In the Beginning

In the Beginning

John 1:1-14

Linden Heights Baptist Church

December 25th, 2016

1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was with God in the beginning. 3 Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. 4 In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. 5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome[a] it. 6 There was a man sent from God whose name was John. 7 He came as a witness to testify concerning that light, so that through him all might believe. 8 He himself was not the light; he came only as a witness to the light. 9 The true light that gives light to everyone was coming into the world. 10 He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him. 11 He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him. 12 Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God— 13 children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God. 14 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.

INTRODUCTION

I sometimes hear people make the comment and it usually comes in some comparison because people who even superficially know me associate me with religious faith.  The comparison goes something like this you have your religious traditions while I am a believer in science.  There can be assumed that there is some basic incompatibility between science and the Christian faith.  I am reminded of the young man filling out an application for a credit card.  On the line that asked for income he wrote ATM.  The scientific method is an approach to knowledge.  It is an approach based on observation and experimentation.  As such as a method there is nothing incompatible with the Christian faith.  In fact some of the most creative and influential contributors to advances in the realm of knowledge that employ the scientific method have been persons persuaded by the Christian faith.  However there is a sense in which those making this comparison are pointing to a genuine difference.  We as thinking intelligent beings inevitably make some judgment about meaning in life.  This may be shaped by scientific materialism which is one way of trying to make sense of the world that rejects the Christian claim about the existence of a being who has created and orders the world.

THE WORD BECAME FLESH

Before anything was created, before anything that is was we find the eternal present word. But what does this mean exactly? John invites us to consider the importance of language for the very basis of our relationship with God. This demonstrates the assertion that there is underlying meaning to life. We use words to understand our surroundings. We use words to understand ourselves. We use words to understand what is. But this doesn’t mean that our search for meaning will always lead us to God. We need to be careful with our words. When someone says watch your language…they tend to be referring to the importance of conforming one’s behavior to a certain standard, being polite. Coarse language is jarring and disruptive to such polite society. In defense of politeness, this standard helps create space for people to work with each other fairly. In the absence of such restraints the loudest, vilest, crudest, voice will domineer and distort community. But this is not the most important reason we should be careful about language. Language, words serve to help us approach meaning in life. And words misused can distort meaning. We can see quite easily how somethings may have different meanings based on where someone lives.  The Tampa Bay score last evening has a different meaning in Washington than in Central Florida.  I remember the strangeness to me of living in a country that treated Sunday like a Monday.  You went back to school on Sunday.  For many people around the world there is nothing special about December 25th.  Each of these are examples of things that do not have meaning because of what they are, but because we have given them meaning.  And depending on who we are the meaning will differ.   

The claim that is made throughout the New Testament and quite explicitly in our text today is that the man Jesus is one of a kind.  The Aetna Tetrachracma coin displayed in the Israel Museum of Antiquities is insured at a value of 3 million dollars.  Not because it is old.  There are many old coins not nearly worth this much.  Not because of its precious metal or condition.  But because of its scarcity.  Scarcity can reveal value.  That is if it is something a collector happens to have in one’s collection.  But what does the uniqueness of Jesus mean for our lives?  There is a sense in which the dodo was a unique creature and it is no longer here.  For some people in effect the rarity of Jesus’ life…or this claim doesn’t connect them with some significant change for their life. 

This uniqueness makes a claim.  A claim we sometimes don’t know what to do with.  I think of the church sign that declared Jesus reigns.  Only the person putting the sign together shared my lack of attention to detail.  On the sign reigns was spelled rains.  Don’t we garble this claim when it comes to the truth of our lives?  What does it mean to see Jesus as the unique the one and only Son?  First it means that we hear his teaching with authority.  I think sometimes we assume that we know what Jesus wants without listening.  When I was in North Carolina we had an old piano in the fellowship hall.  It was in disrepair.  It was not fixable.  But it stood there in the corner for years for decades.  The piano had been given by the former choir director who had passed away some years earlier.  In fact she passed away the Saturday evening before my first Sunday as a pastor.  The piano sat there for years because people were concerned that the son who had given the piano and who came around at homecoming every year might have his feelings hurt if the piano was removed.  You can probably see where this story is going.  We had damage to the carpet from flooding and so we had to remove everything.  This gave a specific need to address what to do with the piano and when the son was asked he said….that thing needs to be thrown away.  It is good to be sensitive to others.  I am grateful for the kindness that shaped this hesitation, and yet…it illustrates for me how we can make wrong assumptions.  We can do that with people we’ve known all our lives.  We can do that to Jesus. 

HE CAME TO HIS OWN

In our everyday speech it is common to hear the expression that all people are children of God. I think what is meant by this expression is the simple observation that if one posits a creator then it follows that we all owe our existence to God. What exactly is meant by this expression as for everyday life is usually left unspecified. What are all people entitled to when one says that all are children of God? I think what is most commonly in mind when such an expression is used is to recognize that all people should be recognized to have feelings, and concerns and that it is not good to ignore how others might feel. Such a sentiment is good. But John writes about people being extended the invitation to become children of God. The clear implication is that one does not inherently receive this right. It is a right that must be received. John knew that there were people who heard Jesus, who followed up to a point who would not accept, could not accept, could not trust the word made flesh.  The oldest stamp currently in circulation was issued when Abraham Lincoln was president.  You by law could place that stamp on piece of mail.  The value on the stamp isn’t enough to send a postcard, but you could use the stamp.  It would be recognized by the government.  And yet if you were to bring the stamp to an auctioneer the value is over 200,000 $.  But it couldn’t even send a postcard.  Value is related to the right understanding of what makes something valuable.  

There are those who persistently refuse to recognize God. Who are these people? Is it the sociopath? Is it the terrorist? What does John say? He came to His own, but His own would not receive Him. Those he came to had convictions about God. They had convictions about what it meant to live righteously. Too often we associate those who believe in righteousness with people who are very stridently religious. This is certainly a danger that we can succumb to, but it is not the only danger. Those who have an image of God that they have made up that is pleasing and comforting to themselves are just as likely to be unwilling to receive the invitation of which John speaks. They too have a conviction about what it means to be righteous they are just more likely to use a different word, be good. Don’t be a hater

WE BEHELD HIS GLORY

In verse 14, one finds the following statement, “We have seen his glory.” This is an abstract idea. As with abstract ideas, it can be difficult to understand concretely what is meant by this phrase. What after all does it mean that they have, “seen his glory”? When I lived overseas I remember sitting around the kitchen table while the host family would talk to me. Often I could not understand the words being spoken. One of the common response people have to someone who cannot understand them is to speak louder. The problem was not that I couldn’t hear the words. The problem was I did not comprehend what was being asked. Sometimes it can feel like in the church we do this same response to words that people do not understand. It may be that when people come to these difficult to conceptualize ideas that we just say the phrases more loudly. It may not be loud in the sense of a tone of voice, but simply in saying them over and over we pretend to understand until we forget to really think about what it means.

Glory can be understood in our everyday speech to describe the giving of honors to someone. It can also be used to describe the seeking of honors. When it describes the seeking of honors we think of this as a kind of character flaw. Someone who needs or wants affirmation…at least one who wants too much affirmation seems to be lacking self-esteem. On the other hand we readily accept that it is a good thing to show our appreciation for acts of valor. When a total stranger risks his life to save someone from a moving train we feel it is right to recognize and celebrate such courage. We would not think much of the person who simply does the action for the affirmation, but this doesn’t mean that we do not think that such valor should not be recognized. When it is done for some ulterior motive there is something less valorous about the action. A way of understanding the concept John introduces I think it is most helpful to begin with experiences where we are struck by the goodness of another. When we are able without envy to recognize and celebrate such goodness.

But what had John witnessed? He is not bringing attention to the perfection of Jesus’ appearance. In fact we do not have any physical description of Jesus. He is not celebrating Jesus’ perfect way of interacting with people. Sometimes Jesus interaction confused maybe even it is fair to say embarrassed the disciples. When John references the seeing the glory of the word made flesh he has one end in mind, the cross. It is on the cross that the justice and mercy of God was revealed. For John his experience of the meaning of this action enabled him to recognize the praise due to Jesus. For in this act, Jesus made it possible for one to become a child of God.

CELEBRATION

I realize it is common for people to feel especially a sense of heaviness on Christmas day.  It may be out of grief because you have lost a loved one.  It may be because you do not have some aspect to your life that you wish you did.  It may be that a relationship with your children or your spouse is strained.  It may be that your work situation is precarious.  It may not just be in danger it may have sunk and you don’t know what you are doing to do.  It may be that look on Facebook at the smiling faces around other people’s trees and you feel a deep despair that you will have meaning in your life.  On the internet there have been a number of messages from celebrities that are attempting to encourage and comfort those hurting this time of year.  One celebrity writer encouraged her fans that are struggling to realize that December 25th is just another day.  Don’t let it be a measure for you.  Things can turn around.  Life has away of bringing changes.  This is one message one attempt at comfort.  I am grateful for the sensitivity and the desire for comfort, but is that all there is.  Don’t make too much of the day.  Don’t compare yourself to others…that is unless things turn around for you then maybe it will be okay to compare.

But there was another news report that I found to offer a different message.  Did you see that the Nigerian girls kidnapped two years ago several of them were released by their captives?  Boko Haran the Terrorist group that is similar to ISIS but in Nigeria.  One of the girls was being interviewed.  These girls had been forced to become brides…forced to convert to Islam.  But some were allowed to return home in time for Christmas.  This girl said she was so excited to be home for Christmas so that she could go to church.  So she could worship Jesus.