In the Beginning: Rediscovering Jesus, the Source of All Things

Introduction

Pastor Elisha kicks off the new year with preaching the sermon titled “In the Beginning: Rediscovering Jesus, The Source of Everything” from John 1:1–14. He frames this Sunday as more of a reorientation: checking our direction, what baggage we’re carrying, and whether we’re truly becoming who Jesus is forming. The anchor truth is disruptive and central: “The Word became flesh and dwelt among us.” Because Christmas is real, 2026 cannot be lived the same way.

Key Points

• This isn’t hype, it’s reorientation

  • Pastor challenges the church to “turn on the lights inside” and ask:

    • Am I facing the right direction?

    • Am I carrying things I was never meant to carry (hurts, bitterness, unforgiveness, blame)?

    • Am I truly being formed by Jesus or repeating comfortable patterns?

  • We don’t just need inspiration for 2026, we need clarity, truth, and a fresh encounter with Jesus.

• John 1 reframes Jesus: not an idea, but a Person

  • Jesus isn’t a philosophy, moral code, or religious aesthetic.

  • He is the Word, fully God, who entered human reality.

• The Incarnation: fully God, fully human

  • “The Word became flesh” means Jesus didn’t appear human-like; He truly became human.

  • If this doesn’t land, then prayer, Scripture, worship, discipleship, and even communion become shallow and symbolic only.

  • The Incarnation doesn’t allow shallow or casual Christianity.

• 1) The Incarnation changes how we face suffering

  • Christianity doesn’t start by explaining suffering; it starts by entering it.

  • Jesus knows betrayal, loneliness, injustice, silence, pain, and death, so we can’t accuse God of being distant or indifferent.

  • We may still walk through darkness, but darkness is not final because the Light is with us.

  • Practical call: Stop offering shallow answers; learn to sit with Jesus and let Him sit with you.

• 2) The Incarnation confronts disconnection

  • It doesn’t only comfort us, it confronts us.

  • The “I saw but didn’t want to get involved” mindset shows up in society and in church:

    • avoiding community,

    • resisting costly generosity,

    • refusing to serve when inconvenient,

    • staying silent because vulnerability feels risky.

  • Christmas shatters “safe distance faith”: Jesus is not God’s avatar, He is God incarnate.

  • Philippians 2:5 becomes the model: in our relationships, we take on Christ’s mindset.

• 3) The Incarnation gives hope that reforms our future

  • Jesus brings God’s presence near: not “go to the temple”, but God comes to you, by the Holy Spirit.

  • Christian hope is realistic: some things can change now; everything will be made new when Christ returns.

  • 2026 shouldn’t be another year of spiritual spectatorship, excuses, or dragging old baggage forward.

• Response: Communion as a commitment moment

  • The pastor leads the church to take communion slowly and reverently:

    • Jesus became flesh,

    • His body was broken for our wholeness,

    • His blood cleanses and renews the covenant.

  • The call is simple: surrender, let Jesus shape our hearts, and let 2026 be different because we become different.

Conclusion

Pastor Elisha ends with a strong invitation: don’t enter 2026 the same way. The Incarnation is too precious and too real for shallow faith, comfortable distance, or disconnected Christianity. Since the Word became flesh, Jesus is not just to be admired; He is to be followed. The church is called to deeper discipleship, costly generosity, real community, and a hope that isn’t naïve but anchored in Christ. The prayer is that 2026 becomes a year of genuine transformation as the church rediscover Jesus, not as an idea, but as the living Lord.