The First Coming I: Life

John 1:1-5
A. Background & Comments:

• If someone was to ask you today, ‘What would make your life better?’, what might be your answer? In my observation of culture & media this week, there are several answers that I could give to the question:

more than one wife at a time with multitudes of children;
a Chevy Cruze… because I deserve it;
the $50 million won by the couple in Ontario;
the Children’s Hospital Lottery Home at Morgan Creek;
the lawn at the VAG returned to public use(!);
• the more stressed & chaotic our world gets, the more lost & craving of satisfaction the population expresses, the more we descend into relativism without moral absolutes to guide us… the more grateful I am for Jesus Christ! I believe, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that he provides the answers that humanity seeks, even if we are unwilling to accept the responses.

• the passage we read today speaks to the truth that Jesus Christ taught when he said, “I have come so that you might have life and have it to the full.” (John 10:10) This was not a statement regarding the length of years we might have but an overarching statement about the quality of life we might experience… and in the hereafter.

B. Main Thought:

This passage speaks to the quality of life that each believer can expect when fully responding to the first coming of Jesus Christ.

C. Key Question:

What difference does Jesus Christ make to my life, especially in how I act & think?

The two key “quality of life enhancements” that make a real difference to how I will live are:

I. Life is Enriched by a Firm Foundation for Thought & Behavior (vs. 1-3)

“ 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.

A. To understand this passage correctly, replace “Word” with “Jesus Christ”. This passage makes several claims that have meaning for our lives & understanding of Jesus Christ:

the “Word” (Jesus Christ) is divine & eternal;
the “Word” was part of the act of initial Creation;
the “Word” is empowered to act in human affairs;

B. Turning to the OT book of Judges 21 we see a brief, yet insightful response by the author to that point in Israel’s history:

“At that time the Israelites left that place and went home to their tribes and clans, each to his own inheritance. In those days Israel had no king; everyone did as they saw fit.”

The clear, unadulterated message in these verses is that Israel was without any foundation & chaos ruled in the land. Thus, without any moral foundation for thought & behavior, the population was without limit as to what might be done. It should be noted that this sense of being lost & chaos always hits the family structure first. (See Judges 21:20-23)

It is vital for Christians to understand these claims, as well as understand that the world around us is without foundation! We have been given a fantastic foundation for life in Christ that means:
Created with meaning & purpose;
Valued by our Creator;
Life has meaning, activity has purpose;
Wrongs will be made right… eventually.

II. Life is Enriched by Unusual Insight Regarding God & Humanity (vs. 4,5)

“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.”

A. The passage goes on to claim that the life given to the world in Jesus Christ is illuminating. That life helps us to understand our truest nature, our rescue in Jesus Christ & hope for the future, wherever we are in life’s journey. It pre-supposes that the world is in darkness, that humanity finds itself in a moral vortex, without meaning & without hope.

When Christ comes into your life, there is suddenly a sense of clarity about who you are & where you’re going. That’s why we call him…

B. These insights about Christ are not self-initiated or somehow deserved due to good behavior. The Bible teaches from beginning to end that God has revealed himself in the form of Jesus Christ. God sent his Son in human form so that we could know exactly what God looks like! There can be no mistake… Jesus Christ is the one and only good news. Hebrews 1:1-3:

“In the past God spoke to our ancestors through the prophets at many times and in various ways, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things,

and through whom also he made the universe. The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word. After he had provided purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven.”

Implications for Life

A. At this Christmas time, it is important to stop & evaluate our lives. We need to understand that due to the reality of most people feeling lost & alone, there will be an excessive amount of “investment” in trying to “feel good” through:

consumerism & “retail therapy”;
substance abuse & escapism;
incessant activity & “keeping busy”;
constant public, religious acts.

If you want to have a sense of well-being, give yourself to quiet reflection & acceptance of Jesus Christ’ claims. “Be still and know that I am God.” (Ps. 46:10). Do not surrender to the same tired pattern of doing what has always been done before.

B. The second coming of Jesus Christ is intended to bring judgment & correction to a world gone wrong. The first coming of Jesus Christ is intended to bring genuine meaning, encouragement & hope to life. What have you dome to truly respond to this truth? Is your life any better because of it?