You are listening to a message from Southwood Presbyterian Church in Huntsville, Alabama.
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This Christmas season, we are considering our hearts together to allow the Christmas
story to engage with and shape our deepest emotions.
It's a story we've been reading about and singing about already this morning.
As we've been talking about how it impacts our hearts, we've talked about our longing
and hope, our grief and comfort in the Christmas story.
This morning, we're going to look at a slightly different pair of emotions, apathy and awe.
Apathy and awe.
We're going to do that this morning as we look at John chapter 1.
John's account of the Christmas story, you may know, focuses a little bit differently
from angels and shepherds and wise men.
John takes a little bit more philosophical and theological look at the incarnation.
As the Son of God comes, John explains the significance of that and he goes all the way back to creation
in order to do it.
We're going to look primarily at verse 14 this morning, but let's read the whole glorious prologue
to John's Gospel.
John chapter 1, verses 1 through 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 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.
There was a man sent from God whose name was John.
He came as a witness to bear witness about the light that all might believe through him.
He was not the light, but came to bear witness about the light.
The true light, which enlightens everyone, was coming into the world.
He was in the world, and the world was made through him, yet the world did not know him.
He came to his own, and his own people did not receive him.
But to all who did, he gave the right to become children of God, 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 have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.
John bore witness about him and cried out,
This was he of whom I said, He who comes after me ranks before me, because he was before me.
And from his fullness we have all received grace upon grace.
For the law was given through Moses, grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.
No one has ever seen God.
The only God who is at the Father's side, He has made Him known.
The grass withers, the flowers fade.
These words of our God will stand forever.
Let's pray together and ask for His help as we look at them.
Father, thank you for the joy of celebrating the gift of a Savior.
As Ron has already helped us remember, we are needy people.
Far off from you by nature.
Father, you have come to bring us near.
We thank you for this, your Word, that shines light on us,
that we might understand what you were doing at Christmas.
What was happening, that we might see how that should impact us.
Father, by your Spirit, would you make Jesus glorious in our eyes.
He is great and awesome with our hearts.
I see just a glimpse of that this morning through your Word.
We ask it in Jesus' name.
Amen.
Most of you know that I'm not typically a big social or cultural critic.
But I have talked with enough people, love talking with people.
I've talked to them enough to realize that apathy is on the rise in our culture.
I think most of you would probably agree with that.
It may be apathy in regards to politics for many, in many different ways.
Maybe apathy in regard to religion.
Men, increasingly, we're apathetic towards religion.
More and more in our culture are happy to be identified as having no interest in religion at all.
We've created a new category, the nuns.
N-O-N-E-S.
The nuns.
They widely outnumber the N-U-N-S.
That's how religiously apathetic our culture has become.
Maybe it's apathy toward institutions in general.
That you have this real sense of, you can't make me care about anything.
At least anything beyond myself.
A friend in my generation, as we were talking recently, said,
oftentimes the attitude that he and many of our contemporaries have is,
give me a reason to care.
Maybe you felt that way before.
Give me a reason to care.
Why should I care?
I think part of that apathy that we're seeing grow in our hearts and in our culture
is that we're hard to impress, aren't we?
We're just not wowed by anything anymore.
Even things that would perhaps seem impressive,
we're so skeptical about because we're slow to trust.
Everyone seems to have an agenda.
Maybe it's not as impressive as it looks on the outside.
But regardless, it's tough to astonish us.
Many of us have seen the sun rise and set beautifully over amazing landmarks
in multiple different continents.
We've been there.
Some of us have grown up in the spectacle that is Disney World
is an annual experience through our childhoods.
We're used to being overwhelmed by the amazing.
It's all around us.
If we haven't actually gotten to go somewhere to see these incredible things in person,
we've flipped through jaw-dropping, man-made and natural wonders
while lying on the sofa holding our phones, right?
We've seen it all.
The saturation of the information age where it's always available to us
and we can get everything
means that not only have I seen pictures of all the amazing places I could ever want to go,
but I've also heard all the beautiful music by the most gifted musicians
that I could ever want to download.
I've seen all the amazing stunts in the videos,
the incredible things people can do.
I can even become numb to the wonder of sexuality
because the perversions of it seem almost ubiquitous just a click away.
It's hard to amaze us.
It's very hard to leave me slack-jawed, honestly.
I don't stand in wonder often.
Can you think about the last time you remember being truly awestruck?
Just absolutely stopped dead in your tracks by something you saw or felt or heard?
Can you even remember the last time that happened?
Do you remember ever or lately being in awe before God?
Truly just marveling in a worship service
or with your Bible open in front of you
while contemplating the love of God for you.
You see, John tells us that the story of Christmas
is just that jaw-dropping, magnificent, and awe-inspiring.
That's what John's saying in this passage,
but we often miss it.
You know as well as I do that you've gone through many a Christmas season
hearing the story, singing the songs
without anything really grabbing your heart
and moving it from the apathetic state
where we often find ourselves
into a great sense of worship or awe
or something that transforms how you live.
Next year is often the same.
It may be the younger generations
that are known for our apathy,
but I think those of us who've been in church the longest
have a good case of it too.
We've become very apathetic.
Just like the young people,
we are hard to impress.
And partially because of information overload.
We know the story, right?
We know what happens at Christmas.
The incarnation of the Son of God.
God becomes man.
In fact, we know that it's amazing.
We know that.
We know it should cause us wonder and awe.
And we know so much
that it is so easy to keep that up here
at arm's length from our hearts
and just know that it's true.
Have we perhaps lost our sense of wonder?
Our ability to marvel,
our compelling motivation
for utter heartfelt worship of our God.
John says in words that may not shock you,
but were something utterly earth-shattering
to his original audience
as he describes the incarnation.
He begins, perhaps not as unexpectedly,
talking about the Word, the logos,
which a variety of philosophical perspectives,
popular at the time of John's writing,
they would have understood that
as the original principle of life
or the source of all things,
depending on their persuasion.
Even if you were a Jew in John's audience
and had read your Old Testament,
the Word would be well known to you
as part of God's powerful speaking things into being.
His power in creation that He speaks
and things happen, right?
So they're reading along thinking,
yeah, this makes sense.
The Word, who's God,
He's in the beginning
and creation is happening
and things are coming into being,
but then God shatters all of their categories.
No Stoic philosopher,
no Gnostic expert,
no Jewish rabbi would have skipped over verse 14.
It is intended to be startling
and awe-inspiring,
to evoke anything from us but apathy.
Verse 14,
the Word became flesh
and dwelt among us.
And we have seen His glory,
glory as of the only Son from the Father,
full of grace and truth.
The Word became flesh.
Wait.
It's not possible.
Just picture these people reading it,
flipping back to the beginning of the chapter.
Hold on, did I miss something?
Don't I have this right?
The Word is God.
The Word created the world.
Yep, I'm good with that.
I can fit that into my thinking.
But the Word became flesh?
God became man?
In the fullest and truest sense,
as plainly as John could possibly mean it,
that's quite a claim.
How could that be?
If that's true,
nothing else would be more important.
If that's true,
all my categories for approaching life
are challenged.
It's all up in the air.
If that's true,
it changes everything.
It can't be ignored.
We talk about the wonder of the incarnation,
but here it is,
just in that one verse,
in an unmistakable way,
Christmas says,
the Word became flesh
and dwelt among us.
the immaterial became material.
The completely holy other God
lived with and ate with
unworthy sinners.
The perfectly pure God
dirties His feet
in the dust of the earth.
The one who is eternally satisfied
in Himself
hungers
and hurts.
The Almighty God
who's worthy of all praise
endures
mockery,
scorn.
The infinite
is contained
in the finite.
The God who is so big
that He creates
the entire universe
and all the solar systems
is contained
in less than a little pinprick
in one planet,
in one country,
in one manger.
Picture it.
You're in front of your TV
and you're part of the movie.
You're in outer space
and you can see the planets lined up
and all of a sudden
it starts zooming in really fast
it zooms in
and there's one planet
there's earth
and there it is
where are you going to be?
There's one country
there it goes into Bethlehem
to the manger.
The one who stood outside
of all of it
who started all of it
is held
right
there.
The Word
became
flesh
and dwelt
among us.
That means
all those things
are happening
in that one
moment
in time.
The words of the
beautiful Christmas carol
by Frank
Houghton
Thou who was rich
beyond all splendor
all for love's sake
becamest poor.
Thrones for a manger
didst surrender.
Sapphire paved
courts
for stable floor.
Thou who was rich
beyond all splendor
all for love's sake
becamest poor.
Thou who art God
beyond all praising
all for love's sake
becamest man.
stooping so low
but sinners
raising heavenwards
by thine eternal plan.
Thou who art God
beyond all praising
all for love's sake
becamest man.
Y'all this is not
someone
showing up
and being seen
somewhere you would
never expect
to see him.
This is much
much more than that.
This defies
all categories.
This crosses
all of those
boundaries.
For the first time
in the history
of the universe
deity and humanity
are together
in the same
person.
The word
became flesh
and dwelt
among us.
Then John says
what's the result
of that?
We have seen
his glory.
Glory as of
the only son
from the father
full of grace
and truth.
No one has seen
God
verse 18 says
but Jesus
has made him
known.
He in human
flesh
has revealed
to us
divine
glory
veiled
in flesh
the Godhead
see.
Hail
the incarnate
deity.
He's full
of grace
and truth
revealing
the glorious
heart
of the God
who introduced
himself to
Moses as full
of steadfast
love
and faithfulness
grace
and truth.
I want to
invite you
this morning
to just
wander
with me
for a few
minutes
through the
gallery
of God's
glory.
Picture
yourself
as it were
in an art
gallery
just
wandering
through
and catching
glimpses
of God's
glory
in the face
of Jesus
Christ.
If you're
wondering
what I'm
doing in
the next
few minutes
at which
point I'm
on
I know
I usually
have points
there are
usually three
of them
I'm not
on
point two
or point
three
that's what
we're doing
I just want
us to
wander
together
and gaze
at some
glimpses
of God's
glory
look
together
and see
it begins
certainly
at Christmas
at his
birth
it is
indeed
the glory
of the
God
of all
creation
that is
due
to this
baby
in a
manger
in Bethlehem
hosts
of angels
come to
proclaim it
listen
when God
has something
important to
tell people
he sends
usually an
angel
to deliver
a very
important
message
hosts
of angels
show up
singing
glory to
God
in the
highest
gloria
in excelsis
deo
shepherds
race to
the manger
and leave
glorifying
and praising
God
for what
they have
seen
sometime
later
to be
historically
honest
wise men
foreign
dignitaries
who searched
for the
child
upon
finding
him
fall
down
and
worship
and offer
him gifts
of gold
and frankincense
and myrrh
we have
seen
his glory
John
says
it's not
merely at
his birth
of course
as we
look back
and walk
through the
gospels
through the
life of
Jesus
he demonstrates
the amazing
character
and glory
of God
God's grace
and truth
as you read
through the
gospels
one scene
after another
Jesus is
revealing the
glory of God
while teaching
with unparalleled
authority
and touching
the sick
and the
diseased
we see him
walking on
water
and walking
long dusty
roads to
reach the
next town
that needs to
hear the good
news
he reveals the
father's glorious
heart by
feeding thousands
miraculously
more than once
and by finding
the lost
the least
the left
out
and showing
the gracious
heart of God
to reach
even to them
to love
them
think of just
some of the
people
that Jesus
encounters
in the
gospels
tax collector
Zacchaeus
the Samaritan
woman
at the
well
the sinful
woman
anointing
him
and wiping
his feet
with her
hair
the demon
possessed
man
Jesus
graciously
finds
all of
them
and they
encounter
this
God
man
full of
grace
and truth
and the one
thing you can
count on
every time
you read an
encounter with
Jesus in the
gospels
they don't
leave
unchanged
no one
encounters
Jesus
and leaves
unchanged
of course
the glory
of God
if we're
looking for
the glory
of God
his gracious
and undefiled
character
it's perhaps
most evident
as he goes
to the cross
where he's
lifted up
but not to be
worshipped
but rather
to die
the God
of life
who gives
breath
to all
of creation
in the
person of
Jesus
will now
face death
itself
the Lord
of life
expires
the eternally
living
one
dies
all for
love's
sake
for you
he dies
things
but there's
something
about
Christmas
isn't there
about the
incarnation
of the
son of
God
that seems
to be
prominent
in every
look back
at the
glory of
God
and the
rest of
the scriptures
when you
leave the
gospels
and start
to see the
scriptures
reflect on
the glory
of God
never leaves
out the
very beginning
of Jesus
coming
to be
born
all the
great
new
testament
Christ
hymns
we're just
going to
marvel at
a couple
of them
this morning
the word
became
flesh
and we
have seen
his
glory
Colossians 1
we read
together
earlier
he is the
image
of the
invisible
God
the one
who makes
the father
known
who makes
the
invisible
visible
the
intangible
tangible
and not
just like
some
imperfect
replica
some
knock off
copy
made to
kind of
pretend
or look
like
no
he is
so
perfectly
God
that if
you have
seen him
you've seen
the father
if you know
Jesus
he says
you know
the father
perfect
holiness
in
human
flesh
he's the
firstborn
of all
creation
the baby
in the
manger
is the
ruler
the one
in charge
of not
just the
animals
gathered
around
him
not just
the people
who are
there
mother
father
shepherds
but of
all of
creation
most of
which is
completely
unaware
of his
presence
after all
he created
all of it
but even
more than
that
all things
were created
through him
and
for
him
he's the
reason
that all
of it
exists
in the
first place
that tiny
baby
that most
of creation
stands
entirely
unaware
of
that
shepherds
of all
people
race to
worship
is the
highest
glory
of all
of creation
its
greatest
purpose
the reason
for its
existence
is right
there
verse 17
in him
all
things
hold
together
Ron and I
were marveling
about this
earlier this
week and he
said to me
Jesus
the baby
in the
manger
is the
glue
of
the
entire
creation
he's being
held by
his
mother
but the
power of
his will
holds
all of
creation
and every
single
molecule
together
and Mary's
holding
him
verse 19
in him
all the
fullness
of God
was pleased
to dwell
of course
that means
in the
person of
Jesus
right
but think
because of
that
where does it
mean that
all the
fullness of
God was
pleased
was delighted
to dwell
in
Bethlehem
with
us
God
God didn't
just send
a message
to earth
he didn't
just send
a representative
he sent
his very
self
fully
God
fully
man
he sent
his very
self
on the
mission
to reconcile
us
to him
unbelievable
incredible
in a
manger
God
himself
contained
Josiah
Condor
wrote
some
beautiful
words
to a
hymn
you're
probably
not
familiar
with
that
captures
some
of what's
going
on
here
thou art
the
everlasting
word
the
father's
only
son
God
manifestly
seen
and heard
and
heaven's
beloved
one
worthy
O
Lamb
of
God
art
thou
that
every
knee
to
thee
should
bow
in
thee
most
perfectly
expressed
the
father's
glory
shine
of
the
full
deity
possessed
eternally
divine
true
image
of the
infinite
whose
essence
is
concealed
brightness
of
uncreated
light
the
heart
of
God
revealed
but
the
high
mysteries
of
thy
name
and
angels
grasp
transcend
the
father
only
glorious
claim
the
son
can
comprehend
throughout
the
universe
of
bliss
the
center
thou
and
son
the
eternal
theme
of
praise
of
this
to
heaven's
beloved
one
worthy
O
Lamb
of
God
art
thou
that
every
knee
to
thee
should
bow
you'll
hear
many
similar
themes
in
Hebrews
chapter
one
long
ago
at
many
times
and
in
many
ways
God
spoke
to
our
fathers
by
the
prophets
but
in
these
last
days
he
has
spoken
to
us
by
his
son
whom
he
appointed
the
heir
of
all
things
through
whom
also
he
created
the
world
he
is
the
radiance
of
the
glory
of
God
and
the
exact
imprint
of
his
nature
and
he
upholds
the
universe
by
the
word
of
his
power
after
making
purification
for
sins
he
sat
down
at
the
right
hand
of
the
majesty
on
high
having
inherited
is
more
excellent
than
theirs
just
one
thought
while we
wonder
here
in
Hebrews
1
he
is
the
radiance
of
the
glory
of
God
the
most
glorious
shining
of
the
glory
of
the
most
glorious
being
of
all
it's
like
saying
baby
Jesus
is
the
brightest
ray
of
the
light
of
the
sun
the
holiest
thing
about
the
most
holy
one
the
bluest
of
all
blues
you
can
imagine
the
most
glorious
shining
of
the
glory
of
the
most
glorious
one
where
is
it
where
do
you
find
that
great
glory
in
heaven
right
in
the
throne
room
of
God
no
in
little
Bethlehem
the
radiance
of the
glory
of
God
has
come
to
earth
with
us
God
has
held
nothing
back
last
one
Philippians
chapter
two
another
beautiful
Christ
him
Christ
Jesus
who
though
he
was
in
the
form
of
God
did
not
count
equality
with
God
a
thing
to
be
grasped
what's
going
on
at
Christmas
y'all
what's
happening
very
God
of
very
God
has
determined
that his
deity
is not
something
to be
clung
to
tightly
he's
loosened
his
grasp
on the
glories
of heaven
why
you know
why
don't you
why did he
let go
of the
glories
of heaven
so that
he could
cling
tightly
to
you
he
came
here
for
you
he
loosened
his grip
on the
glories
of heaven
so he
could
cling
tightly
to
us
glory
incredible
why
we don't
deserve
that
and yet
he
loves
us
that's
what's
happening
in the
manger
in
Bethlehem
see him
there
seemingly
so
weak
and helpless
but
powerfully
grabbing
hold of
us
in love
grace
and
truth
you want
to know
what God
is like
that's
it
that's
what he's
like
he's
full
of grace
and truth
moving
towards you
at your
lowest
and your
weakest
sacrificing
his glory
for your
glory
and Paul
continues
he made
himself
nothing
taking the
form of a
servant
being born
in the
likeness
of men
and being
found in
human form
he humbled
himself
by becoming
obedient to
the point
of death
even
death
on a
cross
therefore
God has
highly
exalted
him
and bestowed
on him
the name
that is
above
every
name
so that
at the
name
of
Jesus
every
knee
should
bow
in
heaven
and on
earth
and under
the earth
and every
tongue
confess that
Jesus
Christ
is Lord
to the
glory
of God
the Father
what a
glorious
savior
worthy
of all
praise
because he
is the
glorious
one
and he
has given
himself
to us
see
there is
one last
thing
I don't
want you
to miss
this morning
as you
look at
the
baby
in the
manger
the
word
became
flesh
and dwelt
among us
and we
have seen
his
glory
we have
seen
his
glory
stop
for just
a minute
and ask
yourself
some of
you have
read
the
Bible
the
Old
Testament
what
happens
when we
see
God's
glory
when a
man
beholds
the glory
of God
he
dies
right
every
time
in the
Old
Testament
that's
the
concern
there's
a
poignant
scene
in
Exodus
33
where
Moses
asks
if he
could
see
God's
glory
Moses
says
please
show
me
your
glory
and
God
says
I'll
make
all
my
goodness
pass
before
you
and
will
proclaim
before
you
my
name
the
Lord
Yahweh
and I'll
be
gracious
to whom
I will
be
gracious
and will
show
mercy
on whom
I will
show
mercy
but
he
said
what
you're
asking
Moses
there's
a
but
you
cannot
see
my
face
for
man
shall
not
see
me
and
live
the Lord
said
behold
there's
a
place
by
me
where
you
shall
stand
on
the
rock
and
while
my
glory
passes
by
I
will
put
you
in a
cleft
of the
rock
and I
will
cover
you
with
my
hand
until
I
have
passed
by
then
I
will
take
away
my
hand
and
you
shall
see
my
back
but
my
face
shall
not
be
seen
if
we
see
the
fullness
of
God's
glory
we
die
right
Jesus
has
come
as
the
fullness
of
God's
glory
it
couldn't
be
clearer
the
radiance
of
God's
glory
we've
seen
it
but
what
happens
we
don't
die
he
dies
so
that we
can
live
wonder
of
wonders
unimaginable
to anyone
up to
this
point
in
time
that
you
could
behold
the
glory
of
God
and
live
and
it
happens
person
after
person
and
John
testifies
and
says
we
have
seen
his
glory
because
we
are
hidden
safely
in
the
baby
who
came
to
die
in
our
place
we
behold
God's
glory
and
we
live
the
wonder
of
the
incarnation
is
that
God
becomes
man
precisely
to
die
for
men
I
think
that's
why
you
may
have
noticed
that
it's
not
just
Christmas
it's
not
just
the
incarnation
that
plays
prominently
in
every
one
of
the
Christ
hymns
we
read
this
morning
the
incarnation
and
the
crucifixion
are always
there
together
they're so
connected
in these
New Testament
hymns that are
praising his
glory
it's because
the cross
is the goal
of the
manger
right
and the
cross
destroys
apathy
two
thousand
years
ago
well
attested
in
various
histories
a man
hung
on a
cross
and died
and you
can't be
apathetic
about that
event
it's
too
horrific
to stay
apathetic
about
either he
deserved
to die
as a
criminal
or he
really
was
there
taking
your
place
saving
your
soul
revealing
God's
glory
to you
full
of
grace
and
truth
the
Roman
soldier
witnessed
the
crucifixion
and said
surely
this
was the
son of
God
others
rejected
him
but one
thing is
certain
for those
who
encountered
Jesus
apathy
was
off
the
table
half
hearted
interest
not
an
option
they
grumbled
were they
marveled
they
plotted
or they
worshipped
they
rejected
him
or they
embraced
him
oh
it is
really
okay
with me
I get
apathy
I'm
totally
fine
if we
remain
apathetic
to some
things
may
Jesus
never
be one
of them
may
we
never
find
apathy
in our
hearts
about
the
son
of God
becoming
man
for
us
y'all
Christmas
offers us
the glory
of a
God
so utterly
beyond
us
and
different
from
us
who
insists
on not
remaining
distant
apart
from us
he
finds a
way
to show
us
his
glory
without
it
costing
us
our
lives
the
word
who
became
flesh
the
image
of
the
invisible
God
the
radiance
of
God's
glory
gives
his
life
instead
amazing
no
one
has
ever
seen
God
but
the
only
God
who
is
at
the
Father's
side
he
has
made
him
known
let's
pray
Lord
Jesus
we
struggle
to
comprehend
how
that
could
be
possible
we
don't
understand
how
God
works
enough
to
know
how
he
could
contain
himself
in a
baby
in a
manger
it is
a wonder
of wonders
to us
that
for all
the people
and reasons
you might
be willing
to do
that
she would
do it
for us
Jesus
would that
wonder
never
leave
us
Holy
Spirit
so work
in our
hearts
that while
apathy to
some things
remain
apathy
towards
Jesus
would
never
come
again
might
we
worship
him
might
we
find
our
hope
in
him
might
we
find
our
rest
and
joy
forever
in
him
we
ask
in
his
name
amen