This morning I would like for us to consider two aspects of the Incarnation, literally, God embodied in flesh. First, let us consider the incarnation as God’s plan for creation. And second, let us consider our response to the incarnation.

A short version of the incarnation is found in the first Chapter of John’s Gospel:

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.

The Greek translated "word" in this text was first used by a Greek philosopher named Heraclitus around 600 B.C. to designate the divine reason or plan.

Skipping ahead to verse 14:

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.

John is saying is that Jesus is and always has been God’s reason and plan. God crossed a great divide that night as he took on human flesh.

The birth of Jesus was a historical event, a unique moment in history chosen by God.

Jesus was born in Bethlehem during the reign of the greatest roman emperor, Caesar Augustus, at the beginning of the greatest period of peace in the history of western civilization, in a province of an empire that include nearly all the known world, at the very height of Jewish civilization, and at the very crossroads of Africa, Europe, and Asia. This was a time of great accomplishment, highway systems, bridges, public water systems, stadiums and theaters were built throughout the empire. This was also a time of great learning in engineering, medicine, and philosophy.

But as was demonstrated in our Christmas play last week, Jesus was born into the most modest of circumstances. He came not as an emperor or an earthly king, but as a simple peasant. He came not as a great scholar or philosopher, but as a teacher. We know of no structure that he built and no book that he wrote. All of his closest followers except one were martyred for following him.

Yet, no man before or since has changed the world the way Jesus did. The achievements of Caesar Augustus have long since crumbled. But the church established by Jesus continues to grow and spread despite great challenges.

The reality of God becoming flesh and dwelling among us at a precise moment in history is so overwhelming that I tend to let my mind wander to Christmas trees, carols, and other cultural aspects of Christmas. But I am improving. Let me explain.

As a small child I remember trying to go to sleep on Christmas Eve. It was hard to go to sleep; my mind was focused presents. As a child, presents were my favorite part of Christmas. By the time I was in high school, the midnight Christmas Eve service was my favorite part of Christmas. I loved the church decorated in green and red, the Christmas carols, and everyone dressed in their finest.

The Christmas Eve service remained my favorite part of Christmas for a long time. When our children were small, we took them to the midnight service in their pajamas because the small church we attended could not afford a nursery attendant on Christmas Eve. It became a wonderful family tradition that we discuss every year.

But God had a way of letting me see that I was focused on the wrong thing.

One year when my children were teenagers, our family decided to go to a midnight Christmas Eve service at a large church. The beautiful church brought back memories of Christmas Eve services in many churches over many years. The church was decorated in perfect taste with green and red all around. Wow, this was Christmas.

But when the organ began to play, I forgot all those previous services. The organ was so loud that I could not hear the choir sing, it was like a rock concert on an organ. I sang the wrong verses to some of the carols to see if my wife or kids would notice, they didn’t.

But the organ is not how God got my attention, that happened another way. During the readings, the sermon, and the communion, the man sitting behind us, in a very loud voice, made comment after comment about how poorly the people sitting two rows ahead of him and one row ahead of my family were dressed. The subjects of his comments were wearing nice clothes but not the tailored suits, mink coats and jewels that his family was wearing. It was painful to see this nice family squirming in their seats as they heard the comments on their clothes from the well dressed man behind us.

Now God had my attention. I came to realize that Christmas is not about church buildings, choirs, and organs. It is not about fine clothes. It is not about presents, Christmas trees, or eggnog. Christmas is about the same thing now that it was that first night. God became incarnate because of broken. Christmas is about Jesus coming to earth to make possible a relationship between each of us and God. It is about Jesus teaching and modeling the relationships we should have between one another.

I have come to realize that the reality of Christmas far surpasses anything that our culture does with it or to it. I no longer worry if the church is decorated properly, or if I have a new tie to wear, or if we are singing the right hymns, or even if our society is keeping Christmas properly. Christ will be kept in Christmas whether we keep him there or not. As followers of Christ, we will keep Christmas quite apart from what the culture does during this season.

Love came to earth that night, God was made flesh and dwelt among us. Love continues to come down, over and over again, as God works out his plan through his people.

What is your focus this Christmas? Are you willing for God to work his love through you? Joseph was willing. Mary, certainly, was willing. Are you willing to intentionally build your relationship with God and with others?

Is there someone who is separated from you? Make that first step to cross the divide between you and that other person; it is not as large as the divide that God crossed. Do you desire a closer relationship with others? Join a small group in the church and share your Christian walk with others. Do you desire to build a closer relationship with God? Engage in a Bible study, intentional prayer, or a servant ministry.

Make it your new year’s resolution to follow God’s plan, Jesus, by intentionally shifting your focus from the cultural aspects of this season to becoming a willing servant.

Let us pray,

Lord Jesus, help us to see that Christmas is a time of building relationships. Help us to see your plan for building a deeper relationship with you and our neighbors. Help us see your face in our families, friends, and even strangers who are different from us as we celebrate your incarnation.

Amen