Our scripture this week is John 1:1-18
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. There was a man sent from God whose name was John. He came as a witness to testify concerning that light, so that through him all might believe. He himself was not the light; he came only as a witness to the light. The true light that gives light to everyone was coming into the world. He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him. He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him. Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God — children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God. The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth. (John testified concerning him. He cried out, saying, “This is the one I spoke about when I said, ‘He who comes after me has surpassed me because he was before me.’”) Out of his fullness we have all received grace in place of grace already given. For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. No one has ever seen God, but the one and only Son, who is himself God and is in closest relationship with the Father, has made him known.
John 1:1-18
As we approach a new year, we usually think about changes for the better we can make in our lives. We have just celebrated biggest change the world has ever known, the coming of Christ to be with us, so it is appropriate that we think about what that means to each of us. We are called to change our hearts and minds and lives according to His teachings and follow the path He set for us.
The first chapter of the Gospel of John relates the truth of Christ as “the Word” and “the light of all mankind”. That’s a pretty awesome description, indicating that while Jesus came to be among us as one of us, He has a purpose and a power far beyond anything we can imagine. John tells us that “the Word was God” and “through Him all things were made”, an indication that Jesus was with God from the very beginning.
We honor Him as the human baby born in Bethlehem, but let us never forget that He is Emmanuel, God with us and He has much to share with us. May we see the light He brings to our dark world and tell everyone what He has come to do.
Loving Lord, we feel Your presence with us. As we begin a new year on our human calendar, we invite You into our lives to begin a new way of living, answering Your call to share Your love. Amen.