The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us.  We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.

There never has been a time when God did not exist.  God is Spirit; He has no body to speak of.  Yes, the Bible speaks of the eyes, the ears, the voice, or the hand of the Lord.  That way of talking makes it easier for us to understand what is difficult to explain, since we are not spirit.  God went even further, though, to help us and to show how close He always is to us: this eternal, spiritual God chose to be among us physically.

That’s the Christmas message.  God chose to be among us physically and powerfully: this Word about which John tells us is the same Word that caused all creation to be.  The cause of all that is.  That’s power.  Everything from nothing is power.  This Word about which John tells us is the power of creation, new creation.  In a world where so much can feel impossible, God comes down to promise us His power of possibility.  He is that power; He is with us in Jesus.  God’s Word is about Spirit and relationship, purpose and meaning: the things that make life worthwhile rather than that thankless task we do day after day.

The daily grind doesn’t make life worthwhile.  The daily news doesn’t give us strong assurances that life is especially worthwhile.  Too many make a habit of making this world a dangerous, violent place.  I always thought—wanted to believe!—that it was a live and let live world, but I’ve been learning, sorrowfully, that this is a world where, too often, people hurt other people.  It’s not just anti-social loners with mental health issues.  We all seem to be better at hurting others than we thought.

Out there, where we spend almost all our lives, you’ll be told that God is really good at doing nothing about the hurt.  In this place, though, we know that God is really good at helping, healing.  He always has been and always will be.  He reaches out to us before we know to reach out to Him, calls to us before we know how to cry out to Him.  He calls out to those who don’t see any point or value in believing: people who think Christians are fools beyond help and sort of weak and beneath contempt.  God came for people like that, too.  He came to speak, to touch, to heal—these are the true Christmas gifts!  Reconnection, love, patience.  Do you, also, believe people really do want to feel connected to others?  Do you, also, believe people want to know and have real love, not the sad sham that gets called love in the songs on the radio and the shows on TV?  Out there, people keep consuming what can’t give them what they’re looking for.

It sounds a little stupid to say that Jesus is the best Christmas gift, like, yeah, of course he has to say that tonight.  It’s true, though.  All the stuff we give tonight and tomorrow—sure, we can think of these as tokens of our love.  The returns and exchange lines on the 26^th can be awfully long, though.  Wrong color. Wrong size—why is it always the wrong size?  It’s like they don’t even know me.  I can offer you Christ tonight.  I can’t wrap him very pretty.  Actually, he’s kind of beat up, not gently used, though all too often lightly used.  When a gift is given from love, maybe that’s enough?  I’d love to give him to you tonight.

Why did God want to live a human life?  To give us the help we needed, He needed to be among us with a truly, fully human body.  This can be a little hard to explain.  We live our lives in these bodies, with these bodies.  Blood, breath, eyes, ears, tongue, hands, feet, a heart, a brain—a living thing.  We have bodies for living.  So far, so good.  What are we living for?  The weekend?  The next paycheck?  Retirement?  The next meal?  Friends?  Family?  Children?  Who knows?  I never think about it?  Times come when we wonder what we’re living for.  God comes among us to speak about and show us what living is for.

It’s for relationships.  We get that.  Some of us have about as many friends as we want.  Some of us would be so glad to have more friends; these can be lonely times, and Christmas, and church, should never be lonely.  Life is for relationship with God.  Well, we’re not so sure about that.  Maybe we don’t really want that, not that there’s anything wrong with it, but, God and all: it just isn’t for me, you know?  I feel connected and peaceful when I’m camping or fishing.  It’s good to feel restful and far from the cares of life, but that’s not the same as a relationship with God.  If you’re in awe of His power, beauty, and majesty out there, just think how much more of these He’s wanting to give you in Jesus.  You can get glimpses and previews out there, for sure, but you can’t get Jesus.  Jesus is the only one who can put us in touch with God.  Jesus is available where this book is being proclaimed, where people gather for the sake of this life-giving Word, like here, tonight.  Creation can’t give you the Creator.  Only the Creator can do that; I’m telling you He wants to: that’s why He gave us Jesus.

God comes to be with us so that He can have us with Him: as many as will hear Him, receive His gift, and walk with Him through this life into the next. Do you believe there is life after this life, or does it seem more likely that this life is it and nothing after, forever?  You wouldn’t be the only one.  Jesus consistently, confidently teaches us about the life to come.  It’s like he really knows what he’s talking about, has been there.  He tells us not everyone gets to have that life; he tells us he is the way to that life.  He tells us it’s worthwhile to want that life, to live for it and love for it.  He tells us living for that life changes how we live this life, in very good ways.

John tells us the Word walked among us.  The power of possibility, creation power—where there was nothing, something.  Where there was darkness, light.  Where there was sorrow, joy.  Where there was no hope, new hope.  But Jesus who came among us at Christmas is no longer here, physically.  His body isn’t on earth anymore.  And he is still with those who want him and with those who think, maybe, they might.  He is with us by the Holy Spirit.

We hear, feel, and even believe that we can’t change.  We tell ourselves we can’t.  I know—believe me, I know—that it can feel like everything out there, as well as something still somehow, somewhere inside us, is set against any change you hunger for in your life.  I’m telling you right now that Jesus Christ through the Holy Spirit is God’s power for change in your life: the powerful, empowering presence of God.  God wants you to experience His glory, goodness, and grace at work in your life!

John, a dear friend of Jesus, tells us Jesus “came from the Father full of grace and truth.”  Grace—God freely gives us what we have not deserved, what we could never earn or achieve.  It’s not because you or I have earned it that God gives us His love, His promise, His life.  He loves because it is His very nature to love: this is who He is.

Love desires the very best for the beloved.  Love wants the beloved to grow in the truth.  It hurts when we see loved ones embracing lies, pursuing ways that can only lead to hurt; it hurts when we try to tell them, from love, in truth, and they get angry with us and tell us to mind our own business and keep out of their lives.  God knows all about it.

We’re going to be leaving in a few minutes.  Like you, I’m looking forward to the rest of this evening, and tomorrow.  I like opening presents, too; I like giving presents.  Tonight is about gifts because tonight is about The Gift.  The Gift is God Himself.  He came with a purpose.  He came for you.