1 00:00:02,759 --> 00:00:06,720 Speaker 1: Life Audio. For more resources to help you in your 2 00:00:06,800 --> 00:00:11,879 Speaker 1: walk with Christ, please visit us at Bible Studyheadquarters dot com. 3 00:00:12,440 --> 00:00:15,480 Speaker 1: And tonight we're going to be looking at John chapter 4 00:00:15,600 --> 00:00:17,759 Speaker 1: one again. In just a moment, we'll take our bibles 5 00:00:17,800 --> 00:00:20,639 Speaker 1: and we'll look at verses fourteen through eighteen. Over the 6 00:00:20,680 --> 00:00:24,520 Speaker 1: past few weeks on Sunday mornings, we've been looking at 7 00:00:24,560 --> 00:00:26,720 Speaker 1: the Gospel of John chapter one, and we've been looking 8 00:00:26,760 --> 00:00:28,680 Speaker 1: at the just a variety of things that are said 9 00:00:28,720 --> 00:00:32,559 Speaker 1: there to us about Jesus, and it gives us a 10 00:00:32,600 --> 00:00:35,760 Speaker 1: picture of the Christmas story from a very interesting angle, 11 00:00:35,800 --> 00:00:38,640 Speaker 1: you could even say from a very theological angle. When 12 00:00:38,680 --> 00:00:40,760 Speaker 1: you look at John chapter one. It's the last of 13 00:00:40,800 --> 00:00:43,720 Speaker 1: the four Gospels to be written, and I believe the 14 00:00:43,720 --> 00:00:47,400 Speaker 1: Holy Spirit inspired the apostle John to write these things 15 00:00:47,440 --> 00:00:50,000 Speaker 1: down to give us a glimpse that's not given to 16 00:00:50,080 --> 00:00:53,080 Speaker 1: us in the other Gospels. There's certain things that we 17 00:00:53,080 --> 00:00:56,200 Speaker 1: would say or theological truths, are behind the scenes truths 18 00:00:56,600 --> 00:00:59,480 Speaker 1: that John brings up in these passages in the opening 19 00:00:59,600 --> 00:01:02,840 Speaker 1: chapter John chapter one. I also mentioned this on Sunday. 20 00:01:02,920 --> 00:01:07,240 Speaker 1: John chapter one fits very well as like a coral 21 00:01:07,319 --> 00:01:11,000 Speaker 1: area comparison to Genesis chapter one. And so they're kind 22 00:01:11,040 --> 00:01:13,520 Speaker 1: of fun to read together. And so I encourage you 23 00:01:13,520 --> 00:01:16,360 Speaker 1: at some point to just compare these two chapters. But 24 00:01:16,440 --> 00:01:20,040 Speaker 1: this evening we're specifically going to be looking at a 25 00:01:20,160 --> 00:01:24,000 Speaker 1: short section from John chapter one, verses fourteen through eighteen, 26 00:01:24,440 --> 00:01:27,440 Speaker 1: where it talks about this idea of the fullness of 27 00:01:27,640 --> 00:01:30,120 Speaker 1: grace and truth. So if you would take a look 28 00:01:30,160 --> 00:01:32,240 Speaker 1: there with me in your bibles again, we're in John 29 00:01:32,319 --> 00:01:35,360 Speaker 1: chapter one. We'll start at verse fourteen. I'm gonna read 30 00:01:35,400 --> 00:01:37,600 Speaker 1: down to verse eighteen. This is what it says in 31 00:01:37,640 --> 00:01:41,160 Speaker 1: this portion of God's word we read and the word 32 00:01:41,240 --> 00:01:46,400 Speaker 1: became flesh and dwelt among us. We have seen his glory, 33 00:01:46,680 --> 00:01:50,640 Speaker 1: glory as of the only son from the Father, full 34 00:01:50,680 --> 00:01:53,960 Speaker 1: of grace and truth. John bore witness about him and 35 00:01:54,000 --> 00:01:56,600 Speaker 1: cried out, this was he of whom I said, he 36 00:01:56,640 --> 00:01:59,920 Speaker 1: who comes after me ranks before me, because he was 37 00:02:00,160 --> 00:02:04,480 Speaker 1: before me. For from his fullness we have all received 38 00:02:04,720 --> 00:02:08,960 Speaker 1: grace upon grace, For the law was given through Moses. 39 00:02:09,440 --> 00:02:13,120 Speaker 1: Grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. No one has 40 00:02:13,160 --> 00:02:16,320 Speaker 1: ever seen God, God, the only Son, who is at 41 00:02:16,320 --> 00:02:22,640 Speaker 1: the Father's side. He has made him known. Let's pray together, Father, 42 00:02:22,680 --> 00:02:24,360 Speaker 1: as we look at your word now. We pray that 43 00:02:24,400 --> 00:02:27,000 Speaker 1: you give us wisdom and insight. We pray that we 44 00:02:27,040 --> 00:02:29,840 Speaker 1: would grow in our relationship with you as we look 45 00:02:29,880 --> 00:02:32,760 Speaker 1: at this passage. And we're so thankful, Father, for the 46 00:02:33,040 --> 00:02:37,120 Speaker 1: truths that are contained in these verses, truths that point 47 00:02:37,200 --> 00:02:40,200 Speaker 1: us to your son, Jesus Christ. We're so grateful for 48 00:02:40,240 --> 00:02:43,200 Speaker 1: the privilege here on this Christmas Eve to be able 49 00:02:43,240 --> 00:02:45,120 Speaker 1: to look at this portion of your word and to 50 00:02:45,360 --> 00:02:48,880 Speaker 1: truly celebrate the work that your son accomplished for your 51 00:02:48,960 --> 00:02:52,360 Speaker 1: glory and for our benefit. So Father, we thank you 52 00:02:52,400 --> 00:02:54,560 Speaker 1: for these things. We pray that you'd speak to us now, 53 00:02:54,800 --> 00:02:58,280 Speaker 1: and we thank you for it all in Jesus' name. Amen. 54 00:03:00,000 --> 00:03:03,120 Speaker 1: I mentioned just a few moments ago, I've always enjoyed 55 00:03:03,200 --> 00:03:06,960 Speaker 1: the pace and the feel of Christmas Eve. I think 56 00:03:07,000 --> 00:03:09,960 Speaker 1: when I was a child, I enjoyed Christmas Morning much more. 57 00:03:10,000 --> 00:03:13,519 Speaker 1: But as I've grown older, I think I enjoy Christmas 58 00:03:13,560 --> 00:03:17,799 Speaker 1: Eve even more than the rest of what takes place 59 00:03:17,880 --> 00:03:21,600 Speaker 1: surrounding it. The evening seems to have a way of 60 00:03:21,639 --> 00:03:25,240 Speaker 1: slowing us down, and at least for a moment, things 61 00:03:25,280 --> 00:03:26,840 Speaker 1: just kind of slow down a little bit. The lights 62 00:03:26,840 --> 00:03:29,240 Speaker 1: seem a little bit softer, the song seem a little 63 00:03:29,280 --> 00:03:32,600 Speaker 1: bit heavier with meaning. And I've noticed throughout the course 64 00:03:32,639 --> 00:03:35,240 Speaker 1: of my life that even people who rarely think about 65 00:03:35,320 --> 00:03:39,840 Speaker 1: spiritual things tend to pause and tend to reflect on 66 00:03:39,960 --> 00:03:42,720 Speaker 1: this evening. There's just something about this night that I 67 00:03:42,760 --> 00:03:46,720 Speaker 1: think invites us to consider the reality that God might 68 00:03:46,800 --> 00:03:51,520 Speaker 1: actually be nearer than we typically tend to think. And 69 00:03:51,560 --> 00:03:53,480 Speaker 1: I love looking at the portion of Scripture that we 70 00:03:53,600 --> 00:03:55,680 Speaker 1: just read together, and we'll work our way through this 71 00:03:55,720 --> 00:03:59,320 Speaker 1: passage a verse at a time. But I love John 72 00:03:59,440 --> 00:04:02,839 Speaker 1: chapter one on verses fourteen through eighteen because it's such 73 00:04:02,840 --> 00:04:06,520 Speaker 1: a powerful message to force ourselves to sit with on 74 00:04:06,640 --> 00:04:09,960 Speaker 1: Christmas Eve. It doesn't begin with some of the typical 75 00:04:10,000 --> 00:04:13,040 Speaker 1: things that we think about at this time of year. 76 00:04:13,040 --> 00:04:15,840 Speaker 1: It doesn't begin with shepherds, it doesn't begin with angels, 77 00:04:16,240 --> 00:04:19,880 Speaker 1: it doesn't begin with a manger. It walks us through 78 00:04:20,400 --> 00:04:23,800 Speaker 1: some of the deeper aspects of Christ's divine mission to 79 00:04:23,880 --> 00:04:26,960 Speaker 1: rescue lost humanity. And so in a way, it kind 80 00:04:26,960 --> 00:04:29,839 Speaker 1: of pulls back a curtain and it shows us what's 81 00:04:29,880 --> 00:04:33,080 Speaker 1: happening behind the scenes when Jesus was born. And so 82 00:04:33,120 --> 00:04:34,920 Speaker 1: we're going to take a look at this a verse 83 00:04:34,960 --> 00:04:37,159 Speaker 1: at a time, and just think about these things that 84 00:04:37,200 --> 00:04:40,040 Speaker 1: the apostle John was revealing as the Holy Spirit gave 85 00:04:40,120 --> 00:04:42,240 Speaker 1: him these words to say. Now, when you look at 86 00:04:42,320 --> 00:04:45,200 Speaker 1: verse fourteen, it tells us this. It says, and the 87 00:04:45,240 --> 00:04:49,000 Speaker 1: Word became flesh and dwelt among us. And we have 88 00:04:49,120 --> 00:04:53,120 Speaker 1: seen his glory, glory as of the only son from 89 00:04:53,200 --> 00:04:57,760 Speaker 1: the Father, full of grace and truth. So I love 90 00:04:57,800 --> 00:05:00,440 Speaker 1: what John explains to us in this passage, says, the 91 00:05:00,480 --> 00:05:05,400 Speaker 1: eternal Word, the one through whom everything was created, didn't 92 00:05:05,440 --> 00:05:09,440 Speaker 1: stay distant. He became flesh, He took on flesh, He 93 00:05:09,600 --> 00:05:13,120 Speaker 1: entered our world. He essentially moved into our neighborhood. That's 94 00:05:13,120 --> 00:05:15,320 Speaker 1: what John's telling us here in this portion of scripture. 95 00:05:15,800 --> 00:05:17,480 Speaker 1: And it's kind of interesting when you look at how 96 00:05:17,480 --> 00:05:20,080 Speaker 1: he phrases us here, because he's revealing that Christmas isn't 97 00:05:20,080 --> 00:05:24,040 Speaker 1: really about God's shouting instructions from heaven. It's about God's 98 00:05:24,080 --> 00:05:27,400 Speaker 1: stepping into the mess that we created. So he steps 99 00:05:27,400 --> 00:05:32,119 Speaker 1: into our mess and he makes himself known. And John, 100 00:05:32,240 --> 00:05:35,880 Speaker 1: as he does throughout chapter one, here, he calls Jesus 101 00:05:36,440 --> 00:05:40,560 Speaker 1: the Word. And that use or that designation that's very intentional. 102 00:05:41,000 --> 00:05:44,039 Speaker 1: A word is how someone reveals what they're thinking. So 103 00:05:44,080 --> 00:05:46,360 Speaker 1: it's how they communicate their heart. And when John here 104 00:05:46,440 --> 00:05:50,080 Speaker 1: says that the Word became flesh, he's saying God didn't 105 00:05:50,200 --> 00:05:56,279 Speaker 1: just send a message, he sent himself. Jesus isn't God's 106 00:05:56,320 --> 00:06:00,720 Speaker 1: plan b. He's not a temporary solution. He's the clearest 107 00:06:00,760 --> 00:06:03,880 Speaker 1: and fullest expression of who God is. So if you've 108 00:06:03,880 --> 00:06:05,920 Speaker 1: ever wondered what God is like, and I imagine all 109 00:06:05,960 --> 00:06:07,680 Speaker 1: of us have, to one degree or another, we wonder 110 00:06:07,880 --> 00:06:09,840 Speaker 1: what's God like, what does he look like? What is 111 00:06:09,880 --> 00:06:12,200 Speaker 1: he doing? I mean I can remember as a child 112 00:06:12,240 --> 00:06:16,200 Speaker 1: I thought that God was involved in bowling a lot, 113 00:06:16,279 --> 00:06:17,880 Speaker 1: and some people were like, why would you think that, Well, 114 00:06:17,920 --> 00:06:20,159 Speaker 1: my parents told me every time it thundered that God 115 00:06:20,240 --> 00:06:22,640 Speaker 1: was in heaven bowling, and I thought, all right, God 116 00:06:22,720 --> 00:06:25,560 Speaker 1: must be very interested in bowling. I even joined a 117 00:06:25,600 --> 00:06:28,960 Speaker 1: bowling league as a child and had these images of 118 00:06:29,000 --> 00:06:31,479 Speaker 1: God in my mind. And you look at this and 119 00:06:31,520 --> 00:06:33,159 Speaker 1: you think, I think all of us have wondered what 120 00:06:33,200 --> 00:06:35,320 Speaker 1: does God look like? Well, someday we're going to have 121 00:06:35,400 --> 00:06:38,320 Speaker 1: the opportunity to see that. But in the meantime, if 122 00:06:38,320 --> 00:06:42,159 Speaker 1: you've ever wondered that what the Lord's actually doing, very 123 00:06:42,200 --> 00:06:46,479 Speaker 1: intentionally is revealing aspects of himself that we would not 124 00:06:46,640 --> 00:06:49,880 Speaker 1: naturally understand. If you wondered what God is like, you 125 00:06:50,040 --> 00:06:53,240 Speaker 1: look to Jesus. We look at Jesus. If you've ever 126 00:06:53,600 --> 00:06:57,520 Speaker 1: questioned whether or not got God cares, look at Jesus. 127 00:06:57,560 --> 00:07:00,799 Speaker 1: If you've ever doubted whether or not God understands your struggles, again, 128 00:07:01,240 --> 00:07:04,120 Speaker 1: look at Jesus. What does the scripture say? The word 129 00:07:04,520 --> 00:07:09,280 Speaker 1: became flesh made his dwelling among us. So that means 130 00:07:09,640 --> 00:07:11,640 Speaker 1: when you look at how the gospels play out, that 131 00:07:11,720 --> 00:07:16,920 Speaker 1: means that God, who created all things, God experienced hunger. 132 00:07:17,080 --> 00:07:22,760 Speaker 1: He intentionally experienced hunger. He experienced exhaustion, he experienced rejection. 133 00:07:23,160 --> 00:07:27,080 Speaker 1: The Gospels tell us that he experienced grief, he experienced loss. Basically, 134 00:07:27,120 --> 00:07:29,320 Speaker 1: what he was doing was taking on flesh so that 135 00:07:29,360 --> 00:07:32,200 Speaker 1: he could experience everything that you and I go through 136 00:07:32,720 --> 00:07:34,840 Speaker 1: the Book of Hebrews tells us we have a merciful 137 00:07:34,920 --> 00:07:39,040 Speaker 1: and sympathetic savior, merciful and sympathetic high priest of our faith, 138 00:07:39,120 --> 00:07:43,200 Speaker 1: Jesus Christ. Why because he's experienced all the things that 139 00:07:43,240 --> 00:07:46,400 Speaker 1: you and I experience. He didn't look at humanity and 140 00:07:46,440 --> 00:07:49,080 Speaker 1: just say I'm going to keep my distance from them. 141 00:07:49,400 --> 00:07:52,600 Speaker 1: He didn't just observe us. He entered into the human 142 00:07:52,680 --> 00:07:56,160 Speaker 1: experience in the fullest way possible. And John says it 143 00:07:56,200 --> 00:08:00,320 Speaker 1: this way. He says he dwelt among us. Well, I 144 00:08:00,360 --> 00:08:02,280 Speaker 1: don't want to be super technical, but I do want 145 00:08:02,280 --> 00:08:04,000 Speaker 1: to give you something that I think is valuable to 146 00:08:04,080 --> 00:08:06,800 Speaker 1: understand when we look at what's being said here. That 147 00:08:06,880 --> 00:08:10,320 Speaker 1: word dwelt. He's using this word on purpose when he 148 00:08:10,320 --> 00:08:14,360 Speaker 1: says he dwelt among us. That word dwelt literally means tabernacled. 149 00:08:14,400 --> 00:08:18,320 Speaker 1: He tabernacled among us, And it's meant to remind us 150 00:08:18,320 --> 00:08:21,000 Speaker 1: of something God revealed about himself in the Old Testament. 151 00:08:21,760 --> 00:08:24,480 Speaker 1: It reminds us of the Old Testament image of God 152 00:08:24,600 --> 00:08:26,520 Speaker 1: dwelling with his people. If you look back into the 153 00:08:26,560 --> 00:08:30,119 Speaker 1: Old Testament scriptures, you see God tabernacling with his people. 154 00:08:30,160 --> 00:08:33,640 Speaker 1: He dwelt with them in the tabernacle. And what happened 155 00:08:33,679 --> 00:08:37,640 Speaker 1: behind a veil in that tabernacle, that structure where God 156 00:08:37,760 --> 00:08:40,720 Speaker 1: dwelled among his people. What happened behind a veil now 157 00:08:40,840 --> 00:08:45,120 Speaker 1: happens for us, face to face. God's presence no longer 158 00:08:45,160 --> 00:08:48,640 Speaker 1: confined to a tent. God's presence no longer confined to 159 00:08:48,720 --> 00:08:53,719 Speaker 1: a temple. We're looking at God here dwelling among us, walking, breathing, 160 00:08:53,840 --> 00:08:57,640 Speaker 1: living among us in the person of Jesus Christ. So 161 00:08:57,720 --> 00:08:59,640 Speaker 1: the truth is, that's really what Christmas is about. We 162 00:08:59,720 --> 00:09:02,000 Speaker 1: gather together for moments like this, when we gather together 163 00:09:02,040 --> 00:09:04,520 Speaker 1: to sing the songs that we're singing and celebrate the 164 00:09:04,520 --> 00:09:07,240 Speaker 1: things that we're celebrating. That's what we're celebrating. That's what 165 00:09:07,280 --> 00:09:10,440 Speaker 1: the seasons all about. It's a celebration of the presence 166 00:09:10,520 --> 00:09:13,800 Speaker 1: of Jesus, the fact that the word became flesh and 167 00:09:13,920 --> 00:09:17,880 Speaker 1: dwelt or tabernacled among us. And then John goes on 168 00:09:17,920 --> 00:09:20,319 Speaker 1: a little bit further here to say this. He says, 169 00:09:20,320 --> 00:09:25,320 Speaker 1: we have seen his glory. Now. I've often wondered, in 170 00:09:25,400 --> 00:09:27,680 Speaker 1: reading through the Gospels, what it would be like to 171 00:09:27,720 --> 00:09:31,520 Speaker 1: be one of these early disciples of Jesus who spent 172 00:09:31,600 --> 00:09:35,840 Speaker 1: several years traveling with him, seeing him gradually reveal more 173 00:09:35,880 --> 00:09:38,840 Speaker 1: and more about himself, doing miraculous things in the midst 174 00:09:38,880 --> 00:09:42,400 Speaker 1: of the people, healing people, raising people from the dead, 175 00:09:43,120 --> 00:09:45,960 Speaker 1: then teaching large groups of people, and people marveling at 176 00:09:46,000 --> 00:09:48,120 Speaker 1: the way he would teach because he would teach with 177 00:09:48,200 --> 00:09:52,400 Speaker 1: such authority. And I think instinctively, people were like, what's 178 00:09:52,440 --> 00:09:54,679 Speaker 1: going on here? There's something about our heart that knows 179 00:09:54,720 --> 00:09:57,320 Speaker 1: we're supposed to listen to what he says. It's also 180 00:09:57,440 --> 00:09:59,439 Speaker 1: interesting when you realize that the very voice that they're 181 00:09:59,480 --> 00:10:02,120 Speaker 1: hearing say these things is also the one who spoke 182 00:10:02,160 --> 00:10:06,080 Speaker 1: creation into existence and sustains it by his powerful word. 183 00:10:06,640 --> 00:10:08,960 Speaker 1: And so people are hearing him teach, they're thinking there's 184 00:10:09,000 --> 00:10:11,960 Speaker 1: something different about his teaching. Well, John goes on to 185 00:10:11,960 --> 00:10:15,280 Speaker 1: say here in John chapter one, we have seen his glory. 186 00:10:15,800 --> 00:10:19,079 Speaker 1: So John had the opportunity to see Christ in his 187 00:10:20,440 --> 00:10:23,319 Speaker 1: earthly ministry, and he talks about the fact that he's 188 00:10:23,760 --> 00:10:26,280 Speaker 1: also seen him in his glorified state, and he's saying, look, 189 00:10:26,280 --> 00:10:29,360 Speaker 1: this isn't a distant glory. It's not a hidden glory. 190 00:10:29,400 --> 00:10:33,480 Speaker 1: It's an intentionally visible glory. But notice how John defines 191 00:10:33,520 --> 00:10:37,760 Speaker 1: that glory here. He doesn't point to power displays, he 192 00:10:37,760 --> 00:10:40,800 Speaker 1: doesn't point to political dominance. That's typically what people think 193 00:10:40,840 --> 00:10:42,760 Speaker 1: in our day and age of what glory looks like, 194 00:10:43,240 --> 00:10:47,480 Speaker 1: somebody excelling above other people or dominating, you know, in 195 00:10:47,520 --> 00:10:50,600 Speaker 1: some sphere of influence or something like that. He points 196 00:10:50,600 --> 00:10:52,600 Speaker 1: to Jesus this way, and he says what. He's the 197 00:10:52,640 --> 00:10:57,000 Speaker 1: only son from the Father full of grace and truth. 198 00:10:57,440 --> 00:10:59,959 Speaker 1: That's how he describes Jesus full of grace and truth. 199 00:11:00,360 --> 00:11:03,680 Speaker 1: That combination of grace and truth is really really cool 200 00:11:03,720 --> 00:11:06,560 Speaker 1: when you think about it. There's something really special about it. 201 00:11:06,559 --> 00:11:09,440 Speaker 1: It's meant to be highly significant, as John is using 202 00:11:09,480 --> 00:11:12,280 Speaker 1: those words. Think about the words grace and truth for 203 00:11:12,400 --> 00:11:17,560 Speaker 1: just a quick second. Grace without truth. So if you 204 00:11:17,600 --> 00:11:21,680 Speaker 1: have grace without truth, it ends up becoming empty affirmation. 205 00:11:22,520 --> 00:11:24,480 Speaker 1: If you have grace without truth, it's just it could 206 00:11:24,520 --> 00:11:31,360 Speaker 1: be like empty affirmation. Truth without grace can become crushing 207 00:11:31,559 --> 00:11:38,040 Speaker 1: and cold. And Jesus what he does is he brings 208 00:11:38,240 --> 00:11:43,240 Speaker 1: both at the same time, perfectly and fully because they're 209 00:11:43,280 --> 00:11:45,679 Speaker 1: meant to go together, and you see them together in 210 00:11:45,760 --> 00:11:48,440 Speaker 1: Christ himself. Now, when you hear the word grace, it's 211 00:11:48,520 --> 00:11:51,720 Speaker 1: kind of interesting. In a few months, our son Daniel, 212 00:11:52,200 --> 00:11:55,120 Speaker 1: his fiance, her name is Grace, and so I think 213 00:11:55,160 --> 00:11:57,600 Speaker 1: she thinks every sermon I preach is all about her, 214 00:11:57,679 --> 00:11:59,920 Speaker 1: because I talk a lot about grace and these messages, 215 00:12:00,240 --> 00:12:03,720 Speaker 1: and she loves when we sing Amazing Grace. She's like, oh, 216 00:12:03,920 --> 00:12:06,120 Speaker 1: what a lovely song for them to be singing today. 217 00:12:06,160 --> 00:12:09,560 Speaker 1: It's like, all right, grace, settle down now, right. But 218 00:12:09,600 --> 00:12:11,640 Speaker 1: I love when you look at the topic of grace 219 00:12:11,920 --> 00:12:14,720 Speaker 1: being brought up in scripture, because when grace is brought 220 00:12:14,800 --> 00:12:17,640 Speaker 1: up in scripture, it's literally telling us in the simplest 221 00:12:17,679 --> 00:12:21,440 Speaker 1: terms that we're getting something we don't deserve. You're being 222 00:12:21,520 --> 00:12:23,920 Speaker 1: given a gift you don't deserve. Grace is getting what 223 00:12:23,960 --> 00:12:28,320 Speaker 1: we don't deserve. Truth, as this is balanced out here 224 00:12:28,400 --> 00:12:30,840 Speaker 1: grace and truth. Truth means God tells us what we 225 00:12:30,920 --> 00:12:33,640 Speaker 1: need to hear. So we're getting what we don't deserve, 226 00:12:33,760 --> 00:12:37,600 Speaker 1: and we're hearing what we need to hear. In Jesus, 227 00:12:37,840 --> 00:12:41,840 Speaker 1: God doesn't water down reality, and he doesn't withhold mercy. 228 00:12:41,920 --> 00:12:45,440 Speaker 1: He meets us honestly and lovingly at the same exact time, 229 00:12:46,160 --> 00:12:49,640 Speaker 1: meets us with honesty and love at the same exact time. 230 00:12:50,120 --> 00:12:52,400 Speaker 1: That is good news. It's especially good news, I think 231 00:12:52,480 --> 00:12:54,640 Speaker 1: on Christmas Eve. I have to tell you. I'll give 232 00:12:54,640 --> 00:12:56,640 Speaker 1: you a little behind the scenes information here that you 233 00:12:56,760 --> 00:12:59,800 Speaker 1: probably already know. In my years of serving in past 234 00:13:00,120 --> 00:13:02,360 Speaker 1: oral ministry, and I've been serving as a pastor for 235 00:13:02,480 --> 00:13:06,040 Speaker 1: just about thirty years now, I've noticed a lot of 236 00:13:06,080 --> 00:13:08,199 Speaker 1: things people tell their pastor. A lot of things. And 237 00:13:08,240 --> 00:13:12,960 Speaker 1: I've noticed that that many people carry I would say, 238 00:13:13,000 --> 00:13:19,040 Speaker 1: like a hidden emotional heaviness that seems to become just 239 00:13:19,120 --> 00:13:23,280 Speaker 1: something at the forefront of their mind, typically during the 240 00:13:23,400 --> 00:13:26,240 Speaker 1: Christmas season, and sometimes it looks like regrets that they're 241 00:13:26,280 --> 00:13:29,080 Speaker 1: thinking about, or sometimes they think about things that they'd 242 00:13:29,120 --> 00:13:34,640 Speaker 1: classify as maybe failures or personal weaknesses. Sometimes it's unspoken shame, 243 00:13:34,880 --> 00:13:39,120 Speaker 1: sometimes just straight up grief. You see people decorating their homes, 244 00:13:39,160 --> 00:13:41,800 Speaker 1: you see people exchanging their gifts, you see people smiling 245 00:13:41,840 --> 00:13:44,960 Speaker 1: for pictures, and then inside we all know that we 246 00:13:45,000 --> 00:13:48,240 Speaker 1: aren't quite as put together as we tend to appear 247 00:13:48,360 --> 00:13:50,959 Speaker 1: on the outside. And I hear a whole bunch of 248 00:13:51,000 --> 00:13:54,000 Speaker 1: those things, oftentimes during this time of year. And I 249 00:13:54,040 --> 00:13:56,320 Speaker 1: think it's particularly helpful to look at a portion of 250 00:13:56,320 --> 00:14:00,360 Speaker 1: Scripture like this, because Jesus doesn't actually ignore that as 251 00:14:00,400 --> 00:14:03,360 Speaker 1: he's doing all the things that he does. What he's 252 00:14:03,400 --> 00:14:05,920 Speaker 1: actually doing is he's stepping into it. He knows that 253 00:14:05,960 --> 00:14:08,400 Speaker 1: your life, in my life, that it has its messy 254 00:14:08,480 --> 00:14:11,079 Speaker 1: moments or things that if we could go back in time, 255 00:14:11,120 --> 00:14:14,719 Speaker 1: we'd switch certain things around. And he steps right into that. 256 00:14:15,120 --> 00:14:16,839 Speaker 1: And how does he step into it? According to what 257 00:14:16,960 --> 00:14:19,600 Speaker 1: John says, in this portion of Scripture, he steps into 258 00:14:19,680 --> 00:14:24,360 Speaker 1: it with grace, and he steps into it with truth, 259 00:14:25,520 --> 00:14:28,400 Speaker 1: steps into it with grace and truth. And I think 260 00:14:28,440 --> 00:14:30,840 Speaker 1: scripture's revealing something to us here that should begin to 261 00:14:30,880 --> 00:14:34,479 Speaker 1: lift us up if we've been feeling any sort of heaviness, 262 00:14:34,800 --> 00:14:37,240 Speaker 1: because the Lord's ultimately what he's saying, if you read 263 00:14:37,280 --> 00:14:39,480 Speaker 1: the whole thing, if you read the entirety of Scripture, 264 00:14:39,720 --> 00:14:42,160 Speaker 1: is that he's actually here to take whatever heaviness has 265 00:14:42,160 --> 00:14:44,520 Speaker 1: been on your heart and take it from you and 266 00:14:44,960 --> 00:14:47,280 Speaker 1: just take it upon himself. It's actually what he came 267 00:14:47,360 --> 00:14:51,440 Speaker 1: to do. Whatever heaviness is there, he's here to take it. 268 00:14:51,800 --> 00:14:55,160 Speaker 1: And John continues like this. When you look at verse sixteen, 269 00:14:55,200 --> 00:14:59,240 Speaker 1: he says, for from his fullness, we have all received 270 00:14:59,440 --> 00:15:04,120 Speaker 1: grace upon grace. For from his fullness, we've all received 271 00:15:04,120 --> 00:15:07,040 Speaker 1: grace upon grace. I love that phrase, Grace upon grace, 272 00:15:07,400 --> 00:15:10,360 Speaker 1: Grace upon grace. It's actually painting a picture of something. 273 00:15:10,400 --> 00:15:14,320 Speaker 1: It's like wave upon wave, So grace upon grace, wave 274 00:15:14,440 --> 00:15:18,000 Speaker 1: upon wave, one gift stacked on top of another. I 275 00:15:18,000 --> 00:15:20,000 Speaker 1: don't know what it's gonna look like under your Christmas 276 00:15:20,080 --> 00:15:22,160 Speaker 1: tree tomorrow. You know, maybe those of you that have 277 00:15:22,160 --> 00:15:24,200 Speaker 1: a whole bunch of kids. You know, it's like gifts 278 00:15:24,200 --> 00:15:28,080 Speaker 1: stacked upon one upon another, right, grace upon grace, mercy 279 00:15:28,120 --> 00:15:30,840 Speaker 1: upon mercy. It's like mercy that doesn't run out. Grace, 280 00:15:30,880 --> 00:15:34,120 Speaker 1: it doesn't run out kindness that keeps coming, good stuff 281 00:15:34,120 --> 00:15:35,960 Speaker 1: that the Lord shares with us that we don't deserve, 282 00:15:36,000 --> 00:15:38,400 Speaker 1: and yet he gives it to us anyway. And I 283 00:15:38,440 --> 00:15:40,880 Speaker 1: love this fact about God. When God gives, he doesn't 284 00:15:40,920 --> 00:15:45,640 Speaker 1: give sparingly. He doesn't measure what he's giving out hoping 285 00:15:45,680 --> 00:15:49,440 Speaker 1: you're not gonna need more of it tomorrow. In Jesus, 286 00:15:49,800 --> 00:15:51,880 Speaker 1: the idea is that this grace that he's giving, it's 287 00:15:51,920 --> 00:15:56,440 Speaker 1: grace upon grace. It's grace that overflows. And I like 288 00:15:56,480 --> 00:15:59,080 Speaker 1: to think of this verse when practicing generosity in my 289 00:15:59,120 --> 00:16:03,040 Speaker 1: own life. So as a child, I can remember some 290 00:16:03,080 --> 00:16:06,160 Speaker 1: really fun Christmases when I was a child. But it 291 00:16:06,200 --> 00:16:10,080 Speaker 1: wouldn't surprise you to know that, you know, as a child, Christmas, 292 00:16:10,120 --> 00:16:12,280 Speaker 1: at least in my mind, was primarily about what you 293 00:16:12,400 --> 00:16:15,280 Speaker 1: hoped to get. It's always interesting to ask a child, 294 00:16:15,360 --> 00:16:16,760 Speaker 1: what do you hope to get? What do you hope 295 00:16:16,760 --> 00:16:19,800 Speaker 1: to get? Back then, we had sears catalogs, right and 296 00:16:19,840 --> 00:16:22,200 Speaker 1: you'd just circle everything in the Sears catalog and I 297 00:16:22,200 --> 00:16:26,280 Speaker 1: would start looking months ahead of time, you know, wherever 298 00:16:26,320 --> 00:16:28,640 Speaker 1: I was, whether I was home or at my grandparents' house, 299 00:16:28,680 --> 00:16:31,800 Speaker 1: and I'd leave bookmarks in the Seers catalog. I was 300 00:16:31,840 --> 00:16:34,080 Speaker 1: just trying to make everybody's life a little bit easier, right, 301 00:16:34,120 --> 00:16:36,960 Speaker 1: and you'd circle that stuff. Somebody I just saw online 302 00:16:37,000 --> 00:16:40,080 Speaker 1: the other day posted some pictures from the nineteen eighty 303 00:16:40,160 --> 00:16:42,960 Speaker 1: seven Seers catalog and I actually screenshot in one of 304 00:16:43,000 --> 00:16:46,120 Speaker 1: the pictures and sent it to my wife and with 305 00:16:46,200 --> 00:16:49,920 Speaker 1: the message that just said hint, and it was all 306 00:16:49,960 --> 00:16:52,600 Speaker 1: action figures that I wanted back in nineteen eighty seven. 307 00:16:52,800 --> 00:16:56,200 Speaker 1: You know, I was eleven years old. They're good, They're 308 00:16:56,240 --> 00:16:58,760 Speaker 1: really good. That's all I thought about, though. Christmas time 309 00:16:58,840 --> 00:17:00,560 Speaker 1: was like what It's like, what do I want? What 310 00:17:00,600 --> 00:17:02,920 Speaker 1: do I hope to get? And you've probably had that 311 00:17:03,000 --> 00:17:04,800 Speaker 1: experience as well. And there's probably some people in this 312 00:17:04,880 --> 00:17:07,359 Speaker 1: room that when they think about Christmas, that's primarily what 313 00:17:07,359 --> 00:17:09,560 Speaker 1: they're thinking about. I get that, but I have to 314 00:17:09,560 --> 00:17:11,880 Speaker 1: tell you, if something happens in your mind as an adult, 315 00:17:12,119 --> 00:17:14,520 Speaker 1: and many of you have had this experience where you've 316 00:17:14,600 --> 00:17:19,119 Speaker 1: learned that there's actually a greater joy in giving, not 317 00:17:19,200 --> 00:17:21,440 Speaker 1: an interesting change. It starts to take place in your 318 00:17:21,480 --> 00:17:25,359 Speaker 1: mind and in your heart. Over time, you discover something. 319 00:17:25,520 --> 00:17:27,760 Speaker 1: Jesus himself said it. He's quoted in the Book of 320 00:17:27,800 --> 00:17:31,040 Speaker 1: Acts in saying, it's it's more blessed to give than 321 00:17:31,080 --> 00:17:34,280 Speaker 1: it is to receive. Receiving is a wonderful thing, but 322 00:17:34,320 --> 00:17:36,439 Speaker 1: it's more blessed to give than it is to receive. 323 00:17:36,480 --> 00:17:38,640 Speaker 1: And once you start giving, then you realize, oh, wait 324 00:17:38,640 --> 00:17:44,080 Speaker 1: a second, there's something here that I'm really enjoying. And 325 00:17:44,119 --> 00:17:48,080 Speaker 1: then you start practicing generosity. And why do you practice generosity? Well, 326 00:17:48,480 --> 00:17:52,320 Speaker 1: we serve a generous God who invites us as his 327 00:17:52,520 --> 00:17:57,840 Speaker 1: ambassadors on this earth to mirror his generosity. And what 328 00:17:57,880 --> 00:18:03,240 Speaker 1: does his generosity look like, Grace upon grace upon grace. 329 00:18:03,240 --> 00:18:05,000 Speaker 1: If John wanted to make that a good long run 330 00:18:05,040 --> 00:18:07,520 Speaker 1: on sentence, he could have just kept saying, upon grace, 331 00:18:08,080 --> 00:18:14,760 Speaker 1: upon grace, upon grace. From Jesus fullness, we receive grace 332 00:18:14,840 --> 00:18:17,919 Speaker 1: upon grace. So that's not grace once, not grace if 333 00:18:17,960 --> 00:18:20,000 Speaker 1: somehow were good enough to earn it, because none of 334 00:18:20,080 --> 00:18:23,000 Speaker 1: us are good enough to earn it. Jesus offers us 335 00:18:23,040 --> 00:18:25,119 Speaker 1: grace that meets us right where we are and carries 336 00:18:25,200 --> 00:18:27,159 Speaker 1: us for it, and he keeps supplying it over and 337 00:18:27,240 --> 00:18:29,040 Speaker 1: over and over again, and he says, hey, by the way, 338 00:18:29,359 --> 00:18:31,960 Speaker 1: represent me everywhere you go. Be as generous as you've 339 00:18:32,000 --> 00:18:35,600 Speaker 1: seen me. Be. Tou show grace upon grace as an 340 00:18:35,640 --> 00:18:39,639 Speaker 1: ambassador of my righteousness. As a minister of reconciliation in 341 00:18:39,680 --> 00:18:43,679 Speaker 1: this world, that's our job to reflect his heart, grace 342 00:18:43,760 --> 00:18:46,800 Speaker 1: upon grace upon grace. And yet the cool thing about 343 00:18:46,840 --> 00:18:49,840 Speaker 1: this season, as we celebrate the Christmas season, the incarnation 344 00:18:49,920 --> 00:18:53,960 Speaker 1: of Christ Christmas actually reminds us that that grace arrived 345 00:18:54,600 --> 00:18:58,159 Speaker 1: before we ever asked for it. We didn't even know 346 00:18:58,280 --> 00:19:03,600 Speaker 1: to ask for it, we weren't asking for it, but 347 00:19:03,640 --> 00:19:07,000 Speaker 1: He knew that we needed it. Jesus was born into 348 00:19:07,040 --> 00:19:09,800 Speaker 1: a world. When you read the totality of John chapter one, 349 00:19:09,880 --> 00:19:11,639 Speaker 1: like we've been doing throughout the course of this month, 350 00:19:12,080 --> 00:19:15,200 Speaker 1: Jesus was born into a world that wasn't looking for him. 351 00:19:16,320 --> 00:19:18,359 Speaker 1: And we're also told in this chapter he was born 352 00:19:18,359 --> 00:19:21,920 Speaker 1: into a world that didn't recognize him. He was born 353 00:19:21,960 --> 00:19:25,000 Speaker 1: into a world that would eventually reject him, and he 354 00:19:25,080 --> 00:19:26,840 Speaker 1: knew ahead of time that all of that was going 355 00:19:26,880 --> 00:19:30,160 Speaker 1: to happen. And still he came. Why because he delights 356 00:19:30,240 --> 00:19:34,280 Speaker 1: to give grace upon grace upon grace to people who 357 00:19:34,359 --> 00:19:36,320 Speaker 1: weren't asking for it and didn't even know that we 358 00:19:36,400 --> 00:19:39,000 Speaker 1: needed it. But he knew we needed it, and so 359 00:19:39,040 --> 00:19:42,440 Speaker 1: he came. And then John says something else that's definitely 360 00:19:42,440 --> 00:19:46,280 Speaker 1: a theological statement. And I hope everybody read the entirety 361 00:19:46,320 --> 00:19:48,960 Speaker 1: of the Old Testament before you came here tonight, because 362 00:19:49,000 --> 00:19:51,200 Speaker 1: this will help as we look at the statement, and 363 00:19:51,240 --> 00:19:53,440 Speaker 1: if you didn't, just read it before you go to bed, 364 00:19:53,600 --> 00:19:56,520 Speaker 1: you still have time. But look at what he says 365 00:19:56,600 --> 00:20:00,639 Speaker 1: in John chapter one, verse seventeen on people that are 366 00:20:00,640 --> 00:20:02,320 Speaker 1: new are like, does he really expect us to read 367 00:20:02,320 --> 00:20:07,960 Speaker 1: the whole thing? Yes? In John one point seventeen, he says, 368 00:20:08,240 --> 00:20:11,280 Speaker 1: for the law was given through Moses. So the first 369 00:20:11,320 --> 00:20:14,200 Speaker 1: five books of the Bible, by the way, Genesis, Exodus, Oviticus, 370 00:20:14,280 --> 00:20:17,399 Speaker 1: numbers Deuteronomy, that's the law first five books of the Bible. 371 00:20:17,720 --> 00:20:20,040 Speaker 1: Moses was the one the Holy Spirit inspired to write 372 00:20:20,040 --> 00:20:22,920 Speaker 1: those words down. And John says, look, the law was 373 00:20:22,960 --> 00:20:27,840 Speaker 1: given through Moses. Grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. 374 00:20:27,880 --> 00:20:30,280 Speaker 1: Now what's he getting at when he says this why 375 00:20:30,320 --> 00:20:32,920 Speaker 1: is he saying that in this chapter that's about the 376 00:20:32,960 --> 00:20:37,000 Speaker 1: incarnation of Jesus and what Jesus was doing behind the scenes. Well, again, 377 00:20:37,119 --> 00:20:44,040 Speaker 1: humanity has always, you know, wondered about what's right and 378 00:20:44,080 --> 00:20:47,400 Speaker 1: what's wrong. And when you look back at the Old Testament, 379 00:20:47,480 --> 00:20:51,840 Speaker 1: the Old Testament, the Old Testament Law, it reveals God's standards, 380 00:20:52,080 --> 00:20:54,520 Speaker 1: and it did a perfect job in showing people what 381 00:20:54,560 --> 00:20:58,840 Speaker 1: holiness looks like. That was its job. But here's the thing. 382 00:20:58,920 --> 00:21:03,359 Speaker 1: The Law doesn't change the human heart. It reveals what's 383 00:21:03,400 --> 00:21:06,399 Speaker 1: wrong with the human heart, but it doesn't change the 384 00:21:06,480 --> 00:21:12,159 Speaker 1: human heart. It diagnoses the problem, but it's not the 385 00:21:12,280 --> 00:21:15,120 Speaker 1: cure for the problem. That's what John's getting at when 386 00:21:15,119 --> 00:21:18,600 Speaker 1: he makes this statement. So Jesus came to do what 387 00:21:18,640 --> 00:21:20,960 Speaker 1: the Law never could. The Law was actually given to 388 00:21:21,000 --> 00:21:24,280 Speaker 1: prepare us for Jesus, who is the solution. So when 389 00:21:24,359 --> 00:21:27,000 Speaker 1: Jesus came, he didn't just tell us how far we've fallen. 390 00:21:27,359 --> 00:21:30,000 Speaker 1: The Law told us that. The Old Testament told us 391 00:21:30,000 --> 00:21:33,600 Speaker 1: how far we have fallen. But then Jesus came to say, 392 00:21:33,800 --> 00:21:36,040 Speaker 1: now I'm here as the solution. He came to lift 393 00:21:36,119 --> 00:21:38,520 Speaker 1: us up. He didn't just come to expose our sin 394 00:21:38,600 --> 00:21:42,280 Speaker 1: and our faults. He came to offer forgiveness. He doesn't 395 00:21:42,320 --> 00:21:46,720 Speaker 1: just command obedience. He also provides transformation. That's what he 396 00:21:46,760 --> 00:21:49,399 Speaker 1: came to do. So the truths that we remember and 397 00:21:49,440 --> 00:21:51,760 Speaker 1: the truths that we celebrate here during the Christmas season, 398 00:21:51,960 --> 00:21:57,200 Speaker 1: they're not just inspirational, they're also redemptive. It's a rescue 399 00:21:57,240 --> 00:21:59,960 Speaker 1: plan that we're looking at here. And if Jesus was 400 00:22:00,000 --> 00:22:03,960 Speaker 1: he's only a teacher. His birth would be interesting, but 401 00:22:03,960 --> 00:22:06,920 Speaker 1: it wouldn't be life changing. And if he was only 402 00:22:06,960 --> 00:22:11,080 Speaker 1: a moral example of what's right and wrong, Christmas would 403 00:22:11,160 --> 00:22:17,560 Speaker 1: certainly inspire admiration, but it wouldn't explain salvation. It wouldn't 404 00:22:17,600 --> 00:22:23,360 Speaker 1: provide salvation through Jesus Christ. Jesus came bringing grace and truth. 405 00:22:24,359 --> 00:22:26,920 Speaker 1: That's why John brings both of them up. He came 406 00:22:27,000 --> 00:22:30,760 Speaker 1: to rescue, not just to instruct. Now I think we 407 00:22:30,840 --> 00:22:34,240 Speaker 1: need the instruction to understand the rescue. But he didn't 408 00:22:34,240 --> 00:22:37,320 Speaker 1: just come to instruct. He came to rescue. And then 409 00:22:37,440 --> 00:22:41,080 Speaker 1: John closes out this section here in verse eighteen with 410 00:22:41,359 --> 00:22:44,200 Speaker 1: a very powerful statement. He says, no one has ever 411 00:22:44,240 --> 00:22:46,600 Speaker 1: seen God, God, the only son who is at the 412 00:22:46,640 --> 00:22:51,440 Speaker 1: father's side. He has made him known again humanity's always 413 00:22:51,480 --> 00:22:54,600 Speaker 1: wondered what God is. Like philosophers, they speculate about God, 414 00:22:54,680 --> 00:22:59,480 Speaker 1: religions attempt explanations of God. People form opinions based on 415 00:22:59,520 --> 00:23:03,920 Speaker 1: their own per personal experiences. But here John says, Jesus 416 00:23:04,320 --> 00:23:06,720 Speaker 1: makes God known. If you want to know what God's like, 417 00:23:06,840 --> 00:23:10,159 Speaker 1: you look to Jesus. That means, when Jesus shows compassion, 418 00:23:10,200 --> 00:23:14,200 Speaker 1: we see God's compassion. When Jesus forgives sinners, we see 419 00:23:14,240 --> 00:23:18,800 Speaker 1: God's heart. When Jesus welcomes the outcast, we see God's priorities. 420 00:23:19,320 --> 00:23:21,840 Speaker 1: When Jesus lays down his life, we see God's love 421 00:23:21,880 --> 00:23:26,040 Speaker 1: in its fullest form. The arrival of Jesus, John is saying, 422 00:23:26,520 --> 00:23:31,399 Speaker 1: is God making himself known. That's what we're celebrating in 423 00:23:31,440 --> 00:23:34,520 Speaker 1: this moment, is we're worshiping the Lord, and throughout this 424 00:23:34,600 --> 00:23:36,800 Speaker 1: season as we worship him, we're celebrating the fact that 425 00:23:36,840 --> 00:23:40,239 Speaker 1: God is making himself known in Jesus Christ. He's not 426 00:23:40,240 --> 00:23:43,360 Speaker 1: making himself known in abstract ideas. He's making himself known 427 00:23:43,400 --> 00:23:46,560 Speaker 1: in a person, not in distant rules, but in a relationship, 428 00:23:46,640 --> 00:23:52,439 Speaker 1: not in fear, but in love. And why does this matter? Well? 429 00:23:52,480 --> 00:23:56,000 Speaker 1: I think Christmas Eve, if we approach it right. I 430 00:23:56,040 --> 00:23:58,600 Speaker 1: actually think it becomes like a threshold moment. And what 431 00:23:58,640 --> 00:24:01,040 Speaker 1: I mean by that is this, it sits right between 432 00:24:01,080 --> 00:24:05,520 Speaker 1: the anticipation that we've had for multiple weeks and then 433 00:24:05,560 --> 00:24:08,280 Speaker 1: the celebration that so many of us will have tomorrow. 434 00:24:08,320 --> 00:24:10,119 Speaker 1: Then you have Christmas Eve, and it sits right between 435 00:24:10,160 --> 00:24:14,040 Speaker 1: these two things. It's like a threshold, right between anticipation 436 00:24:14,280 --> 00:24:19,639 Speaker 1: and celebration, or between longing and fulfillment. And for many people, 437 00:24:19,720 --> 00:24:24,040 Speaker 1: Christmas Eve is also a moment of decision. Some have 438 00:24:24,119 --> 00:24:27,040 Speaker 1: heard about Jesus their entire lives. Maybe this is you. 439 00:24:27,080 --> 00:24:30,160 Speaker 1: Maybe you've heard about Jesus your entire lives, but you've 440 00:24:30,200 --> 00:24:34,000 Speaker 1: never actually responded to him. Maybe you've heard things about him, 441 00:24:34,440 --> 00:24:37,760 Speaker 1: heard his name referenced many times, but you've never responded 442 00:24:37,800 --> 00:24:40,840 Speaker 1: to his invitation to have a relationship with him. I 443 00:24:40,840 --> 00:24:43,560 Speaker 1: think others feel distant from God, and then they assume 444 00:24:43,640 --> 00:24:47,280 Speaker 1: that that distance is permanent. There are many people in 445 00:24:47,280 --> 00:24:49,720 Speaker 1: this world that think that they are doomed to a 446 00:24:49,880 --> 00:24:53,479 Speaker 1: permanent distance between them and God. Then you see some 447 00:24:53,600 --> 00:24:56,480 Speaker 1: that are weary, some that are burdened, some that are 448 00:24:56,520 --> 00:25:00,080 Speaker 1: maybe unsure that faith could actually make a difference. And 449 00:25:00,119 --> 00:25:01,679 Speaker 1: then you look at this portion of scripture that we 450 00:25:01,800 --> 00:25:04,080 Speaker 1: just read together, and you realize that it speaks directly 451 00:25:04,440 --> 00:25:07,119 Speaker 1: to all of that, speaks to all of that. It 452 00:25:07,160 --> 00:25:11,119 Speaker 1: tells us that God isn't far away. He came close. 453 00:25:11,840 --> 00:25:15,080 Speaker 1: So if you think of God as distant, the scripture says, nope, 454 00:25:15,359 --> 00:25:19,399 Speaker 1: he came close. It tells us that God isn't harsh, 455 00:25:20,280 --> 00:25:22,520 Speaker 1: that he's full of grace and truth. So if you 456 00:25:22,560 --> 00:25:25,080 Speaker 1: think that God's primarily looking at you for any mistake 457 00:25:25,119 --> 00:25:27,520 Speaker 1: that you've made, or any error that you made, or 458 00:25:27,560 --> 00:25:29,600 Speaker 1: how you feel like maybe you don't measure up, then 459 00:25:29,640 --> 00:25:31,199 Speaker 1: you look at this portion of scripture. It says, no, 460 00:25:31,440 --> 00:25:33,360 Speaker 1: God is full of grace and truth. He doesn't hide 461 00:25:33,359 --> 00:25:35,520 Speaker 1: the fact that there are things that need to be solved. 462 00:25:35,520 --> 00:25:38,080 Speaker 1: But he's also full of grace, meaning he's eager to 463 00:25:38,119 --> 00:25:42,920 Speaker 1: give you what you could never deserve. A relationship with himself, 464 00:25:42,960 --> 00:25:49,120 Speaker 1: an eternity of ultimate blessing in his presence also tells 465 00:25:49,200 --> 00:25:53,080 Speaker 1: us that God isn't hidden. He's made himself known. Do 466 00:25:53,119 --> 00:25:54,800 Speaker 1: you ever hear people say, you know, if God's real, 467 00:25:54,800 --> 00:25:57,280 Speaker 1: why doesn't he just like come down and tell us 468 00:25:58,359 --> 00:26:04,520 Speaker 1: reveal himself. Isn't that exactly what he did? Isn't that 469 00:26:04,520 --> 00:26:06,800 Speaker 1: what we're celebrating at Christmas? The fact that God took 470 00:26:06,800 --> 00:26:09,639 Speaker 1: on flesh, walked among us and said, I'm literally right here, 471 00:26:11,119 --> 00:26:14,600 Speaker 1: and you don't recognize me, and you're not listening to 472 00:26:14,600 --> 00:26:17,280 Speaker 1: what I'm saying. And yet there were some in that 473 00:26:17,359 --> 00:26:20,800 Speaker 1: generation that did recognize and did hear what he said. 474 00:26:21,800 --> 00:26:23,760 Speaker 1: And as they rejoiced in that truth, then they went 475 00:26:23,800 --> 00:26:25,879 Speaker 1: and shared that truth with others and passed it along 476 00:26:25,880 --> 00:26:28,359 Speaker 1: to you and to me. And here we are celebrating 477 00:26:28,400 --> 00:26:31,760 Speaker 1: that truth, God taking on flesh and walking among us. 478 00:26:31,920 --> 00:26:33,840 Speaker 1: I'll tell you what. Jesus did not come to this 479 00:26:33,920 --> 00:26:38,560 Speaker 1: earth to start a holiday. He came to restore a relationship, 480 00:26:39,720 --> 00:26:42,919 Speaker 1: and that's why we celebrate. Came to restore a relationship. 481 00:26:43,640 --> 00:26:46,719 Speaker 1: This is an invitation. It's not just a story. The 482 00:26:46,720 --> 00:26:49,720 Speaker 1: birth of Jesus isn't something to just admire. It's something 483 00:26:49,760 --> 00:26:55,080 Speaker 1: to respond to. Grace invites a response, Truth invites a decision. 484 00:26:55,720 --> 00:26:59,560 Speaker 1: Jesus entered into our world so that we could enter 485 00:26:59,600 --> 00:27:03,360 Speaker 1: into God, God's family. He took on flesh so that 486 00:27:03,400 --> 00:27:06,959 Speaker 1: we could receive forgiveness. He came near so that we 487 00:27:07,000 --> 00:27:08,639 Speaker 1: could be near to him, so that we didn't have 488 00:27:08,720 --> 00:27:12,199 Speaker 1: to stay lost. And I like Christmas Eves. I like 489 00:27:12,240 --> 00:27:14,480 Speaker 1: it so much because it reminds us that the door 490 00:27:14,640 --> 00:27:19,280 Speaker 1: is open, the light has come into the darkness. God 491 00:27:19,359 --> 00:27:24,399 Speaker 1: has spoken, and his word has a name. And if 492 00:27:24,440 --> 00:27:27,240 Speaker 1: you've never trusted in Jesus Christ, I will tell you this, 493 00:27:27,240 --> 00:27:31,800 Speaker 1: this night matters. Not because of tradition, not because of emotion, 494 00:27:31,920 --> 00:27:34,119 Speaker 1: not because of anything like that, but because God is 495 00:27:34,200 --> 00:27:36,640 Speaker 1: literally reaching out to you. It's no accident that we're 496 00:27:36,680 --> 00:27:38,960 Speaker 1: gathered together here. It's no accident that you're hear in 497 00:27:38,960 --> 00:27:42,040 Speaker 1: this place hearing the Gospel of John proclaimed our ears 498 00:27:42,040 --> 00:27:45,640 Speaker 1: were meant to hear that. That's God taking the opportunity, 499 00:27:45,680 --> 00:27:50,920 Speaker 1: through his revealed word to reveal himself to us. God 500 00:27:51,000 --> 00:27:55,720 Speaker 1: reaching out to us, Grace being offered to us, truth 501 00:27:55,800 --> 00:28:00,119 Speaker 1: being revealed, life being extended, the Lord looking at you 502 00:28:00,240 --> 00:28:02,640 Speaker 1: and me and saying, I'm offering you eternal life. I'm 503 00:28:02,680 --> 00:28:07,679 Speaker 1: offering you life now. If you've already trusted in Christ, 504 00:28:07,680 --> 00:28:10,800 Speaker 1: if you've already believed in Him in a personal relational way. 505 00:28:10,920 --> 00:28:13,960 Speaker 1: Christmas Eve is also a nice reminder for us because 506 00:28:14,000 --> 00:28:19,760 Speaker 1: it's a reminder of what we've received, grace upon grace, undeserved, 507 00:28:19,760 --> 00:28:23,439 Speaker 1: blessing upon undeserved blessing, a savior who came close, a 508 00:28:23,480 --> 00:28:27,040 Speaker 1: God who made himself known. I think the beauty of 509 00:28:27,080 --> 00:28:31,000 Speaker 1: this reality is also something that we should say. You know, 510 00:28:31,040 --> 00:28:33,240 Speaker 1: this doesn't end when the lights come down, when the 511 00:28:33,280 --> 00:28:36,160 Speaker 1: songs fade, when the traditions are done, when the celebrations 512 00:28:36,160 --> 00:28:40,280 Speaker 1: are over. John's words remind us here that Jesus didn't 513 00:28:40,400 --> 00:28:48,560 Speaker 1: just visit. He stayed, He lived. He then experienced death 514 00:28:48,640 --> 00:28:52,720 Speaker 1: on our behalf, and then defeated death by rising from 515 00:28:52,720 --> 00:28:55,960 Speaker 1: the grave. And then he looks at you, he looks 516 00:28:55,960 --> 00:28:58,200 Speaker 1: at me, and he says, I have just defeated the 517 00:28:58,240 --> 00:29:01,240 Speaker 1: power of Sin. I've just feed the power of death. 518 00:29:01,320 --> 00:29:04,400 Speaker 1: I've just defeated the power of Satan. And I share 519 00:29:04,440 --> 00:29:09,520 Speaker 1: that victory with you if you want it, but only 520 00:29:09,560 --> 00:29:12,920 Speaker 1: if you want it. Not going to force myself upon you, 521 00:29:13,760 --> 00:29:16,760 Speaker 1: nothing like that. But that's offered to you and to 522 00:29:16,880 --> 00:29:19,200 Speaker 1: me if we desire it. And by the way, if 523 00:29:19,240 --> 00:29:21,320 Speaker 1: you desire it, it's only because the Lord's opened our 524 00:29:21,360 --> 00:29:23,840 Speaker 1: eyes and our hearts to even want those things. But 525 00:29:23,920 --> 00:29:26,360 Speaker 1: isn't that a wonderful thing that the Lord would do, that, 526 00:29:26,360 --> 00:29:28,680 Speaker 1: that he'd cause us to care for the very things 527 00:29:28,680 --> 00:29:31,560 Speaker 1: that he cares about. He'd help you and I to 528 00:29:31,600 --> 00:29:34,040 Speaker 1: see that what matters to him should matter to us 529 00:29:34,080 --> 00:29:37,880 Speaker 1: as well, should matter to our children. Also, this isn't 530 00:29:37,920 --> 00:29:39,760 Speaker 1: just good news for one night. It's good news for 531 00:29:39,840 --> 00:29:42,840 Speaker 1: all time. This is going to be a different Christmas 532 00:29:42,880 --> 00:29:49,080 Speaker 1: for my wife and I, our children. Terrible people that 533 00:29:49,080 --> 00:29:53,560 Speaker 1: they are, they went and became adults, not terrible of them. 534 00:29:54,080 --> 00:29:56,920 Speaker 1: We don't have a single child under the age of twenty. Now, 535 00:29:57,160 --> 00:30:01,000 Speaker 1: that ridiculous. And we were just talking about the fact 536 00:30:01,000 --> 00:30:04,280 Speaker 1: that it's different now, not a bad different, it's actually 537 00:30:04,360 --> 00:30:08,760 Speaker 1: it's a good different, But it's different. Our family traditions 538 00:30:08,960 --> 00:30:12,120 Speaker 1: are in the process of changing. But I'll tell you 539 00:30:12,160 --> 00:30:16,200 Speaker 1: one thing that we always did as a tradition on 540 00:30:16,520 --> 00:30:19,120 Speaker 1: Christmas morning, and I want to just throw this out 541 00:30:19,160 --> 00:30:21,680 Speaker 1: there for you. If you want to adopt this tradition, 542 00:30:21,720 --> 00:30:24,000 Speaker 1: maybe you already do it. We did some of this 543 00:30:24,040 --> 00:30:26,400 Speaker 1: tonight in some of the scriptures that we read our 544 00:30:26,400 --> 00:30:29,080 Speaker 1: family on Christmas Morning, before we would open our gifts, 545 00:30:29,480 --> 00:30:34,720 Speaker 1: we would always read Luke chapter two, Luke chapter two 546 00:30:34,840 --> 00:30:38,200 Speaker 1: describing what Jesus did. Now John is giving us the 547 00:30:38,200 --> 00:30:41,600 Speaker 1: theological behind the scenes of what was taking place. What 548 00:30:41,720 --> 00:30:44,080 Speaker 1: was taking place was the fact that God was taking 549 00:30:44,120 --> 00:30:47,280 Speaker 1: on flesh to dwell among us and offer us grace 550 00:30:47,320 --> 00:30:51,200 Speaker 1: and truth, grace upon grace upon grace. And when you 551 00:30:51,200 --> 00:30:54,360 Speaker 1: look at Luke chapter two, it shows everything from a 552 00:30:54,480 --> 00:30:57,800 Speaker 1: very human angle. And I'd encourage you to take the 553 00:30:57,840 --> 00:31:00,840 Speaker 1: time for yourself to read that chapter, but maybe read 554 00:31:00,840 --> 00:31:03,280 Speaker 1: that chapter with your kiddos as well before you open 555 00:31:03,360 --> 00:31:06,040 Speaker 1: up gifts, or with your grandkids as well, before you 556 00:31:06,080 --> 00:31:09,200 Speaker 1: open up gifts, just showing appreciation for who the Lord 557 00:31:09,320 --> 00:31:12,880 Speaker 1: is and what he's done on our behalf. And I 558 00:31:12,920 --> 00:31:16,960 Speaker 1: will say this, some of you I know super well. 559 00:31:17,040 --> 00:31:19,640 Speaker 1: Some of you I don't know very well at all. 560 00:31:19,800 --> 00:31:21,680 Speaker 1: When you look at these portions of scripture, I hope 561 00:31:21,720 --> 00:31:23,880 Speaker 1: that your heart is encouraged. I don't know if you 562 00:31:23,920 --> 00:31:26,160 Speaker 1: have spent the majority of your life feeling as if 563 00:31:26,200 --> 00:31:29,920 Speaker 1: God is distant or that he only likes perfect people. 564 00:31:30,240 --> 00:31:31,920 Speaker 1: But one of the things that I hope your heart 565 00:31:31,920 --> 00:31:34,400 Speaker 1: will latch onto and looking at this portion of scripture 566 00:31:34,600 --> 00:31:37,480 Speaker 1: is that none of us is perfect. If we were perfect, 567 00:31:37,520 --> 00:31:39,480 Speaker 1: if any of us was perfect, we could have done 568 00:31:39,520 --> 00:31:42,200 Speaker 1: this job for Jesus. We could have just done it 569 00:31:42,200 --> 00:31:45,200 Speaker 1: for him, and none of us was worthy to do it. 570 00:31:45,680 --> 00:31:47,200 Speaker 1: None of us could have done this, And so he 571 00:31:47,240 --> 00:31:50,200 Speaker 1: came to this earth because he alone is perfect and 572 00:31:50,240 --> 00:31:53,760 Speaker 1: none of us are, and we needed him. And he 573 00:31:53,880 --> 00:31:57,120 Speaker 1: offers us salvation, which means complete forgiveness of our sin, 574 00:31:58,000 --> 00:32:02,160 Speaker 1: eternal life, and his presence forever, and his abiding presence 575 00:32:02,240 --> 00:32:05,240 Speaker 1: and power right now as we seek to navigate life 576 00:32:05,240 --> 00:32:07,600 Speaker 1: in the midst of a fallen world. And he offers 577 00:32:07,600 --> 00:32:09,560 Speaker 1: that to you and to me, and he says, Look, 578 00:32:09,600 --> 00:32:11,920 Speaker 1: you don't have to earn it. You don't have to 579 00:32:12,000 --> 00:32:14,880 Speaker 1: deserve it, you don't have to work for it. You 580 00:32:14,880 --> 00:32:17,800 Speaker 1: don't have to be the most perfect person in your family. 581 00:32:17,800 --> 00:32:20,120 Speaker 1: Although I know you guys, and you guys are the 582 00:32:20,160 --> 00:32:22,680 Speaker 1: most perfect people in your I've met your families. You're 583 00:32:22,720 --> 00:32:27,480 Speaker 1: way better than them. All kidding aside, you don't have 584 00:32:27,560 --> 00:32:31,320 Speaker 1: to be perfect. Christ offers himself to us and says, 585 00:32:31,360 --> 00:32:35,440 Speaker 1: I'll be perfect for you, and through faith in him, 586 00:32:35,480 --> 00:32:39,880 Speaker 1: his victory becomes our victory. It's a shared victory. And 587 00:32:39,920 --> 00:32:42,440 Speaker 1: that's what Christ offers us. So as we look at 588 00:32:42,440 --> 00:32:45,400 Speaker 1: this portion of Scripture, I hope that's something that our 589 00:32:45,400 --> 00:32:48,760 Speaker 1: hearts will latch onto tonight, and not just tonight, but 590 00:32:48,840 --> 00:32:51,560 Speaker 1: as an ongoing reality of our day to day walk 591 00:32:51,840 --> 00:32:56,520 Speaker 1: with him. Let's pray, Lord, thank you so much for 592 00:32:56,560 --> 00:33:00,720 Speaker 1: the fact that, when we look at your word, were 593 00:33:00,840 --> 00:33:05,720 Speaker 1: given the opportunity to understand things about you that naturally speaking, 594 00:33:05,840 --> 00:33:08,440 Speaker 1: we wouldn't have known. We wouldn't have known these things. 595 00:33:08,480 --> 00:33:14,160 Speaker 1: These aren't things that that we would have understood. These 596 00:33:14,160 --> 00:33:18,120 Speaker 1: aren't things that we would have realized. These are all 597 00:33:18,200 --> 00:33:21,920 Speaker 1: things that we only know because you've made them known 598 00:33:22,000 --> 00:33:24,880 Speaker 1: to us. And so, Lord, we're grateful for the fact 599 00:33:24,920 --> 00:33:28,120 Speaker 1: that you've revealed yourself to us. We're grateful for the 600 00:33:28,160 --> 00:33:31,440 Speaker 1: fact that your son Jesus Christ, came to this earth, 601 00:33:31,480 --> 00:33:34,120 Speaker 1: took on flesh, lived the perfect life on our behalf, 602 00:33:34,680 --> 00:33:36,680 Speaker 1: died on the cross to a tone for our sin, 603 00:33:37,320 --> 00:33:42,760 Speaker 1: rose from the grave, defeating sin's power, defeating Satan's power, 604 00:33:42,800 --> 00:33:47,640 Speaker 1: defeating the power of sin, defeeding death. Or we're just 605 00:33:47,640 --> 00:33:51,160 Speaker 1: so grateful for that, and I pray that by your 606 00:33:51,200 --> 00:33:53,800 Speaker 1: grace you'd help us to be men and women who 607 00:33:53,880 --> 00:33:56,760 Speaker 1: realize the grace that's been offered to us through your 608 00:33:56,800 --> 00:34:01,760 Speaker 1: son Jesus Christ. Lord, I know where all of our 609 00:34:01,800 --> 00:34:03,800 Speaker 1: hearts are, but I do know Lord, that it's highly 610 00:34:03,960 --> 00:34:06,920 Speaker 1: likely that there maybe are multiple people within the sound 611 00:34:06,960 --> 00:34:09,839 Speaker 1: of my voice, who have spent the majority of their 612 00:34:09,880 --> 00:34:13,040 Speaker 1: lives feeling distant from you, Lord, But we know that 613 00:34:13,040 --> 00:34:15,160 Speaker 1: that's not your desire for us. It's not your desire 614 00:34:15,160 --> 00:34:18,560 Speaker 1: that we spend the bulk of our earthly lives feeling 615 00:34:18,640 --> 00:34:22,399 Speaker 1: distant from the very one who created us. So Lord, 616 00:34:22,400 --> 00:34:26,279 Speaker 1: I pray that today would be the day of the 617 00:34:26,320 --> 00:34:31,959 Speaker 1: start of a new relationship, or every man, every woman, 618 00:34:32,040 --> 00:34:36,400 Speaker 1: every child within the sound of my voice would recognize 619 00:34:36,400 --> 00:34:40,080 Speaker 1: what you've revealed in your word. You dwelt among us, 620 00:34:40,120 --> 00:34:45,640 Speaker 1: you tabernacled among us, even tell us Lord later in 621 00:34:45,640 --> 00:34:48,319 Speaker 1: the Gospels, that you will be with us always to 622 00:34:48,400 --> 00:34:52,200 Speaker 1: the very end of the age. Father, we're grateful for 623 00:34:52,280 --> 00:34:55,600 Speaker 1: this promise we've received through your son, that we're not 624 00:34:55,680 --> 00:34:59,200 Speaker 1: called to navigate this life alone. So Lord, again, I 625 00:34:59,239 --> 00:35:01,200 Speaker 1: thank you for each that's here, and I thank you 626 00:35:01,239 --> 00:35:03,560 Speaker 1: for the fact that we have the opportunity to reflect 627 00:35:03,600 --> 00:35:06,640 Speaker 1: on these things and celebrate these truths this evening. And 628 00:35:06,640 --> 00:35:08,719 Speaker 1: I pray Lord that you draw our hearts close to you, 629 00:35:09,000 --> 00:35:10,960 Speaker 1: help us please to be men and women after your 630 00:35:10,960 --> 00:35:13,560 Speaker 1: own heart who seek to bring you glory in all 631 00:35:13,640 --> 00:35:16,160 Speaker 1: areas of life. We thank you for all these things, 632 00:35:16,200 --> 00:35:18,759 Speaker 1: and We thank you for the offer of salvation. We 633 00:35:18,800 --> 00:35:20,720 Speaker 1: pray that we would take you up on that offer 634 00:35:20,880 --> 00:35:24,640 Speaker 1: by trusting in your son, Jesus Christ. We pray this 635 00:35:24,719 --> 00:35:27,400 Speaker 1: all in Jesus' name. Amen.