December 25th
Day 25
John 1:1-14
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the
beginning with God. All things came into being through him, and without him not one thing came
into being. What has come into being in him was life, and the life was the light of all people. The
light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it.
There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. He came as a witness to testify to the
light, so that all might believe through him. He himself was not the light, but he came to testify to
the light. The true light, which enlightens everyone, was coming into the world.
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. But to all who received
him, who believed in his name, he gave power to become children of God, who were born, not of
blood or of the will of the flesh or of the will of man, but of God.
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.
Before Jesus' crucifixion Pilate the cynical politician sneers "What is Truth?" (John 18:37,38) We live in times when the idea of there being any objective truth is discounted. All truth we are told is subjective truth; your truth, my truth. What's true for you is not true for me. I create my own
truth.
Here, John begins his Gospel (which means good news) by looking behind the beginning of the
book of Genesis. He addresses the Greek speaking world using Greek philosophical concepts.
The 'Word' in Greek is Logos, by which the Stoics understood the generative principle of the
universe and the related Platonic idea of the Divine Craftsman. This 'Word', this divine expression
of God is the true enlightenment. Faith in this Word, this man is not simply human or intellectual
truth but 'The Truth,' the one who is the origin of all things. And faith in this man enables us to be
not only created humans, but re-created children of God, born anew by the will of God. As we think about and celebrate the coming of this truth in Jesus the Christ, we may remember the recent clamour of the media about Christmas needing to be saved, with headlines saying "24 hours to save Christmas!"
The TRUTH is that Christmas saves us!
Prayer
Jesus, in you is light and life. We ask that you will open our eyes to the full light of your truth. Help
us to accept and receive the gift you bring. The gift of eternal life. Amen
