Sermon in Minneapolis 25.12.2014

Grace, mercy, and peace from God our Father and our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Let us begin our service this Christmas Day evening with opening prayer and thanksgiving.

Holy and righteous God, our dear Heavenly Father, this evening, after enjoying the Christmas celebrations, and enjoying the company we have been able to be with this day, and enjoy the fellowship and opening presents and exchanging gifts with and for all of this, we wish to thank you for all of these temporal blessings which you have richly bestowed upon all of us, and all of the blessings that we can enjoy in this life. But let us remember, dear Father, that the greatest gift of all is in your Son, Jesus Christ, who has prepared that gift of salvation, which we can own by faith as children in your kingdom, and thus recipients and owners of this gift, we can be heirs of heaven and joint heirs with God, and with our names written in the Lamb's Book of Life in heaven.

So we ask that you would bless our gathering again this evening, comfort us, console us, uplift us, and nourish us with your everlasting gospel word. So all of this we ask in the name of your dear Son, Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen.

On this eve of Christmas Day, the Gospel text set aside for this occasion, this evening moment is from the Gospel according to St. John, chapter 1. And officially the verses are 1 through 14, but I will read verses 1 through 3, and then jump to 14. The words are heard as follows in Jesus' name.

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, and all things were made by Him, and without Him was not anything made that was made. Amen.

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.

Last evening we heard read from the traditional Christmas Gospel, which tells of the nativity of Jesus, which is recorded in the Gospel according to St. Luke. This portion that we read this evening is also known as the Christmas Gospel, but known as the Christmas Gospel according to St. John, even though nothing is mentioned of Bethlehem, Mary and Joseph, the shepherds, the wise men coming from the east, the child lying in a manger, wrapped in swaddling clothes, which we are so familiar with from that Christmas Gospel.

Well, it's interesting to compare these different Gospels, four of them which are here in the New Testament. When we look at the Gospel according to St. Mark, it begins with the birth of John the Baptist, and from there he proceeds forward. And I don't know if he mentions anything about the birth of Jesus in his Gospel.

Then if we look at the Gospel according to St. Matthew, he tells of Mary and Joseph on their way toward Bethlehem, but he doesn't actually say anything about the birth. Mary and Joseph were engaged, and Joseph finds out that his fiancée is pregnant. He's alarmed and astonished and afraid, and wants to divorce her and put her away.

But if we also look at the Gospel according to St. Matthew, there's a genealogy in the beginning verses of chapter 1. And if you look at that genealogy, it's very interesting for it goes back all the way to Abraham, who is the father of the people of Israel. So it begins with the beginning of the nation of Israel, the promised nation of God.

But then is the Gospel according to St. Luke, and of course, it contains the traditional Christmas Gospel. But it also has a genealogy. And I think it's in the beginning verses of chapter 3. But if you look at that genealogy, it goes back much further than the genealogy in Matthew. It goes all the way back to the beginning of the history of mankind. It goes all the way back to Adam.

But then here in John, it mentions nothing about the birth of Christ, actually, as we know it in all of its details, according to the traditional Christmas Gospels. But John goes back even further than Matthew. He goes back to Abraham. He goes back further than Matthew, who goes back to Adam, the first human here on this earth. John goes back to eternity before anything even exists.

And John is talking about the Word. We know how words and the use of words have much impact and power. We know during the history of mankind, there have been very powerful and charismatic speakers. One unfortunate charismatic leader was Hitler. And it's stated that on the plaque on the wall in his office was written the first verse of our text that we have before us tonight.

And we know that he could get people into a frenzy by the use of his words. Some of his subjects sometimes thought that every time I'm in his company and he talks to us, we melt like wax in the hot sunlight. And they decide in their mind that this time when I go to speak with him and go into his office, I'm not going to succumb and melt under his words.

But lo and behold, they step into his office and Hitler would speak to them for but a few moments and they would melt like butter on a hot day. So much power and impact and influence were the words of this individual.

Well, Churchill was another individual who spoke very slowly, sometimes pauses between his words, but his words had much power, influence, and impact. So here, John is talking about the Word. And it's interesting if we read the King James Version of the Bible, the Word is capitalized, W with a capital letter. So this is something more than just the words that are written in ink on this page, on these pages of the Bible. And it has something to do with God and His creation.

When we read the creation story, when God embarked on each day and began His creation work, it said, and God said. So God spoke, and things happened. Things occurred. The prophet Isaiah says that the Word of God has so much influence that it's like snow or rain that falls from the heaven to the earth and does its duty. And it will not return void or empty. It will either heal or it will offend. The Word has power.

The prophet Jeremiah speaks about the Word and he says it's like a fire, or it's like a hammer, like a huge sledgehammer, which will even cause mountains to crumble and break. So there's many, many other verses in the Bible which refer to the Word and its power and influence.

The Psalm writer writes in this way that by the Word of the Lord the heavens were made. And so here it says in our text that in the beginning, the beginning was the Word.

It's kind of interesting that the Old Testament was originally written in the Hebrew language. But then after the last prophet, prophet Malachi preached and his writings were, or his speeches were written down, there was a period of four or five hundred years of silence before the New Testament era. And in that time, people began to lose knowledge of the Hebrew language. Fewer and fewer people were able to speak the Hebrew tongue.

Just like today, the Latin language is basically a dead language. No one actually speaks it. Scholars may read it and study it, but it's not a spoken language. It's not a spoken language anywhere in the world any longer. And so it was with the Hebrew language.

But a new language began to take over, which was the Aramaic language, which was kind of an offshoot of sorts of the Hebrew tongue. And that was the language that Jesus spoke. And so when the Old Testament was translated from the Hebrew language into the Aramaic language, these new writings were called the Targums.

And it's interesting that every time that the word God appeared, that God said, or God did this, they replaced the word God with the Word of God. So the Word of God, for example, is a consuming fire. Originally, in the Hebrew language, God is a consuming fire. But now in the Aramaic version translation, they changed that to the Word of God is a consuming fire.

And likewise, whenever the word wisdom was used, they really changed it. They replaced it, or it was equal to the word Word, with a capital letter. And also where the word light appeared, it was equal to the word Word, with a capital letter.

Remember when Paul was in the city of Athens, there in the country of Greece, and he went to the top of this mountain, or this hill, called Mars Hill, and he was visiting with some philosophers. And one group was the Epicureans, and the other group was the Stoics, two very popular, well-known, and famous groups of philosophers at that time.

Well, some of these philosophers began to think out loud and even wrote down and began to contemplate or meditate that what keeps the stars in the sky, in their orbits? What makes the tides ebb and flow? Every 24 hours the tide comes in, and the tide goes out. The tide comes in, the tide goes out.

What causes all of this to happen and occur? What makes day and night come in an unalterable order? Night and day, night and day, day after day, month after month, year after year, decade after decade, century after century, millennium after millennium, it continues on and on.

What makes this continue like this without any change? What brings the seasons about? Now we have winter, pretty soon it will be spring, then summer, and then fall, and that cycle will continue again and again.

So these wise philosophers were contemplating and considering and debating and wondering what is behind all of this? What causes all of this? What keeps it in order and that it all doesn't fall apart? What makes it all into chaos? And they came up with this conclusion, the Word of God.

And so here, Mark begins his gospel by going all the way back to John the Baptist, Matthew goes all the way back to Adam, Luke goes all the way back to, I mean, Matthew goes back to Abraham, Luke goes all the way back to Adam, but now John goes back even further. And he says, in the beginning was the Word.

When was this beginning? Was it 6,000 years ago? Was it a million years ago? Was it a billion years ago? Or was it a quadzillion, million, whatever number you can use, years ago? Who knows when that beginning was? I don't know, you don't know? I don't think anyone knows. But at one point, there was a beginning. And at that beginning, and even before that beginning, in the beginning, was the Word. The Word with a capital letter.

And why is it in a capital letter? Then it continues. And that Word with a capital letter was with God. Like brother and sister. Like husband and wife. They were there together. They had a connection with each other. They were there at the beginning. Before the beginning.

And then it continues. And that Word with a capital letter was God. So this is referring to the Christmas, the central figure of the Christmas Gospel, the Nativity scene. And Luke describes it for us, that he was born as a little baby there in Bethlehem. There in a stable. And laid in a manger. Because there was no room for him and them in the end.

Now, the wise people of this world, the philosophers and scholars, and the Greeks, this Gospel was written and directed originally not to a Jewish audience, but to a Greek audience. And so they didn't have, apparently, any issue with, in the beginning was Christ. And we'll exchange the word Word with Christ, and that's what it actually means. So in the beginning was Christ. And Christ was with God. In God. And Christ was God.

So the Stoics, or the philosophers, other philosophers, and the other Greeks, for example, didn't take issue with this. They could somehow comprehend it, or digest it, or accept it. But then, we'll jump to verse 14. And this is where they began to take issue. And serious issue.

And the Word was made flesh. So, God now became a human being. A person who you could see, and a person who you can touch. And this is where they became deeply offended. They began to say, it's blasphemy. It's repugnant. It's abomination. For a human body is evil. And it's like a prison for our human soul.

And now, you're trying to tell me that God, or God's Son, who is holy, pure, unblemished, now takes on the form of a human being? You have got to be kidding. And they took deep issue with this.

But John writes in his epistle, which is actually another text for today, the epistle text for today. And he describes in great detail that we were able to see him, we were able to touch him, we were able to be in his company.

And, let's try to find it real quick so I get the... That which was from the beginning was Christ, which we're referring to or reading about in the Gospel, according to St. John, chapter 1, verse 1. So that which was from the beginning, from pre-existing times before the world existed, which now we have heard.

They were able to hear him. We have been able to see him with our eyes. We have been able to look upon him. And we have been able to handle him with our hands, or touch him. And he, Jesus Christ, is the word of life.

And so, this movement called the Gnostics, or Gnosticism, who took issue, was actually a heresy during the time of the early church, said that it's impossible. God cannot become a human being. And it was only a phantom, it was only an imaginary image, a ghost-like figure. It couldn't have been a real, a real God.

But John also writes in his epistle a little bit later on, in the fourth chapter, Hereby know you the Spirit of God. Every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh, that person is of God, or one of God's own. And every spirit that confesses not, or rejects, or denies, that Christ Jesus has come in the flesh, that person is not of God. And this is the spirit of anti-Christ.

Very directly, and straightforwardly, is John writing about this. So, if some person would deny that Christ, the Son of God, was not born on Christmas day there in Bethlehem, and became a human being, took upon himself the form of a human being, whoever denies that is anti-Christ, and has the spirit of anti-Christ. So important was this doctrinal issue.

So, it's interesting. So, this same word that created the universe, and everything that's invisible and visible alike. The same word that keeps the stars in their orbits, and the planets in their orbits. That same word which maintains the order of the universe.

That same word and its power now became a human being, whose voice we were able to hear, and whose figure and body we were able to see. And so, the word was made flesh, and it dwelled among us. It actually literally means in the Greek language, and it tabernacled among us. It actually set up a tent in our midst.

And Paul, when he's writing about us as human beings and our life here on this earth, that we have this treasure in earthen vessels, and it's a treasure.

And it's a treasure. And it's a treasure. And it's a treasure. And it's a treasure. And it's a treasure. And it's a treasure. And it's in a tabernacle. Our body is like a tabernacle. And this tabernacle will one day be dissolved when we say farewell to this world and to this earth.

And so, the word was made flesh, and it tabernacled, or dwelled, or lived among us. And we beheld His glory. It is the same glory as of the only begotten Son.

So, glory, it actually means that Jesus is a manifestation, or is a showing, or a demonstration of this glory, this glory of God.

We remember when Jesus performed His first miracle, which occurred there at that wedding there in the city of Cana. And after He performed that miracle, the Gospel writer John concludes that story by saying that this miracle manifested, or showed, His glory.

So, by doing this miracle, it demonstrated glory. And He, the same Gospel writer John, later writes that Jesus didn't receive this glory from man, but He received it from another story, another source.

And yet, in another place it says that it is the Father who glorifies Jesus, Jesus, His Son. And when Jesus is praying His last prayer, before He is captured in the Garden of Gethsemane, He turns to God, the Heavenly Father, and He says to the Father in prayer that, Father, now is the time that You glorify Your Son.

And yet, He continues in that prayer, and He says, and the same glory will be given unto them, given unto My disciples, or the followers of God.

But we remember in the Old Testament, there are many examples of the manifestation, or the appearance of this glory, which was representing the presence of God Himself.

And when the people were traveling through the wilderness, during those forty years, and they needed a guide, at night there appeared a pillar of fire. They didn't have compasses, all they had is the sky to look at, and try to find the North Star to somehow give them direction.

But God was there as a guide, and He sent a pillar of fire to guide them at night. But then, during the day, there was a cloud which led them. And this cloud which appeared was the appearance, or the manifestation of the glory of God.

And when Moses was receiving the law of the Ten Commandments on Mount Sinai, it says in the Bible that the glory of the Lord, at that moment, settled upon Mount Sinai.

And often when they had sacrificial worship in the tabernacle, when they set up to have services, God was present in His glory there at the tabernacle.

And likewise, when they dedicated the Temple of Solomon, the glory of God appeared, showing and demonstrating that God was there, present.

And so, we can see this glory, or the presence of God, was demonstrated, or revealed, or shown by this glory.

We remember when prophet Isaiah received the grace of repentance, he was there in the Temple, and all of a sudden, the glory of God shone round about them, and he began to tremble and shake. And he acknowledged that the whole earth is full of His glory.

Last night we heard from the Christmas Gospel, according to Saint Luke, when the shepherds were out there in the field, tending their flocks by night, and suddenly there was an innumerable number of angels, of heavenly hosts, and one of the angels then stepped forward, and gave the announcement of the birth of Christ.

And it went on to say that, Glory to God on the highest, and peace on earth, good will to men. So the glory of God was there and appeared.

And so here, John says, And the Word was made flesh, and it dwelled, or it tabernaced, and it speckled among us. And we beheld His glory, His divinity. And this was the glory of the only begotten of the Father, who is full of grace and truth.

Even though this is a very deep and theological portion, we may wonder that, what was the purpose of John writing this?

Well, we go back to the Garden of Eden, the story there in Paradise, when Adam and Eve were forbidden from eating of that one tree, the tree in the middle of the garden, which is the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.

On that day, you eat of that tree, you will surely die. They ate of that tree. They were chased out of the garden. And the way back into Paradise was shut. Figuratively speaking, the way to Heaven was shut.

The first human being, Adam, means human. The first human Adam was disobedient, together with his wife, and they brought that great fall into sin. And thus closed the doors to Heaven.

So sin came into the world, by the first human being. And now, how was it possible for anyone to gain salvation, and make it to Heaven?

God had a plan. And this plan of salvation was such, that He would send His Son. And since the fall into sin occurred by a human being, this fall into sin had to be corrected, and repaired, by a human being.

And it wasn't and couldn't be any normal human being, like you and I. Because after the fall into sin, God looked down from Heaven, and He looked to try to find someone who could correct this fall, who could open up the doors to Heaven.

And He acknowledged, there is no one who is good. No, not one. All have sinned, all have fallen short of the glory of God, there is no one who even seeks after God. There is no one who is righteous. Not a single one.

But God had a plan. Since the fall into sin occurred by a human being, there would need to be a human being who would correct that fall. And this human being was His Son. Who was, in the beginning was, Christ, His Son. And Christ was with God, there in eternity. And Christ was equal to God.

And, in verse 14, and God, and Christ was made flesh, and dwelled among us. So He was completely divine. He wasn't created, He wasn't made, but He was born of God in eternity. As we say, recite in the Nicene Creed, one of the well-known creeds of Christians.

So He wasn't made, or created, but He was born of God, in eternity. So He was God of God, and light of light, but at the same time, He was man of man.

So simultaneously, the Gnostics, or this movement called Gnosticism, couldn't comprehend this, couldn't accept this. How could it be, that a divine person, God, is a human being, and that in some person, God would take on the form of a human being, and step into the body, a shell of a human being, which is a prison cell of our human soul.

But so it was. We can't comprehend it with our human mind. Impossible. But God became a human being. He was incarnated. Born of a Virgin Mary. Suffered under Pontius Pilate. Was later crucified. He died, was buried. He ascended back into heaven, where He now sits at the right hand of God, the Father Almighty.

From where He will one day come again to judge the living and the dead.

When John, the same John, was on the Isle of Patmos, and he saw those many visions, and heard those many magnificent speeches from heaven, he also heard this. He saw the New Jerusalem coming down from heaven, and he heard, behold, the tabernacle of God, that is, among men.

So the kingdom of God is like a tabernacle here upon this earth, which is in the midst of the kingdom of God. And so, in the midst of humankind, mankind.

So where two or three are gathered in God's name, or His Son's name, Jesus, His Son, is with us. I am with you always, even unto the end of the world.

We can't see Him, we can't touch Him, but in spirit He is here, and we can hear His voice.

So He, as a human being, different than you and I, and any other human being, in the sense that He was perfect. He was blameless. He was innocent. He was sinless.

And therefore, only He was able to correct that fall into sin. And only He, through His merits, was able to open that door to heaven.

That's why Christmas is so important, but Easter is even more important, when God's Son died, was buried, rose from the grave, and thus, He prepared the grave as a sweet resting place for us one day, when we will one day leave this earth, close our eyes to this life, but then, we will open our eyes again, to be translated from this life, this earth, to our eternal home, our eternal home there, in the glory of heaven.

And it's only possible through the merits of the Son of God, who was man of man, but simultaneously, He was God. He did all of this on our behalf.

This is the mystery of Christmas. This is the mystery of Easter. And this is the A and the O of our living faith.

And so this is the best Christmas gift that we can own and possess, amidst all of the other gold and tinsel and other wonderful gifts that we have given and received, and the fellowship that we have experienced, and so forth.

The best is this, that Christmas gift, Christ Jesus, through faith, lives in our heart. It is a gift of God, a gift of grace. We haven't earned it, we haven't merited it, but we have received it as a free, unmerited gift.

Surely of the goodness and the love and the grace of God. As it says, it was full of grace. Something that we received, that we didn't deserve, not even in the least, but yet God wishes, even though we're undeserving, wishes to still give it to us.

Sinners, obstinate many times, but still, we have received a gift of God, that we have received as a free, unmerited gift of God. Sinners, obstinate many times, many times weakened, stumbling, and falling, but yet, He wishes to say, even this evening, son and daughter, be of good cheer, believe sin's forgiven, in Jesus' name and blood.

The power of the gospel will lift, will carry, and will bring you and I one day to our heavenly home. Merry Christmas, and a blessed new year.

Can I also hear that gospel for our, and gospel for myself. Let us join in benediction.

The Lord bless us and keep us. The Lord make His face to shine upon us, and be gracious unto us. The Lord lift up His countenance upon us, and give us your peace. In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Ghost. Amen.