PURPOSE: To show listeners how that prologue sets Christ apart.

Critics are fond of saying that we have very little about the birth of Jesus; it's all in Matthew and Luke. Mark doesn't mention it and neither does John. Is that really accurate?

I. While John doesn't give us the details (the where, how, when of Jesus' birth), he does give us the reason for His birth (John 1:1-14).

The prologue gives us profound theology about Jesus. The early church symbolized this gospel with an eagle because of the lofty heights attained by the prologue. In fact, this prologue is the foundation of the Christian formulation of what we know and believe about Jesus Christ.

II. To a world that lacked hope, this prologue gives hope.

The prologue was not about a message that offers hope; but about THE message wrapped up in a Person who offers hope. It is not an idea; it is a person.

That the Word became flesh tells us that God is intent on communicating with us about Himself.

When God wanted to get across His message, He wrapped it up in a person. What you know about God, you know because of what you know about Jesus Christ.

By talking about Jesus as the Word, John is telling us that Jesus is not a mere mortal. He is to God what a word is to us: the expression of His being.

All kinds of people are aware of our brokenness and our deep need of hope and purpose. Jesus alone solves that great human problem by His coming. The question is whether you reject Him or accept Him.

"He came to His own, and His own did not receive Him. But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name" (John 1:11-12).