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Christmas Beyond the Stable in Bethlehem: The Apostle John’s Perspective

If we receive the witness of men, the witness of God is greater; for this is the witness of God which He has testified of His Son. He who believes in the Son of God has the witness in himself; he who does not believe God has made Him a liar, because he has not believed the testimony that God has given of His Son. And this is the testimony: that God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life. These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life, and that you may continue to believe in the name of the Son of God.
—the Apostle John, in 1 John 5:9-13


Key point: Although He invaded the world as a Baby born in Bethlehem, He did so to invade and transform your life from the inside out. The apostle John tells us all about it in His Gospel and in His First Epistle.


When thinking of Bible passages with Christmas themes, we typically do not think of any statements written by the apostle John, Jesus’ disciple who was a fisherman, the brother of James, and the son of Zebedee. John wrote five New Testament Books: the Gospel that bears his name, three epistles that bear his name, and the Book of Revelation.

In this post I would like to consider some of John’s statements about Jesus against the backdrop of the wonderful news of the Savior’s arrival in Bethlehem as a baby. John recorded some of the most powerful and mind-blowing statements ever made about the Savior, with many of them, though not all, records of statements Jesus made about Himself. As he began his account of the life and ministry of Jesus, John wrote about the reality of God’s Son residing with the Father in eternity past. Then, according to God’s plan, Jesus came to earth and dwelt among those He Himself had created. Here’s what John said.

11 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 nothing was made that was made. In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it.

St. John the Baptist Preaching, c. 1665, by Mattia Preti

There was a man sent from God, whose name was John [the Baptist]. This man came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all through him might believe. He was not that Light, but was sent to bear witness of that Light. That was the true Light which gives light to every man coming into the world.

10 He was in the world, and the world was made through Him, and the world did not know Him. 11 He came to His own, and His own did not receive Him. 12 But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name: 13 who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.

14 And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.

15 John bore witness of Him and cried out, saying, “This was He of whom I said, ‘He who comes after me is preferred before me, for He was before me.’ ”

Lightstock / John 1:17 in Arabic and English on Mt Nebo in Jordan

16 And of His fullness we have all received, and grace for grace. 17 For the law was given through Moses, but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. 18 No one has seen God at any time. The only begotten Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, He has declared Him.

“He was before me.”

We learn from Luke’s account that John the Baptist, whose mother was a relative of Jesus’ mother Mary, was born six months before Jesus was — so he was six months older in terms of his birthday. Yet according to the apostle John in John 1:15, John the Baptist declared of Jesus, “This was He of whom I said, ‘He who comes after me is preferred before me, for He was before me.’ ” This makes perfect sense when one realizes Jesus, as God, the Second Person of the Trinity, existed in eternity past, even before He was born in Bethlehem as a baby. It reminds us of Jesus’ claim to be God in John 8:58. Speaking to the Pharisees, the Lord declared, “Most assuredly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I AM.”

Yet there is so much more in John 1 than references to Jesus’ being alive and with the Father in eternity past. He is the Creator (see John 1:3).

Lightstock

He is the source of life (see v. 4). He is fully righteous, stands beyond the ability of sinful men to comprehend, and is all-powerful (see v. 5). In verse 5, the word translated comprehend also can be translated overcome: “And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend/overcome it.

God Became a Human Being, a Boy Who Grew Up and Became a Man

“[T]he Word became flesh and dwelt among us,” John wrote in what we now know as verse 14, “and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.” 

Lightstock

He was (and is) the Light, to show us the Way. John the Baptist came to point people to Him, encouraging them to “believe.” Believe? What can believing in Jesus accomplish? Truly, it’s mind-blowing what — and how much! The apostle did not keep it a secret. He told us plainly. Jesus

10 was in the world, and the world was made through Him, and the world did not know Him. 11 He came to His own, and His own did not receive Him. 12 But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name: 13 who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.

When one believes in Jesus, he or she experiences a new birth — a spiritual birth — and becomes a member of God’s family! In no other context is belief so powerful. But keep in mind that while belief is the doorway, the transformation takes place because of what God does. Those who believe in Jesus as their Savior are “born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.” This is the work of the Third Person of the Trinity, God the Holy Spirit.


In no other context is belief so powerful.


John 1:14 is a Christmas verse if there ever were one: “And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.” Verse 18 helps us understand it even better: “No one has seen God at any time. The only begotten Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, He has declared Him.” 

We Saw, Heard, and Experienced Him!

In 1 John 1, the Apostle gets carried away with excitement as he testifies that he was an eyewitness to God’s presence on earth.

11 That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, concerning the Word of life— the life was manifested, and we have seen, and bear witness, and declare to you that eternal life which was with the Father and was manifested to us— that which we have seen and heard we declare to you, that you also may have fellowship with us; and truly our fellowship is with the Father and with His Son Jesus Christ. And these things we write to you that your joy may be full.

This is the message which we have heard from Him and declare to you, that God is light and in Him is no darkness at all.

Do you get the “bottom-line message” that John is conveying here? He’s saying, “It’s true! And friends, I promise you — I know what I’m talking about! I was there!” Jesus, God’s Son and even God Himself, came to earth and showed us who God is (something John already had stated directly in John 1:18). In 1 John, however, he talks about how he knows it to be true because he saw, heard, and experienced Jesus Himself. He was an eyewitness. John could never be the same!


The apostle John was an eyewitness!


John’s Experiences Remind Us of the Shepherds’, the Wise Men’s, and Simeon’s

Luke 2:8-20 reports the adventure the shepherds had as they heard about Jesus’ birth and went to see Him for themselves. In Matthew 2:1-12, Matthew records the search in which the Wise Men engaged for the Christ Child, as well as the Wise Men’s visit to His home where they beheld Him personally. Matthew also tells of their covert departure back to “their own country” (v. 12). In Luke 2:25-38,  we read of Simeon’s and Anna’s encounters with Jesus. Yes, he was a baby, but He still was God, and they knew it!

Simeon in the Temple by Rembrandt van Rijn, 1631

The apostle John encountered Jesus at a different time and in different contexts than did those who initially laid their eyes on Jesus, soon after He was born. Yet John was just as excited, and He was brimming with His testimony about Jesus.

Perhaps we can summarize John’s perspective this way: “What He came to do, He did, and He did it for you. Take advantage of it! Don’t miss out!”

Christmas, after all, not just about the Baby in the manger. It’s about the Savior and Lord who resides in the hearts of all who believe.

Celebrate Christmas by allowing Jesus to transform you!

 

Copyright 2022 by B. Nathaniel Sullivan. All rights reserved.

top image credit: Lightstock

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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