John
1:1-14
1 In the beginning was the
Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was in the
beginning with God. 3 All things came into being through him, and without him
not one thing came into being. What has come into being 4 in him was life, and
the life was the light of all people.
5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it. 6 There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. 7 He came as a witness to testify to the light, so that all might believe through him. 8 He himself was not the light, but he came to testify to the light. 9 The true light, which enlightens everyone, was coming into the world. 10 He was in the world, and the world came into being through him; yet the world did not know him. 11 He came to what was his own, and his own people did not accept him. 12 But to all who received him, who believed in his name, he gave power to become children of God, 13 who were born, not of blood or of the will of the flesh or of the will of man, but of God. 14 And the Word became flesh and lived among us, and we have seen his glory, the glory as of a father's only son, full of grace and truth.
5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it. 6 There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. 7 He came as a witness to testify to the light, so that all might believe through him. 8 He himself was not the light, but he came to testify to the light. 9 The true light, which enlightens everyone, was coming into the world. 10 He was in the world, and the world came into being through him; yet the world did not know him. 11 He came to what was his own, and his own people did not accept him. 12 But to all who received him, who believed in his name, he gave power to become children of God, 13 who were born, not of blood or of the will of the flesh or of the will of man, but of God. 14 And the Word became flesh and lived among us, and we have seen his glory, the glory as of a father's only son, full of grace and truth.
The light shines in the
darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it.
·
The readings for Christmas are so
familiar, they could be recited by almost any of us here. The figures and
symbols of the story are so well known that we expect to see them in a certain
way and in a certain place and even in a certain light.
·
And then there’s the beginning of the
the Gospel of John.
·
Again the words are familiar, so
familiar that we know them by heart. What they mean is a different story.
Without going into a lot of background, we’ll just say that John was writing to
deal with a specific issue within the church of his day.
·
His writing is poetic and powerful.
It is also hard to understand for many. The beginning of the Gospel of John may
even have been a quotation from a hymn used in worship at the time. In any
event, it is a sort of high theological poetry, expressing what mere words could
not.
·
The Word, by which God made the world
and all that exists, expresses God and exists with God always. That same Word
became flesh in such a deep mystery that our minds cannot comprehend it nor can
our minds wring all the meaning out of it.
·
John writes of light and life. What
has come into being in him was life, and the life was the light of all people. The
light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it.
·
This festival we celebrate today –
the birth of Jesus Christ – is a celebration of that life and light. In John’s
understanding, life and light are inseparable.
·
In our worship today, we see light
and life joined together again in Word and Sacrament. In this service, we have
baptized Katarina Marie and she now carries within her the same light of Christ
as we all do. All of us here also renewed our Baptismal vows and that same
light is renewed in us.
·
Some of us might wonder if
celebrating a Baptism on the day of such a festival as Christmas is
appropriate. In truth, there is no such thing as a bad day for a
Baptism. A Baptism on Christmas Day reminds us all that Jesus came among us as
one of us, and that his first experience of earthly life was that of an infant
– small and helpless.
·
I think that our National Bishop,
Susan Johnson said it well: There are
many times in my life that I have taken great comfort in the knowledge of the
humanity of Jesus: that God truly understands the joys and the sorrows of human
existence.
I hope that, as I do, you can continue to take comfort and strength from the promise that Emmanuel, our God, is with us.
I hope that, as I do, you can continue to take comfort and strength from the promise that Emmanuel, our God, is with us.
·
The eyes of our faith will see the
heavenly light that overcomes all darkness, no matter what the situation. In
the same way, our eyes of faith see the light that Katarina carries… and the light
that we each carry.
·
As the Word became flesh in the Child
of Bethlehem, the Word may be found in each of us as children of God, born,
not of blood or of the will of the flesh or of the will of man, but of God.
In this, we are bearers of Christ. John is right; And the Word became flesh and
lived among us… Emmanuel remains with us and his presence among us
is the light that no darkness can overcome.
