The Purpose of Christmas
Promise, Purpose, Power and Peace of Christmas • Sermon • Submitted • Presented • 36:09
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We started our Christmas series last week with the promise of Christmas focusing in on Isaiah 9:6-7 and Luke 1:26-38
In the weeks leading up to Christmas we will be looking closer into the in Purpose, Power and Peace of Christmas.
Today will be looking closer at the Purpose of Christmas by asking the questions
What is the true meaning and purpose of Christmas?
Why do we celebrate this day every year?
To answer these questions, we need to look at the Bible, the word of God, and see what it tells us about the birth of Jesus Christ, the Son of God, and the Savior of the world.
The purpose of Christmas is revealed to us in John 1:1-14
Main point 1: The Purpose of Christmas is to reveal to the world that Jesus is the Word of God who became flesh and dwelt among us.
Jesus is the Word of God, who became flesh and dwelt among us.
Jesus is the Word of God, who became flesh and dwelt among us.
There are some main points within John 1:1-14 that gives us this revelation about the true identity of who Jesus really is.
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God.
Starting out John makes a call back to Gen. 1:1
In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.
According to the revelation that God gives John about who Jesus is, is that Jesus and God are one in the same. This tells us that Jesus has no beginning, for He has always existed, He is the self eternal one, He is the word who was with God, the word that is God, the word was in the beginning with God.
All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made. In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it.
The word “Comprehend” could be translated “overcome”
In three verses we see the preincarnate work of Christ which is this:
All things made through Him
Not was made without Him making it
In Him is life and the light of men.
Life and eternal life comes from the Son for it is in the Son.
And this is the testimony: that God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son.
Then Jesus spoke to them again, saying, “I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life.”
This light is further expressed in the next few verse of John 1:6-8
There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. This man came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all through him might believe. He was not that Light, but was sent to bear witness of that Light.
The light of Christ who is the Word of God is mentioned 3 times here in these 3 verse. Now within John’s gospel this word light that makes reference to Christ is mentioned 24 times in the NKJV.
John 12:46 is the last time mentioned in John and John records the words of Jesus, and here is what our Lord says...
I have come as a light into the world, that whoever believes in Me should not abide in darkness.
Now lets go back to John 1:9-11
That was the true Light which gives light to every man coming into the world. He was in the world, and the world was made through Him, and the world did not know Him. He came to His own, and His own did not receive Him.
Even though He was given as a revelation of God the Father, who was and is the light of God, was rejected by the world for they did not know Him, even though the world was made through Him, He came to His own, that is the Jewish people and they did not receive Him.
This was prophesied about by Isaiah 53:3
He is despised and rejected by men, A Man of sorrows and acquainted with grief. And we hid, as it were, our faces from Him; He was despised, and we did not esteem Him.
John goes on to reveal the purpose of Christmas for us,
But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name: who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.
There are many who reject Christ for who truly is and there are some who do by faith receive Him for who and what He is. And it those who receive Him by faith who become children of God, it is those who believe in His name, the only name by which one can be saved from their damning sin that separates us from a Holy God.
Notice it says that those who are born of God are not born of God through blood, that is by flesh, nor by the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, BUT OF GOD.
But of God, how does God save, how does He grant eternal life to someone, if we can not save our self, which is religion by the way, no religious act can save mankind from their sins, only by God. So what did God do there is where grace steps in...look at the verse next verse.
And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.
John says later in a letter he also wrote 1 John 1:1
That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, concerning the Word of life—
The Word became flesh, dwelt, lived among us, and John says that they beheld His glory. This is the great revelation of God, Is40:5
The glory of the Lord shall be revealed, And all flesh shall see it together; For the mouth of the Lord has spoken.”
Even Peter testifies this manifestation of Glory in Christ
For we did not follow cunningly devised fables when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but were eyewitnesses of His majesty. For He received from God the Father honor and glory when such a voice came to Him from the Excellent Glory: “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.” And we heard this voice which came from heaven when we were with Him on the holy mountain.
“the glory of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth”
John uses this description of Jesus as the only begotten 4 times in his presentation of the gospel
No one has seen God at any time. The only begotten Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, He has declared Him.
For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.
“He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.
so what does “only begotten” mean. It means “unique” — radically distinctive and without equal, or one and only. There is no one else like Him, for He is apart of the God Head.
v14 ends with “full of grace and truth”
Grace is a gift that only God Him self can give with such magnitude that it dorfs all other gifts.
Grace is getting what we do not deserve. We do not earn grace it has to be freely given.
For the law was given through Moses, but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.
There is not a gift that can be received that is greater than this gift. Grace, grace, oh, amazing grace, why is it so amazing because when received and experienced all, all, all your sins are forgiven. That is the truth of it.
Christ is Grace and Grace is Christ
Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.
That is what makes this the greatest gift of all. Christ who is the grace of God paid our sin debt and paved the way to salvation, being restored unto God.
Conclusion
As we celebrate Christmas this year, let us remember the purpose of Christmas: to glorify God and to enjoy his great gift to us who Jesus Christ His only begotten Son.
Let us thank God for sending his Son to be our Savior and Lord.
Let us worship him with joy and gratitude.
Let us pray that God would fill us with his Spirit and enable us to live for his glory and honor. Amen.