John 1:1-14 (NRSV)
Read John 1:1-14 on biblegateway.com
Chapter 1In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. Verse 2He was in the beginning with God. Verse 3All things came into being through him, and without him not one thing came into being. What has come into being Verse 4in him was life, and the life was the light of all people.
Verse 5The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it. Verse 6There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. Verse 7He came as a witness to testify to the light, so that all might believe through him. Verse 8He himself was not the light, but he came to testify to the light. Verse 9The true light, which enlightens everyone, was coming into the world. Verse 10He was in the world, and the world came into being through him; yet the world did not know him. Verse 11He came to what was his own, and his own people did not accept him. Verse 12But to all who received him, who believed in his name, he gave power to become children of God, Verse 13who were born, not of blood or of the will of the flesh or of the will of man, but of God. Verse 14And 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.
Devotion
For the Advent season we are looking back and reflecting on the previous week's readings.
"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." On this festive day, we celebrate literally Christ's mass (the old English origin of our word, Christmas). The word "mass" itself is an older word for worship in word and sacrament. Luther calls his major reform of the Sunday liturgy: The German Mass. Reflecting on this old expression helps us reframe the meaning of this day. Christ's mass is Christ's offering himself, God offering God's self to the world. Christmas is the beginning of a journey, God's own journey of giving to us, of opening a way of mercy, of immeasurable goodness. Yet, we know too, that this generosity is not always welcomed by us. Christ's journey that begins in the manger ends on the cross. Luther notes that the wood of the manger is the wood of the cross. As a reminder of this truth, the liturgical calendar places the commemoration of the first Christian martyr the day after Christmas: Dec. 26 is St. Stephen’s Day. Today though we rejoice as we take deep into our heart this reality: the word became flesh. The word became a human being. Christ is present, born over and over again we might say, in the lives of our neighbor and within us.
Prayer
Sing to the Lord a new song, for God has done marvelous things. O God, raise up a new song every day, continually in our hearts. Amen.