The Word Became Flesh
VBC Albuquerque · Dec 15, 2024
This sermon presents the doctrine of the Word (Christ) from the opening of the Gospel of John, emphasizing that the Word is God, the light shining in darkness, and became flesh at the Incarnation. All things were created through the Word, and the life in Him is the light of humanity. Those who receive and believe in Christ are given the right to become children of God, born of God rather than of blood or human will.
The opening portion of the sermon presents the foundational truth that the Word (Christ) is God and existed with the Father from the beginning. In the Word there is life, and that life is the light of humanity. The Word is the Creator through whom all things were made; nothing that has been made was made without Him. This light shines in the darkness, yet the darkness has not overcome it, representing humanity's resistance to God and His Word.
The second section develops the theology of the Incarnation and humanity's response to it. The Word became flesh and dwelt among us, full of grace and truth. People witnessed His glory, the glory of the one and only Son from the Father. Yet when He came to His own, His own did not receive Him. This is the conflict between light and darkness, between God and human rejection. Scripture reminds us that God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.
The third section applies the message to personal salvation. Those who receive the Word and believe in His name are given the right to become children of God. This sonship is not born of blood, desire, or human will, but of God. This is true regeneration, an internal transformation effected by the Holy Spirit of God. Christ is the way, the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father except through Him. The sermon's message calls all people to receive the Word for salvation and to become children of God.