Welcome to Gospel in Life. Today, Tim Keller is looking at a passage from the opening chapter of the Gospel of John.

John begins his account of Christ's birth not with shepherds or angels, but with the mystery of the word becoming flesh, God himself entering the world as a person in Jesus Christ.

Join us as Tim Keller explores the meaning of Jesus's birth.

The scripture this morning is from John's Gospel chapter 1, verses 12 and 13.

Yet, to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God.

Children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision,

or a husband's will, but born of God. The word of the Lord.

Now, all this year, we are looking at John's the word of the Lord.

Now, all this year, we are looking at John chapter 13 through 17.

And after the first of the year, I and David and other preaching pastors here at the West Side will continue to go through John chapter 13 verse

to 17 because that's the place where just before Jesus death he was training his disciple to be

sent out into the world and we are asking God to send redeemer out into the city in a new way

but during this Christmas season we're actually starting at the beginning of the book of John and asking God to send Redeemer out into the city in a new way.

But during this Christmas season, we're actually starting at the beginning of the book of John, John chapter 1, which actually, as you're going to see, I'll even mention at the very

end of this sermon, John chapter 1 throws into relief many things that we're going to be seeing

in John chapter 13 to 17.

But it's about, of course,

Jesus first coming into the world. So it's John's way of helping us understand the meaning of Christmas

and why he came. And right here in verse 12 and 13, almost at the very beginning, John sort of

hits us between the eyes and comes right up and says, the reason why Jesus Christ

came into the world is that you might be born again. It's right in your face. We actually do

have a Christmas hymn, Christmas Carol, the Hark the Herald Angels sing by Charles Wesley, who says the same thing.

...