Scr.- John 1:15-30; 3:26-30.

"He [Jesus] must increase; I must decrease."--John 3:30

John the Baptist was a faithful servant of God. He was devoted to the glory of God. He preached with conviction. He enacted ministry with courage and resolve. He remains one of the most familiar characters in the pages of Scripture.

But John was no egomaniac.

His objective was not to 'get himself noticed' or 'stand out in a crowd'. Nor was he obsessed with climbing a social ladder. He did not crave the spotlight of popular acclaim. He rejected the temptation to become a cultural icon.

Quite simply, John demonstrated ego in reverse.

He pointed to the Lord Jesus Christ, Who takes away the sin of the world (John 1:30). John's ministry goal was to honor the Lamb of God rather than extol his own personal status in society or among the religious elite and the 'spiritually successful'. He was committed to elevating the Name of Christ instead of his own name.

There's no doubt that John remained a sinner who needed a Savior. However, his attitude and ministry demonstrated a commitment to the glory of Christ above all else. His ego didn't get in the way.

Christ ALONE is worthy of our full worship. The Christ Who was born of the virgin Mary went on to live a sinless life and then He died for sinners, and rose again from the dead. He reigns now at the right hand of God. And He's coming back!

We find ourselves on the brink of another 'official' Christmas celebration. May we be mindful of these words penned by the apostle Paul: "Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross.
Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth,and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father." ---(Phil.2:5-11)

"In the multitude of words sin is not lacking, but he who restrains his lips is wise."--Prov.10:19.

Clumsy writing and bad wording abound in upper level college textbooks. It's as though the authors want to convey ideas in ponderous language maximizing the boredom of their readers.

Some authors maximize their words while communicating as little as possible:
"Insofar as the aforementioned ramifications have been elaborated upon in due course, having underscored at length the explicit and resultant multitudinous proclivities inherent in comprehensively delineating these ramifications..."
And on and on it goes.

Jesus Christ never wasted words. His teachings and discourses have been written down in the good Word of God for the benefit of God's people. The Scriptural presentation of Jesus' words is accurate and without excess language.

Jesus never sinned by 'saying too much'. And: Jesus correctly claimed that His spiritual words are words of life: "It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing. The words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life."--John 6:63.

Furthermore, Jesus' words are in complete alignment with the Divine Will: "I have not spoken on my own authority but the Father Who sent Me gave Me a command, what I should say and what I should speak."--John 12:49.

As we approach what is called  'Christmas Day', we remember the Good Son of God Who was sent to a dark and lost world. And we remember the very good Gospel wording of John 3:16- "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes on Him should not perish, but have everlasting life."

John 14:6- Jesus answered: "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me."



For many Americans, the Christmas season is something to be endured, not enjoyed. The crowds and traffic, the grinding obligation of shopping schedules and deadlines, the continual advertising of overblown materialism---all these factors combine to make the Christmas season a time of stress and nausea for many.

However, the word 'Christmas' literally means 'Celebrating Christ'. The emphasis in the word 'Christmas' has to do with Christ. Granted, Christian human beings can enjoy the process and activity of celebrating Christ, but remember that Jesus Christ should be the intended 'target' and recipient of our celebration.

Why should He be? "Because to us a child is born, to us a son is given" (Isaiah 9:6).  The ultimate Christmas gift was promised by God, then given at the time of God's choosing. "When the time had fully come, God sent His Son, born of a woman...that we might receive the full rights of sons" (Gal.4:4-5). The Gospel is about the reconciliation of believing sinners with a Holy God through the gift of His Son, Jesus Christ; this is not because we are worthy to receive such a gift, but because God is so lavish and extreme in His giving.

The gift of abundant and eternal life is wrapped up in Christ. Christmas life is for every day and every season; therefore, this gift, this Person of Jesus is to be treasured and celebrated at all times. What a gift, what a miracle, has been given to us.

Laurence Houseman summed up the miracle in these words:

Light looked down and beheld Darkness. 'Thither will I go' said Light.
Peace looked down and beheld War. 'Thither will I go' said Peace.
Love looked down and beheld Hatred. 'Thither will I go' said Love.
So came Light and shone.
So came Peace and gave rest.
So came Love and brought Life.