Grace be unto you, and peace, from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.

           Text: St. John 1:6-14

There came a man who was sent from God; his name was John. He came as a witness to testify concerning that light, so that through him all men might believe. He himself was not the light; he came only as a witness to the light. The true light that gives light to every man was coming into the world. He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him. He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him. Yet 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. The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the Only Begotten, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.

In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Dear Friends in Christ Jesus:

           The early Christian Church was persecuted at times for what seems to us to be an odd reason. It was accused of eating and drinking human flesh, for those who spied on the Christians reported that they had heard them say – “Take, eat; this is my body…Drink of it, all of you; this is my blood.” To us such an outrageous claim sounds odd indeed. But there is an idea prevalent in the world today that the Christian Church proclaims a theology of blood. The claim is made that the Christian Church is in reality a pagan society, for it teaches that God demanded the sacrifice of a human being to satisfy His anger. It’s our purpose to study this charge and to see what God Himself says about the necessity for the death of a man. On the basis of this second part of the first chapter of St. John’s Gospel, we learn of the necessity for the incarnation of the Son of God, under the theme – “The Word Became Flesh”.

           Is there any truth to the charge that God is not living up to His promises when He demands the death penalty? Is there any truth to the idea that God must be a kind, grandfatherly type of being who forgives and forgets the little mistakes of His children? Well, what kind of God would He be if He did not demand justice? What difference would it make if He did not threaten to punish? We must remember that it was not God who brought sin and death into the world – but it was man himself. God had made human beings perfect and good. They were the ones who disobeyed. St. Paul writes – “Death came through a man” – and then goes on to say – “Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, and in this way death came to all men, because all sinned.” Again, it is written – “The wages of sin is death.” And God tells us – “The soul who sins is the one who will die.” You see, we’re told quite clearly that death is the natural and inevitable result of sin, even as He told Adam when He gave him that one command – “You are free to eat from any tree in the garden; but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat of it you will surely die.”

           God’s law states that sin must be punished. But God’s love demanded that something more must be done for sinners. When St. Paul had said – “Death came through a man” – he continued his statement by adding – “The resurrection of the dead comes also through a man. For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive.” This is God’s plan of salvation. Whereas in the Old Testament the priests had to make a special sacrifice for their own sins before they could make a sacrifice for the sins of the people – God sent a new priest into the world who did not have to make a sacrifice for His own sins first. God sent a man into the world who had no sin, so that whatever sacrifice He made – would be counted for the sins of all people. The only kind of man who could do this would be God Himself who became man. Only God is sinless – and yet God had to become man so that He could die a human death. That is the reason for the incarnation. That is the reason for the birth of Jesus Christ as a human being. And that is the reason we still celebrate Christmas to this day. God became man.

           The fact that God became man is revealed to us in the accounts of the Gospel writers. But that same Jesus Christ who is the Redeemer of the world is in truth a man, just as you and I are human beings. All we have to do is read the accounts as they have been preserved for us. We read in St. Matthew and St. Luke that Jesus was born. Even His ancestors are enumerated for us so that there can be no doubt. The story of His birth to Mary is well known. We read that Jesus grew up like an ordinary human being. We read that Jesus needed food and drink. He walked. He spoke. He prayed. He slept. He suffered. He died. There can be no doubt that this Jesus was in fact a true man. There can be no doubt that the Word became flesh.

           St. John began his gospel account by stating that the Word was God – and he repeats that idea in the text for this morning. “He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him.” Strange, isn’t it – that the creature doesn’t recognize his Creator? Strange, isn’t it, that though the world was made by Him, yet the world didn’t know Him? The world didn’t want to receive Him and acknowledge Him for what He really was. The world didn’t want to submit to His authority, nor did the world want to receive the love that He displayed for it when He laid down His life on the cross. But to be sure, we say, the Jewish people should have received Him. He was born among them. He was of the house of David. He was born in their city of Bethlehem. He was the One who had been prophesied long before. Certainly, His own should have received Him. But what does St. John record for us? He writes – “He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him.” Not even the Jews, who had the advantage of being the chosen nation; not even the Jews, to whom the promise had been given, received Him for what He really was – the Savior and the Light of the world.

           Oh, there were a few. And in the text St. John shows us the hope that still exists. He writes – “We have seen his glory”. Thank God for that! Thank God that there was someone who believed – for had there been none, there might not now be any record of His coming. “We have seen his glory, the glory of the Only Begotten, who came from the Father.” That glory is revealed to us by the fact that Jesus Christ is also the Creator of the world. This glory is His by virtue of the fact that Jesus Christ Himself is God, to whom alone belong all honor and praise. His glory is the glory as of the Only Begotten of the Father.

           That glory is His because He lights up the whole world. St. John dwells on this point at some length. He speaks of the Light, through whom all people might be saved. He tells us that Jesus is the true Light. Jesus Christ is not some false prophet. He is not a false aspirant for divine honor and glory. St. John tells us that He is the genuine article, the real thing. He’s not an imitation – but He Himself is the very Light of the world.

           John goes on to say that our Lord’s glory is full of grace and truth. What do we mean by grace? Grace is something that is not earned. It’s free. Grace is that which God has done, not us. Grace is a gift. Grace is the act of God whereby He has made it possible for us to be saved – something that we ourselves could never do. That’s what His glory consists of. His glory is the underserved love of God brought down to us.

           “We have seen his glory.” St. John is speaking of those who not only saw the Lord Jesus physically – but also received Him for what He really is – the Savior and the Light of the world. John is here speaking of himself and the other disciples. He says that they observed His glory and believed that this One was in truth the Son of the living God. They had the privilege of seeing Jesus and knowing Him as their Savior. This new life was born in them by God Himself. It comes into existence in every person who receives Him. It is written – “Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God.”

           Have you seen the glory of Christ, the glory of the Only Begotten, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth? Of course, you have! For you have been chosen by God to hear the message of the Gospel. It has been proclaimed to you regularly in His Word. And you have seen it in the Sacraments. All you have to do is receive this word of truth that God presents to you. All you have to do is believe that the Word became flesh for the forgiveness of your sins. For then you have the assurance – “To all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God.”



           Do Christians proclaim a blood theology? Perhaps in the eyes of the world we do. But we proclaim nothing more than what God Himself has commanded us. We proclaim only that God chose to send His only Son into the world in the form and nature of a human being so that He could take upon Himself the burden of our sins. We preach only that Jesus satisfied the justice of God by dying for all. We preach Jesus Christ – and Him crucified. If that’s a blood theology, so be it. We rejoice in what God has done for us. “The Word became flesh, and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the Only Begotten, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.” Amen.

The peace of God, which passes all understanding, keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. Amen.