Getting a Handle on the Word of God

This sermon is based on John 1:1-5.

SERIES OVERVIEW:

When I was a kid, I wanted to be a lawyer, not because I was consumed with justice or anything like that, I just liked saying, “I object.” And I thought it would be great fun getting paid for objecting to everything people said. Lots of people object to the claim that Jesus is the Messiah. They object to the use of Old Testament prophecies that may or may not refer to Jesus (like the Suffering Servant in Isaiah 53) and the use of verses that seem to be taken out of context (“Out of Egypt I called my son” comes to mind) and references in the New Testament that seem to be forced (take your pick here!). As a result, people object strenuously to the claim that Jesus is the Messiah. But, I object! We’re missing a key piece of evidence! See, if you were Jewish in the first-century and someone asked you, “how does God make himself known in our world?” your answer would look a lot like Jesus. And not just in what he says, but in how he behaves and acts and lives. It is almost as if all the ways that God made himself known were being thoroughly expressed in Jesus. But, I object! This is not some boring seminary class. This is Christmas! This is a time to celebrate! Exactly: if Jesus is the promised Messiah then we ought to get a “Handel” on all that this means for us today and sing with joy: “King of Kings! and Lord of lords! – and he shall reign forever and ever! Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Hallelujah!” I rest my case. If Jesus is the Messiah, then we have something to celebrate. Join us for our Christmas series, “Getting a Handle on the Messiah.”