A Light in the Dark

At Christmas time we are used to hearing stories about the shepherds, angels and the entire nativity scene as found in the gospels of Luke or Matthew. The Gospel Reading for this Christmas morning is from John. It begins with “the Word”, which was with God and was God.

The Gospel According To John

John’s account of Jesus’ ministry is written in a very scholarly fashion and need time to study. Some people might find it odd to have this reading on Christmas. Celebrating Jesus’ coming is what Christmas is all about. But is it? Reflecting on this gospel makes me think otherwise.

In The Beginning.....

The first three sentences of John are bold statements starting with, “In the beginning.” God revealed himself through His word which was spoken through the prophets as found in the Old Testament. On Christmas Day we celebrate the fact that the word of God became flesh. In the New Testament, Jesus reveals to us the God whom no one has seen. God lived among us in the shoes of a human being, in the person of Jesus. This Christmas imagine changes when we look at what God did: He became one of us. God came to live with us, to laugh, to cry, to rejoice and suffer – with us.

Homework

Sometimes there are texts which are so deep and filling that it’s difficult to get past the first bite much less digest the entire meaning. I approach the Christmas Gospel (John 1:1-18) by feeling my way through the text. Jesus came into our world and he is the light that leads us out of darkness. When Jesus was born, heaven touched earth and God came down to eye level with all of mankind. Take this moving image of what God did for us. He is a kind, loving, forgiving Father who wants wonderful things for us. As we prepare ourselves this gift of love remember that through our faith and baptism, we are all His children.