The Radiance of God’s Glory (Hebrew 1) | 14th December 2025

We do ask that the Lord would speak this

morning as we come to his word. Would

you open up your Bibles to John chapter

John 1 · chapter mention

1, the book of John, chapter 1, if you

John 1 · chapter mention

could open there with me.

Let's pray as we come to the Lord's word

this morning. Let's pray.

Lord, as we come to you this morning, we

ask for your help.

Lord, we are weak.

I am weak. My words are weak.

But Lord, we ask that you would speak by

your spirit this morning. Lord, would we

listen to your very words and understand

them and apply them to our lives? Help

us, Lord. Help us to understand these

truths,

to praise you, and to glorify you

because Christ dwelt on this earth.

Help us now in Jesus name. Amen. Amen.

Well, if you could look at John chapter

John 1 · chapter mention

1 with me, I'm going to read the whole

passage from 1 to 18. So from John

John 1:1–18

chapter 1, verses 1-18. And as I read, I

want you to think on the identity of the

word. Who is the word? What do we know

about the word?

As I read John chapter 1, think about

John 1 · chapter mention

who is the word.

John chapter 1 verse one says this.

John 1 · chapter mention

In the beginning was the word

and the word was with God and the word

was God. He was in the beginning with

God. All things were made through him

and without him was not anything made

that was made. In him was life

and the life was the light of men. The

light shines in the darkness and the

darkness has not overcome it. There was

a man sent from God whose name was John.

He came as a witness to bear witness

about the light that all might believe

through him. He was not the light but

came to bear witness about the light.

The true light which gives light to

everyone was coming into the world. He

was in the world and the world was made

through him. Yet the world did not know

him. He came to his own and his own

people did not receive him. But to all

who did receive him, who believed in his

name, he gave the right to become

children of God. who were born not of

blood, nor of the will of flesh, nor of

the will of man, but of God. And the

word became flesh, and dwelt among us.

And we have seen his glory,

glory as of the only son from the

father, full of grace and truth. John

bore witness about him and cried out,

"This was he of whom I said, he who

comes after me ranks before me because

he was before me.

For from his fullness, we have all

received grace upon grace. For the law

was given through Moses. Grace and truth

came through Jesus Christ. No one has

ever seen God. The only God who is at

the Father's side. He has made him

known. This is the Lord's word to us

this morning. In the beginning was the

word.

In the beginning was the word. and the

word was with God and the word was God.

I wonder how many times you've heard

that read.

If you've grown up in church, I'm sure

that you've heard this tons of times.

These are popular verses. These are

popular words. These words are read

many, many times. There's actually

there's a musical about the Bible and

the first song is all about these

verses. The be in the beginning was the

word and the word was with God and the

word was God. We hear these words all

the time.

But how often do we really take time to

think through what these words mean? The

first chapter of John can actually feel

quite confusing on first glance. It can

feel quite confusing.

Do you know I used to tell people who

were interested in reading the Bible,

they came to me, this was their first

time, they had never read the Bible

before. I used to tell them the best

place for you to start would be the book

of John. I don't know why I did. It was

like the popular thing to do when I was

in school or in college.

I don't know if that was the best

advice. The Lord speaks through his

word. But when you open to John 1 verse

one and see, in the beginning was the

word and the word was with God. The word

was God and the word, the word, the

word.

It raises so many questions. Who or what

is the word? What do you mean in the

beginning? What is this light we're

talking about?

How does this word take on flesh?

There are questions that arise as we

read John chapter 1. It can be quite

John 1 · chapter mention

confusing.

Our series this Christmas is called

Christ incarnate.

Christ incarnate. Christ the savior of

the world who is God becoming man,

taking on flesh and dwelling on this

earth. And these verses through John 1

are clearly talking about Jesus Christ.

They're clearly talking about Jesus

Christ. The word mentioned in these

verses is Jesus and Jesus is God. Jesus

is the true light and Jesus dwelt on

this earth. He lived on this earth. But

how do we know that the word is Jesus?

Well, we look at the description

throughout the verses. The plainest

evidence really is found in um verses 14

to 18 that the word dwelt among us.

We know that Jesus he lived on this

earth.

And then in verse 17, verse 17 is the

only mention of Jesus' name in the whole

passage. Verse 17, uh the grace and

truth came through Jesus Christ. Jesus

Christ is the word. This passage written

by John is talking about Jesus the

Christ.

This was written by John who was one of

Jesus disciples, one of Jesus' closest

friends and followers. John writes a

firsthand primary account about Jesus'

life. This is a primary account of Jesus

life. John saying that that the word

dwelt among us. He is speaking from

firthand experience. He walked by Jesus.

He walked with Jesus on this earth. John

is speaking is writing from firsthand

experience and John he's writing to a

mixed audience to a mixed audience to

Jewish people to Gentiles and to

Christians

as the original audience would have

received this book of John. I wonder

what their first thoughts would have

been as they opened this prologue. As

they opened to this book and read these

words, what would their thoughts have

been for the gentile, the secular, the

unreligious,

their immediate thoughts would have been

probably that this is speaking of

someone with power, with power, someone

who has power, someone who is mighty,

someone who is the creator, and someone

who dwelt among them. For the Christian,

I think the Christian reading this would

know exactly who this is talking about

as they begin,

they would exactly who this was talking

about, that this passage is talking

about Jesus,

their personal savior.

And then for the Jewish reader, as they

read the opening words of John chapter

John 1 · chapter mention

1, in the beginning was the word. You

know where their mind would go? right

back to Genesis chapter 1, the first

Genesis 1 · chapter mention

words of the Bible. In the beginning,

God.

The Jewish reader, their minds would go

right back to Genesis 1. In the

beginning, God.

And they would read on with great

intrigue as they would read this and

then come come to verse 17, which talks

about the law

and Moses.

The Jewish reader would be really

intrigued as they read this passage.

And I find it interesting that John, he

doesn't choose to use the name Jesus

until verse 17.

He chooses to use the the word.

And I think not using the word Jesus,

not using the name Jesus would catch the

attention of those people who are

reading the book. It would catch the

attention of the Jewish readers and it

would catch the attention of the

Gentiles immediately.

They wouldn't switch off because this is

about Jesus, but they would be quite

interested in who is this person who

obviously has power

and who was in the beginning. And I

think it's really intriguing how the

Jewish people would have read these

verses. As I said, it points back to

Genesis chapter 1. For them it would

Genesis 1 · chapter mention

have thought they would have gone

straight back to Genesis chapter 1.

Genesis 1 · chapter mention

They would need to think about how the

word was used in Genesis chapter 1. This

Genesis 1 · chapter mention

term word

commentators say that the use of the

word the term word in this is a verbal

echo back to Genesis 1. It's echoing

back for those Jewish readers right back

to Genesis chapter 1. In Genesis chapter

Genesis 1 · chapter mention Genesis 1 · chapter mention

1, there's repetition of the word spoke,

which is the word word. God's word. God

spoke. God said, and if you've read

Genesis 1, you know this. God spoke or

God said, "Let there be light." And what

happened? There was light. God spoke,

"Let the earth sprout vegetation and

plants." And what happened? There was

vegetation and plants. God spoke, "Let

us make man in our own image." What

happened? Man was made in the image of

God. God speaking, God's word in Genesis

1 holds mighty power. Power of the

creator.

And now John writes that there's a word,

a personified word, a person who is the

word. And the connection has to be made

here between the word spoken about in

John 1 and the words God spoke in

Genesis chapter 1. This word in John 1

Genesis 1 · chapter mention

has power

is mighty is the word of God. The

connection is clear looking back to

creation when you look at verse three of

John chapter 1. Verse three says this.

John 1 · chapter mention

All things were made through him. All

things were made through the word and

without him was not anything made that

was made. The word is creator.

The word was there in the beginning and

the word is God.

Jesus, the word is God. Jesus was there

in the beginning. And not only was he

there in the beginning, but he held an

active part in the creation of the

world. Jesus held an active part in the

creation of the world.

We need to grasp here in these verses

that Jesus is God. We can't just skip

that over. It's a clear truth. It's a

clear truth throughout scripture. But I

think this passage here is one of the

clearest passages that talks about Jesus

being God in all of scripture. Jesus is

God. And there are some in this world

that try to distort that fact. There are

some people in this world that try to

distort the fact. Jehovah's Witnesses,

for example, when they read this, their

Bible says, "In the beginning was the

word. The word was with God and the word

was a god. Small G. Jehovah's Witnesses

believe that this says that the word is

a god. They changed the translation.

But this was not how the original Greek

texts were written.

The original Greek text, it is clear in

the original Greek that Jesus is God.

The word is God. Not a God. He is God.

If we need to grasp this fact and

without this truth, we minimize the

truth of scripture. Jehovah's Witnesses,

they read that they're minimizing the

truth that really is there in scripture

that Jesus is God. The word personified

is Jesus and he is God and he holds the

power of God. The word is power as

mentioned in Genesis chapter 1.

Genesis 1 · chapter mention

And not only does the word of God hold

power as mentioned in Genesis 1, the

word of God is also always absolutely

true.

What else do we call the word of God? We

call the Bible the word of God, don't

we?

As we read the Bible, we talk about

reading the word of God. When God spoke

and gave us his word and Hebrews 1 talks

about this, Hebrew Hebrews 1 talks about

scripture. We're going to look at

Hebrews 1 next week, but Hebrews 1 opens

with this. Long ago to a Jewish

audience, it says this. Long ago, at

many times and in many ways, God spoke

to our fathers by the prophets. That's

the Old Testament being written. God

spoke by the prophets. The Old Testament

was written. But in these last days, in

the recent days before Hebrews was

written, he has spoken to us by his son.

God spoke by his son. God spoke through

Jesus. Jesus who is God spoke. The word

mentioned in John 1 is also the

absolutely true declarative factual word

of God. Jesus came as God bringing the

true word of God. And the message that

Jesus came to proclaim is mentioned

frequently through the gospel of John

and is mentioned here in verses 4

through to 13 that Jesus is the light

and life. Jesus is the light and life.

Jesus states this purpose in his I am

statements throughout the book of John.

John verse 8:12 says or chapter 8:12

says this.

I am the light of the world.

Whoever follows me will not walk in

darkness but will have the light of

life. And John 14:6 we know this.

John 14:6

I am the way, the truth, and the life.

Jesus is the light of the world and

Jesus is the life.

Jesus is the light and the life. And

John mentions this in his prologue so

that the readers would have this in

their mind as they continue on in the

book. Look at verses four and five with

me. In him in the word was life and the

life was the light of men. The light

shines in the darkness and the darkness

has not overcome it. in the word and

Jesus has found life.

He gave life in creation and he gives

lives spiritually to those who believe

in him. And that life is light for all

of us. Jesus is the light of the world.

And Jesus being the light means that

he's greater than any darkness.

As verse five points out,

this is one illustration that we can all

understand. Light always defeats

darkness. There's never enough darkness

to defeat light. If you shine a light in

darkness, it always shines brighter than

the darkness. Always.

The darkness mentioned here are the

things of the devil, the things that are

against God. But they can never overcome

the light. Jesus came as the true light

presenting life to those who believe.

But not everyone believed in him. Look

at verse nine with me.

The true light which gives light to

everyone was coming into the world. He

was in the world and the world was made

through him. Yet the world did not know

him.

He came to his own and his own people

did not receive him. The word true light

used here in verse 9 is revealing that

Jesus is the correct light. He's the

proper light. He is the the light, the

only light.

And it also shows us that there are

false lights. If he has to be told, if

we have to be told that he's the true

light, there must be false lights that

don't give life. A light opposed to the

true light. People follow false lights

all the time and reject the true light.

That's what's true in verse 11.

Jesus made everyone in this world. Yet,

everyone in this world frequently

rejects Jesus. More often than not,

people reject Jesus than believe in him.

They turn to their own idols. They turn

to their false lights

rather than turning to Jesus.

And I wonder if this morning you're

rejecting the true light, Jesus.

Are you rejecting the true light and

going after these false lights? His own

people rejected him. Verse 11 tells us

that he came to his own, but his own

people rejected him. That's the Jewish

people, the nation of Israel, as

mentioned in the Old Testament, they

were the first people who God initially

promised his blessing to.

If you've read the Old Testament at all,

you'll know that the Israelites, the

people of God, they reject God all the

time. The people of Israel throughout

the Old Testament reject God all the

time. In Exodus 32,

just after God had established his law

with his people, just after the Ten

Commandments had been established, while

Moses was still up Mount Si meeting with

God personally,

the Israelites, what did they decide to

do? They decided to gather all of their

gold together. They threw it in the fire

and they built a golden calf. They built

an idol which they worshiped instead of

worshiping God. They rejected the true

light God and they worshiped their

man-made idol, the golden calf.

God had rescued them out of slavery in

Egypt. God established a sacred covenant

with them. Yet they rejected him while

Moses was still up the mountain speaking

face to face with God. They rejected God

and they worshiped this golden calf. How

brutal is that rejection

to reject God who created and loved

them?

It's brutal rejection. And that is

exactly what happened to Jesus when he

came to this earth. He came to his own

people, but his own people rejected him.

The Jewish people

wanted nothing to do with Jesus. So much

so that they crucified him, that they

put him to the cross.

And we wanted nothing of Jesus as well.

We turn away from him as well.

We turn a blind eye naturally to the

true light and follow false lights.

We follow the false light of popularity,

follow the false light of job

promotions,

follow false light of man-made

religions.

Do you follow false lights? Or do you

believe in the true light of Jesus this

morning?

Do we follow false lights or do we

follow the true light of Jesus? Well,

look at verse 12 to see what happens to

those who do follow the true light of

Jesus. Verse 12 says this.

But to all who did receive him, who

believed in his name, he gave the right

to become children of God, who were born

not of blood, nor of the will of flesh,

nor of the will of man, but of God.

To all who believe, to all who receive

Jesus and believe in his name, who trust

in him, they will be called children of

God, adopted into the family of God.

Brought into the family of God by the

sovereign will of God.

To all who believe in his name, they

will be brought into the family of God.

What a glorious thought that is this

morning, isn't it?

that you can be called a child of God as

you come to him the true light this

morning.

Come to him the true light and he will

give you life eternal as a child of God.

Turn away from our sin. Turn away from

our rejection of him and trust in him

and he will give you true life, eternal

life by the will of God.

The word here is God himself. The word

here is creator. The word here is the

true light. Jesus is the true light.

But importantly, as we look at these

verses and look at this last section

in the passage this morning, the word

mentioned here

dwelt among us. Jesus came in flesh and

dwelt among us.

Jesus is Christ incarnate,

the savior of the world who dwelt among

us on this earth and he brings fully he

brings complete grace and truth.

Jesus firstly in in verse 14 is the word

who became flesh. Look at verse 14 again

with me. And the word became flesh and

dwelt among us.

The word became flesh and dwelt among

us. In the original Greek, this word for

God dwelling among us

literally means he pitched his tent.

He put his tent up or he tabernacled

among us.

This is an illustration that John's

using here. And to fully understand this

illustration, we have to look back to

the chapters in Exodus that we were

looking at earlier on. Remember the

rejection of God. The people rejected

God. As Moses was out up Mount Si, they

built the golden calf. They rejected

God. And then as Moses, he comes down

the mountain.

And he is stunned to find that the

people, they've turned away from God.

They've rejected God. And they've

worshiped the calf.

Moses at this point knows that the

Israelites, they are fully deserving of

God's wrath.

He knows that they're fully deserving of

God's wrath. They deserve to be

destroyed because they've rejected God.

So Moses, what does he do? Well, he

intercedes for the people. He intercedes

and stands between them and God and asks

for forgiveness for his people. To do

this, Moses, he met with God in a place

called the tent of meeting. The tent of

meeting is what God established with

Moses with his people so that he could

meet with them regularly.

And in Exodus 33, speaking of Moses

meeting regularly with God in the tent,

it says that he would speak to God face

to face. He would speak face to face

with God as man would speak with his

friend.

Moses in the tent of meeting would meet

face to face with God as God's presence

dwelt on this tent. goes Moses had a

personal relationship with God and met

personally with God as God chose to rest

his presence among his people on that

tent. And then later in Exodus, God he

commands the Israelites to construct the

tabernacle which is where his presence

will dwell with them and continue to go

with them as they go through the

wilderness.

This illustration that John is using

here of uh the of the word pitching his

tent among us

takes us right back to the tent of

meeting.

Jesus came and shows us that his

personal dwelling place is back with his

people. God's personal dwelling place is

with his people. Just like the tent of

meeting, just like Moses meeting face to

face with God like one speaks to a

friend.

The dwelling place of God is with man.

Again, humans always desire to be in

God's presence. From the beginning of

creation

until now, they actually long for being

in God's presence. They long for the day

that's spoken of in Revelation 21 when

the dwelling place of God will be with

man and when they will be his people and

he will be their God. Why do people long

for this? Well, because people were

created to be in relationship with God.

You were created to be with in

relationship with God.

And since the fall, since Genesis 3,

when sin entered the world, people have

rejected God and they've been separated

from his presence.

We long for the day when we'll be united

with God in his presence. And the Jewish

people, they longed for the day when God

would come uh as and send his Messiah in

the flesh

to save them.

And he did that when Jesus the word

became flesh and pitched his tent among

them

and dwelt among them.

Pitched his tent of meeting.

It was a glorious day when the presence

of God is back with man. When Jesus

Christ incarnate,

God

dwelt on this earth.

And that's really what this series this

Christmas is all about. Christ

incarnate. And that's what this season

of Christmas is all about. Christ who

came to this earth. God coming down on

earth and dwelling on this earth.

John's gospel account of Jesus is quite

interesting because he doesn't actually

tell us much about the birth scene of

Jesus. Whereas Luke and Matthew, they

give us clear narratives through the

birth story of Jesus. And Matthew as he

gives his clear narrative of the birth

story of Jesus, he talks about

fulfillment of prophecy. Matthew talks

about fulfillment of prophecy. And one

prophecy that was fulfilled was in

Matthew 1:18. It says this, "The virgin

Matthew 1:18

shall conceive and bear a son, and they

shall call his name Emmanuel, which

means God with us." Jesus is Emmanuel.

God with us. The word made flesh, Jesus

is Christ incarnate.

What should we then do with this news

that Jesus

is Christ incarnate? Well, first of all,

what we should do, we should rejoice.

We should rejoice. We should have joy

that God himself dwelt on this earth.

The Jewish people, they waited for

centuries for the Messiah to come but

never saw him. We live on a part in the

timeline

after Jesus has come and we can look

back and know that the savior of the

world has dwelt on this earth. God has

dwelt on this earth

and that we can have salvation in him.

We should rejoice that God dwelt on this

earth. Secondly, we should believe in

the true light that I mentioned before.

We should believe in Jesus the true

light. And then thirdly through that

belief we should have a personal

relationship with God.

God is a personal God. Jesus dwelling on

this earth. God dwelling on this earth

was personal. It was intentional.

It was not accidental.

God is a personal God. He's not one that

is far from us. He is personal. And

Jesus dwelling among us means that he

knows exactly what it was like to live

as a human, to suffer, and that he can

sympathize with us, knowing what it's

like to be a human. Hebrews 4 speaks of

this fact. Hebrews 4 says this, "For we

do not have a high priest who is unable

to sympathize with our weaknesses, but

one who in every respect has been

tempted as we are. Yet he's without sin.

Jesus dwelling among us creates a

personal relationship between God and

man.

And this personal relationship truly is

amazing. God really dwelt on this earth.

God really sympathizes with us. That's

not the only amazing truth in these

passages

and God dwelling with us. In Jesus

dwelling among us, he also was revealing

God's glory to us. Look at verses 14 to

17. the glory of the Lord that's full of

grace and truth. Look at verses 14 to 17

with me. And the word became flesh and

dwelt among us. And we have seen his

glory,

glory as of the only son from the

father, full of grace and truth. And

then down to verse 16 with me. For from

his fullness we have all received grace

upon grace.

For the law was given through Moses.

Grace and truth came through Jesus

Christ. No one has ever seen God. The

only God who is at the father's side. He

has made him known.

Next week we're going to talk a little

bit more about the glory of the Lord,

the glory of Jesus as we look at Hebrews

Hebrews 1 · chapter mention

chapter 1. But there's a couple things

that I want to mention about God's

glory, about Jesus glory this morning.

Going back to our narrative in Exodus

that I've been going through a little

bit. In Exodus 33, after Moses

interceded for the Israelites, Moses, he

asked God a question.

He asked God, "Could I see your glory?

Could I see your glory?" And the Lord,

he agrees to let his goodness pass in

front of Moses. But God states that he

will, while he will allow this, Moses

cannot look on his face. For man cannot

see God and live.

God then hides Moses in the crack in a

rock and allows Moses to look upon his

goodness as his goodness passes by.

But he does not allow him to look at the

fullness of God's glory because God is

too glorious for man to look up. But

when Christ came, the God man, he

revealed his glory on earth.

This truth is truly amazing.

Think about how John has set this text

out for a second that the word he is

God. He is creator. He brought the true

light. He dwelt among us in flesh and he

shows his glory to us. The glory of God

is shown to us through Jesus.

Jesus came so that we could see. He

became like us so that we could see

God's glory.

So that we could see the glory of God.

Christ dwelling on this earth brought

God's glory before men. His glory as it

says in verse 14, which is full of grace

and truth.

The end of verse 14, it's full of grace

and truth. This characteristic of grace

and truth has been on display by God all

throughout the Bible from the beginning

of time. God's character never changes.

God's character is always consistent.

And these specific characteristics are

evident all the way throughout the Old

Testament. Although the translation is a

little different. Again, as we look back

in Exodus and the reading that we had

this morning in Exodus 34, the Lord as

he passes by Moses proclaims this in

Exodus 34:6. The Lord passed before him

Exodus 34:6

and proclaimed, "The Lord, the Lord, a

God merciful and gracious, slow to anger

and abounding in steadfast love and

faithfulness." God is abounding in

steadfast love and faithfulness. This

proclamation of him abounding in

steadfast love and faithfulness is

throughout the Old Testament, especially

when he's reminding the Israelites of

his covenant promises set with them.

The word for steadfast love, hessed in

the Hebrew language, could be translated

to grace, God's grace.

And the word his faithfulness, emit in

the Hebrew language, could be translated

to truth. So as God shows his steadfast

love and faithfulness, God is really

showing his grace and truth all the way

throughout the Old Testament.

God is showing his grace and truth. and

he shows his grace and truth through

Jesus. Now,

John is presenting to us not only that

Jesus is God, but also that God's

characteristics are consistent all the

way throughout the Bible.

All the way throughout scripture, God is

consistent in his character. And Jesus

is full of grace and truth.

Jesus being full of truth means that

he's always consistent in his word, in

his action, and he brings complete truth

as well. Jesus is full of grace also.

And John reiterates this fact in verse

16 that from his fullness, we have

received grace upon grace.

We see that truth in verse 16. Remember

John, he is re he is writing as a

Christian

after Jesus has come. He's writing as a

primary source who saw Jesus, believed

in Jesus. And so when he writes, "We

have received grace upon grace." He's

writing about Christians. He's writing

specifically about the first century

Christians. And he's writing about all

Christians since that those who believe

in him have received grace upon grace.

Grace, simply put, is a free gift

that we don't deserve.

It's grace that's mentioned in verse 12.

When those who believe will be called

children of God, that is God's grace to

us.

Even though we naturally reject God, we

will be called children of God because

of his grace to us.

Because of his steadfast love,

Jesus pours out his grace upon grace to

those who believe. Even though we

naturally reject him.

Even though we naturally reject his law

as well. Verse 17, it talks about the

law that was given through Moses. For

the law was given through Moses.

Again, we see in Exodus that God, he

gives his commandments.

And he gives his commandments throughout

the Old Testament. But this law that's

mentioned here is specifically talking

about the first five books of the Bible.

the law that God's people are to follow,

to live and to follow him. But the law

that was given was never intended for

their salvation. It was intended so that

they could see their own sin,

so that they could see the brokenness

that they have and their need,

their need for forgiveness.

The law had trapped them in a desire for

an unattainable righteousness. They

could never perfectly follow the law. No

one could ever perfectly follow the law.

They needed

they needed forgiveness. But when Jesus

came and brought grace and truth, he

made the ultimate way for people to be

with God forever through grace and

truth.

Jesus had to be the one who was full of

grace and truth. He had to be the only

way to the father because he's in

closest relationship with the father.

And that's where I want us to finish

today.

Verse 18, it points it paints a picture

of closeness and intimate nature of

Jesus relationship with the father and

what he's achieved

without any help by any other. Look at

verse 18 again. No one has ever seen

God. The only God who's at the father's

side, he has made him known. No one has

ever seen God. As it said in Exodus, no

one could look on the face of God and

live.

If we were just left in this fact, we'd

be in trouble.

If we were just left in the fact that no

one has ever seen God,

we'd be in trouble.

But the only God

who's at the father's side, that's

Jesus. The only God who's at the

father's side in closest relationship to

is really one of the best ways that we

could translate this as intimate

language that Jesus is in closest

relationship with the father. He who's

in closest relationship with the father,

he made God known to us. Jesus has made

God known to us.

He has made God known to everyone. This

verse speaks of the exclusivity of

Jesus. That Jesus is the only way to the

father. That the one who's at the

father's side is the only way for anyone

to be with the father for the only way

for anybody to be with God.

As Jesus proclaims in John 14 that I am

the way, the truth, and the life. No one

can come to the father except through

me. No one gets to heaven. No one

becomes a child of God except through

Jesus alone. The one who is in closest

relationship with the father.

Jesus the word made flesh who's full of

grace and truth. He is the only way for

you to know God. And he dwelt on this

earth

so that you could have a way to be with

God forever.

So, I'd encourage you this morning, if

you don't know Jesus, if you're

following those false lights that I

mentioned earlier, turn away from your

sin and follow Jesus, the true light who

gives life.

Follow him. Find personal relationship

with God through Jesus this morning.

and rejoice today that God, he loved you

so much that his son came and dwelt on

this earth and died so that you could

have life in his name.

I encourage you to remember Christ

incarnate this Christmas. The word who

made who became flesh, God himself

became flesh and dwelt among us

and he brought grace and truth as he

dwelt among us. Let's remember that fact

and rejoice this morning. Let's pray.

Lord, we thank you for this truth.

We thank you that Christ came, the word

made flesh and dwelt among us. That

we've seen his glory, the glory of the

only son.

Lord, we pray that we would know this

truth and see the glory of God this

morning.

Lord, bring us into personal

relationship with you this morning.

Lord, I pray for those who don't know

you this morning that they would turn

from their sin and trust in you.

Lord, help us to rejoice, to worship

you. We thank you for this truth in

Jesus name. Amen. Amen. Let's stand as

we sing