We Have Seen!

December 25, 2011

(Christmas Day) by John Partridge Scripture: John 1:1-14 Isaiah 52:7-10

As I have stayed connected with my friends this season, I have heard from several who were attending holiday concerts. Various groups have put on special stage shows that are touring for Christmas including the TransSiberian Orchestra and Steven Curtis Chapman. There have also been a host of high school and junior high band and choir concerts as well as many church cantatas and other events. On top of all that, I have been hearing from many who have been using their free time, especially young people on break from school, to see the many movies that have been released during the holiday season. The reason that I have heard from many of them, is because the things that they saw generated some excitement. After these events, my friends had many things to say but in general, what they had to say was an expression of their excitement and, this excitement burst from them by telling the world, I have seen something amazing (or at least worthwhile)! This morning, as we celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ, we remember that there were many voices that expressed this very same feeling. Seven hundred years before the birth of Jesus, the prophet Isaiah proclaimed (Isaiah 52:7-10)
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How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of those who bring good news, who proclaim peace, who bring good tidings, who proclaim salvation, who say to Zion, Your God reigns! 8 Listen! Your watchmen lift up their voices; together they shout for joy. When the LORD returns to Zion, they will see it with their own eyes. 9 Burst into songs of joy together, you ruins of Jerusalem, for the LORD has comforted his people, he has redeemed Jerusalem. 10 The LORD will lay bare his holy arm in the sight of all the nations, and all the ends of the earth will see the salvation of our God. Isaiah says that even the feet of the people who bring good news are beautiful. Good news is contagious. The watchmen who hear good news cannot contain it and shout it from the walls and the towers. They watch, not only for the security of the people but for the coming of the Messiah, the return of the Lord God of Israel. That day, Isaiah says, will be a day of singing and rejoicing and all the nations, even to the very ends of the earth, sill see the salvation of God. This is what we are celebrating today, the coming of the Messiah, the Lord God of Israel, the birth of Jesus, the Christ. The stories of Christs coming are found in the Gospels, the first four books of the Bible, and this story is known, not surprisingly, as the Good News. It is the news that the watchmen of Israel had been waiting for; it is the news that is so good that it must be shouted from the rooftops. 1

When the shepherds heard the message of the angels they hurried to see the newborn Christ child and When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. (Luke 2:17-18) Can you imagine that the magi, the wise men who had travelled for months in their caravans to visit this tiny newborn king, had a story to tell when they returned home? These are the stories that Mary treasured in her heart and these are the stories that she must have told to at least one of the disciples. These stories were written into the Gospels and were told and retold for generations until coming to us, and during this season of the year we retell them to one another, to our children and to the world. Of all the Gospels, Johns story was written last, much later than the others, and his telling of the story is different. John does not tell of the shepherds, or the wise men, nor even the Journey of Mary and Joseph. Instead, John tells a story of light and darkness, a story of creation, a story about the story, a story about witnesses and telling others the Good News of Jesus Christ. In John 1:1-14, we hear this
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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. 3 Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. 4 In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. 5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. There was a man sent from God whose name was John. 7 He came as a witness to testify concerning that light, so that through him all might believe. 8 He himself was not the light; he came only as a witness to the light. The true light that gives light to everyone was coming into the world. 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. 12 Yet to all who did receive 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 husbands will, but born of God. The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth. John, the disciple, tells us about John the man who was sent to testify concerning the light, the man we know as John the Baptist. John was sent to testify concerning the light so that others might believe. John was not the light, but he came only to be a witness to the light. This is the Good News. We are not the light but we, like the shepherds and the wise men, like John and the Disciples, and even Mary herself, we are witnesses. We have seen the light of the world. Christ has come into the world to bring light into the world, to be the light of the world and he has invited us to become children of God. John tells us that on this day, two thousand years ago, the word of God became flesh and was born in a manger, a feeding trough, in the barn of one of Josephs relatives. The word of God became flesh and lived among us. Like the shepherds, and like John the Baptist, John the disciple also proclaims, We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth. We have seen. It is a simple sentence but it is a huge part of what Christmas is all about. The watchmen waited for the good news so that they could shout it from the tops of every wall and tower. The shepherds could not contain themselves and they told everyone they could find about what they had seen. Mary treasured these things in her 2
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heart and told the disciples who, in turn, wrote the Gospels and spread the Good News throughout the known world. John the Baptist came to be a witness to the light that had come into the world, and John the disciple of Jesus proclaimed that We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth. Like the two Johns, we are not the light, but we have seen the light of the world. We have met Jesus and we have been invited to become children of God. Can we do any less than the humble shepherds who visited Mary and Joseph? Can we do any less than those who heard the story so many years ago and the generations of Christian brothers and sisters who passed the story down to us? Let us move past our fear as we remember the fear of those who first heard the Good News And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid. And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.
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For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.

And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger. (Luke 2:9-12, KJV) This is the most amazing and wonderful story that has ever been told. This is far more amazing than any fall movie release or Christmas concert. We should be filled to overflowing with wonder and excitement about the Good News that we have heard. Let us join the shepherds, the wise men, Mary and the two Johns in telling the world what we have seen and what we have heard. Let us shout from the walls and the towers like the watchmen of old We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.

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You have been reading a message presented at Barnesville First United Methodist Church on the date noted at the top of the first page. Rev. John Partridge is the pastor of Barnesville First. Duplication of this message is a part of our Media ministry, if you have received a blessing in this way, we would love to hear from you. Letters and donations in support of the Media ministry or any of our other projects may be sent to Barnesville First UMC at 123 W. Church St., Barnesville, OH 43713. These messages are available to any interested persons regardless of membership. You may subscribe to these messages, in print or electronic formats, by writing to the address noted, or by contacting us at subscribe@barnesvillefirst.com. If you have questions, you can ask them in our discussion forum on Facebook (search for Pastor John Online). These messages can also be found online at http://www.scribd.com/Pastor John Partridge. All Scripture references are from the New International Version unless otherwise noted.