Rev. David Holwick
First Baptist Church
Ledgewood, New Jersey
Christmas Eve, 1993
                                                            John 1:1-13

                      AS MANY AS RECEIVED HIM

  I. Different perspectives on Christmas.
      A. Gospel of Mark doesn't mention birth at all.  Jesus is 27.

      B. Matthew and Luke give traditional stories we all know.

      C. Gospel of John gives a unique perspective - from eternity.
          1) Jesus was before the "Big Bang."
          2) Jesus came according to the Father's plan.

 II. What Jesus did before he ended up in a manger.
      A. Has always existed as part of Godhead.
          1) Clearest statement in Bible is found in John 1:1.
          2) We know this because Jehovah's Witnesses, who reject diety
               of Jesus, are armed to the teeth on this verse.
          3) Not only has Jesus always been around, but God has always
                been like Jesus.  God of whole Bible is same God.

      B. Instrument of creation of world.

      C. Visit earth as angel of Lord?
          1) Everyone loves angels.
          2) Both Time & Newsweek have special articles on them this week.

III. What we did once he came here.
      A. Those who should have been closest to him, rejected him.
          1) They didn't even recognize him.                   1:10

      B. Most of us would not recognize him, either.
          1) We love personalities:  People Magazine, Us Magazine.
                But they certainly aren't about people like us.
                  - Unless you are a lot like Michael Jackson!
          2) At his birth, the only people who honored Jesus were
                blue-collar workers and foreigners.
          3) Would you have gathered at the manger?

      C. It is what is inside that counts.
          1) An illustration of incarnation:

        Ted Engstrom tells the story of Pat Moore.  One day in May, 1979,
        Moore, who looked like she must be eighty-five years old, opened the
        door of her New York apartment and stepped nervously into the hall.
        She put her cane out in front of her and hesitantly felt for the
        first step on the stairs.  Her legs moved gingerly, awkwardly.  One
        step... two... three... all the way to the twelfth step.  So far so
        good.  When she arrived at the bottom of the stairs, she saw her
        landlady who exclaimed, "Oh, I'm sorry, I was expecting somebody
        else."
        
        "Don't you recognize me?" asked Pat, her voice strained and cracked.
        "No, ma'am, I don't," said the landlady, staring at the frail woman.
        "I'm Pat Moore," she said laughing.  As she saw her landlady's mouth
        widen in disbelief, Pat knew in that flash of a moment she passed the
        test.
        
        You see, Pat Moore was not eighty-five years old at all.  Not even
        close.  She was an attractive twenty-six-year-old specialist in
        industrial design, who was concerned about the needs of the aged.  At
        least once each week for the next three years, Pat put on her
        masquerade of facial latex foam, a heavy fabric that bound her body,
        and a convincing gray wig.  She visited fourteen states as an old
        woman.  She met hundreds of people who never once discovered her true
        identity.  Pat Moore wanted to have a first hand experience of what
        it was to be elderly in America.
        
        The journey God made that first Christmas from the throne of glory to
        the stable in Bethlehem was that kind of journey. He emptied himself,
        he invaded our world.

             AUTHOR: Guideposts, Jan,'84, Pp.2-5. Cited In Engstrom,
             "The Fine Art Of Friendship" (Nashville: Thomas Nelson
             Publishers, 1985).  Seven Worlds Publishing: Dec 4 91
                                                                   #1663

          2) Jesus became one of us, to save us.
              a) He was only on earth a short while, but he was God in the
                    flesh.

 IV. Those who receive him have a special blessing:  adoption.
      A. What may seem second-rate to us is mandatory to God.
          1) God has no natural-born children.
              a) Not a decision by parents or ethnic heritage.
              b) We can't even make ourselves children of God.
          2) God's children are born supernaturally.
              a) We must become children of God.
                  1] Bible refers to this as being born again.
              b) It takes a miracle to be a Christian.
                  1] God has to do it.  He opens the way.
                  2] God offers, we must accept him.

      B. How to receive Jesus as Savior.
          1) Barclay on two sons, one with motel-mentality and other
                with devotion.  Become a devoted child.  Do what Dad says.


[for documentation of illustrations, download Holwick's Sermon Illustration
       database at http://illust.holwick.com]