Sermon in Phoenix 25.12.2012

In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, let us quieten this evening in opening prayer and thanksgiving.

Holy and righteous God, our beloved Heavenly Father, on this Christmas night, we pause this evening, dear Father, before your holy and precious Word with hearts of thanksgiving and prayer. Thankful, dear Father, for the many and abundant gifts that you've granted unto us, your children, and also for the abundant gifts that you've given through your beloved Son, who was born on that Christmas day, many years ago, into a lowly manger there in Bethlehem, in the quiet of the night, for the redemption of all mankind.

You sent Him, dear Father, into an evil and corrupt world, one that was full of sin and corruption. Yet you sent Him for that purpose, so that many years later, we as your children would still be able to believe upon that work which He did on our behalf. Namely this, that He lived His life according to Thy holy and righteous will, and that He suffered the death on the cross, was victorious over the sin and death, and rose then victorious on Easter morning. And today, dear Father, there in heaven watches over His flock, there in heaven watches over the earth.

So this evening, dear Father, as we gather for these Christmas services, we pray for Your service blessing. That You would reveal unto us that what is the measure of Your love for sin-fallen mankind. And what is it that You have provided unto us, Your children? And what kind of promise You have given us that we today travel by faith, journeying toward our final and eternal destination there in the glory of heaven.

So with humble hearts this evening, dear Father, we pray for Your service blessing. That You would send unto us Your Word. That You would give to us ears to hear and most of all, hearts to believe. We ask, dear Father, that You would break those crumbs of grace for each of us, so small that even the weakest and poorest might be nourished and fed on this journey of living faith. We ask it all, dear Father, in the name of Your Son, our Lord Jesus Christ. And yet include all of our unspoken thoughts into that prayer that He Himself has taught when we say, Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For Thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever and ever. Amen.

For our study of God's Word this evening, I will read from the first chapter of the Gospel according to St. John, the first 14 verses. And the words are as follows in Jesus' name. Amen.

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by Him, and without Him was not anything made that was made. In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. And the light shineth in darkness, and the darkness comprehended it not.

There was a man sent from God whose name was John. The same came for a witness, to bear witness of the light that all men through Him might believe. He was not that light, but was sent to bear witness of that light. That was the true light which lighteth every man that cometh into the world.

He was in the world, and the world was made by Him, and the world knew Him not. He came unto His own, and His own received Him not. But as many as received Him, to them gave He power to become the sons of God, even to them which believe on His name, which were born not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.

And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth. Amen.

Dear brothers and sisters, on this day of Christmas, many years ago, this Jesus of whom we just read was made flesh. And as John, here in this opening part of his Gospel text, he puts us way back into the beginning. In the first verse of our text, he says, In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

If we then go back into the very first page of the Bible, when Moses has written, it is recorded for us in the book of Genesis. It says, In the beginning, God created the heaven and the earth. And the earth was without form and void, and darkness was upon the face of the deep, and the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters.

There are similarities to both of these beginnings, but yet also subtle differences. The creation story begins in the beginning. It speaks of the Creator. It speaks of God the Father. It speaks of that God who was, and is, and is to come. It speaks of God who had no beginning, but has always been.

This is a very difficult matter for us as humans to be able to comprehend that there is something, or was something, that was, and is, and will be. Our human minds can only understand in so little about time and eternity. But we know in eternity, God created the heavens and the earth. All things were created by Him. All things were created for Him.

And in the beginning, the earth was without form and void, and darkness was upon the face of the deep, and the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters. And as that creation story continues, and God said, let there be light, and there was light.

So with God's Word, He created all things. Everything that was created was created of things unseen, and everything that was created was created by God's Word. When God spoke, He spoke His Word. And through His Word, all things came into be.

When we then begin to ponder in our text that we've read, John says, in the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. Here, the evangelist connects God and His Son as one. God and our Lord Jesus Christ are one in the same.

And in this portion of God's Word in the beginning of John, it speaks of a very important doctrinal matter that we as God's children hold on to as sacred truths. And that is the Trinity of God. We know that God is three persons, but yet one. God, the Father, the Creator, His Son or the Word, our Lord Jesus Christ is the Redeemer. And then also, the third Person of God, the Holy Spirit, is the Sanctifier.

Jesus was the Redeemer. The Holy Spirit is the Sanctifier. Men have pondered this, that how can it be that God is three and yet one? But it has to be for God is an eternal being. He was, He is, and will be to come.

And as we go back then to the book of Genesis, and on that first day, God said, let there be light, and there was light. And God saw the light that it was good, and God divided the light from the darkness and God called the light day and the darkness He called night, and the evening and the morning were the first day.

Here, God has created the light of the Spirit and the darkness of unbelief. God created all things with His word. And also, as it speaks in the book of Genesis, it says, the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters.

So, there we have all three parts of God. The God, the Father, the Son, the Word, the Redeemer, and the Spirit, the Sanctifier. And then, God chose in His marvelous and infinite ways and wisdom to make these matters manifest before men.

On that first Christmas, the Word, or the Son of God, was born into this world. He was made manifest unto men to see God. And there were those who saw Jesus. There were those who believed that He was the Son of God. But there were many more who doubted and questioned that this truly was the Son of God.

That how could it be that God was able to reveal Himself in His Son? That this to the mind of man is an impossibility. God is three, but through faith we understand and comprehend that God is three, but yet one.

When we ponder these things, when we talk about the Trinity at confirmation, we use often in a physical way proof that matter water can be three, but yet three distinct parts. For example, if you take water and you freeze it, it becomes ice, you melt it, it's a liquid, and then if you boil it, it becomes steam, but yet it's still water.

So also, it's a weak illustration, but yet in some ways our mind can start to come to grips with how God is. And so it is a doctrinal understanding that is important that we believe and understand that both God and His Son are one, but so also is it that the Holy Spirit is also with the Father and the Son as one.

Why are these matters important? God the Father has never been seen by any man that's lived. He's revealed Himself in many different ways. God has appeared to Moses when Moses was there on Mount Sinai. And Moses wasn't able to look at God, but rather he had to turn away from Him because the brilliance of that light was so bright.

So also, when Jesus was transfigured on the Mount of Transfiguration, those around Him fell to the earth and were blinded because of the brilliant radiance when Christ was transfigured. How bright God is that we as men cannot possibly see how majestic and powerful and beautiful He would be.

And so, He then has made Himself manifest in ways that men might be able to approach. For example, on that first Easter morning, Jesus was made manifest and He was revealed to men. It is God in the flesh.

And this is also what our text says. The same was in the beginning with God. And all things were made by Him, and without Him was not anything made that was made. In Him was life, and the life was the light of men.

And John continues and says, and the light shineth in the darkness, and the darkness comprehended it not. Later on, he says that He was sent into this world. And He was sent in a way that men would be able to see God through Him. But yet, not with the eyes of man, but only through the eyes of faith.

We then can also, if we consider then, the role that Jesus had. Jesus came into this world. He was sent as the Savior for all of mankind. He came in the image of God as we have been created in the image of God.

And when He lived His life, He lived His life as both God and man. So He was part God, because He was conceived of the Holy Spirit, but He was also part man because He was born of Virgin Mary.

So He understood us as people so well that we today, brothers and sisters, can approach Him. We can approach Him with our concerns, we can approach Him in prayer, we can approach Him with all of our needs, because as the writer of the book of Hebrews says that we have a high priest which can be felt or understood with the feelings of our infirmities, for He was tempted on all points as we are, yet without sin.

Brothers and sisters, when you have matters of conscience to speak over, when I look at you young people here this evening, and there are matters that might come into your life of faith, you have struggled and fallen into sin, you consider then who might you go and visit with over those matters.

You know in your heart of hearts that you need to be cared for with the blood of Christ and the forgiveness of sins. And you ponder that, well, who would understand me? Perhaps you wonder and think about your mother and father and think, well, yeah, they might understand, but they're old, they've got gray hair, it was so many years ago since they were a teenager that they don't understand so well.

You may not think so, but your mother and fathers probably understand you better than you even understand yourself. Because we lived through those teenage years of struggle, and we realized how God has helped us and kept us as His own despite those times of struggle and difficulty.

So you've checked off in your mind that, oh, I won't speak to Mom and Dad because they're old and don't understand, and my younger brother or sister haven't yet experienced exactly what I'm experiencing, and those friends of mine, well, I'm not sure how they would still love me if I was able to speak to them about those matters that are burning there in my conscience.

And you check off all of those options as to who you might visit with. I remember one particular point in my life where I had felt so heavy the temptations that had come. And sin was raging even as the psalmist writes that as the bones would wax old and through the roaring all the day long, you are tormented because of that sin.

And I finally came to this thought that it doesn't matter any longer whether or not my mother or father would love me. It doesn't matter any longer whether or not my friends would still accept me. It wouldn't matter even if my younger brother or sister would hear that which is the contents of my heart.

But I know there is one person, according to God's Word, who will not reject me. And that is the Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. And so I pondered then where would I find this kind of Lord and Savior. And I realized that I would find Him in one of my brothers and sisters in faith.

And it didn't matter any longer whether or not they would forsake me, those friends, because I knew that Jesus would not forsake me. God then gave that strength to speak of those matters that were there burning.

And I thought of that which God sent into this world, baby Jesus, in that kind of an innocent way and in a lowly form that even the sinners and the poor could approach Him.

So God in His way made Himself manifest onto this earth in that kind of a lowly and meek way that sinners could call upon Him in the time of need.

But not only has He made His Son that kind of an image or that kind of a child, but also the third person of God that dwells in the hearts of His children is that third person of God. God, it is the same as God.

When God dwells in the hearts of His children, this is God. And I often wonder how is it possible that such a corrupt one as I could possibly be like God. And of course that isn't possible.

But yet what does God's Word say? God's Word says that a city that is set on a hill cannot be hid. And Jesus encouraged His own, let your light so shine before men so that God would be revealed in you.

So it is so that God is revealed through His children here upon earth. And this is namely His kingdom of God here upon earth.

And so this matter of what we spoke in our text is such a deep matter that I cannot even begin to approach the depth. But yet John as he writes, and as he writes about these things, he writes that God and His Word were one.

So we simply, with childlike faith, believe that Jesus was there with His Father in eternity, at the time of creation, and through His Word, through His Son, all things were created.

And so then, God chose in His miraculous ways to make this Word, to make this Son of His manifest, revealed in the life around us.

In Him was life, and the life was the light of men, and the light shineth in darkness, and the darkness comprehended it not.

When Jesus was born into this world, the darkness did not comprehend that this was the Son of God.

And so in our text, it also speaks about there was a man sent from God whose name was John. And we've heard much during this time of Advent and Christmas about this John the Baptist.

His job and his responsibility was to bear witness of this light that God sent into this world, that all men through Him might believe. But John recognized that he was not the light, but he was only to testify of that light.

John the Baptist pointed at Jesus and he said, here is he whom God has sent. This is the Savior of mankind, of whom even the very shoes I am not worthy to loose or to latch, but rather he must increase and I must decrease.

So this sermon of John was a sermon of repentance. That now Jesus is come, repent ye and believe the gospel.

And as this testimony of which here John also writes, that he was not the light, but was sent to bear witness of the light, that was the true light which lighteth every man that cometh into the world.

He was in the world. The world was made by him and the world knew him not. He was in the world. The world was made by him and the world knew him not.

But also John says that he came unto his own and his own received him not. So there was this rejection, that gift that God had sent was rejected by man.

This rejection has been also ever of old. God has been rejected not only in our time, but God has been rejected from generation to generations.

Already in the first family, there was this kind of rejection. There was that battle there in that first family. When God was rejected, God was in God. When Cain slew his brother Abel, there was corruption, there was evil, and there is sin.

Brothers and sisters, it is not unheard of throughout scriptures that there have been those that rejected God. But we can only imagine how difficult this must be for God himself.

When he looked down on that first world, what he saw there was only evil continually. It must pain the heart of the heavenly father to see and to feel such rejection that has been offered generation after generation from them who hate him.

This was shown by Jesus himself. We remember when Jesus, who is the Son of God, when he entered Jerusalem for the last time, and he looked at the city of Jerusalem, it says that Jesus wept.

He wept because of the rejection of those people, of those ones to whom he had been sent. This surely would have also pained the heart of the heavenly father and also his son for those who would have rejected him.

When Jesus came into this world, he was sent by God to redeem man from sin. And his whole purpose in being was to come and live his life so that we today might live.

I don't know if there is any way a proper illustration, but we can in some very minute way perhaps understand that hurt in which Jesus must have experienced and also that which the Father in Heaven must experience when there are those that reject him.

There are those of you parents here this evening who have been granted children into your homes. And on this Christmas, I know we did today, and I have much today and during these holidays reflected on those blessings that God has granted unto me and to us in our family.

There are so many reasons for joy and thanksgiving. My children, God is protected, along with my grandchildren and also their parents and grandparents. God has kept us as his own.

But as parents, you with me know, how much you love your children. And in fact, you with me would, I'm sure, give about anything in your life. It wouldn't matter even if God would say, give me all of your money or all of your earthly possessions, and I will allow then that child of yours that has denied faith to return.

God, what would you as parents give that one of your children might be allowed to return home to the father's house? I don't know that there's a dollar value that any one of us would place and say, oh, maybe it's worth this, but not that.

We would give anything, not only for our own faith life, but also for the faith life of our children.

And you mothers who gave those children birth, raised them through those toddler years, fed them and clothed them, and as they grew to be teenagers, you with your prayers to the heart of the Heavenly Father, remembered those children often as they went through their lives.

And as you watched them struggle in matters of faith, I'm sure during those times the prayers have been fervent to the heart of the Heavenly Father.

And when that child who has been rebellious or troubled finally comes and tells you as a parent that, you know, mom or dad, it's no longer possible that I can remain believing, the feeling of despair and all of those human emotions that are there of anger and you parents know with me of what those struggles are.

But there's also this feeling of hurt and betrayal. We in a small way perhaps can picture what it must be when the Father in Heaven who has given His only Son, and when that Son is rejected, by those whom God had given such a free and grace gift, it surely hurts to the heart of His Son and also to the heart of the Father.

So this rejection has been ever of old, and it won't be today the last day in which there are those who rejected Him and continue to reject Him.

John says he was in the world. He lived and John, this same evangelist, John was able to be there and live with Jesus. He was there on the Mount of Transfiguration with Jesus. He also watched the miracles in which Jesus performed. He listened to those sermons and that ministry in which Jesus kept.

He was also there at Jesus' death and also there during the time of His resurrection. And he spoke of this, of that which he had seen and witnessed.

He was in the world. And the world was made by him, and the world knew him not. He came unto his own, and his own received him not.

Those Israelites, those children of Israel of whom had been cared for from the ages and ages, when Jesus came now as the Savior of the world. He was rejected by even them.

When he was rejected by those Israelites, then also his word went on to the Gentiles. And that grace and forgiveness was offered unto the Gentile nations of people.

So, this has been a steady happening from generation to generation.

But in our text, it speaks for us this evening as his own of very great matters church, where John says, but as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name.

So, where does this power come from? Brothers and sisters, the power and grace to believe come from God. This, in itself, is a God-given gift.

Throughout the Gospel of John, John speaks much of this. In his farewell sermon, John speaks of how God is called and gathered. And he says that except a father, except my father, or except God to draw him, a man cannot believe.

So, this call into God's kingdom is a call, and the power to become a son of God is the power that God has given.

It would be nice to say that this is my power or my strength, God is not to believe. But it has not been that way at all.

But rather, it has been God who has granted us, even this evening, grace to believe.

It is a grace gift that we this evening are able to comprehend that son in whom which was sent into this world.

Although our flesh would like to boast and say, it is because of my own goodness, it is because of my own obedience, it is because of my own understanding, I am one of his own.

But it is not that way at all. God has stopped it that out of the numbers of this world, he has given strength to believe to his children.

And this is also of which John here writes, But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name.

And then he says, which were born not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.

Doesn't he so clearly reveal that we are born into this kingdom? We are born into this faith.

If we consider in the third chapter of John, when there was that man, Nicodemus, who was a ruler of the Jews, and he came by night to see Jesus, and he says, Rabbi, we know that thou art a teacher come from God, for no man can do the miracles that thou doest except God be with him.

And Jesus told him, Verily, verily, I say unto you, except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.

And this Nicodemus asked this question, how is it possible that a man can be born again? He was thinking that a person must be returned to his mother's womb and be born again in that way. How dark was his understanding?

But what Jesus spoke of was being born as a child of God into his kingdom.

And how is this done? When God calls and awakens, we remember how the Apostle Paul writes in the book of Romans, he says how amiable or how beautiful are the feet of those.

And he quotes from the psalmist text, how beautiful are those who preach those glad tidings of good news.

And he speaks about those whom are called and those that preach. And he says of those that preach, they are beautiful messengers that have been sent by God. But they need to be sent by God.

God. And in his word, I believe it's in the 10th chapter of Romans, where the Apostle writes of those matters so clearly.

Where in the 13th verse he says, for whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.

Many have called on that name, but they called on that name for the wrong reasons at the wrong time.

The Apostle says, how then shall they call upon him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher?

This is the grace order in which God allows. In order to believe, faith cometh by hearing, no other way.

And faith cometh by hearing. And so he says, how can they hear except they have a preacher? And how can they preach except they be sent?

So God sends, according to his rich grace, his word to those that seek him.

And how shall they preach except they be sent as it is written? How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace and bring glad tidings of good things.

This is that message of which Jesus came and was sent to preach the glad tidings.

But not only Jesus, the word, but also Jesus entrusted that word to his own.

This evening, that word has been given to his children of God here upon earth. And that word has been entrusted to us as his own to preach according to his grace and will.

According to God's rich grace and will. And God sends that word to the exact address in which he knows there is a heart that is searching and seeking after a righteous and a loving God.

The last verse of our text, it says, and the word was made flesh and dwelt among us. And John includes himself, he says, and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father.

We saw this, we witnessed this, we were able to behold this.

And then he says, this word full of grace and truth.

So, today, that word which was made manifest in the flesh, dwelt among men, has returned to his Father in glory.

But he also, before Jesus left, he left with his own that gift, that ability, that power to continue the work of the Father, of the Son, of the Creator, of the Word.

And that has been entrusted to his children of God here upon earth.

How important is that? That God is given directly into his kingdom, his Word, in which we today use.

And that word is full of grace and truth. That word is that kind of gracious word of healing where sinners can come on to repentance.

Where that gospel is preached to the poor.

Remember when John the Baptist, that precursor to Jesus, was in prison. He sent his disciples to ask of Jesus that are you the one or do we wait for another?

John said, or Jesus said, go and tell John again those things that you both see and hear.

The lame are able to walk. The blind are given their sight. The deaf hear.

But most of all, he concludes and says the gospel is preached to the poor.

That gospel message has been entrusted to his kingdom of God here upon earth.

To you, brothers and sisters, this evening has that gospel been given to use. And use it freely. Use it in your homes. Use it amongst brothers and sisters in faith.

And may you, beloved young, also use that same gospel between each other.

That when you experience in your endeavor of faith, the stumblings and failings of sin, encourage one another with the gospel.

It is the power of God unto salvation.

That gospel that has been given to us is a free grace gift to use.

And that grace of the gospel maintains then the love and the unity here in God's kingdom.

Kingdom into which this evening on this Christmas night we have been born and have been given to dwell.

Just think brothers and sisters, God sent his son into this world for you and for me.

Jesus lived among his own. He still this evening lives among his own.

As we sing in that favorite Easter song, Jesus is not dead, but living.

He lives among us through his word and through the spirit that unites and bonds the hearts of children of God together.

Into this kingdom and into this glory and into this grace we have been born.

It is a treasure. It is a gift that goes beyond human understanding.

Through this grace and forgiveness we are able to travel by faith towards that eternal destination there, the glory of heaven.

But not only did John say that Jesus' word, God's word is full of grace, but it is full of truth.

God is entrusted into his kingdom also to preach and to teach, to instruct truth.

Don't forget that either. That's also important, but it needs to remain in that proper order, grace and truth.

If we start to preach truth without grace, it becomes a demanding word.

And Jesus wasn't that kind of a teacher, was he?

But rather Jesus always spoke from below. He always came from below the sinner.

And he wanted to uplift. He wanted to forgive. He wanted to carry the sinner.

But he also, we remember, when he was approached by that sinful woman who was caught in the act of adultery.

Those Pharisees around him, they thought that she should be stoned, for that was the punishment that the law offered.

But Jesus told them that you who is without sin cast the first stone, and one by one they left.

But Jesus also, when he addressed that sinful woman, he told her, thy sins are forgiven.

But he also said, go and sin no more.

There also needs to be that instruction of God's Word, that clear definition, that clear teaching that is right and wrong.

That we then, when we hear the teaching of God's Word that is instructed to the Spirit, we receive it into our heart, and then with this teaching, it affects our conscience, and our conscience then is tied to God's Word, and it teaches us so clearly about the footsteps then that lead towards heaven.

How perfectly God has arranged all things for us, even this evening.

That this evening, we are His own as His children, our sins have been forgiven, we are on the way to heaven, and He has entrusted us with His Word.

May God give us, brothers and sisters this evening, courage and strength to use that word, not only to free, to forgive, to preach that gospel of forgiveness, but also to instruct with God's teaching of His instruction of the way that leads towards heaven.

This evening, dear brother and sister, you can remain even on this Christmas day with such joy in your heart that God has called you to be His own.

God has opened unto you His Word and His will, and He has given to you this grace gift this evening to believe.

Your sins are forgiven in the name and precious blood of Jesus.

It has been a gospel message that has been rejected by many.

But may it be that God would keep each one of us always, as His children, needful and mindful of that forgiveness.

This evening, brothers and sisters, I also, coming here, have felt, and even in serving, felt so small and insignificant, so lacking and so weak, so sinful, that can I even this evening have my own sins forgiven.

I so want to remain believing with each one of you and may God grant us on this day of Christmas, this Christmas night, that kind of joy and peace that comes through believing.

And we yet say, the Lord bless us and keep us, the Lord make His face shine upon us and be gracious unto us, the Lord lift up His countenance upon us and give us peace.

In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost, Amen.