December 24, 2023
Isaiah 52:7-10
Hebrews 1:1-4
John 1:1-14
Holman Hunt’s Light of the World
This, tonight is the meeting place.
Christmas Prologue from Cloth For The Cradle
This, tonight,
is the meeting place of heaven and earth.
For this, tonight,
is the stable
in which God keeps his appointment
to meet his people.
Not many high are here,
no many holy;
not many innocent children,
not many worldly wise;
not all familiar faces,
not all frequent visitors.
But, if tonights
only strangers met,
that would be enough.
For Bethlehem was not the hub of the universe,
nor was the stable a platform for famous folk.
In an out-of-the-way place
which folk never thought to visit –
there God kept and keeps his promise;
there God sends his son.
This is what we are here to remember and celebrate tonight: God’s keeping of his promise through the sending of his Son.
The Son that has been talked about, anticipated, longed for over centuries arrived as a Baby. We do not hear this part of the story in the readings tonight. We miss out on Mary, Joseph, baby Jesus in the manger, the animals in the stable, angels, shepherds and the wise men. This is the familiar, the comforting part of the Christmas story. I hope you take a moment to appreciate our crib tonight. Baby Jesus has yet to make his appearance but he will!
However, this is only part of the story. Joseph, Mary and Baby Jesus move on from the stable and so must we. The Baby grows up and this is where the story picks up in John’s Gospel. John expands the story for us as he forces us to lift up our gaze to see the wider picture.
John’s use of the ‘In the beginning’ is referencing the opening lines of Genesis ‘In the beginning when God created the heavens and the earth…’ This is to highlight that from the beginning of time Jesus was there.
When my nephew Riley was 5 years old, he and my sister had a bedtime conversation that went like this:
Riley: ‘Mom, how old are Great Grandma and Great Grandpa?’
Sister: ‘they are both 90’
Riley: ‘Mom, when will they go to heaven?’
Sister: ‘I am not sure but Jesus will be waiting to greet them when they go.’
Riley: ‘Mom – how old is Jesus?’
Sister: ‘Well he was born 2000 years ago but Jesus doesn’t age and has always been around.’
Riley: (with all the exasperation of a 5 year old) ‘Mom – Jesus is a baby!’
It is quite easy to take this view whether we are 5 years old or not. Jesus was never meant to be contained to the manger. Nor did Jesus just appear one night in Bethlehem as if out of nowhere. Jesus has always been around ; part of God and the Trinity. He is more than a Baby!
John describes Jesus as The Word. That may feel like a big jump for us to make. The Word is God’s way of communicating himself and making himself known to us. The Word became flesh and lived among us.
I wonder if you remember what your first word was this morning?
Or last Tuesday?
If you are married – what were your first words to your now-spouse the first time you met them?
Do you remember the kindest words that you have ever spoken to another person?
What has been the kindest word or words you have ever received?
What about any unkind or untrue words spoken to another person? Or spoken to you?
Our words matter. Yet we tend not to remember the majority of the words we speak. Words have power. We know that by how they make us feel, think and act. We can watch our words influence other people’s thinking, feelings, and behaviour. We are responsible for our words – “but you said…” “remember when you said…” holds us to that!
We get very excited at the first words of a toddler as they learn to speak. The first coherent utterance of a life is a big deal. Our first word or words often reflect that which is around us; ‘Mama’ or ‘Dada’.
What about the words of Jesus?
We are told in the reading from Isaiah about the words the promised one would bring: He announces peace, good news, salvation and comfort. He sustains all things by his powerful words. The most powerful of Jesus’ words is love.
If you go away from here tonight with one word let it be love.
Jesus is the Word and the love.
Jesus is also the light.
Light shows the shape of things as they really are.
It is here that John the Baptist appears in verse 6 as the witness to the light, ‘so that all might believe through him.’ John the Baptist points to Jesus. We live in a dark world, in a dark society. You don’t need to spend much time looking at the telly or the papers to work that one out. I will spare us all by not expanding on that tonight.
The world needs Jesus and his true light. We need Jesus and his true light to enlighten us. We need a light that shines in the darkness – that cannot be overcome by the world or by our own fallibility and weaknesses. We need the Word to guide and direct out of the darkness and into the Light.
Finally, John’s Gospel makes some huge claims about Jesus and if we establish that Jesus is the Word and the Light there are consequences to follow. Does my life reflect the light and love of Jesus? Do my words reflect the Word?
I want to be able to answer those questions with a resounding yes! But I know I don’t always get it right. But that’s okay. I suspect it is the same for you. As long as we stay in the Word and the Light – we have forgiveness, hope and a chance to do better.
Our words matter. Those spoken in love, in hate, in jest, in seriousness, in passion, in anger, in fear, in sadness. What words would you like to be remembered for? Any word or the Word – that is Jesus?
Tonight of all nights, the word is love. Know that you are loved by God. Beyond our limited vision, despite walking in darkness much of the time, regardless of what we think or believe or think we know. Love is the word.
.
