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Good morning my dear “Walking with Jesus” friends!
Today is CHRISTMAS DAY 2019.
With all the excitement, family, friends, activity… some might say we should take a break today from “Walking with Jesus”. But I sense Jesus is saying… “of all days in the year, this is one I sure hope you’ll spend some time with Me.”
So, let’s do that… I hope you can find a quiet place, a few quiet moments, listen to some Christmas music, take your Bible and read John 1:10-14… and then join me in some reflection comments… and then have a conversation with Jesus about what this day means to you. . .and to HIM!
Have you ever thought about what Christmas Day must be like in heaven… as Jesus watches all humanity and our response to this day?
In truth… the response of 7.7 Billion human beings this Christmas is probably very much like it was that first Christmas. The vast majority of humanity is too busy with life to notice! But what about you and me? Oh, my friends, let’s make sure we each spend some special time with Jesus today. He may have something very special He’d like to tell you, privately… just you and Him.
The disciple Jesus loved so much, John, gives us a glimpse into how our world responded that first Christmas. He writes: “He (Jesus) was in the world, and though the world was made through Him, the world did not recognize Him. He came to that which was His own, but His own did not receive Him.” (John 1:10,11)
It’s our world today isn’t it my friends? Jesus, God incarnate, came to a planet and everything here that He had created, but even with angels explaining to several different people what was happening… most everyone else didn’t notice. Jesus came to a human race that He created, and a Jewish people which were His chosen people… but no one cared. So look around your town, your neighborhood, even your home today my friends… what do you see? How are people responding to Jesus today where you live?
John, however, was one person whose life Jesus changed, and he became Jesus very close friend. So look, he writes: “Yet,to all who received Him (Jesus) to those who believed in His name, He gave the right to become children of God – children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision, or a husband’s will, but born of God.” (John 1:12,13)
What do hear John is saying my friends? Do you see the ‘all inclusive’ word “ALL”? That’s why in every country of the world today, there are some people taking time to worship the Jesus who has saved them!
Do you see the words “received Him”?
You see my friends there are really only two responses to Jesus… Receive or Reject. Oh you might say some people ignore Him, some applaud Him, some acknowledge Him but don’t have time for Him, some welcome Him but then get busy with life and forget Him. Those are all true, and each of those fall under the category of “reject Him”.
“Receive”, however, means… people who have responded as Zechariah, Elizabeth, Joseph, Mary, Shepherds, and Magi… they all made room for Jesus in their lives, and to the degree they trusted Him, He became their Savior and Lord.
That’s why the phrase “…to those who believed in His name…” is so important. What name? In all the Christmas story do you remember the names of God which are used to explain the miraculous baby? May I quote them… see if you can find others:
*“…you are to give Him the name JESUS, because He will save His people from their sins.” (Matt. 1:21)
* “The virgin will give birth to a child… they will call Him ‘Immanuel’ – which means God with us.” (Matt. 1:23)
* “Where is the one who has been born ‘king of the Jews’?” (Matt. 2:2)
* “He asked them where the CHRIST was to be born…” (Matt. 2:4)
* “He will be great and will be called the SON of the Most High…” (Luke 1:32)
* “So the holy one to be born will be called the SON of GOD…” (Luke 1:35)
* “Today, a Savior has been born to you, He is CHRIST the Lord…” (Luke 2:11)
* “It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not die before he had seen the Lord’s CHRIST.” (Luke 2:26)
* “In the beginning was the WORD and the WORD was with God and the WORD was God.”(John 1:1)
So John is telling us that responding to Jesus not as an intrusion into our world but rather by welcoming Him is an important first step. That positions us to consider WHO He is and WHY He came here.
As we then understand His names we have a choice… believe Him to be who God announces He is, or reject Him or ignore Him.
And John makes it clear… a miracle happens in the lives of all those who BELIEVE the truth about Jesus. That belief positions us for the greatest human miracle possible… the miracle in which God accomplishes in us that for which Jesus came: God saves us from our sins! That’s what the angels announced, right?
But you see John uses the phrase “children of God” in vs. 12 & 13. Yes, not only are we saved from our sins by God, when we believe Jesus is who God proclaims Him to be, and we trust in Jesus’ accomplishment of paying our sin debt when He died on the cross… but God then adopts us as children into His family! Yes, we each become either sons or daughters of Almighty, Holy God!!
Now that really fits with Christmas Day doesn’t it? All around the world children of all ages have awakened with a great sense of anticipation today, right? What gifts will they find?
Do you agree the GREATEST Gift of all is Jesus? God sent Jesus, His Son, to earth to live among us, and die, so we could have eternal life as part of God’s family! That my friends, is why we celebrate Christmas. The arrival of Jesus to earth. . .for us. The greatest God gift imaginable!
So John concludes this Christmas Day proclamation with this statement: “The Word became flesh and made His dwelling among us. We have seen His glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father full of grace and truth.” (John 1:14)
- Do you see “Immanuel” in that verse…“The Word became flesh and made His dwelling among us.” God came to the earth He had created, to live among the human race He made in His image.
- Do you see John proclaiming he is an eyewitness? That he met and knew this Jesus personally! “We have seen His glory…”
- Do you see John proclaims another uniqueness of Jesus… “…the glory of the One and Only…”
- Do you see John proclaims Jesus “…came from the Father…” That is God the Father who sent His Son, Jesus!
- And finally, do you see John’s characterizing statement that Jesus is “…full of grace and truth.”
Over and over in his Gospel story, John would repeat and explain these wonderful and powerful statements about Jesus. You and I could write pages about each one. But this Christmas morning I’m going to stop right here and urge you to read those verses again… John 1:1-14, and then, my friends, spend some time having a conversation with Jesus. . .and listen carefully to see what He says to you this Christmas day. Play Christmas music all day and just spend the whole day in awe, worshiping Immanuel, God with you!
Have a comment or question about today’s chapter? I’m ready to hear from you, contact me here.
Pastor Doug Anderson 262.441.8785
“Let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, with our eyes fixed on Jesus…” (Heb. 12:1,2)
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