“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God” (John 1:1) and so John begins his Gospel account of the life of Jesus. This year during the season of Advent through Christmas Eve, Christmas Day and New Year’s Eve we have been looking at the various nuances of “the Word.” We looked at the power of the Word at creation. We looked at the fact that the Word was God and is God. We looked at the announcement of the Word promised to be born in the flesh in Jesus. Last night we looked at the Word being born into the World and today we see the Word being born in human flesh in the person of Jesus.
The Word became flesh. Our text begins with John telling us, “14And the Word became flesh” The Word of which John speaks is the Word of creation in Genesis, that is the creating Word of God, God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit. The Word of which John speaks is also the Word of the promise of God to send a Savior, a Messiah, one to reconcile the broken relationship between God and man, broken by Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden when they disobeyed God’s one rule to not eat from the tree in the middle of the Garden, the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil.
John goes on and tells us that the Word, “dwelt among us.” Literally the Word tented among us. Unlike a house or a building which is a permanent structure, a tent is a temporary shelter. While the Children of Israel wondered in the wilderness their temple was a tabernacle, a tent of meeting, a temporary shelter until they reached the promised land and a worthy temple was built. Thus, Jesus came to earth for a temporary time, enough time to reconcile mankind to God Himself.
John then explains who this Word in flesh is, “and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father.” This Word in flesh is none other than God in human flesh. In this Word made flesh we see the glory of the Father, as Jesus is one with the Father. Indeed, when we see Jesus we are seeing God Himself.
And John expounds that Jesus is God, “full of grace and truth.” In the Word made flesh, in Jesus we are given grace and truth. Grace is gift and truth is absolute. Grace is complete gift on God’s part. God gives and we are given to. Contrary to popular culture, contrary to humanism, rationalism, naturalism and all other isms that point to self and declare the relativity of truth and that there is no and can be no truth nor absolutes, with the Word made flesh we know and have truth, because God’s truth is a certainty.
And so, by the power of the Holy Spirit’s inspiration, John bears witness of these events, and as I call it John gives His Christmas witness. 15(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.’”) You might remember that John was Jesus’ cousin and was about six month older than Jesus. John came preparing the way for Jesus. John had previously spoken of Jesus and the fact that this Jesus is the one about whom he spoke, the One promised to come and save the world. John understands his role. His role is to point to Jesus. His role is to prepare the people and then his role, as he says is to decrease.
“16For from his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace.” John points to Jesus as the one through whom we are given grace upon grace. And please understand, grace is not the power God gives us to be obedient as some would suggest. Grace is best defined pure and simple as gift. And gift is not present. As you have heard me say before, we exchange presents. You give me a present and I give you a present. Grace is best defined as gift, that is a gift is something given with nothing expected or gained in return. God gives and we are given to, period. Grace is God’s gift of undeserved forgiveness and life to us.
John goes on to explain as he properly distinguishes Law and Gospel. “17For the law was given through Moses,” John says. Indeed, Moses is the great Law giver. God gave Moses the Law, the Moral Law of the Ten Commandments and the Ceremonial Law of the sacrificial system. The sacrifices meant to remind the people that the price for sins is death, that blood must be shed. The sacrifices that pointed to the one ultimate sacrifice of Christ on the cross.
The Law was given by Moses and John continues, “grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.” Jesus fulfills the Law and gives us grace. What Adam and Eve could not do, obey God’s command. What the whole nation of Israel could not do, obey God’s Laws. What we cannot do, be perfect. Jesus does for us in our place as our substitute. Jesus graces us, gives us the forgiveness He earned and paid for, for us on the cross. Truth comes through Jesus. Apart from Jesus there is no and can be no truth. Jesus is grace, gift and truth, absolute forgiveness and eternal life.
And finally John reminds us, “18No one has ever seen God; the only God, who is at the Father’s side, he has made him known.” Yes, we have seen God, because we see God in Jesus. Jesus is true God with the Father and the Holy Spirit. Jesus is true God in human flesh. When we see Jesus we see God.
What does this mean? First and foremost as you hear me say time and again, God gives and we are given to. God gives His promise and He fulfills His promise. In the beginning God created. Even knowing that man would sin. Even knowing that He would have to take care of man’s sin. Even knowing that humanity would never live up to His expectations, God created anyway. God created, man messed up and God promised to reconcile. God continued to remember His promises. At the time of Jesus, God began fulfilling His promises.
By inspiration John details the fulfillment of God’s promises. John tells us of Jesus. Jesus is true God, conceived by the Holy Spirit, born in perfection. Indeed, Jesus had to be true God in order to be born in perfection. As human DNA is tainted by sin, so Jesus could not simply be born of a human man and a human woman or He would have His own sin. No, He was conceived by the Holy Spirit making Him truly God.
And Jesus is true man, born of the human woman, the Virgin Mary. Jesus had to be human in order to be our substitute. Remember, the price for sin was set in the Garden of Eden and that price was death, human death for human sin. The Ceremonial Laws and sacrifices of the Old Testament did not forgive sins they merely pointed to and reminded the people that the price for sin was death and ultimately human death. Thus, Jesus, true God, was born in human flesh so that He might be our substitute, that is that He might trade His life and death for our life and death.
Jesus was born in perfection so that He might fulfill the Law perfectly. What was demanded of Adam and Eve. What was demanded of the nation of Israel. What is demanded of us and what we could not do, Jesus did. Jesus fulfilled all the Laws and promises perfectly. Jesus was perfectly obedient, even unto death, death on the cross.
After living in perfection, Jesus took our sins, all our sins as well as the sins of all people, of all places, of all times on Himself. He who knew no sin became sin for us. And Jesus paid the price for our sins. He suffered the eternal torment of hell for us in our place. And He died. Yes, our God in Jesus died. But we know the rest of the story as death and the grave had no power over Him. He rose from the dead defeating sin, death and the devil.
And now, as God Jesus gives and we are given too. He gives us life at conception. He gives us new life and faith through the waters of Holy Baptism. He gives us forgiveness in Holy Absolution. He gives and strengthens us in our faith through His Holy Word. And He gives us Himself, His body and blood to eat and drink in His Holy Supper. And through these very means He gives, strengthens and keeps us in faith. And if that were not enough, He even stirs in us a response of faith, that is to rejoice and give thanks for all His good gifts and blessings.
As we once again gather to celebrate the birth of our God in flesh we once again are regaled with what a great God we have, what loving God we have, what a gift giving God we have. God gives and we are given to, thanks be to God and to Him be the glory, for Jesus’ sake. Amen.
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