Christmas From St. John

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ChristmasFrom St. Johns Perspective

• Who is this Child?

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Where it all begins

• Gospel of John

• First Letter of John

• What was from the beginning, what we have
  heardconcerns the Word
• 1 Jn. 11

• In the beginning was the WordHe was in the
  beginning with God.
• Jn. 11a,2

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How did God create?
God SAID, Let there be light.
Before anything else, there was LIGHT!
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• Gospel of John

• First Letter of John

• the light shines in the darkness, and the
  darkness has not overcome itThe true light,
  which enlightens everyone
• Jn. 15,9a

• what we have seen with our eyes, what we have
  looked uponGod is light, and in him there is no
  darkness at all.
• 1 Jn. 11a,5b

So This Child to be born is the LIGHT. This
means that this Child is the FIRST, the one who
was before anything else was. But He is also
the Word that was spoken before the light.
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Then God said, "Let the earth bring forth all
kinds of living creaturesGen. 124
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• Gospel of John

• First Letter of John

• All things came to be through him, and without
  Him, nothing came to be. What came to be through
  him was life, and this life was the light of the
  human race.
• Jn. 13-4

• what we have looked upon and touched with our
  hands concerns the Word of life--for the life was
  made visible
• 1 Jn. 11b-2a

So This Child is LIFE! The Life that was
from the beginning. He is the one THROUGH WHOM
life came to be. In the Old Testament we
know of only ONE who is life itself
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God replied, "I am who am." Then he added, "This
is what you shall tell the Israelites I AM sent
me to you." Ex. 314
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This Child is God!

• Gospel of John

• the Word was with God and the Word was God
• Jn. 11

And yet, He is also WITH God like Wisdom in the
Book of Proverbs
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Before the mountains were settled into place,
before the hills, I was brought forththen I was
beside Him as His craftsman, and I was his
delight day by day, playing before Him all the
while. Proverbs 8 22, 30
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Son of God

• Gospel of John

• First letter of John

• And we saw his glory, the glory as of the
  Fathers only Son, full of grace and truth.
• Jn. 114b

• for our fellowship is with the Father and with
  his Son, Jesus Christ.
• 1 Jn. 13b

God from God, Light from Light, True God from
True God Begotten, not made, Consubstantial with
the Father
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Who is this Child?

1. He is the Word, coming from the Father
2. He is Life itself and brings that life to the
   world.
3. He is God, existing before all things
4. He is the Son of God

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What did God do for us at Christmas?

• Gospel of John

• First Letter of John

• And the Word became flesh and made his dwelling
  among us
• Jn. 114a

• For the life was made visible we have seen it
  and testify to it
• 1 Jn. 12a

The Incarnation
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Why?

• Gospel of John

• First Letter of John

• He came to what was His own, but his own people
  did not accept Him. But to those who did accept
  Him He gave power to become children of God.
• Jn. 111-12a

• The blood of His Son Jesus cleanses us from all
  sinHe is faithful and just and will forgive our
  sins and cleanse us from every wrongdoing.
• 1 Jn. 17b,9b

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He comes to redeem us
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John 1 1-14

• In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was
  with God, and the Word was God. He was in the
  beginning with God. All things came to be through
  him, and without him nothing came to be. What
  came to be through him was life, and this life
  was the light of the human race the light shines
  in the darkness, and the darkness has not
  overcome it. A man named John was sent from God.
  He came for testimony, to testify to the light,
  so that all might believe through him. He was not
  the light, but came to testify to the light. The
  true light, which enlightens everyone, was coming
  into the world. He was in the world, and the
  world came to be through him, but the world did
  not know him. He came to what was his own, but
  his own people did not accept him. But to those
  who did accept him he gave power to become
  children of God, to those who believe in his
  name, who were born not by natural generation nor
  by human choice nor by a man's decision but of
  God. And the Word became flesh and made his
  dwelling among us, and we saw his glory, the
  glory as of the Father's only Son, full of grace
  and truth.

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1 John 1

• What was from the beginning, what we have heard,
  what we have seen with our eyes, what we looked
  upon and touched with our hands concerns the Word
  of life-- for the life was made visible we have
  seen it and testify to it and proclaim to you the
  eternal life that was with the Father and was
  made visible to us-- what we have seen and heard
  we proclaim now to you, so that you too may have
  fellowship with us for our fellowship is with
  the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ. We are
  writing this so that our joy may be complete. Now
  this is the message that we have heard from him
  and proclaim to you God is light, and in him
  there is no darkness at all. If we say, We have
  fellowship with him, while we continue to walk
  in darkness, we lie and do not act in truth. But
  if we walk in the light as he is in the light,
  then we have fellowship with one another, and the
  blood of his Son Jesus cleanses us from all sin.
  If we say, We are without sin, we deceive
  ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we
  acknowledge our sins, he is faithful and just and
  will forgive our sins and cleanse us from every
  wrongdoing. If we say, We have not sinned, we
  make him a liar, and his word is not in us.

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Johannine Christmas Message

• The Son of God, who existed before time and
  through whom all came to exist, took on flesh and
  lived with us so that, through his Cross we might
  share in His eternal life. He is the Fathers
  creating Word and the Light of Truth come for our
  Salvation.

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Time for Meditation
Welcome to Our World By Michael W. Smith