The Nativity of our Lord Jesus Christ:
Mass During the Day
1st Reading: Isaiah 52:7-10: All the ends of the
earth shall see the salvation of our God.
2nd Reading: Hebrews 1:1-6: God has spoken to us
through his Son.
Gospel: John 1:1-18: The Word was made flesh, and lived among us.
This
passage is one of the summits of Scripture. In fact, it probably reaches the
highest of human thought. What is thought that reaches the height of human
concepts? It is this: Jesus Christ, the Son of God, is …
· The Word of God
· The Creator of Life
· The Very Being and Essence of Life
These
three truths have to be deeply thought about to understand their meaning. However,
the importance of the truth lies at the very foundation of life. They cannot be
overstated for they determine a man’s destiny. If Jesus Christ is the Word of
God, then people must hear and understand that Word or else be lost forever in
ignorance of God Himself.
1.
Christ is eternal (v.1-2)
a.
Pre-existent
b.
Co-existent
c.
Self-existent
2.
Christ is the Creator (v.3)
a.
Positive statement
b.
Absolute statement
3.
Christ is Life (v.4-5)
a.
The source of light
b.
The answer to darkness
1) Shines in the darkness
2) Conquers darkness
Jesus the Light of the World: The Witness of John the Baptist, Jn
1:6-8
John
the Baptist was a very special witness to Jesus Christ. John’s sole purpose on
earth was to witness and to be a testimony to the Light of the world. His purpose
stands as a dynamic example for every believer. The purpose of the believer is to
bear the same witness as John: Jesus Christ is the Light of the world.
1.
A man sent from God (v.6)
2.
A man with a mission (v.7)
a.
To bear witness
b.
That men might believe
3.
The man who was great, but was not the Light (v.8)
Jesus the Light of Men:
The Second Witness of John the Apostles, Jn 1:9-13
The
world is in desperate straits. It is full of darkness-the darkness of sin and
despair, of sickness and death, of corruption and healing. The darkness looms over
the whole world. This is the problem dealt with in the present passage. There
is hope in Jesus Christ, for Christ is the true light, and light dispels
darkness.
1.
Christ was the Light (v.9)
a.
The true Light
b.
His mission: To give light to people
2.
Christ was tragically rejected by the world (v.10-11)
a.
He was in the world, but He was rejected
b.
He came to His own people, but they rejected Him
3.
Christ was wonderfully received by some (v.12-13)
a.
How: By believing
b.
Result: Became sons of God
c.
The source of becoming a child of God: A new birth
1) Was not of man
2) Was of God
Jesus the Word Made Flesh:
The Third Witness of John the Apostle, Jn 1:14-18
“The
Word became flesh”-God’s Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, was made flesh and blood;
He became a man. No greater message could ever be proclaimed to man.
1.
Christ became flesh (v.14)
2.
Proof 1: Christ dwelt visibly among us (v.14)
a.
His glory was seen
b.
Full of grace and truth
3.
Proof 2: John the Baptist bore witness to the superiority of Christ (v.15)
4.
Proof 3: Men have received the fullness and grace of Christ (v.16-17)
a.
Not by law
b.
By Jesus Christ
5.
Proof 4: God’s Son alone has seen God (v.18)
Thought: The Word (logos)
is Jesus Christ. John faced a serious problem in writing to the Gentiles, that
is, the non-Jewish world. Most Gentiles had never heard of the Messiah or
Saviour who was expected by the Jews. The idea was foreign to them. However,
the Messiah was the very center of Christianity. How was John going to present
Christ so that a Gentile could understand?
The answer lay in the idea of the Word, for the Word was understood
by both Gentiles and Jews.
The Word of God was seen as the creative power of God, the power
that made the world and gave light and life to every man/woman (Gen 1:3, 6, 11;
Ps 33:6; 107:20; 147:15; Is 55:11).
Wishing you
a Blessed Christmas!
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