Christmas Day December 25, 2021
John 1:1-18
Words of Comfort and Joy!
v.14 And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen His glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.
Dear friends in Christ, what simple words—the Word became flesh. We confess them in the Nicene Creed when we say, “and was made man.” The older, and more accurate translation of the Greek text of the creed, however, is basically a direct quote from John 1:14, “became flesh.” Our Lord God Almighty, full of grace and truth, deigned to become incarnate by the Holy Spirit and be born of the Virgin Mary, thereby taking on our lowly human flesh as His own.
This truth should fill us with awe and wonder. For indeed, at His incarnation our Lord Jesus did not become an angel or some other creature of great majesty and beauty—He became flesh—He became man. Indeed, this fact of our Lord’s incarnation used to be so respected and revered in the church that people would regularly genuflect at this great mystery whenever the Creed was confessed in worship. This is a fantastic mystery that we cannot fully understand, but nevertheless should prize above all others. For all of our comfort and joy against sin, death, hell, and despair revolve around these words and nothing else.
It is a tremendously high honour that God should assume our frail human nature as His own. Indeed, St. Bernard supposed that perhaps this might have been the very reason for Satan’s rebellion—that upon learning that God would become man, not an angel—he was filled with such fury and anger that he turned against God and so fell from grace. And when we stop to think about it, we can kind of see his point. For Christ’s assumption of our human nature—the union of God and man in the person of Jesus—is comparable to placing a filthy pig at the place of honour at the dinner table, while chasing away the holy and noble people.
Yet this truth is meant to bring great comfort and joy. For the babe born to the Virgin Mary and her betrothed, Joseph, is none other than the Son of God in the flesh! Within that tiny newborn babe whose birth we celebrate this day dwelt the fullness of the deity. For the divine majesty assumed every aspect of our human nature (bags of worms though we be), except for our sin and the guiltiness of death. Indeed, He ate, drank, slept, etc., yet was without sin. Is it not truly awe inspiring to realize that God regards man dearer and more noble than an angel, though man is a wretched creature by comparison? As the writer to the Hebrews notes (2:16), “For surely it is not angels that He [God] helps, but He helps the offspring of Abraham.”
Therefore, dearly beloved in Christ, rejoice! Rejoice in the great glory that is yours! Rejoice in the incarnation of Jesus the Christ. For the simple fact that He took on your flesh should fill you with joy for it shows His good disposition toward you. For if He were ill-disposed towards you then He never would have taken on your human flesh and blood in order to redeem you by the laying down—the bloody sacrifice—of His own innocent flesh and blood on the cross of Calvary.
To be sure this is a divine mystery, but it is also a great joy and wonder for the people of God. For everything that seeks to keep you away from God—separated from His love and mercy—sin, Satan, death and hell—all the evils of this world and life—are chased away and destroyed by the wonder of Christ Jesus and His incarnation. For He who is truly God yet is also truly man—and His perfectly lived life becomes yours by faith—just as His death for sin—has also become yours—and His new and everlasting life in the resurrection is also yours.
As we confess this great truth and believe the words, “He became flesh,” not even Satan can stand in our way. For the simple words, “I am a Christian, of the same flesh and blood as my Lord Jesus Christ, the very Son of God,” send the Devil packing every time. Those who proclaim these words and utter them by faith are assured that the Lord is dwelling—tabernacling—among them. For He has come to you dear friends—He has come to take on your sin—your death—your hell—and bear it in His own flesh to the cross. There it has all been paid for in full. You have been set free by the incarnate Lord Jesus Himself!
All too often, however, we fail to see the great honour our God has bestowed upon us by taking on our flesh in order to save us from our sin. The story is told of a rough and brutal fool of a man, who while the words, “and was made man” were being sung in church, he remained standing, neither genuflecting nor removing his hat. He showed no reverence, but simply stood there like a clod. All the other people dropped to their knees when the Nicene Creed was prayed and chanted devoutly. Then the devil stepped up to him and hit him so hard it made his head spin. Satan cursed him and said, “May hell consume you, you boorish ass! If God had become an angel like me and the congregation sang, ‘God was made an angel,’ I would bend not only my knees but my whole body to the ground! Yes, I would even crawl ten miles down into the ground. And you vile human creature, you stand there like a stick of wood!” So, you see, even Satan understands the great honour that God has given to men.
And yet, when these words are confessed by men in faith, it chases the devil away. Indeed, we can resist all temptations and distress for the devil fears these words when spoken by a believer. It is certain that if anyone could speak these words, “and the Word became flesh” in true faith and with strong confidence in the hours of greatest temptation, he would be delivered from his trouble, for the devil fears these words when they are uttered by a believer. So, dear friends, when alarmed or distraught, speak these words, “And the Word became flesh,” and at the same time make the sign of the cross to remind you of your Baptism, and thereby send the devil packing!
Dear friends, the great treasure of God is offered and given through these simple words, “and the Word became flesh.” For those who accept and retain these words in faith are the children of God. You are the children of God! You have been washed in the cleansing, redeeming tide of Jesus’ own blood that was shed for you. You have received His holy washing in Baptism. You partake of His true incarnate, crucified and risen, body and blood in bread and wine at this very altar, for the full and free forgiveness of all your sins.
Rejoice therefore! Rejoice! For the Lord God has come to you in your flesh to blot out every sin, to wipe away every tear of grief and shame, to take your death...and turn it into life! And all this because the Word became flesh and dwelt among you. Thanks be to God in Christ Jesus. Amen.
John 1:1-18
Words of Comfort and Joy!
v.14 And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen His glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.
Dear friends in Christ, what simple words—the Word became flesh. We confess them in the Nicene Creed when we say, “and was made man.” The older, and more accurate translation of the Greek text of the creed, however, is basically a direct quote from John 1:14, “became flesh.” Our Lord God Almighty, full of grace and truth, deigned to become incarnate by the Holy Spirit and be born of the Virgin Mary, thereby taking on our lowly human flesh as His own.
This truth should fill us with awe and wonder. For indeed, at His incarnation our Lord Jesus did not become an angel or some other creature of great majesty and beauty—He became flesh—He became man. Indeed, this fact of our Lord’s incarnation used to be so respected and revered in the church that people would regularly genuflect at this great mystery whenever the Creed was confessed in worship. This is a fantastic mystery that we cannot fully understand, but nevertheless should prize above all others. For all of our comfort and joy against sin, death, hell, and despair revolve around these words and nothing else.
It is a tremendously high honour that God should assume our frail human nature as His own. Indeed, St. Bernard supposed that perhaps this might have been the very reason for Satan’s rebellion—that upon learning that God would become man, not an angel—he was filled with such fury and anger that he turned against God and so fell from grace. And when we stop to think about it, we can kind of see his point. For Christ’s assumption of our human nature—the union of God and man in the person of Jesus—is comparable to placing a filthy pig at the place of honour at the dinner table, while chasing away the holy and noble people.
Yet this truth is meant to bring great comfort and joy. For the babe born to the Virgin Mary and her betrothed, Joseph, is none other than the Son of God in the flesh! Within that tiny newborn babe whose birth we celebrate this day dwelt the fullness of the deity. For the divine majesty assumed every aspect of our human nature (bags of worms though we be), except for our sin and the guiltiness of death. Indeed, He ate, drank, slept, etc., yet was without sin. Is it not truly awe inspiring to realize that God regards man dearer and more noble than an angel, though man is a wretched creature by comparison? As the writer to the Hebrews notes (2:16), “For surely it is not angels that He [God] helps, but He helps the offspring of Abraham.”
Therefore, dearly beloved in Christ, rejoice! Rejoice in the great glory that is yours! Rejoice in the incarnation of Jesus the Christ. For the simple fact that He took on your flesh should fill you with joy for it shows His good disposition toward you. For if He were ill-disposed towards you then He never would have taken on your human flesh and blood in order to redeem you by the laying down—the bloody sacrifice—of His own innocent flesh and blood on the cross of Calvary.
To be sure this is a divine mystery, but it is also a great joy and wonder for the people of God. For everything that seeks to keep you away from God—separated from His love and mercy—sin, Satan, death and hell—all the evils of this world and life—are chased away and destroyed by the wonder of Christ Jesus and His incarnation. For He who is truly God yet is also truly man—and His perfectly lived life becomes yours by faith—just as His death for sin—has also become yours—and His new and everlasting life in the resurrection is also yours.
As we confess this great truth and believe the words, “He became flesh,” not even Satan can stand in our way. For the simple words, “I am a Christian, of the same flesh and blood as my Lord Jesus Christ, the very Son of God,” send the Devil packing every time. Those who proclaim these words and utter them by faith are assured that the Lord is dwelling—tabernacling—among them. For He has come to you dear friends—He has come to take on your sin—your death—your hell—and bear it in His own flesh to the cross. There it has all been paid for in full. You have been set free by the incarnate Lord Jesus Himself!
All too often, however, we fail to see the great honour our God has bestowed upon us by taking on our flesh in order to save us from our sin. The story is told of a rough and brutal fool of a man, who while the words, “and was made man” were being sung in church, he remained standing, neither genuflecting nor removing his hat. He showed no reverence, but simply stood there like a clod. All the other people dropped to their knees when the Nicene Creed was prayed and chanted devoutly. Then the devil stepped up to him and hit him so hard it made his head spin. Satan cursed him and said, “May hell consume you, you boorish ass! If God had become an angel like me and the congregation sang, ‘God was made an angel,’ I would bend not only my knees but my whole body to the ground! Yes, I would even crawl ten miles down into the ground. And you vile human creature, you stand there like a stick of wood!” So, you see, even Satan understands the great honour that God has given to men.
And yet, when these words are confessed by men in faith, it chases the devil away. Indeed, we can resist all temptations and distress for the devil fears these words when spoken by a believer. It is certain that if anyone could speak these words, “and the Word became flesh” in true faith and with strong confidence in the hours of greatest temptation, he would be delivered from his trouble, for the devil fears these words when they are uttered by a believer. So, dear friends, when alarmed or distraught, speak these words, “And the Word became flesh,” and at the same time make the sign of the cross to remind you of your Baptism, and thereby send the devil packing!
Dear friends, the great treasure of God is offered and given through these simple words, “and the Word became flesh.” For those who accept and retain these words in faith are the children of God. You are the children of God! You have been washed in the cleansing, redeeming tide of Jesus’ own blood that was shed for you. You have received His holy washing in Baptism. You partake of His true incarnate, crucified and risen, body and blood in bread and wine at this very altar, for the full and free forgiveness of all your sins.
Rejoice therefore! Rejoice! For the Lord God has come to you in your flesh to blot out every sin, to wipe away every tear of grief and shame, to take your death...and turn it into life! And all this because the Word became flesh and dwelt among you. Thanks be to God in Christ Jesus. Amen.