David Bahn – Reflections

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John 1:14-16

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. ¹⁵ (John bore witness about him, and cried out, “This was he of whom I said, ‘He who comes after me ranks before me, because he was before me.’”) ¹⁶ For from his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace.

You may or may not love ballet. But there is a beautiful dance between grace and truth that centers in the birth of Jesus, the Word made Flesh. This will be the point of my message today at St. John Lutheran Church. You are welcome to join in person or via St. John’s website. Here’s a sketch of what I will share:

Texas District President Michael Newman shared this beautiful poem this Christmas:

Grace and truth—how could the two ever meet?
How could generosity, love, and life our sin and sadness greet?
Shining in the darkness, but rejected and not received,
The light of life appeared, unrecognized and unbelieved.

But with determined grace God sent the Creator Word,
Entering the cosmos, with steadfast love His heart was stirred.
Taking the form of a servant to make us all children of God,
Grace and truth descended to a path that was yet untrod.

Truth without grace would accuse us and heap upon us shame;
It would lay bare our souls, revealing all our sin and blame;
Grace without truth would be uncaring, making justice and righteousness cheap;
Overlooking the cost of sin would keep us mired in transgressions deep.

Grace makes truth bearable.

Let’s celebrate God’s Grace today!

God took on human flesh.

Like Undercover Boss but even better.

In each episode, the executives work as entry-level employees in their own company’s stores or headquarters for about a week.

To stay undercover, the executives are given false hair, makeup, and sometimes facial prosthetics. The makeup is used to make their faces look like they’ve been outside for long periods of time, making it harder for the employees to recognize them.

At the end of the undercover week, the boss returns to his or her true identity and calls in the selected employees to the corporate headquarters. The boss rewards hardworking employees through promotion, material, or financial rewards. Other employees are given training or better working conditions.

The Word Became Flesh

Jesus is even better: The Word became flesh and dwelt among us. Not in disguise, but in the flesh. Challenging, teaching, calling us to repent and believe the Good News, lighting the world with his love. He became flesh so that his hands could be nailed to a cross.

Grace is as beautiful thing.

• Kindness | Mercy | Love | Unmerited favor
• Ephesians 2:8-9
• Romans 5:21 God’s law was given so that all people could see how sinful they were. But where sin increased, grace increased all the more. More sin? More grace. That’s God’s gift to us in Jesus.

But what about truth? Without grace we cannot handle the truth. But by God’s grace the truth is the path to freedom.

God’s truth will set you free (John 8:31)

We need a Savior

• “He came to his own and his own did not receive him.”
• “All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” Romans 3:23
• “If we say we’re without sin, we deceive ourselves…”
• “The soul that sins will die.”
• This is the hard edge of truth. We must confront it. We must not dodge it. We cannot dodge it.

Truth is that Jesus is the Word made Flesh. The incarnation: Jesus is God in the flesh.

If Jesus is not God in the flesh he must be rejected outright…

He’s offering something that is not true. But this is most certainly true: The Word Became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have beheld his glory, as of the only Son of God, full of grace and truth.

The Word is true; to be trusted. Jesus himself is the way, the truth, and the life.

He sets us free: If you continue in my word…you will know the truth and the truth will set you free.

And his word is to be trusted; reliable. Infallible.

This Advent and Christmas we rejoice,
Awed by grace and truth made one;
For the Word made flesh we lift our voice,
Giving humble thanks for Jesus, our Savior, God’s beloved Son. – Michael Newman

From his fullness we have all received grace upon grace. – Glory to God in the highest! Amen