiance
of the glory
of God.
And the exact imprint
of His nature.
You know,
there's this guy,
Philip.
He was a follower
of Jesus.
And in John 14,
he makes this request.
Lord, show us the Father.
And what does Jesus say?
He says,
Have I been with you
so long
and you still
do not know me,
Philip?
And then you know
what he says?
Whoever has seen me
has seen the Father.
Look at John 1.18.
No one has ever
seen God the Father.
The only God,
the Son,
who is at the Father's side,
distinct from,
but present with.
He has made Him known.
You want to get to know God?
You want to see Him?
You look to Jesus.
All throughout John,
we read about these
manifestations of glory.
When Jesus
performed the miracle
in John 2
of changing the water
into wine,
2.11,
John says
that that was
a manifestation of glory.
Showing glory.
glory.
In John chapter 11,
Jesus hears about
Lazarus' death
and you know what He says?
You know what?
Don't freak out.
This is going to be
for showing the glory
of God.
And right before
He calls Lazarus out
in 11.40,
He tells Martha,
hey,
this is for the glory
of God
so that you would believe.
Lazarus,
come forth!
Come forth!
And He came forth.
You know,
glory is on display
all throughout
the Gospel of John.
And so we see it
in Cana,
water to wine.
We see it in Bethany.
Jesus raises Lazarus
from the dead.
But you know what?
Those displays of glory,
they pale
in comparison
to the ultimate
display of glory
by Jesus
on the cross.
That's where we're moving
in John.
The cross
is the ultimate display
of God's glory.
The incarnation
of Jesus
is absolutely
linked
to the crucifixion
of Jesus.
He became flesh
in order to die
in your place
on the cross.
The death
on the cross
displays
God's glory
by demonstrating
God's love
and His justice
simultaneously.
In the death
of Jesus
on the cross,
Jesus
fully satisfied
God's
holy wrath
for our sin
justice.
And simultaneously,
He reconciles
us to the Father
as sons
and daughters.
Love!
He is full
of grace
and truth.
Full of grace
and truth.
The salvation
Jesus accomplished
on the cross
puts God's glory
on display
in a way
that turning water
into wine
doesn't.
In a way
that raising
someone from the dead
doesn't.
Jesus
took care
of God's wrath
for our sin
and takes us
as His own.
The incarnation
is necessary.
It's necessary
to God's plan
of salvation.
It's absolutely
vital.
It moves us
to the cross
of Jesus Christ.
Christmas
is about
the incarnation
of Jesus
and the incarnation
of Jesus
is all about
salvation
and salvation
is all about
the cross.
The fifth
and final answer
to the question
what child
is this
is that
this child
is full
of grace.
full of grace
for you.
In John 1.14
and the word
became flesh
and dwelt among us
and we've seen
His glory
glory as of
the only Son
from the Father
full of grace
and truth.
16
and from His fullness
we've all received
grace upon grace.
17
for the law
was given
through Moses
grace and truth
came through
Jesus Christ.
Grace upon grace
grace
in the place
of grace.
The revelation
through Moses
is superseded
by the revelation
that came through
Jesus.
It's a greater grace.
God's grace
is His unearned
kindness
His unmerited
favor
it's His
unobligated
generosity
to people
who are sinning
against Him.
And it's
transformative.
Jesus didn't
come in the flesh
and hang on the cross
because He had to
because He was
obligated.
He did so
voluntarily
out of love
for you.
The salvation
He offers
is a salvation
He paid for
in full
at the cross.
It's all
by grace.
It's different
than any other
religion on the planet.
He doesn't expect
for you to
work for it.
You can't.
His grace
is a grace
that's received.
He offers
fullness
of life
to know Him
to live for Him
and to live
for Him
forever.
He offers
forgiveness.
He offers
peace
and joy
love for others.
this is salvation
that He offers
at the cross.
It's not a gift
for you to pay for.
Could you imagine
you open up a gift
on Christmas Day
and when you open it up
it's your favorite thing
and you pull it out
and underneath it
there's a bill
for you to pay for it?
Could you imagine that?
He'd be like
this is not a gift.
I'm paying for it.
Could you imagine
Jesus offering you salvation
and you pull out
your checkbook
and you're like
what do I owe you?
It's not a gift
at that point.
God offers you salvation
in Jesus freely.
It's been paid for
in full
by Jesus Himself
at the cross.
and you receive it
by faith.
There are two ways
to respond
to this gracious
gift of salvation
that Jesus offers you.
You can reject it
or you can receive it.
You see that working out
in verses 11 and 12.
He came to His own
and His own people
did not receive Him.
They rejected Him.
Verse 12
But all who did receive Him
who believed in His name
He gave the right
to become children of God.
You're either going to
reject Him
or you're going to
receive Him.
And if you haven't
received Him
you're rejecting Him.
So the question is
how do you receive Him?
You receive Him
by faith.
By believing
in His name.
So here you are
this morning
in this building.
December 4th
talking about Jesus
the incarnation.
Have you received Him?
Have you received
the greatest gift
ever given?
The gift of salvation
that's in Christ alone.
Christmas is all about Jesus
and Jesus is all about salvation.
What child is this?
He's fully God.
He's fully man.
He's fully present with us.
He's full of glory
and He is full of grace.
Let's put Christ
back into Christmas.
Let's put Christmas
back into God's plan
of salvation.
That's what gives it
its full meaning.
What child is this?
He is your salvation.
Let's pray.
Oh God in heaven
thank you so much
for John chapter 1.
Father thank you so much
for sending the Son Jesus
as the perfect mediator
between God and man.
The greatest gift
ever given.
I pray that we
as your people
God would live
in full view
of the significance
of Christmas.
It's about Jesus
and Jesus
is about salvation.
God would you
bless
the remainder
of this day
for the glory
of your name.
Amen.