Second Sunday after Christmas
READINGS FOR THE COMING WEEK
- First reading
- Jeremiah 31:7-14 or Sirach 24:1-12
- Psalm
- Psalm 147:12-20 or Wisdom of Solomon 10:15-21
- Second reading
- Ephesians 1:3-14
- Gospel
- John 1:(1-9), 10-18
The gospel reading from John
In th e 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.
John testified to him and cried out, “This was he of whom I said, ‘He who comes after me ranks ahead of me because he was before me.’ From his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace. The law indeed was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.
No one has ever seen God. It is God the only Son, who is close to the Father’s heart, who has made him known.
Sermon
According to John, in the beginning was Word and the Word was God. And the Word became flesh and lived among us. We believe God from God, Light from Light, in one being with the Father. This is our dogmatic claim.. Pastor Stevensen tells us that the Koran of Islam rejects any belief that God was made man. Why do we believe such dogma? Why fight the fight? Conventionally, the more we know about something, the more we trust it. Mark begins his gospel with the baptism of Jesus, Matthew begins with the birth of Jesus.. Neither mentions the Virgin Birth. But any thought that Jesus is an adopted Son of God has been labeled as heresy. That he was just a guy is not accepted. John dispels reason for disagreement and writes that Jesus has always been and will always be the Son.. The actual birth is not important. There is much more to it. John’s story is not historical anecdote.. It is the Word of God. It is powerful. It offers new life in the Son. It can transform life. Its truths bring forth life eternal.