1. The word became flesh Ultimate Truth

2. The word became flesh The Ultimate Understanding of the World

3. 1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was with God in the beginning. 1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was with God in the beginning. 3 Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. 4 In him was life, and that life was the light of men. 5 The light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not understood it. 3 Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. 4 In him was life, and that life was the light of men. 5 The light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not understood it.

4. Are we the merely the end result of an unplanned process that began in the Big Bang 15 billion years ago?

5. Existential nihilism is the belief that life has no intrinsic meaning or value. With respect to the universe, existential nihilism posits that a single human or even the entire human species is insignificant, without purpose and unlikely to change in the totality of existence. The meaninglessness of life is largely explored in the philosophical school of existentialism. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nihilism http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nihilism

6. The existentialists say that we have been set free from the obselete idea of God together with its limitations and definitions, including a moral structure. They struggle that although we are “set free” we are also cast adrift with no guiding compass or star. We are utterly alone to carve our own definitions while we have nothing upon which to base them or to evaluate them. Believing that we can have definition, when in fact we cannot, gives us some degree of comfort as we deceive ourselves into relevance on our pilgrimage to nothingness. 1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was with God in the beginning. 1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was with God in the beginning. 3 Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. 4 In him was life, and that life was the light of men. 5 The light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not understood it. 3 Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. 4 In him was life, and that life was the light of men. 5 The light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not understood it.

7. The intrusion of Bethlehem negates the existentialist proposition (or it must be tossed on the “nice story” heap)

8. But it’s not really that nice of a “story”, is it?

9. The intrusion of Bethlehem negates the existentialist proposition

10. Design ~ Purpose ~ Innate value / definition ~ Accountability ~ the innate knowledge of how things ought to be. Things that shouldn’t be: starvation, broken families, war, prejudice, mass killings is there some greater point to my life, or is all just in vain? Those who seek meaning without God are wasting their efforts. if you are a creation of God, you have extreme value. The cross declares that value to be infinite. the one that we aren’t too excited about, except as it applies to others.

11. There is light or there is

12. The word became flesh The Ultimate Plan for the World

13. 6 There came a man who was sent from God; his name was John. 7 He came as a witness to testify concerning that light, so that through him all men might believe. 8 He himself was not the light; he came only as a witness to the light. 9 The true light that gives light to every man was coming into the world. 6 There came a man who was sent from God; his name was John. 7 He came as a witness to testify concerning that light, so that through him all men might believe. 8 He himself was not the light; he came only as a witness to the light. 9 The true light that gives light to every man was coming into the world.

14. The Plan: Emanuel Starts at the tree of life and ends there as well. We do not have the ability to say exactly what it was like or what it will be like. We do know that it will be very good.

15. What was begun as being “very good” has been utterly defiled. Another plan has been chosen and has ruined everything. Isaiah 24:4-14 / Romans 8:18-22 Sin must be dealt with and a people redeemed Ephesians 1:9-10; 2:1-10 / Rev 21:1-4

16. Which plan have we chosen?

17. The word became flesh The Ultimate Choice presented to the World

18. 10 He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him. 11 He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him. 12 Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God — 13 children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God. ~~~~~~~~~~ Recognize ~ ginosko: to perceive, observe, obtain a knowledge of or insight into. It denotes a personal and true relation between the person knowing and the object known, that is to say to be influenced by one's knowledge of the object, to suffer one's self to be determined thereby:

19. 10 He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him. 11 He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him. 12 Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God — 13 children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God. ~~~~~~~~~~ They didn’t figure it out, but they should have. Intentional ignorance

20. 10 He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him. 11 He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him. 12 Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God — 13 children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God. ~~~~~~~~~~ They didn’t receive him, but they should have. the crowds that were fed (John 6)

21. 10 He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him. 11 He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him. 12 Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God — 13 children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God. ~~~~~~~~~~ They didn’t receive him, but they should have. Herod (Matthew 2:1-12) Note that the chief priests and the teachers of the law didn’t send any inquiry to Bethlehem.

22. 10 He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him. 11 He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him. 12 Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God — 13 children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God. ~~~~~~~~~~ They didn’t receive him, but they should have. the cross

23. 10 He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him. 11 He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him. 12 Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God — 13 children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God. ~~~~~~~~~~ Back to the original plan, if we so choose...

24. The word became flesh The Ultimate Revelation to the World

25. 14 The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth. 15 John testifies concerning him. He cries out, saying, “This was he of whom I said, ‘He who comes after me has surpassed me because he was before me.’ ” 16 From the fullness of his grace we have all received one blessing after another. 17 For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. 18 No one has ever seen God, but God the One and Only, who is at the Father’s side, has made him known. ~~~~~~~~~~ Colossians 1:15-20; 2:9 John 14:5-12 It doesn’t and indeed cannot get better than this.

26. The word became flesh The Ultimate Reality: Emanuel!

27. The word became flesh The Ultimate Understanding of the World

28. The word became flesh The Ultimate Plan for the World

29. The word became flesh The Ultimate Choice presented to the World

30. The word became flesh The Ultimate Revelation to the World

31. Ultimate Truth The word became flesh