Living Manna

Apostle John in today’s passage describes to us what Christmas is without all those visible things. “The Word became flesh”, that is the most profound truth of all truth. Without that, Christianity would not exist. The phrase the Word became flesh encapsulates the central truth of Christianity, emphasizing that God became fully human without losing His divinity.

We were told about what happened on earth in Bethlehem but there was a spiritual reality going on.  The non-negotiable reality that we celebrate Christmas is that the Eternal God, the creator of the universe, became a human being.  John wrote his gospel to get this truth across so that we would understand that Jesus is God in human flesh, and He said He will come again in the same way. Christmas is the day when God declared, “Now we can come and meet with Him.”

This Word in Greek is “Logos”, this was believed to be a title given to the creative force, the power of creation, the very essence of the one that created the order in the universe. This means the force that created the whole universe became a human being.

What does it mean to say that Jesus is the Word in flesh?

Jesus Christ, He is the Word that existed before all creation. He was not created, He is eternal, omniscient, omnipotent and omnipresent. The Word is the description of God in spirit, God Himself (John 6:63). Hebrews 1:1-2 is telling us that the Word that existed even before creation, that is the Word that is with us today. Why did He come? We all know the answer, to save us, that’s the truth.

The Word has a purpose. In the beginning, before everything was created, the Word already existed. And then He created the universe over the six days and the last one that He created was Adam.  The Word was given in Genesis 1 and the Word came in John 1, for the same purpose.  Jesus and God sent the Word in Genesis 1 and John 1, because there’s a warfare going on, there was darkness, the darkness was covering and ruling over this world.

Why did the Word became flesh?

The Word became flesh because there was darkness, and that darkness needed to be taken away. In the beginning, the first thing God created was light. In John 1, the first description of the Word is “the Word was light”.  And then Jesus came, it says the light shines upon darkness. This world is becoming darker and darker, that’s why we need the Word to come. As soon as the Word landed what happened? Separation and division take place, light and dark, day and light, land and the sea, man and the beast. When we receive the Word which is light, there must be some kind of movement taking place. But if there’s nothing taking place, that means you have not had a true Christmas yet. When Jesus came to this earth, separation started to take place, separation within my heart. I was fully in darkness but then now there’s light and darkness, there are choices that we must make now.

The light shines in the darkness; the light is Jesus, and the darkness is the people of this world (John 1:5). The light shines in the darkness and the darkness did not comprehend it. If the darkness receives the light, the darkness becomes light.  But if the darkness does not receive the light, there is a separation between dark and light (John 1:11).  As soon as He came, separation began to take place, those who believed and received Him versus those who did not believe and receive Him. Even at Jesus’s crucifixion, Jesus was at the centre. The crosses on His right and on His left, they represented two kinds of people on Earth even today. One who recognized Jesus, repented, confessed his faith in Jesus and he received the promise of paradise. The other one, although he was given the same opportunity, he rejected Jesus.

Jesus came to Bethlehem and His coming bothered many people (i.e. Herod, religious leaders). But to those who received Him, it was finally the answer like Simeon and Anna. To those who received Him, they were finally able to find peace.

In conclusion, how do we let darkness turn into light? There are parts of us that still have not received that light or hiding to keep that darkness. The truth is we all have some darkness. That’s why we need to receive that light. True celebration of Jesus’s birth needs to be done by those who have received this heavenly light.  Darkness cannot be turned into light just by attending church physically. It can be done only to those who receive that light. Jesus, the Word who is light that came to this earth, and He came to the people who are in darkness. These people met Him, let us learn through these people.

1. Samaritan woman

Her past was dark, her present was dark but somehow the light came to her. Jesus walked into that darkness and what’s the first thing. She asked, “How do I worship, where do I worship?” How do we turn this darkness into light? Ask Jesus to revive our worship.

2. Woman that was suffering through haemorrhage

She was in darkness because there was no hope in her life. She tried everything she could, no cure, no solution amid that darkness. She saw a glimpse of light far away, walking by in the marketplace. That was Jesus but there were so many obstacles, huddles and these people around her were trying to cast more darkness. Do we feel like that sometimes? I feel helpless and rather than these people around me trying to help me to reach that light, they’re blocking me. But even though I might get trampled upon, even though people might point fingers at me and step on me. She said, “I’m going to reach that light,” and she crawled over and touched that light, and that light had power immediately. May we have that desire to reach that light.

3. Man who was born blind

He never saw light in his life but somehow Jesus decided to walk by. And even in that blind darkness, he saw that light. Jesus asked, “What do you want?” He said, “I want to see, I want light.” May we seek to see that light, the redemption that Jesus is trying to give us.

4. Lazarus

Lazarus was defeated by death. Death means darkness has gained victory and triumph over us. This is not about physical death but referring to the biblical significance of death. Anybody feel like you’re dead already? Feel like darkness has overcome? Lazarus had his sisters, Martha and Mary who called Jesus over. Jesus was late, they lost hope, and Lazarus was dead. But Jesus called Lazarus out of the darkness.  May Jesus call you out of your darkness. May we be like Lazarus and may we also be like Martha and Mary.  Are there people who are buried under burdens, sickness and sin that they couldn’t call out to the Lord? May you be the Martha and Mary that call out to the Lord and may Jesus come and save your loved ones.

May Jesus come and save us.  That is Christmas.

AMEN.