The Gift of Grace

John 1:1-18


In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things came into being through him, and without him not one thing came into being. 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.

There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. He came as a witness to testify to the light, so that all might believe through him. He himself was not the light, but he came to testify to the light. The true light, which enlightens everyone, was coming into the world.

He was in the world, and the world came into being through him; yet the world did not know him. He came to what was his own, and his own people did not accept him. But to all who received him, who believed in his name, he gave power to become children of God, who were born, not of blood or of the will of the flesh or of the will of man, but of God.

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. (John testified to him and cried out, "This was he of whom I said, 'He who comes after me ranks ahead of me because he was before me.'") From his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace. The law indeed was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. No one has ever seen God. It is God the only Son, who is close to the Father's heart, who has made him known.

The Sermon

It is the Christmas Season. The trees and decorations are still up. The presents have been opened and snow is on the ground. We are still celebrating the birth of Jesus of Nazareth. The book of John spends no time on Jesus' earthly beginnings. He gets cosmic and theological right away He says in the beginning was the Word (with a capital W) and the Word was with God and the Word was God. All things came into being through Him The true light which enlightens everyone, was coming into the world. Word is translated from the Greek word “logos” which can mean 'that which can give shape form and life to the universe'. John is telling us that our universe had a beginning but that God, who is eternal, gave the universe shape and form and life.

John is also telling us that Jesus is the real deal. He is God incarnate and if we believe in him we will become children of God. Those are powerful statements. We are believers and we are children of God. We are a part of God's creation.

At the end of this gospel passage John says that Moses gave us the law and Jesus gave us grace and truth. Grace is a gift. In this case it is a gift freely offered to you and me. Imagine that. People as flawed as me are given this gift.

This gift of grace does have an effect. It works on us constantly. It makes us more reflective. It makes us more loving. It draws us closer to each other and closer to God. What a wonderful, loving gift. It is hard to believe that we would ever turn away from grace but we do sometimes. The beauty of this gift is that when we come to our senses and realize we have turned away we can ask God to give it to us again. And God does!

I was given some very nice gifts over Christmas. I was given a plaque with the commandments on it. I was given DVD's, a calendar, wine, a blanket, preserves, and on and on. They were all a wonderful that I am cared for by my friends and family. God's gift of grace is still the gift that I cherish the most.