John 1:14
“The Word became flesh and blood, and moved into the neighborhood. We saw the glory with our own eyes, the one-of-a-kind glory, like Father, like Son, Generous inside & out, true from start to finish.”
– John 1:14 (The Message)
“Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book; but these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in His name.”
- John 20:30-31
Big Idea: The incarnation ignites community transformation
Because Jesus Came:
1) I can dwell personally with God (v. 14)
“Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets, but in these last days He has spoken to us by His Son, whom He appointed the heir of all things, through whom also he created the world. He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of His nature, and He upholds the universe by the word of His power. After making purification for sins, He sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high …”
– Hebrews 1:1-3
Because God is with me:
1) I can trust God’s promises completely (Isaiah 40:8)
2) I can live with true hope daily (1 Peter 1:3-9)
3) I can experience God’s peace supernaturally (Philippians 4:4-7)
4) I can worship God passionately (Hebrews 12:28)
5) I can rest in my new identity (Romans 8)
2) I Am Commissioned To Live As An Ambassador For God (v. 14)
“This is good, and it is pleasing in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.”
– 1 Timothy 2:3-4
“Jesus said to them again, ‘Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I am sending you.’”
– John 20:21
“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation; that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation. Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.”
- 2 Corinthians 5:17-21
"But when the Pharisees heard that he had silenced the Sadducees, they gathered together. And one of them, a lawyer, asked him a question to test him. 'Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?’ And he said to him, 'You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets.’”
- Matthew 22:34-40