The Reading
The Gospel
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
On
Christmas Eve we read about the birth of Jesus from the gospel of
Luke. Luke was concerned about the accuracy of this story and he
went into some detail regarding how it all came about. He starts out
by focusing on Mary and her visit by the angel Gabriel. He writes
about the census, the stable, the visit by the shepherds. He wants
to get it all right.
Matthew
tells the same story but from a slightly different perspective.
Matthew is writing to a Jewish audience and he stresses the
connection between old testament prophesy and Jesus birth. His story
of the Maji and escaping to Egypt tie in with the foretelling of the
prophesy from Hosea that “out of Egypt I called my son.”
John is
unlike the other gospels. He does not spend time on the narrative of
the story. He jumps straight into the theology. John says right
away that Jesus was there at the beginning. He writes all things
came into being through him and without him not one thing was made.
He continues by saying that the word became flesh and lived among us
and all who received him, who believed in his name, he gave power to
become children of God.
We are
the children of God. Just think of how powerful a statement that is.
Think of the responsibility that goes with it. We all know what it
is like to be children of mortal parents. There are very few of us
who do not believe it is important to make our parents proud of us.
We want to please our mortal parents. I would like you to reflect on
how important it is for us to please our immortal parent. Our
creator. Our God.
Jesus
became flesh to guide us and inspire us to do just that. He told us
of the importance of love and he impressed on us the ways in which we
could show that love to God and to each other. He told us to put the
needs of others ahead of our own. He told us to look out for each
other and to be there for others in times of need whether those
things be small things or big things. It may be a friendly wave to a
stranger or opening a door for someone. It could also be rescuing
someone from a burning building or sacrificing your life for someone
else.
Jesus
in his life was an example of the small things and the big things.
He washed the feet of his disciples at the last supper. It was a
small but important thing. The next day he did a big thing. He
sacrificed his life on a cross for all of us.
May his
example live on in all of us.
Amen
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