Our Sermons

Bible Passage: John 1:1-18
Pastor: Pastor Berg
Sermon Date:  December 25, 2021

Whenever someone opens a gift, one of the first questions that must be answered is “What is it?” The anticipation of that answer is unmistakable, right? And usually, once the gift is opened, it’s pretty easy to answer the question. A shirt, a toy,  jewelry, a tie…you get the picture. But every once in a while, it’s not so easy to answer that question. And that’s certainly the case when it comes to the gift that God gives at Christmas. Answering the question, “What Child is This?” requires both deep thought and humble awe. It is not quickly or easily answered. This is why so many false teachings that have plagued the Church for centuries have their roots in trying to answer this question.

And so it is worth our time this morning to delve into the deep stuff of Christmas. As we ponder anew what the Almighty can do, let’s dig into the miracle and the mystery of the incarnation. As we do, it is my prayer that these deep truths presented today will not leave us feeling like we’ve been thrown into the deep end of the pool, struggling not to drown. Instead, I pray that these truths will leave us feeling like we’ve made it to the bottom of a delicious cup of hot cocoa: good from the first sip but it gets even better the further you go down. May the Holy Spirit open our hearts to hear the good news of God Made Flesh.

“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 everything was made, and without him not one thing was made that has been made.” Unlike Matthew and Luke, who begin their Gospels by introducing us to Jesus’ humanity, John introduces us to our Savior’s divinity with a vivid link to his heavenly Father. He does so by carefully defining his categories and by carefully making it clear who belongs in each. Category 1 is God. And in that category belongs the Word. Notice, the Word never became, but always was. The Word was both with God and was God. The Word was not created but is the creator of all things. 

Category 2 is creation. Creation consists of everything that exists except God himself. Mankind is in that category. Mankind became rather than simply was. And that’s where John’s opening words take us; back to the beginning, back to creation. And there we see how God wanted to share the light of life with mankind. God is light and he wanted to dwell with his people. But then we also remember sadly, how mankind chose the darkness over the light, how sin entered the world and separated God and mankind. John’s categories couldn’t be clearer and because of sin, those who belong in each category couldn’t be more different. 

Perhaps that’s how it feels today too. There’s so much division and hostility in our world. People are quickly divided into different camps and categories because of what they look like or where they live or how they vote or what they believe. It feels like the people in opposite categories couldn’t be more different. However, the reality is that they couldn’t be more alike. All are infected with sin. All are destined for destruction. And there’s nothing anyone can do about it. There’s no program or policy or procedure that can deal with sin. Someone or something else would have to act to solve this problem, to bring us back to God. 

And in one sentence, God does just that: “The Word became flesh.” In one sentence God erased the categories and the differences. In that little baby, Jesus, the God whose glory is impossible to see like we saw in our first reading, is seen. John says it: “We have seen his glory, the glory he has as the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth.” The God who cannot be known is known in Jesus. Again John tells us, “No one has ever seen God. The only-begotten Son, who is close to the Father’s side, has made him known.” This all important question, What Child is This? is answered in “the Word became flesh.” Jesus taking humanity into God. And this incarnation, this taking the humanity into God, is all for us. Compared to what we lost in the fall into sin, we now receive an even greater gift. Rather than God’s greatest gift simply being the life he gave to humanity, his greatest gift is the life he gives us as humanity. He became our brother. He became one of us. 

Just think of the ramifications: If this child, this Jesus, is really God and man in one person, then he is exactly what the human race needs to deliver it from its enemies of sin, death, and Satan. To solve mankind’s problem, there needed to be someone who could fulfill the law so that every “i” was dotted and every “t” was crossed. Only God can do that. Yet God is the giver of the law, not subject to it. But man is. So Jesus took on human flesh so that he would be subject to the law, but as God could still keep it perfectly. But that’s only half of the problem. Sin had already entered the world. And a just God can’t simply ignore sin. It had to be paid for. Blood had to be shed. Someone had to die. But God can’t die. So Jesus took on human flesh so that he could die under the curse of the law to pay the price that sins had earned. And because he is also fully God, his perfect life and his innocent death would count for everyone. And so even though Satan thought he won when Jesus died, he really lost. 

Martin Luther had a very colorful way of describing the implications of this incarnation. He wrote in one of his sermons: “The hook, which is the divinity of Chrst, was concealed under the earthworm. The devil swallowed it with his jaws when Christ died and was buried. But it ripped his belly so that he could not retain it but had to disgorge it. He ate death for himself. This affords us the greatest solace; for just as the devil could not hold Christ in death, so he cannot hold us who believe in Christ.” 

This is our Christmas gift. God gives himself as one of us to save us. The answer to the question What Child is this? is Jesus Christ, fully God and fully man because that’s the exact Savior that we needed. The categories are erased, the differences are removed as through the work of Jesus God has made us part of his family. He’s wrapped us in Jesus’ perfection so that we can see his glory. And yes, we are still sinful, still living in this vale of tears, but God offers up full and free forgiveness for every time we choose the darkness rather than the light. He’s drawn near to us by becoming one with us, by taking on flesh and he draws even closer as he gives us that very flesh and blood as the seal of our forgiveness in his Supper. It is only Jesus and a relationship with him that brings real and lasting peace. It’s only our connection to Jesus that removes the division and hostility from us and makes us part of the same spiritual family. Thanks be to God for this indescribable gift!

What Child is this? It’s certainly not an easy question to answer, but our effort has been worth it, hasn’t it? The more we understand how God was made flesh and what it means for us, the greater our appreciation for this marvelous gift. May we ever savor the gift of the Christ child and keep him as our true treasure. How our God must love us to give us himself so that we can see him and know him here, in order that we may see him and know him for all eternity! 

“Softly from his lowly manger, Jesus calls one and all, “You are safe from danger. Children, from the sins that grieve you you are freed; all you need I will surely give you.” Come then, banish all your sadness! One and all, great and small, come with songs of gladness; we shall live with him forever there on high in that joy which will vanish never.” 

A blessed Christmas to you all! Amen.