Title: Jesus with you/John 1:1-14
Content Jesus/John 1:1-14 Daegu Jeil Church
1) In the beginning was the Word. The Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2) He was with God in the beginning; 3) All things were made through him, and without him nothing was made that was made. 4) In him was life, and this life was the light of men. 5) The light shined in the darkness, and the darkness did not understand it. 6) There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. 7) He came to bear witness, that he might testify of the light, that all might believe through him. 8) He is not this light, but he who came to testify of this light. 9) There was the true light, the light that came into the world and gave light to every man 10) He was in the world, and the world was made through him, but the world did not know him. To those who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God. 13 These are those who were not born of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God. 14) The Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld his glory, the glory of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.
On this merry Christmas, I sincerely hope that God's grace may be with all the saints through Jesus Christ. Today we gathered in this chapel to give thanks and praise to God for the baby Jesus, who was born in the stable of an inn in 2001 years ago and was laid in a manger. We want to find out what the coming of Jesus means through the words of the Gospel of John.
First of all, when we read today's Word 1:1, don't we think of Genesis 1:1? “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.” Similar to the Word, it is declared, “In the beginning was the Word.” In the beginning, God created this visible world by means of His Word, and in the midst of it, He also created light by His Word. Therefore, the word means the very command of God, but also the power to be carried out.
The Word that was in the beginning came into this world, and it declares that the Word is Jesus Christ. Moreover, today's verses 4-5 say that there is 'light' in him. This light is not a visible light. This is the light that can be seen with the eyes of the heart and the light that can be seen with the spiritual eyes. Therefore, it is not a light that everyone can see easily, but a light that only those who know how to see can see it.
This makes Jesus our new Creator. He is the creator of our spiritual world. That light is the light that leads us to the kingdom of God.
Second, Jesus came to this world as light to give life. According to verse 4 of today's text, there is life in Jesus. This means eternal life. Just as in the beginning when God created man and gave him physical life by breathing in and breathing in through his nose, so now Jesus breathes eternal and spiritual life into God's people.
We are gathered here because we are people who have spiritual and eternal life in addition to physical life. They gather in the chapel to celebrate the coming of Jesus and give thanks to God for sending him. Those who are promised eternal life are those who have received the ID card to enter the kingdom of God. What you will enjoy there forever is life. There is a limit to life in the flesh in this world, but there is no limit to life in the kingdom of God. The eternal life that God originally intended to give to the first humans, Adam and Eve, is restored in Christ Jesus. That is why our Lord Jesus Christ came into this infinitely low, low and sinful world.
Third, Jesus Christ is the glory of God itself. Those who see the glory of God will have no choice but to praise God. Those who receive the breath of God and enjoy life should praise. Psalm 150:6 says, “Everyone who has breath, let him praise the Lord. Hallelujah.” This will be a song to Jesus through a beautiful voice for everyone who has a physical life. Moreover, those who have spiritual and eternal life have no choice but to praise the glory of God in Jesus and praise him for that glory.
All the choir members of Daegu Jeil Church today are people who stand in this class. So this morning, we stand in the place of praising God, praising the coming of Jesus and glorifying God. Also, all of you who are sitting in the general alumni seats will stand in a place of spiritual praise together. When we engage spiritually with the choir, rather than just listening to them, we will all give praise to God.