Do you believe in Christmas?

Sermon: Do you believe in Christmas? Date: 12-15-24

Context:   1Ἐν ἀρχῇ ἦν ὁ λόγος καὶ ὁ λόγος ἦν πρὸς τὸν θεόν καὶ θεὸς ἦν ὁ λόγος. 2 οὗτος ἦν ἐν ἀρχῇ πρὸς τὸν θεόν. 3 πάντα δι᾽ αὐτοῦ ἐγένετο καὶ χωρὶς αὐτοῦ ἐγένετο οὐδὲ ἕν ὃ γέγονεν. 4 ἐν αὐτῷ ζωὴ ἦν καὶ ἡ ζωὴ ἦν τὸ φῶς τῶν ἀνθρώπων· 5 καὶ τὸ φῶς ἐν τῇ σκοτίᾳ φαίνει καὶ ἡ σκοτία αὐτὸ οὐ κατέλαβεν. 

 We are obviosuly not about to read the above passage. 

I. The Preexistence of Christ “In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word was God” 

• The Perfect Word of God 2 Timothy 3:16 “All Scripture is God Breathed” 

• John’s point is that the Word of God is not just a message from God, but it is God. Not the Bible, The Word! 

• Logos= . 1st used by Heraclitus about 500 B.C. to describe the reason/plan for a changing universe. 

• The Word is revealed to us through the Bible, but it’s paper and ink. It’s NOT just a collection of thoughts! 

• It is how we gain our limited comprehension or an uncompressible God! 

• Dr. Sinclair Ferguson Ligonier Ministry: “The Word is the imprint of God’s nature, a bridge to knowing Him. God is incomprehensible to human minds, has chosen to reveal Himself through the Word so that we might know Him. “

• Key Point: Jesus is not a created being; He existed before creation, outside of time, and therefore He is . 

• John 8:57, Jesus said “Your father Abraham rejoiced that he would see my day.”
• They responded, “You are only 50 years old.”
• vs 58 “Before Abraham was, I am.”  

• There was no doubt! Jesus was confirming to them that he is eternal! vs29 “They picked up stones to stone him. “ 

• “He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together.” Colossians 1:17 

II. The Coexistence of Christ “…and the Word was God” (vs1c-3) 

• Doctrine of the Trinity: Jesus is both with God and is God

• Vs 2 “He was with God.” “pros ton theon” means to be face-to-face or together in intellect and fellowship” 

• Jesus is God, while also being in perfect fellowship with God. “This is my beloved Son.” (Luke 3:22) 

• “Restore to me the glory I had with you before the world existed” (John 17:5) 

• “In Him, all the fullness of deity dwells.” (Colossians 2:9) pleroma: a full measure which reached completeness. 

• Vernon McGee “it’s a clearcut statement of the Christ’s deity. He’s the ; not 99%, 100%” 

• Everyone who knows of Jesus are NOT Christians. Never forget Satan and the Demons all believe in Jesus.  

• Mark 1: A demon possessed man in a synagogue calls out Jesus “I know who you are, The ! 

• Luke 4: “The demons also came out of many crying, “You are the Son of God!… They knew he was the Christ” 

• Matt 8:  2 demons “What have you to do with us, Son of God? Have you come to torment us before the time?” 

• THE SELF-EXISTENCE OF CHRIST (vs4) “In Him was life, and life” 
• Self-existence means that Christ possesses life inherently. This means that Unlike creation, he does not recieve life from an external source.

• John 5:26 says, “For as the Father has life in Himself, so He has granted the Son to have life in Himself.” 

1. The Eternal “I AM” 

• When asked who He is, God responded in Exodus 3:14: “I AM WHO I AM,” revealing His eternal self-existence. 

• Unlike creation, which is constantly “becoming.” Everything in creation, from people to possessions, will change. Yet Christ, as God, is unchanging and eternal. Heb 13:8 “Jesus is the same yesterday, today and tomorrow.”  

2. Christ as Creator 

• “For by Him all things were created… He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together” Colossians 1:16-17 

• He is the uncreated Creator! Paul explained this in Acts 17 “We all live and move and have their being in Him.” 

• Life and Light in Him “In Him was life, and the life was the light of men” (John 1:4). 

• Light dispels spiritual ignorance & sin. Vs 5 “The light shines in darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it” 

Conclusions: What is the Proof of Christ’s Self-Existence? 

1. The Word of God (John 1:7-8) 

• preached that the Word was fullfied in Christ. 

• His Evidence was to speak on what the Word has already revealed and promised about the Messiah. Scripture testifies to Christ’s self-existence power John 1:7-8  

• God’s Word has been preserved as a testament to His eternal nature. 

1. Changed Lives 

• Christ’s power is evident in spiritual creation. 

• “To all who did receive Him, who believed in his name, He gave the right to become children of God” (John 1:12). 

• Believers are transformed into God’s family through a new spiritual birth, not by human effort but by God’s will (John 1:13). 

Application: This truth of Christmas is that God Himself came into the world as the preexistent and coexistent Son. 

• As,Believers, we are convinced that Jesus is not simple a but as the eternal Creator who offers life and light.