Christmas 2010
Isaiah 52:7-10 7 How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of those who bring good news, who proclaim peace, who bring good tidings, who proclaim salvation, who say to
John 1:1-14 The Word Became Flesh
1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was with God in the beginning. 3 Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. 4 In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. 5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome[a] it. 6 There was a man sent from God whose name was John. 7 He came as a witness to testify concerning that light, so that through him all might believe. 8 He himself was not the light; he came only as a witness to the light. 9 The true light that gives light to everyone was coming into the world. 10 He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him. 11 He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him. 12 Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God— 13 children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God. 14 The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.[New International Version]
Matthew and Luke begin their gospel stories, their stories about Jesus, with the story of his birth. And so it is from them that we get the stories of the manger, the shepherds, the star, wise men etc. Mark, in beginning his gospel, begins with Jesus as a man of about 30 years old, with Jesus at the start of his ministry. John, who was the last of the gospel writers to write a gospel, begins this way:
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made.
John begins his gospel…… at the beginning. ‘In the beginning ' takes us back to Genesis, the first book of the Bible, and the story of creation. John uses the term 'the Word', which in the original language is the word Logos, which means 'the divine expression of God'. Jesus is the Logos, the Word. I'm going to read those first few verses again and substitute Jesus for the Word:
In the beginning was Jesus, and Jesus was with God, and Jesus was God.2 Jesus was with God in the beginning. Through Jesus all things were made; without Jesus nothing was made that has been made.
So you can perhaps notice that Matthew, Mark and Luke all focus on the humanity of Jesus, while John focuses on the divinity of Jesus, in their opening accounts of the story of Jesus. The incarnation, which is a fancy word we use to describe Christmas, is both the story of the compassion of God for human limitation and the potential of the human spirit to grow into the divine. We tend to stress that God became like us in Christ, in the Christmas event, and we tend to forget that is it was and is so that we can become like Him. Christmas is a time where it is worth reflecting on how that process is going in your life and mine.
John goes on in verses four and five:
In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.
He is talking about light…. a light that shines in the darkness and a light which the darkness will never overcome. In these words we begin to hear some good news, don't we? I don't know you very well, and I really hope that that will change, but one thing I do know is that there is darkness in your life. And I'm not talking so much about sin [Jesus didn’t talk that much about sin, so I won’t either. He spoke about Kingdom more than anything else, so I will too], no, I’m talking about the darknesses that hang over us: the threat or the reality of unemployment, disease, marriage breakdown, and so on, you can complete the list. We all have darkness either threatening our life or in our life. But hear those words again:
The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.
Darkness is not and never will be the last word. That's what the advent candles have reminded us each of the four weeks of advent. They have shone almost defiantly, reminding us that the light shines in the darkness.
Last Sunday evening there was no electricity in the building during the evening worship service….. but…. the advent candles were lit, and they burned, and as it got darker in the building, the advent candles got brighter and brighter, reminding us in a most wonderful way, that darkness is never the victor; that with the coming of the Christ there is a light which can shine, or at least just flicker, in our darknesses. And so it is that John says: The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.
And then he goes on:
There was a man sent from God whose name was John. He came as a witness to testify concerning that light, so that through him all might believe. He himself was not the light; he came only as a witness to the light. The true light that gives light to everyone was coming into the world.
John the gospel writer, now talks about John the baptiser. He tells us that John the Baptist came to witness about Jesus. That was the work of John the Baptist. You and I all know a John the Baptist, don't we? People who God calls to witness about Jesus; they have names in this congregation, names like John, Paul, Ina, Vernon
How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of those who bring good news, who proclaim peace, who bring good tidings, who proclaim salvation, who say to Zion, “Your God reigns!”
This reading gives us four key elements to effective witnessing; elements I believe, which might even be useful to you and to me over Christmas lunch today, which might be our next opportunity to witness.
Notice the first element, that of proclaiming peace. We proclaim peace, we do not promise peace, we proclaim peace. Paul will later describe this peace as a peace which passes all understanding. When you and I put our trust in this Jesus and enter into his kingdom, which is always near, we enter into a kingdom of peace, ruled by the Prince of peace. We proclaim peace, even in the midst of an unpeaceful world, home, office, church or nation.
The second element of witnessing: we bring good tidings, good news. There is always good news for those who are in the Kingdom of God
Yes, crime is dreadful in South Africa
The third element of witnessing is this: we proclaim salvation! The word used in our reading is y’shuah, which means salvation, deliverance, help, or aid. And once again, even though I don't know you that well yet, I know how much you need to hear that there is help at hand: and so I proclaim help, I proclaim y’shuah into your life today, regardless of your situation I proclaim that there is One who can help you and who is dying, in fact he died already, in order to help you today. We proclaim salvation, deliverance, help, aid in the name of the Christ.
The fourth element of witnessing is this and it is the most beautiful: we proclaim that God reigns…. Amen….. Our God reigns! Our God is king! Jacob Zuma might be state president, Hendrik Verwoerd was prime minister, Hitler was feuhrer, Caesar was Emperor, BUT…. our God is, was, and always will be, King, the reigning King. What ever is happening in your life right now remember this: your God reigns. It might not look like that, but your God reigns. Jesus will later begin his ministry with the words: the kingdom of God kingdom of God
So much for Isaiah and what he teaches us about witnessing. Let’s get back to our Gospel reading:
The light which John proclaimed was coming into the world, we proclaim has come into the world and it is because of this glorious truth that we can proclaim peace, bring good tidings, proclaim salvation, and declare that our God reigns!
Then John in a few words sums up Jesus ministry:
He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him. He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him.
Isn't that just horribly, depressingly sad? That the One who proclaimed peace, good news, salvation, and who embodied the kingdom and the reign of God……. was rejected!
But it happens all the time….. it happens especially every Christmas Day…… people who need peace, who need to hear good news, who need help and deliverance, will turn their back on the Jesus who is proclaimed.
Sometimes, even faithful believers will struggle to accept, to believe and to live a life that reflects that…. Our…. God….. reigns. Life can do that to us, life might have done that to you in the year that has passed, so hear with joy again the words with which John continues
Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God.
Isn't that just beautiful?
Imagine leaving here this morning knowing, or remembering once again, that you are a child of God.
Do you want that?
John says just receive Him and believe him.
And so I conclude with an appeal to you:…… receive him, …….believe him.
Believe that God became flesh and made his dwelling place amongst us.
Believe that he still does.
Believe that he is with us. Invite Him into, and then receive Him into, your darkness. Turn back to the light today. Recommit yourself to Him today. Perhaps even turn towards the Light for the first time in your life.
How do I do this you may ask? Just whisper His name, and He will answer you; call out His name, and He will come to you; shout out His name and He will run to you.
In the name of the Father, and of the son, and of the Holy Spirit, Amen.
For questions for reflection and meditation, click here.
For questions for reflection and meditation, click here.
