Dear Christian friends:

The events of the first Christmas are so wonderful and so important that several men wrote about it in the Bible. We know St. Luke's story of Jesus' birth better than the others. Luke explains the whole story except the visit of the wise men. Luke writes 100 verses to tell about Jesus’ birth. Matthew writes only 31 verses to explain about Jesus' birth. He condenses the story very much. But he writes about the wise men, which Luke left out. John writes only 18 verses, to tell about Jesus' birth. He doesn't tell a story like Luke and Matthew; he explains the deep things of Jesus' birth. So also does St. Paul. Paul writes only a few verses here and there to show the meaning of Jesus' birth.

Today I_intend to preach about John's account of Jesus' birth. I'm sure you do not know it as well as Luke's and it emphasizes some things about Jesus' birth which can really strengthen our faith and joy today.


John emphasizes that the Baby Jesus is a special Baby, and that His birth is a special birth; no other baby like this Baby, no other birth like Jesus' birth!

John doesn't say, "A Savior is born," like Luke. John says, "The Word was made flesh." That means that the Word was born. The "Word?" John explains much about the "WORD" in his Christmas message:

In the beginning was the Word,
and the Word was with God, and
the Word was God. He was with God
in the beginning. Through him all
things were made; without him nothing
was made that has been made. In him
was life, and that life was the light
of all mankind. The light shines in
the darkness, and the darkness has
not overcome it. (verses 1-4)

"with God" in the above verse shows He was a distinct person from the Father. "was God" shows He was God in the fullest sense.

The "WORD" is the Son of God. He was with the father and the Holy Spirit in the beginning of the world. He lived before God made the world, and He made the world. This eternal, mighty God was born. "The Word was made flesh." John emphasizes that the Baby lying in the manger is the eternal, almighty maker of heaven and earth!

Do you understand that? Really we can't understand that. It is above man's understanding. Mary did not understand it. When the angel told her that she would be the mother of God's Son, she asked, "How shall this be, seeing I know not a man? The angel answered, "The Holy Spirit will come upon you and the power of the Highest shall overshadow you; therefore also that holy thing which will be born of you shall be called the Son of God." (Luke 1:34-35)

Joseph, too, could not understand it. When he heard that Mary was expecting a baby he thought that she had committed adultery. So he planned to break their engagement. While he was thinking about that he fell asleep and dreamed. The Lord's angel appeared to him in his dream and said to him, "Joseph, son of David, fear not to take Mary for your wife: for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit.” (Matthew 1:20) Like Mary and Joseph, we cannot understand how God's eternal Son can be born of a woman. It is beyond our understanding. It is too wonderful for us!

We cannot understand it, but we can believe it. Mary, although she did not understand it, she believed it. She said to the angel, "Behold the handmaid of the Lord: be it unto me according to your word." (Luke 1:38) And Joseph believed also. When he awoke from his dream, he did what the angel of the Lord told him to do, and accepted the pregnant Mary for his wife." (Matthew 1:24) And here in our text John emphasizes that we can believe this wonderful event, although we can't accept it, and although most people refuse to believe it, because it is beyond their understanding. John writes:

He came unto his own, and his
own received him not. But as
many as received him, to them
gave he power to become the sons
of God, even to them that believe
on his name: Which were born, not
of blood, nor of the will of the
flesh, nor of the will of man,
but of God. Will of the flesh, nor of the
will of man, but of God."
(verses 11-13)

John emphasizes that although we can't understand it we can believe it. And we can believe it because God Himself gives us the faith. "Them that believe on his name were born of God." "To them He gave power to become His sons."

If we believe this wonderful event that the Son of God is born, that "The Word was made flesh," then we will have the greatest blessings and the greatest joy. This also John emphasizes in his Christmas story, as do also Matthew, Luke and St. Paul. John writes:

And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt
among us, (and we beheld his glory,
the glory as of the only begotten of
the Father,) full of grace and truth.
And of his fullness have all we received,
and grace for grace. For the law was given
by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ.
(verses 14, 16-17)

Through Moses God gave the Law, the Ten Commandments, which show us our sins and that we are lost and condemned sinners. But through His Son, Jesus, God gives us grace, and grace and more grace. Because of our sins and wrong doings we deserve God's anger and eternal punishment in hell.

But God has shown His grace to us in Jesus. He sent Jesus to take our place under the law and to keep the law for us. (read Galatians 4:4-7)

Jesus also suffered the eternal punishment of the law for us when He died upon the cross. Jesus could keep the law for everyone and He could suffer the punishment for everyone because He is the eternal, almighty Son of God. He is "The Word made flesh!" (read Galatians 3:13)

Rev. Bruce Lieske, one of our Lutheran pastors, tells about a Christmas custom in his family which will help us understand the meaning and joy of God's grace. Rev. Lieske explains that when he was six years old his parents told him and his brothers and sisters about the "brownies": if they would be good the week before Christmas then during the night a "brownie" would come and put a gift in their stockings which were hanging on the mantle. The "brownie" would put some chewing gum or a candy bar or some cookies in their stockings each night if they were good that day. But if they were bad the "brownie" would put a lump of coal in their stockings. Well, Bruce never expected to get a lump of coal in his stocking. But one morning he got up and was very excited to look in his stocking, but when he looked he found a lump of coal. He ran to his mother crying and angry because the "brownie" left him a lump of coal, while his brother got a candy bar. But his mother sat down with him and explained to him that he had been a bad boy yesterday and he got what he deserved. Then as Christmas came nearer Bruce heard that Christmas song on the radio: "Santa Claus Is Coming To Town." And he worried and wondered if he would be good enough to get some nice presents. He was afraid because the song said:

You'd better watch out,
You'd better not pout,
You'd better not cry,
I'm telling you why,
Santa Claus is coming to town.
He's making a list,
Checking it twice,
Going to find out
Whose naughty or nice
Santa Claus is coming to town.

Bruce really worried the night before Christmas because he had not been very good a few times. But when he opened his presents in the morning he was so happy, and he realized that his parents gave him many nice presents although he did not really deserve them. He began to see that his parents gave him presents because they loved him, not because he deserved them.

So it is with God, our heavenly Father in Jesus. God forgives our sins and blesses us and calls us His children because He loves us, not because we are so good and deserve it. That's what John emphasizes in his Christmas message.

Sinners, rejoice! The grace of God that brings salvation has appeared in the Baby Jesus, Mary's Son and God's Son.

Amen.