Our Savior’s Divine Glory Is Hidden in Flesh and Blood!

Christmas Day, 12/25/22 John 1:1-14 Our Savior’s Divine Glory Is Hidden in Flesh and Blood! I. A glory that is his eternally II. A glory that reveals life and light III. A glory that we have seen by faith During last evening’s Christmas Eve service, one of the Christmas hymns we sang was, “What Child Is This?” It’s likely you’re familiar with it. The first stanza really asks the question, “Who is this Child?” And it answers that question with the words, “This is Christ the King, the One of whom angels sing.” To the casual observer, that wasn’t readily apparent. Jesus looked like any other infant Jewish boy; there was nothing royal about him. The second stanza of the hymn asks, “Why lies he in such mean estate, where oxen now are feeding?” Another good question. Why was he lying in a manger and not in a soft bassinet in a king’s palace? How can this child be anything special when he’s surrounded by the sights and odors of a barn? But then the hymn reveals the truth, “This is the Word made flesh.” This is the eternal Son of God in human flesh and blood. That’s the saving truth we celebrate this Christmas morning. As joyful as the celebration of the Nativity of Our Lord is for us Christians, our joy can be tempered when we ponder how many millions and millions of people will celebrate the birth of Jesus today but fail to see anything divine about Jesus. They will see no divine glory in the Savior. His birth is simply a reason to spend time with family, exchange presents, and enjoy a fine Christmas dinner. But, by the grace of God, you and I know and believe the truth about Jesus. We believe and confess that Jesus Christ is true God, even though his divine glory is hidden in flesh and blood. The opening words of the Gospel of John encourage us to celebrate that tremendous, saving truth this morning. Our Savior’s divine glory is hidden in flesh and blood. John helps us see that glory in several ways. Let’s take to heart what he states and, as we do, may the Holy Spirit fill our hearts with Christmas peace and joy. Part I. I think it’s safe to say that most people appreciate efficient conversation. Our minds tend to wander when a person rambles on and on. We much prefer it when our conversation with someone else gets right to the point. If you agree, then you have to appreciate the way John begins his Gospel. He doesn’t begin with a genealogy, as Matthew does, or with narratives, like Mark and Luke do. He gets right to the point of what he wants his readers to know and believe. “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made.” The Child lying in the manger in Bethlehem is the eternal Son of God. Why would John begin his Gospel with that truth and not something else? Because that’s the truth that people reject about Jesus. Read through John’s account of Jesus’ earthly ministry. In chapter after chapter John recounts how Jesus was approached and rejected as true God by the citizens of his hometown, by the Jewish religious leaders, and by the Pharisees. They witnessed his miracles, but rejected his claim of being the Son of God. Decades later, the Apostle John was battling the heresy that Jesus wasn’t the eternal Son of God. The weapon that he wielded in this battle was the sword of God’s truth—that Jesus was the eternal Son of God, and, as such, was active in the creation of the world. John pleads with his readers, “Don’t let the flesh and blood of Jesus mislead you! His divine glory is there, hidden in flesh and blood.” And by the grace of God, what billions of people on earth today reject, we know and believe. There is no reason to worship Jesus today if he wasn’t and still isn’t the eternal Son of God. When Jesus took on human flesh and blood, he didn’t stop being true God. But he chose to hide that divine glory in human flesh and blood so that he could be our Savior from sin. And we’re blessed eternally to believe it. We’re just fine with the fact that Jesus hid his glory for a time in human flesh and blood. Until we want that glory to shine in our lives in a way other than Jesus has chosen. Like how? Like this: If he is the eternal Son of God, why is my life so difficult? Why am I in such emotional or physical pain? Why doesn’t he do something about the evil in our world? Why doesn’t he do what seems best to me? The truth that John shares with us removes our doubts and builds our faith. Just as the eternal Son of God created all things perfectly in the beginning, so he is now directing everything in our lives and in our world to accomplish his ultimate plan for us—to bring us to himself in heaven. He hid his divine glory for a time so that he could suffer and die for us. But then he revealed that glory on the third day when he rose from the dead. Thus, we celebrate today the truth that our Savior’s divine glory is hidden in flesh and blood—a glory that is his eternally. Part II. John’s Gospel is noted for his recording of Jesus’ “I AM” statements. For instance, Jesus declared, “I am the bread of life” (Jn. 6:48). He also stated, “I am the light of the world” (Jn. 8:12). In these opening words of his Gospel, John repeats those truths. He writes, “In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind.” But that life and light were hidden in flesh and blood. To many of his fellow Jews, his claim to be life was preposterous. To them, he was nothing more than a carpenter’s son. And even though he was recognized as a prophet who spoke in ways they hadn’t heard before, his claim to give them life with God was nonsense. They couldn’t see past his flesh and blood. Likewise with his statement to be the light of the world. Many of his fellow Jews felt no need for him to share any spiritual light with them; they were convinced they had already found it. Their spiritual light emanated from their self-righteousness and their good-works-based way to life with God. They reserved the right to determine what their own spiritual light was. John calls that nothing but darkness and that darkness didn’t understand Jesus and wanted nothing to do with him. His divine glory was hidden in human flesh and blood. But by the grace of God, you know and believe the truth that he is your life and light. Our Savior’s divine glory is hidden in flesh and blood, a glory that is life and light. Take a moment this Christmas to realize that there was a time in your life when these words of John described you and me, “The light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not understood it.” All of us came into this world spiritually dead and steeped in the darkness of sin and unbelief. And none of us can claim responsibility for creating spiritual life in ourselves and bringing ourselves into spiritual light. What we are today—God’s children by faith in Jesus, full of spiritual life and light—is solely the working of our merciful and gracious God. If you don’t receive a single Christmas gift, ponder how blessed you are to receive God’s gifts of life and light through Jesus Christ. I know that, to the world, he seems insignificant, just another child born into this world. But our Savior’s divine glory is hidden in flesh and blood, a glory that is life and light. Part III. The Apostle John saw that glory. He writes, “The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.” John saw Jesus’ divine glory repeatedly in the miracles that Jesus performed. After his first miracle—changing water into wine—the Bible declares, “He thus revealed his glory, and his disciples put their faith in him” (Jn. 2:11). Every one of his miracles pointed to his divine glory hidden in human flesh and blood. John also viewed that glory for a time on the Mount of Transfiguration. As he did so, he must have shared Peter’s desire for them to stay on that mountain and enjoy that glory endlessly. And finally, John witnessed the glory of the risen Jesus. John saw him no longer subject to pain or hunger, space or time. It was glorious! I imagine many are the times when you wish you would have had that same opportunity—to view the divine glory of Jesus. But Jesus once declared, “Blessed are those that have not seen and yet have believed” (Jn. 20:29). Jesus was referring to you. By God’s grace and power, you take God at his word and trust that what he says about his divine glory is gospel truth. That is the gracious power of God working in you. What so many in this world do not believe, you do, and are eternally blessed. Our Savior’s divine glory is hidden in flesh and blood. That’s a glory we have seen by faith. Today marks the final time we will worship in 2022. That means this is not only a service of celebration, but also of reflection. Consider how richly the Lord has blessed you. Above all things, he has kept you in the saving faith, a faith which reveals to you our Savior’s divine glory. How will he bless you in the year ahead? I’m not certain of the details, but I do know the big picture. He promises to bless you as you stay connected to him through word and sacrament. He promises to keep before your eyes your Savior’s hidden glory. And he promises to continue doing so until he calls you into the fulness of his glory in heaven. What the world does not see in the Child of Bethlehem, you see clearly. Give your Savior unending thanks and praise for revealing his hidden glory to you! Amen.