The Word became flesh

The Word became flesh

Scripture Lessons

Exodus 40: 17-21, 34-38

Psalm 2:1-12

Titus 3:4-7

John 1: 1-18

Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

Our gospel lesson today is the prologue to the gospel according to John. This gospel begins quite differently from the synoptic gospels. Matthew begins with the genealogy of Jesus Christ. Mark bypasses the birth and childhood of Christ and begins with John the Baptizer preparing the way in the wilderness. Luke starts with an explanation of why he has written a detailed account even though others had, “undertaken to compile a narrative of the things that have been accomplished.” He then recounts in detail events beginning with the pregnancies of Elizabeth (John the Baptizer’s mother) and Mary the mother of God. John’s prologue is quite different. He begins with a summary of the gospel. He preaches to you who already believe. He elegantly summarizes our confession of the Christ and the circumstances by which the world was created and redeemed. The Church father, John Chrysostom, said that John was speaking directly from heaven.

Let us read the text, mark, and inwardly digest this beautiful and heavenly treatise.

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 were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made. ⁴ In him was life, and the life was the light of men. ⁵ The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. In this first section, we confess that Jesus is eternally begotten. There is no point in eternity past where God the Son did not exist. He is eternal. He was the creator of all things and in Him is life. He that was in the beginning is the light which cannot be overcome by the darkness.

⁶ There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. ⁷ He came as a witness, to bear witness about the light, that all might believe through him. ⁸ He was not the light, but came to bear witness about the light. John the Baptizer was faithful prophet of God, a voice crying out in the wilderness make straight the way of the Lord. John the Baptizer was not the light, not the Christ, but a witness to the Christ.

⁹ The true light, which gives light to everyone, was coming into the world. ¹⁰ He was in the world, and the world was made through him, yet the world did not know him. ¹¹ He came to his own, and his own people did not receive him. ¹² But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, ¹³ who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God. The eternal Son of God has no beginning (He is eternal), yet we celebrate His birthday. This is because the Son of God who is eternally begotten of the Father, did at a particular point in time, take upon Himself human flesh and condescend to us. He was born to serve God’s purpose of salvation for all mankind. He came to the Jews first, as was promised. They did not receive Him as the Christ for He was crucified. Yet many did receive Him and to those who received Him (“believed in his name”) He has adopted. You who have believed have not done so by the will of God through His means, you have been born from above, “not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.”

¹⁴ And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth. ¹⁵ (John bore witness about him, and cried out, “This was he of whom I said, ‘He who comes after me ranks before me, because he was before me.’”) ¹⁶ For from his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace. ¹⁷ For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. ¹⁸ No one has ever seen God; God the only Son, who is at the Father's side, he has made him known. We know God the Father because we have seen God the Son. He tabernacled among us. Whereas God formerly filled the tabernacle, the tent of meeting, when the people Israel sojourned in the wilderness, now God has tabernacled among us in a body like ours, yet without sin. In the manger lies God, the creator of the universe, and yet a vulnerable baby, who must be wrapped in cloths to stay warm, who relies upon a mother and a father to protect Him, to feed Him, to nurture Him. Such condescension was borne of love. God’s great love for you! Merry Christmas!

The peace of God, which passes all understanding, keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.” Amen.