GRACE AND TRUTH IN THE FLESH

John 1:1-14 
Christmas Day, Year A 
Analysis by Lori A. Cornell           

1In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2He was in the beginning with God. 3All things came into being through him, and without him not one thing came into being. What has come into being 4in him was life, and the life was the light of all people. 5The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it. 6There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. 7He came as a witness to testify to the light, so that all might believe through him. 8He himself was not the light, but he came to testify to the light. 9The true light, which enlightens everyone, was coming into the world. 10He was in the world, and the world came into being through him; yet the world did not know him.  11He came to what was his own, and his own people did not accept him. 12But to all who received him, who believed in his name, he gave power to become children of God, 13who were born, not of blood or of the will of the flesh or of the will of man, but of God.  
14And the Word became flesh and lived among us, and we have seen his glory, the glory of a father’s only son, full of grace and truth. 

“We, who have been in our self-absorbed darkness, find ourselves forgiven; and in his rising, we receive grace and truth about the kind of God that we have: A God who loves us enough to risk the grave.”

DIAGNOSIS: In the Dark 

Step 1: Initial Diagnosis (External Problem) – Darkest Night 
It’s no accident that December 21^st is around the time when congregations observe Blue Christmas: A remembrance of the grief we hold for those loved ones who have died, and recognition of those who are alone. It’s the darkest time of the year. People in Northern Alaska experience 24 hours of darkness. Talk about being in the dark. Christmas time can be an excruciating time to mourn or feel lonely. But while a few have a hard time getting through this season, others pack events onto their calendars – hoping to make their December “merry and bright.” These contrasting experiences of grief and loneliness, versus trying to “make a Merry Christmas,” are at odds with one another. Often it ends up that we overlook others who are hurting, or we make ourselves miserable trying to be merry. 

Step 2: Advanced Diagnosis (Internal Problem) – Dark Souls 
We are in the dark without each other: Some sitting alone in their grief or loneliness, waiting for someone to remember them; others of us trying to manufacture a Christmas that will make us happy. In both cases we forget that this holiday is actually a holy day: The Nativity of Our Lord. We forget to light the Advent candles to mark a time of waiting, or we go Christmas shopping and overspend and feel pressured to give more stuff that none of us need. We get anxious, experience seasonal effective disorder (depression), or try to lift our mood with Hallmark Holiday movies. We become so self-absorbed we forget that the Light – that brightens our Darkness – has already come into the world: Christ Jesus. 

Step 3: Ultimate Diagnosis (Eternal Problem) – Lights Out 
God sees us in our frenzied, anxious lives and wonders why we have forgotten the true and trustworthy gift of Christmas. We are blind to the Incarnation of the One who carries our griefs and sorrows to the Cross. (The world did not know him, v. 10.) Just as clouds of darkness fell over the earth as Jesus died, we find ourselves alone and in need. We need God to enlighten us. But God knows we haven’t considered this likelihood. 

PROGNOSIS: Steeped in the Light 

Step 4: Initial Prognosis (Eternal Solution) – The Shades are Pulled Back 
God reveals his Son in the birth of Jesus, and the world says “Jesus is the Greatest Gift of All.” This lowly infant who grows up to teach us about God is more than a cute baby, however. It’s not the star the Magi follow that is the light come into the world. God shows the world the life that is light. Christ’s death and resurrection show us the true light. The “greatest gift” is the cross and open tomb. Christ brings us into the light, dying and rising for all who “did not accept him” (v. 10). We, who have been in our self-absorbed darkness, find ourselves forgiven; and in his rising, we receive grace and truth about the kind of God that we have: A God who loves us enough to risk the grave. 

Step 5: Advanced Prognosis (Internal Solution) – Enlightenment 
Christ enlightens us not only with his words but his actions. He is the Word, and the Word was with God, and that Word is God. So, we listen, and learn that every season is God’s, and we are his. The veil of clouds is lifted from our loneliness and grief; we are not alone. And we learn to squeeze fewer events into our days before December 25^th, so we can prepare for Christ as he comes – not only to the Crèche, but into our beloved hearts. Hope, peace, love, and joy return because the baby in the manger is also “the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all” (Titus 2:11). 

Step 6: Ultimate Prognosis (External Solution) – Radiating Christ’s Light 
We, who neglected our neighbors, thinking wrongly that they were just fine, and we who tried to “make” Christmas happen, are no longer thinking about ourselves. We realize we have widows, and friends, and church neighbors who are alone and need a little less solitude than last year. So, we ask if they want to come with us to the “Darkest Night” service. If they seem open to it, we invite them to Christmas’ services. And if we are really bold, we invite them later to Christmas Eve Salmon Chowder.  And God knows what other feasts of light and love we can extend to the world through Christ!