Who is Jesus?

Christmas is About Jesus – Who is Jesus? John 1:1-3

Intro: The Mystery of God. Anne and I were able to attend the performance of Handel’s Messiah last night at the Community College. It is a truly incredible musical work that unfolds the story of Christmas that shows the amazing love of God. How is it possible that the Holy Creator God who made the universe would come as a baby in the manger that lays down his life that we could be forgiven and have a new relationship with God? This is a mystery that goes beyond our ability to understand and comprehend.

Yesterday I painted some of the walls in my community. We did this last month and with the help of about 15 volunteers it went really well. Lupe, Sammy and Matt actually were the paint sprayer experts. I guess this time because it was cold no on showed up at all – at least except for my personal helpers, Chalino and Matt. After about 15 minutes of working 2 guys show up and we work for about 2.5 hours and accomplish almost as much as the month before. I asked my guys what they learned from this and they said that being a servant is the only way to go. It doesn’t matter whether you have 300 volunteers like for our painting blitz or just a handful like yesterday. Jesus is the example of how the God of this universe who created everything chooses to become a servant leader to show us the way to heaven, which is through Him.

#1. Jesus is before the beginning.

Over the next month we are going to talk about the real meaning and purpose of Christmas. We will look at the who of Jesus Christ today. As we sing Lord I lift your name on high we sing the chorus that Jesus came from heaven to earth to show us the way. John the old apostle saw the big picture about Jesus Christ. He was there at the beginning of Jesus’ ministry, he was at the cross and he out lived all of the other disciples.

John tells us that before the beginning of anything that Jesus has always existed. Jesus declares to the Jews that before Abraham came into existence that he is the I AM. (John 8:58) Jesus is referring back to the name that God tells Moses to call him that he is the eternally existent God who always is, has been and will be. (Exodus 3:14) Jesus claims to be God who has always existed.

#2. Jesus is the Word.

The apostle John tells us that Jesus is the Word. As you read Genesis 1 and the description of how God created the universe and all of life it says that God said let there be and it came into being. The spoken Word of God is what brings something out of nothing. The Word in this context is actually a person Jesus Christ. John chose a word, logos, to depict Jesus as the eternal mind or mouthpiece through which everything comes into being. It referred back to the Greeks and their notion of an eternal mind. What John is saying is that Jesus is the eternal Word of God that spoke things into existence.

#3. Jesus is the creator and author of life.

I know that deep down inside all of us at times wonder about where did we really come from or why am I here? As we consider the incredible statement that Jesus Christ is the means through which God created and brought life into existence it will help us eventually understand that we were made with a purpose. We didn’t come from a cosmic accident but through the design of a God who is holy, merciful and loving. It is impossible for mankind to fathom how one is able to make something out of nothing. Science attempts to say it can imitate the creation of life in a laboratory but it isn’t possible.

Conclusion: Make your Christmas about real life.

I was talking to someone during our painting of my community walls who was saying that Amazon orders were up almost 60% from last year’s Christmas and that Best Buy was up 30% from last year. It would still seem that Christmas is not about Jesus but about getting bigger and better presents. Don’t get me wrong giving in itself is an amazing quality for someone to pursue but I am afraid that most of us are still into being takers. So the simple challenge is to ask the question as to whether or not my actions at Christmas are about the One who came to give us real life or whether we still believe that life is wrapped up in presents under a tree with sparkling lights?

Jesus is the One who has existed before anything else; He is the Word of God who created all things including you! Let us worship Him as the God who became Man as John declares in his Gospel, The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. John 1:14