THE WORLD DID NOT RECOGNIZE THE WORD
I. Even though he is light in darkness
II. Even though he is glorious, gracious and true
John 1:1-14 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God,
and the Word was God. 2 He was with God in the beginning. 3 Through
him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been
made. 4 In him was life, and that life was the light of men. 5 The light
shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not understood it. 6 There
came a man who was sent from God; his name was John. 7 He came as a
witness to testify concerning that light, so that through him all men might
believe. 8 He himself was not the light; he came only as a witness to the
light. 9 The true light that gives light to every man was coming into the
world. 10 He was in the world, and though the world was made through
him, the world did not recognize him. 11 He came to that which was his
own, but his own did not receive him. 12 Yet to all who received him, to
those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of
God— 13 children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a
husband’s will, but born of God. 14 The Word became flesh and made his
dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and
Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.
In the name of Jesus Christ, born this day to save us, dear Christian friends,
The world did not recognize him. The Apostle John wrote these God-inspired
words about Jesus and, for John, as well as for us who do recognize Jesus as Savior of the
world, it is super frustrating. Why doesn’t Uncle Ulysses believe that Jesus is his Savior
from sin? Why doesn’t Cousin Clare celebrate Christmas?
How can they overlook the obvious signs? How can they deny God’s holy Word
that clearly points to Jesus as the sinless substitute who secured salvation for all? How
can they go through life without true comfort in their grief, without real joy in their
successes, without confident hope for eternity?
And what can we do about it? We want them to have what we have and to enjoy
forgiveness, new life and salvation in Christ Jesus as Savior! We don’t want them to be
lost in hell for all eternity!
THE WORLD DID NOT RECOGNIZE THE WORD
I. Even though he is light in darkness
II. Even though he is glorious, gracious and true
2 What can we do to help? One answer to that question comes from an award-
winning historian and author named Tom Holland. He teaches that we should “preach
the weird stuff”. He suggests “we should not shy away from the things that make
Christian faith unique. For example, the idea that Jesus of Nazareth is both God and
man sets everything on its head and it is the incarnation (Jesus taking on human flesh and
blood) that provides Christianity’s ‘strange singularity’. He asserts that we should talk
more about angels and demons and miracles because...these have stood the test of time.”
Well, there is plenty of weird stuff in the Word of God before us today. So, listen
well and because THE WORLD DID NOT RECOGNIZE THE WORD
I. Even though he is light in darkness and
II. Even though he is glorious, gracious and true,
go ahead and “preach the weird stuff” because Uncle Ulysses and Cousin Clare need to hear from you,

but more importantly, they need to hear from God.
God tells us: In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God,
and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things
were made; without him nothing was made that has been made... The Word
became flesh and made his dwelling among us.
Talk about “weird stuff”! Who or what is the Word? From John’s God-inspired
description, we conclude it is Jesus! He is God, as well as with God the Father and God
the Holy Spirit as the Holy Trinity. He has always existed and was there in the beginning
to create all things.
He is also man, having covered himself in human flesh and blood in order to
fulfill the law perfectly in our place and in order to remove from us our punishment for
sin and to take it upon himself, when he suffered hell on earth on the cross and died. But
with that same human flesh and blood, he rose from the grave and ascended into heaven
as conqueror over sin, death and Satan.
This is all so weird not just because Jesus is the God-man— unique, unable to be
completely comprehended, unable to be fully explained— but also because of why he did
this. He didn’t owe us anything. We owe him because of our huge amount of sins
against him. He came to us, lived for us, died for us, rose from the dead for us purely
because he loved us. In a world filled with hatred and selfishness, that is a refreshing
change! Truly, “weird stuff” to our sinful nature and to so many yet today like Uncle
Ulysses and Cousin Clare.
Now, in [Jesus is] life. To all who received him, to those who believed in his
name, he gave the right to become children of God— children born not of natural
descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God. By your
baptism, you were born of God and are claimed by him to be his son and daughter and
Jesus’ brother and sister! As a child of God through faith in Christ Jesus, you are
forgiven of every little and large sin, of every look of lust and lift of larceny, and you get
to live with him in his mansions of heaven for all eternity!
This is why we celebrate Christmas every year! This is why we have comfort in
our grief, joy in our successes, and confident hope for eternity. This is why we want to
talk to Uncle Ulysses and Cousin Clare so they can have life with us, the life that is found
in Jesus alone.
Jesus’ life is the light [that] shines in the darkness and that gives light to every
man. Jesus is the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of
grace and truth.
3 Why didn’t the world recognize the Word even though he is light in the darkness?
They loved the darkness. They enjoy their evil, they immerse themselves in their
immorality, they love their lies, they are steeped deep in their sin, they wallow in their
wickedness.
What can we do? Let’s flee from every temptation Satan presents to us and live
in the light of Jesus’ forgiveness as examples for them. Let’s also keep “preaching the
weird stuff”. Tell them about God’s forgiveness in Christ Jesus which is full— even for
the really bad stuff— and free— unable to be bought or earned, but available in Jesus.
Why didn’t the world recognize the Word even though he is glorious, gracious
and true? They want the glory for themselves. They have been so rude and unloving to
others that they don’t expect kindness from someone else. They don’t want to know the
truth because they can’t handle God’s truth which condemns and convicts.
What can we do? Let’s give God the glory, thank him for his grace and surround
ourselves with his truth by maintaining or starting a consistent worship and devotional
life as examples for others. Let’s also keep “preaching the weird stuff”. Speak of Jesus’
unconditional love, his dual nature, his life, death and resurrection, his heaven where he
wants all people to dwell with him.
The world may turn on you, but what is one day of sadness for us on earth
compared to an eternity of sadness for them in hell? Or they may thank you, for telling
them what is weird, what is unique, what is unexplainable, what is incomprehensible, but
what is exactly what they needed to hear to set them free from the darkness of their sin.
Celebrate Christmas today thankful you recognize Jesus as the Word, who is
God and who became flesh. Maybe next year you will celebrate Christmas with Uncle
Ulysses and Cousin Clare in God’s house.