The first 18 verses of the Gospel of John speak of Jesus, but not in the way we usually think of Jesus—particularly at Christmas. I don’t know about you, but most of the time when I think of Jesus I think about the person who taught and healed and loved people here on Earth. It’s only when Christ is added to the name that I think of the Son in the Father/Son/Holy Spirit expression of God as three in one. Although our Christian faith has insisted for centuries that Jesus was fully human AND fully divine, not half one and half the other, I find myself struggling to fully understand how that works, how that is possible—and particularly how that “works” in Jesus—God as human, and human who was God, and somehow fully both. Maybe you struggle with that too.
And Christmas really complicates that, while at the same time it really affirms it. Jesus was born, and God entered into human life just like all of us do—a baby, unable to take care of himself, fully dependent on the love and care and nurture and protection of Mary and Joseph. God in Jesus needed them to even continue to survive, and needed them to teach him all of those things that we teach children as they grow. It seems crazy to think that the infant Jesus might be commanding and controlling and knowing the things that we believe that God commands and controls and knows—and doing so before he can even talk or have teeth. But John chapter 1 reminds us of that divine. cosmic, Jesus.
John 1 affirms that the Word—Jesus—was in the beginning with God, and that it was THROUGH Jesus that the whole creation happened. Sun, moon, stars, trees, rocks, oceans and rivers, animals, humans—all of it happened THROUGH Jesus at the beginning. John 1 affirms that Jesus indeed is fully divine with this proclamation of Jesus as the one through whom everything came into being—“All things came into being through him, and without him not one thing came into being.” (John 1:3)
And yet, John also affirms Jesus entering into this world—this world created through him—and does so in a very succinct phrase: “And the Word became flesh and lived among us . . .” (John 1:14). In his version of the Bible called “The Message” Eugene Peterson puts it even more “down-to-earth” with “The Word became flesh and blood and moved into the neighborhood.” That hits home—or next door to home, perhaps. We’ve all had new neighbors move in, and we get to know them, and we hang out with them, and we talk about our kids and their kids, and we notice when they get a new car, and we see when they have roof repairs. We sit together with a cool drink on the porch after we’ve each mowed the lawn or tended to the flowers or raked the leaves. We might take care of their pets when they go away for a few days, or they might take care of our pets when we go away for a few days. They watch our kids when we go out for date night; we return the favor for them. They bring us a casserole when someone of our family dies; we do the same when someone of their family dies. The neighbor becomes more than just a neighbor as we grow in relationship with one another. Jesus reminded us to love our neighbors—in fact, that’s the second most important thing for us to do after loving God with our whole being—and it is related to loving God with our whole being.
Understanding Christmas as “the Word . . . moved into the neighborhood” gives us even more of a connection to this God-with-us, this Word becoming flesh, this neighbor whom we are to love and who assures us by moving into the neighborhood just how much he loves us, and is with us, in all of our celebrations and in all of those times where we need someone to care. It also reminds us of the ways that we care about our neighbors, and in so doing, care about Jesus.
GOSPEL Luke 2:1-20
1 In those days a decree went out from Emperor Augustus that all the world should be registered. 2 This was the first registration and was taken while Quirinius was governor of Syria. 3 All went to their own towns to be registered. 4 Joseph also went from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to the city of David called Bethlehem, because he was descended from the house and family of David. 5 He went to be registered with Mary, to whom he was engaged and who was expecting a child. 6 While they were there, the time came for her to deliver her child. 7 And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in bands of cloth, and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn.
8 In that region there were shepherds living in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. 9 Then an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. 10 But the angel said to them, ‘Do not be afraid; for see—I am bringing you good news of great joy for all the people: 11 to you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is the Messiah, the Lord. 12 This will be a sign for you: you will find a child wrapped in bands of cloth and lying in a manger.’ 13 And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host, praising God and saying,
14 ‘Glory to God in the highest heaven,
and on earth peace among those whom he favors!’
15 When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, ‘Let us go now to Bethlehem and see this thing that has taken place, which the Lord has made known to us.’ 16 So they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the child lying in the manger. 17 When they saw this, they made known what had been told them about this child; 18 and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds told them. 19 But Mary treasured all these words and pondered them in her heart. 20 The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told them.
GOSPEL John 1:1-14
1 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 came into being through him, and without him not one thing came into being. What has come into being 4 in him was life, and the life was the light of all people. 5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it.
6 There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. 7 He came as a witness to testify to the light, so that all might believe through him. 8 He himself was not the light, but he came to testify to the light. 9 The true light, which enlightens everyone, was coming into the world.
10 He was in the world, and the world came into being through him; yet the world did not know him. 11 He came to what was his own, and his own people did not accept him. 12 But to all who received him, who believed in his name, he gave power to become children of God, 13 who were born, not of blood or of the will of the flesh or of the will of man, but of God.
14 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.