A Christmas Story
John 1:1-13
This Christmas season we come to John—John’s Gospel specifically, the first chapter—to look again at the birth of Christ, his first coming into the world in John chapter 1. And somebody might say at this point, “Hang on a second, Jared, I’ve read John. I’ve read John’s Gospel. It doesn’t have the Christmas story in it, right? There are no donkeys, there’s no manger or magi, or Mary and Joseph turned away by that cruel-hearted innkeeper, whoever that was. John doesn’t talk about when Jesus was born. It doesn’t have the Christmas story.”
Oh, but it does. It’s just that as John tells the story of Christ coming into the world, he tells it from a different perspective. It’s the story of the Word become flesh.
Let me add this. I like the way John writes. There’s a good reason why John’s Gospel is where many of us were told to start reading the Bible as new believers or even before we were believers. Start with the Gospel of John. We often recommend new believers or people who are interested in the Bible to start reading in John’s Gospel. It’s a great place to start. It’s a great introduction to Jesus.
But John’s Gospel can be hard to fully appreciate if you don’t have a background in the larger story of the Bible first.
I was thinking about it like this. This time of year, or at least it was this way when I was a kid (we don’t have TV like we used to), when I was a kid, if you turned on the TV this time of year, it was almost guaranteed that you would see It’s a Wonderful Life. Why? I don’t know. But it was always on, right? Now, I know they made a colorized version of it later, but it was always black and white.
You can watch It’s a Wonderful Life in black and white and truly appreciate the story. But I’ve since learned Jimmy Stewart lived in color. Did you know that—they lived in color? Okay, it’s maybe not the best analogy, but hopefully you can see the point.
A new believer—you can open John and immediately understand the story: Jesus Christ has come into the world, lived the life we were made to live but couldn’t. He lived out the glorious goodness of God as a man. But he not only lived that way; he gave his life for us. He gave his life to us. He gave us his life, his record of goodness, so that anyone who looks to him can be made right with God. Anyone who puts their faith in him—they are made children of God.
You can see that if you just read John. The truth—it’s in black and white.
But there’s color here too. There is. When we come to John having learned the sweep of Scripture, from the “in the beginning” in Genesis to the promises of the prophets to the story of Israel’s people and their longing for a Redeemer. When you read John with the whole of Scripture in mind, you see more. It’s the same story—Christ entering the world—but you can see deeper significance when you look at the whole story surrounding it.
Oh, but it does. It’s just that as John tells the story of Christ coming into the world, he tells it from a different perspective. It’s the story of the Word become flesh.
Let me add this. I like the way John writes. There’s a good reason why John’s Gospel is where many of us were told to start reading the Bible as new believers or even before we were believers. Start with the Gospel of John. We often recommend new believers or people who are interested in the Bible to start reading in John’s Gospel. It’s a great place to start. It’s a great introduction to Jesus.
But John’s Gospel can be hard to fully appreciate if you don’t have a background in the larger story of the Bible first.
I was thinking about it like this. This time of year, or at least it was this way when I was a kid (we don’t have TV like we used to), when I was a kid, if you turned on the TV this time of year, it was almost guaranteed that you would see It’s a Wonderful Life. Why? I don’t know. But it was always on, right? Now, I know they made a colorized version of it later, but it was always black and white.
You can watch It’s a Wonderful Life in black and white and truly appreciate the story. But I’ve since learned Jimmy Stewart lived in color. Did you know that—they lived in color? Okay, it’s maybe not the best analogy, but hopefully you can see the point.
A new believer—you can open John and immediately understand the story: Jesus Christ has come into the world, lived the life we were made to live but couldn’t. He lived out the glorious goodness of God as a man. But he not only lived that way; he gave his life for us. He gave his life to us. He gave us his life, his record of goodness, so that anyone who looks to him can be made right with God. Anyone who puts their faith in him—they are made children of God.
You can see that if you just read John. The truth—it’s in black and white.
But there’s color here too. There is. When we come to John having learned the sweep of Scripture, from the “in the beginning” in Genesis to the promises of the prophets to the story of Israel’s people and their longing for a Redeemer. When you read John with the whole of Scripture in mind, you see more. It’s the same story—Christ entering the world—but you can see deeper significance when you look at the whole story surrounding it.
GOING DEEPER
Parallel, Related and Referenced Passages
1) THE WORD
2) THE LIGHT
3) THE WITNESS
4) THE REJECTION
5) THE CHILDREN
Parallel, Related and Referenced Passages
1) THE WORD
- Genesis 1:1 – “In the beginning…”
- Psalm 33:6 – “The heavens made by the word of the LORD…”
- Proverbs 8:22–23, 30 – Wisdom personified, involved in creation
- Proverbs 8:35 – “The one who finds me finds life…”
- Colossians 1:15–17 – All things created through Christ
- Hebrews 1:1–3 – The Son as God’s ultimate revelation
- Revelation 19:13 – “His name is the Word of God.”
- 1 Corinthians 1:24,30 – Christ as the wisdom of God
2) THE LIGHT
- Isaiah 9:2 – “A great light has shone…”
- Isaiah 60:1–3 – Nations coming to God’s light
- John 8:12 – “I am the light of the world.”
3) THE WITNESS
- Genesis 12:1–3 – Abraham blessed so all nations may be blessed
- Isaiah 49:6 – “a light for the nations”
- Luke 1:76–79 – John the Baptist’s role
4) THE REJECTION
- John 3:19–20 – People rejected light because they love darkness
- Isaiah 53:3 – “He was despised and rejected by men.”
- Psalm 118:22 – “The stone the builders rejected…”
- Romans 1:18–21 – People suppressing the truth
5) THE CHILDREN
- John 3:3–8 – Born again by the Spirit
- Galatians 3:26 – “You are all sons of God through faith”
- Galatians 4:4–7 – Adoption through the Son
- Ephesians 1:5 – Predestined for adoption
- 1 John 3:1–2 – “See what kind of love the Father has given us…”
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