This Christmas we are focusing on how Jesus is the light who shines in the darkness.
He is for us
He is with us
He is amongst us
He is for us
He is with us
He is amongst us
- Pause – As you begin, pause, open your hands and be aware that God is present with you.
- Read – Read the Bible passage slowly.
John 1:1-18
In the beginning the Word already existed.
The Word was with God, and the Word was God.
He existed in the beginning with God.
God created everything through him,
and nothing was created except through him.
The Word gave life to everything that was created,
and his life brought light to everyone.
The light shines in the darkness,
and the darkness can never extinguish it.
God sent a man, John the Baptist, to tell about the light so that everyone might believe because of his testimony. John himself was not the light; he was simply a witness to tell about the light. The one who is the true light, who gives light to everyone, was coming into the world.
He came into the very world he created, but the world didn’t recognize him. He came to his own people, and even they rejected him. But to all who believed him and accepted him, he gave the right to become children of God. They are reborn—not with a physical birth resulting from human passion or plan, but a birth that comes from God.
So the Word became human and made his home among us. He was full of unfailing love and faithfulness. And we have seen his glory, the glory of the Father’s one and only Son.
John testified about him when he shouted to the crowds, “This is the one I was talking about when I said, ‘Someone is coming after me who is far greater than I am, for he existed long before me.’”
From his abundance we have all received one gracious blessing after another. For the law was given through Moses, but God’s unfailing love and faithfulness came through Jesus Christ. No one has ever seen God. But the unique One, who is himself God, is near to the Father’s heart. He has revealed God to us.
In the beginning the Word already existed.
The Word was with God, and the Word was God.
He existed in the beginning with God.
God created everything through him,
and nothing was created except through him.
The Word gave life to everything that was created,
and his life brought light to everyone.
The light shines in the darkness,
and the darkness can never extinguish it.
God sent a man, John the Baptist, to tell about the light so that everyone might believe because of his testimony. John himself was not the light; he was simply a witness to tell about the light. The one who is the true light, who gives light to everyone, was coming into the world.
He came into the very world he created, but the world didn’t recognize him. He came to his own people, and even they rejected him. But to all who believed him and accepted him, he gave the right to become children of God. They are reborn—not with a physical birth resulting from human passion or plan, but a birth that comes from God.
So the Word became human and made his home among us. He was full of unfailing love and faithfulness. And we have seen his glory, the glory of the Father’s one and only Son.
John testified about him when he shouted to the crowds, “This is the one I was talking about when I said, ‘Someone is coming after me who is far greater than I am, for he existed long before me.’”
From his abundance we have all received one gracious blessing after another. For the law was given through Moses, but God’s unfailing love and faithfulness came through Jesus Christ. No one has ever seen God. But the unique One, who is himself God, is near to the Father’s heart. He has revealed God to us.
- Reflect – Notice what stands out. Why does it stand out? Read the reflection:
God is amongst us…
If there is one place in the Bible that describes the behind-the-scenes identity of Jesus, it is here. Read the opening line and roll it around in your head. Where might you have heard this phrase before? If you are thinking about the opening statement in Genesis, you would be doing well. John, in light of knowing Jesus, is wanting to tell you about his true identity. Jesus is God’s son but in an otherwise unimaginable way. Look at Jesus and in some fashion you would be looking at the ‘human’ face or image of God. The mission of Jesus only makes sense if we also grasp that he is more than a mere mortal. He is God en-fleshed. Theologians refer to this ‘enfleshing’ as the incarnation. The wonder of Christmas, writes John, is that in Jesus, God was beginning to re-create the world. Don’t be fooled by the Christmas cards. The child in the crib is more than a mere baby; as Captain Kirk used to say: “It’s a child Jim, but not as we know it.”
If there is one place in the Bible that describes the behind-the-scenes identity of Jesus, it is here. Read the opening line and roll it around in your head. Where might you have heard this phrase before? If you are thinking about the opening statement in Genesis, you would be doing well. John, in light of knowing Jesus, is wanting to tell you about his true identity. Jesus is God’s son but in an otherwise unimaginable way. Look at Jesus and in some fashion you would be looking at the ‘human’ face or image of God. The mission of Jesus only makes sense if we also grasp that he is more than a mere mortal. He is God en-fleshed. Theologians refer to this ‘enfleshing’ as the incarnation. The wonder of Christmas, writes John, is that in Jesus, God was beginning to re-create the world. Don’t be fooled by the Christmas cards. The child in the crib is more than a mere baby; as Captain Kirk used to say: “It’s a child Jim, but not as we know it.”
- Respond – Respond to God in prayer