Loving God, you are the source of light and life, grace and truth.  Fill us with these gifts as we gather together today, and teach us to recognize you at work in our world; through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.

            Many people, when they hear or read this passage from the gospel of John, have difficulty following what John is talking about.  What we are reading is essentially Greek poetry, which is not necessarily everybody’s “thing.”  However, there is a depth of meaning there which is truly amazing for those who are patient enough to find it.  And so, today we will attempt to lift up at least some of the message that is there.

         In conversations with people about this passage, I have discovered that often people have no idea what this “Word” is that John is talking about.  However, when certain phrases are lifted up and put together, then the light bulbs start to go on.  “In the beginning was the Word… the Word was with God, and the Word was God… And the Word became flesh and lived among us,… full of grace and truth” (Jn. 1:1, 14).  Aha!... This is John’s way of talking about Jesus.  In fact, “the Word became flesh” is John’s version of the Christmas story.

         While there are many different images and ideas to be found in today’s gospel, I’d like to draw your attention to verses 10 and 11.

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 (Jn. 1:10-11).

Can you imagine, as Jesus, coming to earth and not being recognized or accepted?  Can you imagine daring to be born like every other baby is born, and to experience what every other human being experiences, even though the entire world was created through you?  Can you imagine coming as God Incarnate and being rejected by your own people?

         It boggles the imagination!  It was also very difficult to grasp for many Greeks who believed that flesh was bad and spirit was good.  In fact, as far as Platonists were concerned, “no self-respecting god would actually become human” (workingpreacher.org).  And yet, here was Jesus, the light of the world, come in order to make God known.  Who would ever believe it? – According to John, those who received him and believed in his name (v. 12).

         For these people, as for anybody today, there was always some basis for their faith.  There were witnesses like John the Baptist who pointed to Jesus as the true light.  There was the grace and the truth that they witnessed in all that Jesus said and did.  There was the glory that some got to witness later – on the Mount of Transfiguration.  And there were those who recognized that Jesus was, indeed, showing people what God is like.

         However, to others, Jesus’ true identity remained hidden.  Some remained in the dark, even though the light of the world was right there in front of them.  This observation leads us into at least a couple of questions:  What are the things today that keep Jesus’ true identity hidden from people?  And perhaps even more important, what are the things that lead people to believe that Jesus is the Son of God and our Saviour?

         In some ways, the reasons for people not to believe are easier to identify.  Perhaps that’s because we hear people’s reasons for not believing in Jesus or not believing in God.  However, for those of us who have grown up in the faith and have never not believed in Jesus, it’s harder to imagine what would actually lead somebody to faith.  Let’s make an attempt, however, and think a little bit about signs.

         In the gospel of John, there are signs all along the way that point to who Jesus is.  There are also signs today that might point us in the direction of faith.  One of these signs, which some people have the privilege of experiencing, is the miraculous healing power of the name of Jesus.  For those who have prayed for healing in the name of Jesus and have received it, this is an obvious sign that points them to Jesus.  For others who pray for things other than healing, experiences of answers to prayer strengthen their faith and point them to Jesus.

         Other signs that we might point to include those who exhibit the love of God in all that they do, allowing the love of Christ to flow through them.  There are also those who exhibit the fruit of the Spirit like generosity and self-control.  And what about those who treat the downtrodden and the poor with compassion and respect?  Are not all of these signs that point to Jesus, who is alive and continues to be at work in our world?

         People do not believe now without such signs, and people did not believe in the first century without signs.  Later today we will hear about the baby in the manger in the little town of Bethlehem, far from home and born to a poor couple.  It is easy to see how, under these circumstances, the Son of God could be in the world, but the world would not know him.  However, even then, there were signs.

         There were angels who were sent with messages for Mary and for Joseph and for the shepherds.  There were passages in the Scriptures that pointed to Bethlehem and a child who is called Emmanuel – God with us.  There was an unusual star that guided the magi, and there were dreams that contained messages from God.  Even in the most humble of circumstances, there were people who recognized Jesus as the long-awaited Messiah.

         Today, as we celebrate the birth of Jesus, may the light also shine in the darkness for you.  For, “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” (Jn. 1:14).  Thanks be to God!  Amen.

Fourth Sunday of Advent (NL 4)                                                   John 1:1-18

December 24, 2017

St. Luke’s Zion Lutheran Church

Pastor Lynne Hutchison

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