I. Introduction (John 1:1-14)
A. For well over 500 years, wood carvers and artists have endeavoured to put tiny little sculpted scenes inside a small walnut shell - it is amazing to see what can be put inside a nutshell. It came from an expression “Give it to me in a nutshell”
B. When someone says, “Give it to me in a nutshell” it means…
- Anything that could be written in so few words that it would fit into a nutshell.
- As in, saying something with the fewest possible words - brief and to the point
C. I have found throughout the Bible many Gospel nutshells - brief and to the point
- John 3:16 is one of them
- Romans 10:13 is another
- John 14:6 - Straight, brief, clear, and to the point!
D. And this morning, I want to look at CHRISTMAS in a nutshell
- Found in John 1:14
- And even though it is so brief, it shows WHY Christmas is so amazingly special, to countless millions upon millions the world over!
II. Message - Christmas In a Nutshell (John 1:14,10-12)
A. The Word Became Flesh - That’s Crazy
- Jesus was not just a baby - He was the almighty God, the Word of the living God…
- The word that thundered from Mt Sinai
- That spoke at creation, and everything appeared
- The word that comforted Elijah, compelled Moses, corrected Balaam, called Saul of Tarsus…
- Became flesh - became a human being, with fingers and toes and hair and ears and feet and a stomach, and lungs and a beating heart
- The Word that came from the mouth of God was miraculously BORN of a virgin named Mary
- It ACTUALLY happened, early Christmas morning. The infinite, almighty God wrapped Himself in human flesh, grew in the womb of a virgin, was born, lived and breathed and grew and walked and lived as a Man
- You say, UNBELIEVABLE. You say that’s CRAZY!
- All I can say is Yep! That’s crazy! And yet because the Bible says it, I believe it
- And it makes Christmas what it really is - special!
B. God Dwelt Among Us - That’s Commitment
- Okay, so now we are taking this a little further
- The God of heaven didn’t JUST become a Man named Jesus
- He came and stayed for a while - for 33 and a half years as a matter of fact
- Long enough to know what it felt like at 7 years old when your feet don’t work right and you trip a lot
- Long enough to know what it felt like being a teenager at 12 and 13 years old when no one understands you
- Long enough for Him to have to put up with imperfect parents telling Him, the Son of God, what to do, when to go to bed, what foods He shouldn’t eat, and who not to hang around with!
- He discovered what it felt like being hungry, and tired, and poor, and lonely, and rejected, and misunderstood, and falsely accused
- He did not dwell amongst the rich and powerful, and comfortable
- He dwelt amongst US - He lived HERE! NOT as God, but as a man
- That’s amazing Commitment to us and to the plan of salvation!
- And Christ’s Commitment to US makes Christmas what it really is - special!
C. We Beheld His Glory - That’s Captivating
- Moses was so discouraged with how hard it was trying to lead the nation of Israel through the wilderness, that he needed to see something marvellous - he needed to experience something powerful - so he begged God one day to just show him a GLIMPSE of God’s glory, His power and His greatness in Exodus 33:12-23; 34:5-9. God let him alone see just the tiniest amount
- The Apostle John saw a GREATER GLORY - the glory of the only begotten Son of God the Father!
- He saw it, held it, felt it, heard it, and believed it
- That happened throughout the entire life of Jesus Christ
- Glory of His birth
- Glory of His miracles
- Glory of His words and teaching
- Glory of His submission to the will of God
- Glory of His cry on the cross - it is finished
- Glory of His resurrection 3 days later
- From start to finish, Jesus’ life was glorious!
- And it all began at Christmas
- And all THAT glory is what makes Christmas special - better than all the Christmas lights in the world!
- But it gets better…
D. Full of Grace and Truth - That’s Compassion
- Jesus had NO ulterior motives. No fakery or deception. No demands of expectations
- Jesus was not a politician. He was NOT a religious leader
- He was GRACE and TRUTH!
- His life was filled with two attitudes towards mankind: GRACE and TRUTH - The two things people desperately need today
- Grace is God offering us His Son
- Truth is God exposing how much we NEED His Son
- Listen to the Bible
- Ephesians 2:8,9 - “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.”
- John 8:32 - “And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.”
- John 8:36 - “If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed.”
- Many people are kind and giving at Christmas
- And SOME people honour and respect and delight in telling the truth
- But ONLY Jesus is full of both kindness while also being full of absolute truth
- He ignores nothing about us and about the reality of just how wicked we are
- And so he extends His GRACE towards us - limitless, boundless, infinite grace
- There is no one better to get to know, and trust, and follow, than Jesus
- Because the Grace and Truth of Christmas makes this time of year most special!
E. The Christ of Christmas is Waiting to be Received (John 1:10-13) - That’s Courage
- Notice how people treated Jesus when He came…
- His own people did not accept Him - the Jewish people, with one voice called for Him to be crucified
- They did not believe He was who He claimed to be
- Did not accept Him as Lord and King of their lives, or as the answer to their need
- Instead, mocked Him on the cross with words, “King of the Jews” (Hah hah)
- That is STILL how people treat the Christ of Christmas today! Tolerate as a baby
- People need to do more than just “believe” - as in “tolerate”
- You can hear someone outside your door, and do nothing, and leave them outside
- You can believe they are wanting in, but not trust them to actually LET them in
- THAT is what so many people do with Jesus
- They know He is there, knocking, making noise, interrupting
- But they are unwilling to actually open the door and receive Him into their hearts by faith - they don’t trust Him to be in charge!
- And so they miss Christmas - the real Christmas gift - of Jesus in you
- Colossians 1:27 - ”…Christ in you, the hope of glory”
- Ephesians 3:14,17 - “For this cause I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ… That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith”
- 2 Corinthians 13:5 - “Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves. Know ye not your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates?”
- So He HAS to be received, accepted, allowed to come in, welcomed, and loved!
- It will take COURAGE to believe this Bible, and believe that Jesus is all this
- Not everyone is willing to believe it all
- But I do, because I found this Book to be perfectly true
- And I have found Jesus to be the best GIFT I ever received
III. Invitation (John 1:10-14)
A. In a Nut-Shell
- It is simply Crazy to believe that WORDS Became Flesh - but I believe it
- God proved his Commitment, when he decided to Dwell Among Us
- The very Moment you take a good long look at the Glory of the birth and life and death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, you will be Captivated
- Jesus proved His Compassion When He offered all of mankind unlimited Grace and Absolute Truth
- Jesus is Still Waiting to be Received (John 1:10-13) - and it will take Courage to believe the actual Christmas story and receive the Gift that God paid for you to get
B. The gift of Jesus in your life and heart!
- Would you like to receive that gift today?
- Ask Him to save you, to forgive you of your sinful past and your stubborn heart
- Ask Him to be YOUR Saviour, your Christmas Gift, today!