In the name of Christ Jesus, dear fellow redeemed people of God,

Every single year, the national news magazines ask, “Who was Jesus?” This is a great question to ask and think about. The problem is these articles always broadcast the poisonous teachings of false teachers. They haul out one modern heretic after another, and ignore Bible-believing theologians. They treat these false teachers as the real scholars. In all these years, they haven’t gotten it right even once. Their biased reporting wearies believers.

St. John’s Gospel reveals the right answer to the question. “Who was Jesus?” By inspiration, John uses the term “Logos” or “the Word” to explain who Jesus is. Let us study these verses piece by piece. May they lead us to...

{1} 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. The Word is the Son of God here. You can learn this by reading verse 1 and 14 very carefully. These verses tell us that “the Word was God” and “the Word became flesh.” If you insert “Son of God” for “the Word” here, you will get the sense very easily. In the beginning was the Son of God, and the Son of God was with God, and the Son of God was God. The Son of God is the eternal God. From eternity in the past to eternity in the future, there is only one God: the Triune God. Father, Son and Holy Spirit always were, are, and always will be God. Here we focus on God the Son because that’s Jesus. When the Son of God became flesh, he was named Jesus, because he would save his people from their sins! The Son of God was born that first Christmas. May we praise Jesus as God!

{3} Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. The Son of God participated in the divine work of creation. We usually ascribe the work of creation to God the Father, saying, “I believe in God the Father almighty, maker of heaven and earth.” That’s true, but actually, all three persons of the Triune God participated in the work of creation. So, praise Jesus Christ, the Son of God, our eternal Creator!

{4} In him was life, and that life was the light of men. {5} The light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not understood it. The Son of God brought life and light to a world of death and darkness. There simply are no greater opposites than life and death, than light and darkness. These contrasts are as sharp as any we can think of. Jesus brought life and light. He said, “I am the way and the truth and the life.” He said, “I am the Light of the world!” He came to defeat darkness and death. Darkness depicts sin, unbelief, and lack of knowledge of God’s will. This sinful darkness leads to death. All people are born in darkness, deserving of death. We are not born on the road to heaven. We are not born knowing the way to heaven. But the Son of God brought life and light. Jesus came to bring us salvation. Jesus, the God-man, lived a pure and holy life and carried our sins to the cross. There, the Light of the world absorbed all of the world’s dark sins. That Friday afternoon it was dark as our Savior died on the cross to pay for our sins. But he rose from death with a brilliant display of glory, because he had saved us. Your sins are paid for. You are forgiven through Jesus Christ.

{6} There came a man who was sent from God; his name was John. {7} He came as a witness to testify concerning that light, so that through him all men might believe. {8} He himself was not the light; he came only as a witness to the light. {9} The true light that gives light to every man was coming into the world. These words tell us about John the Baptist, who was the forerunner of the Savior. He was not the Savior. He came to prepare the way before him. He told people that the real Light of the world was coming.

{10} He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him. {11} He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him. The Son of God was in the world, but the world did not recognize him. He had made the world, but the world did not recognize him. People did not worship him. They did not receive him. His own people, the Jews, did not receive him or believe in him. To this day, the vast majority of Jews do not believe in him. Many others do not believe in him either. The world did not recognize him. They keep asking, “Who was he?” But these words answer that question!

{12} Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God - {13} children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband's will, but born of God. Some did believe in Jesus. Some still do believe in Jesus. We do. By God’s grace, we believe in Jesus! We can’t take credit for it, because God did all the work, but it’s true: we believe in Jesus. And so, we are among those who “received him.” And look what it says. We believers are the children of God! Whoever believes in Jesus is a child of God. Not everyone is a child of God, but every believer is. What great love the Father has lavished on us that we should be called the children of God! And that is what we are, by faith in Jesus! We are the children of God! Everyone who believes in Jesus is a child of God. It makes no difference how much money you have, what color skin you have, or what language you speak. Whoever believes in Jesus as Savior is a child of God, and an heir of heaven!

{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. This verse tells us what happened at Christmas. The Word, the eternal Son of God, became flesh. He became man. He lived among us. Jesus Christ is true God and true man in one person. “In Christ dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily” (Col. 2) He “made his dwelling among us”. “Dwelling” means "tent" or "Tabernacle." In the Old Testament, God dwelled among His people with a special presence in the Tent of Meeting or Tabernacle. In Christ, God dwells among His people in a personal way. Christ is God in the flesh. John writes, “We have seen His glory.” Jesus did not always let his true glory as God shine forth, but the disciples did see His glory. When Jesus was baptized, they saw the dove and heard the voice saying, “This is my Son.” When Jesus calmed the storm, they saw His glory. When Jesus raised the dead, they saw his glory. When Jesus was transfigured on the mountain, they saw His glory. When Christ rose from death, they saw His glory. The disciples were eye-witnesses. They saw the glory of God’s one and only Son. Don’t believe what the false teachers say in those national news magazines. Jesus is more than just a man. He is and always will be true God! He is God in the flesh.

{15} John testifies concerning him. He cries out, saying, "This was he of whom I said, 'He who comes after me has surpassed me because he was before me.'" John the Baptist told people about Jesus. One thing he said was this. Though Jesus was born about 6 months after John, Jesus was way before John. As the Son of God, Jesus was eternal. He had no beginning. Jesus was true God in the flesh!

{16} From the fullness of his grace we have all received one blessing after another. God’s grace has given us more blessings than we can count! He created us. He redeemed us. He forgave us all of our sins. He gave us faith. He has provided for us. And we could go on and on. The Lord has blessed us over and over again. We have received grace upon grace, thanks to Jesus. So, let us praise him.

{17} For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. God gave his law through Moses, but Jesus Christ brought the gospel of God’s grace. The Law accuses us, but the Gospel comforts us and says, “All is forgiven. Jesus paid for all of your sins on the cross.” May we appreciate that more this year. In this new year, let us make the focus on the Law and the Gospel, but particularly the gospel. Let us resolve to hear and read God’s Word more. Let us resolve to worship more faithfully. Let us resolve to reach out more with the saving Word of God. Day by day, in this new year, let us put our Savior first, in everything we think, and say, and do.

{18} No one has ever seen God, but God the One and Only, who is at the Father's side, has made him known. We have not seen God, but Jesus has made him known. Jesus is, after all, true God in the flesh. So, when we think of that little baby in the manger, and the little child who receives the worship of Gentile wise men, and who was taken to Egypt, that’s God in the flesh. When we see the 12 year old Jesus in the temple, that is God in the flesh.

The magazines keep asking the question, but we have found the answer. Who was Jesus? He was, is, and always will be true God! May we acknowledge that fact. May we worship him. Praise Jesus as God. Amen.