Oh, the Christmas Wonder!

Christmas Day, 12/25/11
John 1:14


Oh, the Christmas Wonder!
I. The Word became flesh.
II. We have seen his glory.


One of the Christmas carols I’ve heard countless times in the past 7 weeks or so begins with the words, “It’s the most wonderful time of the year.” I don’t think very many people would argue with that sentiment. In fact, I’ve never met anyone who didn’t like Christmas. From the very young to the very old, people think this is a wonderful time of the year.

I hate to sound cynical on what is truly one of the most joyous days of the year, but I think in large part our world’s wonder at Christmas is all too often misplaced. Our world wonders at the gifts given and received, at the gatherings of both families and friends, at the acts of charity and goodwill toward others, at the glitz and the bling.

But Christmas is indeed a wonderful time of the year. And God’s people who gather on Christmas morning for worship know that, believe that and rejoice over it. Christmas is wonderful.

Many of our Christmas hymns state the same. One sings about the wonders of God’s love. Another is entitled, “A Great and Mighty Wonder.” Still another speaks about a wondrous change which took place.

But only our God could state the wonder of Christmas the way he does in John chapter 1. And the heart of that wonder is stated in the verse before us this morning. We read, “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.” In astounding fashion John states exactly why Christmas is so wonderful. Oh, the wonder of Christmas! May our God fill us with holy wonder and joy and we ponder these words of our text.

Part I.

I don’t think it’s escaped your notice that we’re living in an age of an information explosion. There are more words being communicated every second than ever before. With the click of a computer mouse, volumes of words are instantly sent worldwide. And not just to one recipient at a time. Often it’s to scores of people all at once. With those words we intend to communicate our thoughts and ideas and truths to others. Every word we speak or write or copy or forward communicates something to someone else.

St. John begins our text with a peculiar phrase. He writes, “The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us.” First, the letter “w” in “Word” is upper case and then John refers to that Word as a person when he speaks of “His dwelling.” That doesn’t surprise you, however, if you’re familiar with the first verse of this chapter where John states, “In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word was God.” You’re probably aware that the Word is none other than Jesus Christ.

But why the name “Word”? Let’s talk about that.

John says that the Word took on flesh. He did that so that we could know our God more fully. When his disciples once asked Jesus to show them the Father, Jesus was disappointed. He told them to look at him and they would know the Father. As we hear the words of Jesus and see him interact with the sinners of this world in the events of his life, we have everything we need to know about our God. Jesus conveys our God to us. That’s why he’s the Word.

And the reason he wants us to know our God is so that we can be saved from the punishment of hell. From the moment of his conception until the moment of his resurrection, Jesus was here on earth to carry out one great mission—the salvation of the world. He accomplished that by living a perfect life for us and by dying as the payment for our sins. Jesus not only used words to proclaim that salvation to others, he actually accomplished that salvation with his life and his death.

Our God did all that for us out of his endless love for us. Our God communicated his love for us in the person and work of Jesus. In his eternal love for us, Jesus willingly went to the cross for us and sacrificed himself for us. In one of his letters, this same apostle declares to the world, “God is love” (1 Jn. 4:16). Those aren’t just words on a page, left for us to determine their validity. We know they’re true because Jesus embodies God’s love for us. Our God communicated his love for us in Jesus. That’s what makes Jesus the Word. That Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. That’s the truth we celebrate at Christmas.

Oh, the wonder of Christmas!

Countless sinners have wondered, “What does God think of me? How does God feel about me? What is it that he wants me to know about him?” Christmas answers all those questions and more. Oh, the wonder of Christmas! God thought so much of you that he decided to wrap his love for you in the person of Jesus and send him to live here on this earth with you. He loved you so much that he caused that Son to be laid in a lowly manger for you so that decades later he could nail him to a cross for you. The Son of God took on your flesh and blood so that he could take your place and suffer the punishment for your sins. He did all those so that he could dwell with you forever in heaven. He wants to share eternal glory with you. So the Word became flesh. Oh, the Christmas wonder!

Part II.

The excitement of little children opening Christmas gifts. Gazing at a beautifully decorated Christmas tree in the dark and quiet hours of the night. A loved one who appreciates the gift you gave them. These are just a few of what we might call the glorious moments of Christmas.

But they pale in comparison to the glory that John discusses in our text, the glory that is the wonder of Christmas. John writes, “We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.”

Before we go any farther, we better make sure we know what we’re talking about with God’s glory. Just what is it? There were many manifestations of it in the Bible. It was a pillar of cloud by day and a pillar of fire at night for the Israelites leaving their slavery in Egypt. Moses saw the glory of God passing away from him. A cloud of God’s glory filled the Temple in Jerusalem at its dedication. But just what was it? God’s glory is displayed chiefly in the gospel, the good news about our Savior, Jesus Christ. God’s glory is found in the fact that he is the God of our salvation.

John states that he had seen that glory. He saw it along with Peter and James on the Mount of Transfiguration just weeks before Jesus’ death. Jesus was transfigured before their eyes. He allowed them to see his glory as the eternal Son of God.

John also saw that glory in a vision of heaven as he relates it in Revelation 4. He describes light and precious gems and a rainbow. He saw and heard lightning, rumblings and peals of thunder. No doubt what he saw and heard were difficult for him to express in words. In a word, he saw God’s glory.

But again, God’s glory is chiefly the good news of our salvation in Jesus Christ. It’s the gospel, the very good news that we believe and that we’re celebrating today. “Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord” (Lk. 2:11). That’s the Christmas gospel. We know and believe it. We’ve come to worship the Christchild as our Savior.

So that means that we, too, have seen the glory of our Lord, not in a physical way as John had, but in a spiritual way. By his grace our God has revealed to us the saving truth about our Savior, Jesus Christ. Unlike countless others who celebrate Christmas without Christ, we have the blessed privilege of keeping Christ as the heart, center, and focus of our Christmas. And for that, we are blessed now and eternally. We live today knowing that our sins are fully forgiven through Christ and that he has made us heirs of eternal life with him. Can there be any greater gifts? Our God has accomplished his highest will for you.

Oh, the Christmas wonder! We have seen his glory.

I’m assuming you’ve finished opening all the presents that you’re going to receive this Christmas. So, did you get what you wanted? I hope and pray that evaluation isn’t what you use to measure your happiness this Christmas. It’s woefully materialistic. What’s more, it makes your celebration of Christmas dependant on what you and others make it to be. Instead, the proper and blessed celebration of Christmas is what your God already made it for you. So ponder the wonder of it all! God sent his Son, born of Mary and laid in a manger to be your Savior from sin. He did that so that he could bless you forever, not just on two days each December. With the eyes of faith you see Jesus for who he really is—the Son of God, your Savior and eternal King. That’s seeing the glory of our Lord. And if that’s what you already possess, what more do you really need? What more could you want? He’s given you the gift all the money and gold in the world couldn’t buy. It’s your Savior wrapped in strips of cloth and lying in a manger. Only our gracious and loving God would do that for you. Oh, the Christmas wonder! Let it fill your hearts with peace and joy! Amen.