The Word At The Beginning | The True Light

In this Christmas sermon Richard Van Lieshout provides a deep theological reflection on John 1:14, exploring the mystery of the Incarnation and the significance of God dwelling among humanity.

Summary of Key Points

The Word Pitched a Tent: Van Lieshout explains that the word "dwelt" in John 1:14 literally means "to pitch a tent" or "tabernacle" [07:45]. This highlights that in Jesus, God is not building a fortress to wall Himself off, but is deliberately making Himself accessible and relatable to humanity [11:00].

Connection to the Tabernacle: The sermon draws parallels to the Old Testament Tabernacle—a portable tent where God’s presence resided [13:58]. While the Old Testament access to God was complex and limited to rituals and a physical holy place, Jesus becomes the "True Tabernacle" where God's holiness is made visible and accessible to all [18:19].

Seeing the Glory of God: The speaker discusses how God’s glory (the "weightiness" of His presence) was revealed through Jesus’ miracles, such as turning water into wine [22:11]. However, he emphasizes that it takes "eyes of faith" to perceive this glory, as it is often hidden in acts of service and ultimately in the cross [23:53].

Grace and Truth: The fullness of God's character is summed up in "grace and truth" [26:10]. The truth reveals our inability to reach God on our own, while grace is God coming to us in human flesh to suffer the punishment for our rebellion, thereby opening the way for us [26:17].

The Ultimate Trajectory: The message concludes by looking forward to Revelation 21, where the "dwelling place of God" will finally be with man in a new heaven and earth [29:12]. This future hope provides light for the current darkness of the world [30:45].

Reflection

The sermon encourages listeners to look closely at Jesus this Christmas—not just as a historical figure, but as the living Word who brings the light of God's glory into our lives today [28:02].

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For the month of December, 2025 we have just one service at 10am. We start three services at 8am 10am & 5pm again on Jan 11, 2026.