John 1:1-18
A New Name!
Have you ever had a nickname that just seemed to stick with you? A name that no matter how hard you tried to escape it, always seemed to resurface? There’s no doubt that at least some of us have had nicknames given to us that we don’t exactly like. Or maybe you were one that was hoping for an awesome nickname that would last forever, yet it seemed to disappear the same day you acquired it. To me, there seems to be little reason for some names to stick and others to be discarded so quickly. Perhaps, you got a name because of something you did or said. Perhaps, it came from a compliment or insult from someone else. Maybe, it just showed up out of nowhere. Indeed, we know that there’s little that’s more frustrating than having a name follow you around. While we may ask nicely for others not to use it, it doesn’t always solve the issue. As we’ve been considering all the various names of Christ that have been given him in Scripture, we’ve found that we don’t often consider why we use them. For we’ve covered such names as Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, and Prince of Peace. We heard the name Jesus be given to him and even Immanuel. Certainly, these are names that have stuck and are worth understanding.
Today, we hear yet one more name given to Jesus. As we celebrate this Christmas day, John reminds us that Jesus is “The Word.” He’s the very Word of God who speaks creation into existence. And while we often think of the grand nature of such a statement, Jesus, that is, the Word has come to do something oh so small and personal. As we shall learn today:
THE WORD OF GOD HAS COME TO CALL YOU BY A NEW NAME!
I.
For most of human history, the more astounding Christian claim wasn’t that God became man, but rather that a flesh-and-blood man could call God “Father.” While lately in our day, our Christmas message has been the harder claim to grasp. That is, “The Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth,” John 1:14. Indeed, our Gospel today in a nutshell is that God comes to dwell among us as flesh and blood. It’s the moment that revolutionizes all of human history. Even our calendar is based upon this point in time, that is the day of Christ’s birth. But today, as we delve into a story of cosmic proportions, we must understand the purpose and meaning behind such truths. From Creation, the way man related to God was as a creature. We were created by God and thus owed to him our obedience, respect, and gratitude. And hence, man was named as such. Adam literally mans a “man of dust,” a play on words in the Hebrew based on Adam’s formation from the dirt. And Eve is named such only because she’s first. The first woman to walk the planet and the first wife and mother. Yet, with the fall of Adam and Eve, they made for themselves new names… names they never wanted… sinner.
This has been a name that has been passed down from generation to generation. But not just this, the world has many names it seeks to give us, like liar, cheater, addict, useless, weak, and many other such names. And we can cry foul all we want, but the sad reality is that they fit. They fit us because we are such things. Just as John wrote, “He was in the world, and the world was made through him, yet the world did not know him. He came to his own, and his own people did not receive him,” John 1:10-11. Indeed, if Jesus came and sat among us today, would we recognize him? Or as our names suggest, would we be too wrapped up in our own business to pay any attention to him? Yes, shedding a name is harder than it seems. We can’t so easily escape the names we’ve made for ourselves, nor the name we’ve inherited from our parents. We’re no longer recognizable as the creation which God made. We’ve lost our original holiness and purity and given it all up to be creatures.
II.
This is why we must consider the Christmas miracle in all its wonder. The Word of God, the Eternal Son, the Creator of the Universe, the Almighty, powerful, and righteous God… gave up his throne. He gave up his adoration by angels. He gave up his place in heaven to take upon himself our flesh and blood. The God who rules the universe saw you as more important than his own glory and power and honor. As I said, the Christmas Gospel in a nutshell… “And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth,” John 1:14. This child born to us on this day is none other than the God who made earth and heaven, the seas and sky, the land and all that there is. He’s the one through whom we find life and the very one who sustains it still. This is the magnitude of wonder and awe we should have on this day. For we understand that our God didn’t come to laugh at us. He didn’t come to remind us how terrible we’ve been. He’s not come to reinforce the name we’ve won for ourselves. He’s come to save us! He’s come to give us a new name!
By the Word made flesh, we’ve been given the opportunity to have a new relationship with God. We’re no longer just creatures. Rather, the Word of God has made us children, sons and daughters. As we read, “But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God,” John 1:12. When God becomes a child among us, he alters the entire dynamic. No longer are we just mere children anymore. Rather, we’re brothers and sisters of Christ. No longer are we screw ups and sinners. But by believing in his name, we’re forgiven, redeemed, and holy. Again, as John said, “And from his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace,” John 1:16. Yes, we have all received grace upon grace. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ to be born among us; the grace of God to forgive us our sins; the grace of almighty God to take our place upon the cross; and the grace of almighty God to open for us the way to everlasting life!
You may have many different names in this world, and perhaps some that you’d rather not have. But the most important name is the one given you in your baptism by the very Word of God… For the sake of Christ coming to dwell among us and by faith, God calls us his beloved children of God! In Jesus’ name! Amen!