Satan has caused people to promote the fairytale of Santa to distract from the true meaning of Christmas. Christmas is about the birth of Jesus Christ, when God took on human flesh so that he could live a sinless life and then die on a cross to pay the sin-debt of every human. Anything that detracts from the true meaning of Christmas is harming the cause of Christ.

Sadly, multitudes today view the birth of Christ as a fairytale on a par with that of Santa and his reindeer. However, the Santa fiction is a fabricated story, but the account of Christ’s birth is factual. It is clearly recorded for us in the Bible. The Bible is not a story book, but an accurate historical account. Voddie Baucham presents the following defence of the Bible from 2 Peter 1:16-21. “(v.16) The Bible is a reliable collection of historical documents, (v.16b) written by eye-witnesses, during the lifetime of other witnesses, (v.18) that report supernatural events, (v.19) which took place in fulfilment of specific prophecies, (v.20-21) who claim that their writings are divine rather than of human origin.”

Transition

This morning, we are going to examine one of the Bible’s historical accounts of the birth of Jesus Christ. This is not a typical Christmas text, yet it is about Christ’s birth. Turn with me to John 1:14.

The Word Became Flesh

  1. The “Word” refers to Jesus Christ
    1. By comparing Scripture with Scripture, this becomes clear. (John 1:1-3) “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 any thing made that was made.” (John 1:14) “And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us…” Only Jesus Christ was made flesh and dwelt among men. (Cf., Heb 4:12-13).
    2. Later, John calls him the Word of Life. (1 John 1:1-2) “That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, of the Word of life; (For the life was manifested, and we have seen it, and bear witness, and shew unto you that eternal life, which was with the Father, and was manifested unto us😉“
  2. The Word (Jesus Christ) took on human flesh
    1. Consider Mary’s conversation with the angel. (Luke 1:34-35) “Then said Mary unto the angel, How shall this be, seeing I know not a man? And the angel answered and said unto her, The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God.“
    2. (1 Timothy 3:16) “And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory.“
    3. John, the human penman of both the book of John and 1 John was very close to Jesus during his ministry. He wrote, (1 John 1:1-2) “That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, of the Word of life; (For the life was manifested, and we have seen it, and bear witness, and shew unto you that eternal life, which was with the Father, and was manifested unto us;)”
      God took on human flesh!

The Word Dwelt Among Us

  1. Dwelt is an interesting word.
    1. It literally means to dwell in a tent.
    2. How many of you have ever spent the night in a tent? How would you like that as your permanent home? Your body is a tent; it is not a permanent home.
    3. In 2 Corinthians 5:1, the Apostle Paul refers to our body as a tabernacle or tent. “For we know that if our earthly house of this tabernacle were dissolved, we have a building of God, an house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens.” Our bodies are tents or temporary dwelling places. They do not last forever. They require sleep and food, get sick, feel pain, and eventually die.
    4. Christ took on a human body so that He (being God) could live among humans. (Philippians 2:7) “But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.“
  2. Christ dwelt in a temporary body among us.
    1. For about 33 years, Jesus lived in a human body. During that time, he experienced the need for food and sleep. Did he ever get sick? We do not know.
    2. He did experience temptations as we do. (Hebrews 4:14-15) “Seeing then that we have a great high priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession. For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities [in other words we DO have]; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.”
      God took on human flesh and lived among us.

We Beheld His Glory

  1. Consider the word “beheld”.
    1. To behold something is more intent than just viewing it. It is to view something attentively. Greek scholar Zodhiate describes the word as “the sense of a wondering consideration involving a careful and deliberate vision which interprets its object.”
    2. If you have gotten a report from your doctor about a medical condition that he discovered, you very likely did not just glance at the report casually. No doubt you read it carefully, looked up any big words, thought about it, prayed about it, and perhaps even sought other opinions. Why, because it was important to you. That is the kind of “behold” John is describing.
    3. John spent at least three years travelling with Jesus. He got a closeup, in depth view of Christ in every situation life afforded. Thus he wrote, (1 John 1:1-2) “That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, of the Word of life; (For the life was manifested, and we have seen it, and bear witness, and shew unto you that eternal life, which was with the Father, and was manifested unto us;)”
  2. Note what John said he beheld about Christ.
    1. He beheld Christ’s glory. Glory refers to splendour, perfection, or reputation.
    2. John saw close up the perfection of Christ. He was unique to every other human John knew. His glory was a glory of the only begotten of the father (i.e., a glory as uniquely existing (i.e., Gk. mono-genes) with Father).
    3. His glory (i.e., reputation or perfection) was full of grace and truth.
      1. He was abounding in God’s enablement. He could do miraculous things.
      2. He was abounding in God’s mind. His words were overflowing in amazing truth.

Conclusion

What do these facts do for us today? They assure us that God took on human flesh and lived among people on earth, and those who saw him observed His perfection, confirming that He was truly God in human flesh. If Christ was not truly God in human flesh, born of a virgin, and an example of a sinless human full of God’s enablement and truth, then he was a fraud, and we are fools for thinking otherwise.

However, the evidence is clear. We can fully trust this verse. Christmas has nothing to do with Santa, and everything to do with the incarnation birth of God the Son as Jesus, the Saviour. Christ was born that He might die in our place.

If you have not truly repented of your sin and placed your trust in Christ alone to save your soul, you have not yet received the greatest Christmas gift ever given. Just like any physical Christmas gift, you must take it to receive it.

If you have received God’s Christmas gift of forgiveness and eternal life, take the time right now to thank Him for becoming flesh and dwelling among us so that he could pay your eternal debt.

Song: Hark! The Herald Angels Sing, 93
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The Word Became Flesh
22 December 2024 AM ~ John 1:14