The Birth of Jesus as “the Word”

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The Birth of Jesus as “the Word”

(John 1:1-14)

Andy Nagahara

All the Advent candles have been lit, and today marks the last Sunday of Advent. Like many churches, we have always held a Christmas service on the Sunday just before Christmas Day.

Last week we learned that before His birth it was prophesied that He would be named Jesus, which means “Lord is salvation,” and that He would be called Immanuel, which means “God with us.” And from that, we learned that the salvation we need is to walk through life with Jesus.

Today, let’s start by looking at the beginning of the Gospel of John and consider what the birth of Jesus means to us. John presents the birth of Jesus from a different perspective than Matthew and Luke, so by reading them together we will be able to gain a deeper understanding of the meaning of Christmas.

So let’s read the whole thing first.

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 men.
5 The light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not understood it.

6 There came a man who was sent from God; his name was John.
7 He came as a witness to testify concerning that light, so that through him all men 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 every man 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 received 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, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.

1. Jesus, the light of the world and the Word of God (1-5)

The Gospel of John leaves the recording of the events that took place at Christmas to Matthew and Luke, and instead seeks to convey what the newborn Jesus means for each and every one of us. Verses 6-8 describe John the Baptist. The reason why the author John inserted this passage is probably because John the Baptist was as well known as Jesus at the time. I won’t go into this part today, but please recall that two weeks ago I said, “We are modern-day John and Mary, the mother of Jesus.”

In this passage, John describes Jesus’ mission in two words. They are “light” and “word.” I think this is an easy metaphor for us to imagine, as there are many worship songs we sing at Your Church that refer to Jesus as “light.”

It is easy to imagine that Jesus is a “guiding light” and a “light that shines and reveals the true nature of things.” But perhaps the idea that Jesus is the Word is a little confusing. So today, I would like to draw your attention to the fact that Jesus is “the Word.” Let’s read again through verse 5.

This passage does not yet mention Jesus as a human being. However, it declares that the Word existed before anything else existed in the world–that is, before creation– and thus was not a created being but existed with God. And immediately after that it says, “The Word was God.”

This is how the Gospel of John begins. It is a declaration that Jesus is God himself. The invisible God came into the world he created as a visible man. That is the event of Christmas.

Verses 3 and 4 need to be read carefully. This is because the Word not only existed from the time of creation, but also led the creation of the heavens and the earth.

This means that God is involved in this world and in humanity only as Jesus Christ. It means that God is calling out and speaking to us.

The first words of God are recorded in the beginning of Genesis. Do you remember? The call was, “Let there be light.” And light arose. The word “light” also appears in John chapter 1. But this is not an actual light, it is a metaphor for the presence of Jesus that guides people.

In contrast, Jesus’ use of the expression “the Word” is not a metaphor, but a word that expresses Jesus’ true essence. Jesus is the God who calls out to us, speaks to us, and guides us by talking to us. In that sense, as we heard last week, he is the God Immanuel.

2. The Living Word of God on Earth (9-14)

Now let’s read verse 9 and following. This section has been called “the most compact biography of Jesus.”

9 The true light that gives light to every man 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 received 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, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.

In this passage, it begins by using the clear image of light to announce that Jesus’ guidance marks the beginning of Christmas. Yet immediately, it replaces this expression with “Word” to teach the meaning of Jesus’ coming.

Even though He came into the world He created, most people did not accept Him. Even the people who applauded Jesus when he debated with religious leaders and performed miracles ultimately failed to understand his true intentions. When they saw that Jesus did not resist even when he was captured by those in authority and religious leaders, their disappointment that their selfish hopes for him had been betrayed led to a cruel cry of “Crucify him!”

To reject Jesus, the Word of God, is to refuse to listen to what God is saying to us.

We were in a car accident this year and ended up having to replace our car. Since our previous car was quite old, so we’re constantly surprised by all the new features in the new one–it’s like, “This is what modern cars are like now!”–and we’re having a hard time getting used to it. When I’m waiting at a traffic light, I get scolded for stopping my car too close to the car in front of me, and if I just stand there daydreaming and don’t move even after the light turns green and the car in front of me leaves, I get scolded by my own car, not the person in the car behind me. If I drift even slightly out of my lane, I get corrected, and the steering wheel gets straightened out for me. So I set it up so I don’t get prompted as much as possible. I’m sure it’s useful for safe driving, but I don’t like being told what to do by my car.

However, even I have had the opportunity to learn that ignoring the navigation system can be a big problem when traveling the roads of life. Looking back now, I realize that this was a great blessing from God.

When Jesus came to the end of his short life on earth, most people viewed him as a criminal who deserved to be put to death, just as the Bible tells us. But there were a very small number of people, a few dozen or maybe a few hundred at most, who were not.

Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God– children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God.(12-13)

Words are communication. Jesus is God’s spoken word. You are people who have accepted the Word just like these people.

We know very well that this was not because we were particularly competent or pious. We are merely those who could hear God’s voice through his mercy alone.

“The right to become children of God” is a serious phrase, but it means connecting with Jesus. God’s speaking in the form of Jesus continues even now.

When we worship, read the Bible, or hold mini-church, Jesus is there, speaking to us intimately and listening to our pleas.

(Prayer) Dear God, thank you for being the God who speaks to us.

Through your word, Jesus, we have come to know you and the joy of living by following you.

Help us to tell those around us who are suffering and grieving that God is speaking to us.

Thank you for making yourself visible and audible in the world you created.

And thank you for still walking with us.

Over the past year, we have been guided by your words and have been able to come this far.

Today is our last worship service together, but may you continue to guide us in the new year.

We pray with gratitude and expectation in the name of Jesus Christ.

Summary

John introduces Jesus as “the Word.” He is the Word that created the world and the Word that guides our way of life. To accept Jesus is to listen to God’s call. Yet Jesus is not someone who only speaks unilaterally. He is also the one who listens to our prayers. Just as the disciples walked together, centering on Jesus and chatting joyfully, let us too walk through life in intimate conversation with Jesus.

For Discussion

1) Why is Jesus introduced as “the Word”?
2) Why were so many people unable to accept Jesus?