Devotional 12-25-19

Please read John 1:1-14

“In the beginning was the Word,” writes the author of the Gospel of John, clearly echoing the first verse of Genesis, the first Book of the Hebrew Bible. The original audience of the Gospel would have recognized the power of the Word in the Hebrew Bible. God spoke creation in Genesis. Before time and space and in the midst of chaos, God’s spoken Word brings order, light and dark, earth and sky, sea and earth, animals and humans. There is power in the word.

On Christmas, we might prefer a Gospel that begins with a birth narrative. We would rather focus on the Baby Jesus, tender and mild. But today we have the Gospel of John, who skips the birth and focuses boldly on who Jesus is. “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God.”

Over 2000 years later, we understand the Word as Jesus, but this was a audacious claim at the time it was written. Here the Gospel writer claims that the Word is united with but distinct from God. Christians understand the Word to be Jesus, so here the author asserts that Jesus preexisted creation.

Early Christians argued about whether Jesus was the same as God or merely similar to God. The Gospel of John was used to bolster the argument that Jesus and God are one with the Holy Spirit, which became the hallmark of Christianity, albeit no less mysterious today.
If Jesus has existed since before creation, why would we celebrate a birthday? Our celebration of Christmas is the culmination of the Advent Season, called The Incarnation. The root word of “incarnation” means “flesh.” Unfortunately, English does not have many examples of positive use of that root word. Think of carnal knowledge or carnage. Carnation seems to work until you realize the flower is so named because it is flesh-colored. Ew.

Incarnation literally means the “in-flesh-ment” of God. “And the Word became flesh and lived among us.” Today we celebrate God’s flesh and blood in human history. God loved creation so much that he entered into humanity. God allowed himself to be born in the same manner all of us were born. Through Jesus, God experienced life as a human. Because of Jesus, God knows and understands our joys and sorrows, our pain and suffering. God cares that much. By taking on human flesh and all its particular traits, God endowed all human beings as sacred and worthy.

Yea, Lord, we greet thee, born this happy morning;
Jesus, to thee be glory given!
Word of the Father, now in flesh appearing!
O come, let us adore Him,
O come, let us adore Him,
O come, let us adore Him,
Christ the Lord.

Rev. Jeff Taylor