John 1
Isaiah 60

And the Light Became Flesh and Dwelled Among US

Friends Christmas is over let’s talk about something else. Our Christmas tree is already down, the New Year is here, holiday vacations are over, students will be back to school tomorrow, and workers to a normal working schedule. Epiphany starts tomorrow. I don’t know if you remember two years ago Chelsea and I presented to you Eastern versus Western perspectives on Epiphany, and I told you that in the East, some traditions including mine already celebrate the baptism of Jesus this Sunday. So, let’s move on from Christmas shall we?

I hope you did not believe that because I don’t really want to move on from Christmas yet. Now the secular society obviously did, lights are down, merchants are preparing for Valentine’s Day, I know Target already displayed swimsuits; they’re at once ready for summer.

I feel like we need another reminder that Christmas was not only about that meal or those gifts; yet another reminder that #JesusIsTheReasonOfTheSeason. And we get one in our lectionary reading from John 1^st: in the beginning was the word … and the word became flesh and dwelled among us.

One of my joys since seminary and until this day is to peel the layers of the tradition and see what’s underneath the surface of biblical texts. The author of John writes as the last of the Evangelists right around the turn of the second century. And it is so fascinating how many serious theological issues and doctrines are addressed in this beautiful poetic introduction to his gospel. I’ll mention few examples:

In the beginning was the word. And the Word was with God, and the Word was God. This statement came to respond to claims that Jesus’s existence was limited by his earthly birth and therefore Jesus cannot be a manifestation of the divine. The genius author of John answers by saying: in the beginning was the word, and he was with God.

Other claims were made that Jesus was created by God just like the rest of creation, and therefore Jesus’s divinity is questioned. And the response is: “All things came into being through him, and without him not one thing came into being,” attributing creating abilities to Jesus and thus equating him with God.

And then, my personal favorite: verse 14, “and the Word became flesh and dwelt among us.” Here the author explains that the Word who eternally existed since the beginning of creation has now entered our worldly and physical realm. Now we came to see the Word in a form that is visible to us, and that does not limit the Word but reminds us of our limitations.

I will stop here before I am tempted to explain every single verse and the background of its formation, but the reason I am taking us on this analytical journey is because I wanted to show that since early Christianity and the first church, the mystery of the incarnation was misunderstood, its meaning was diverted and it confused for other ideas and maybe also it was forgotten too soon, and there was needed a reminder of the purpose to which Jesus has come.

So the author of John continues and says:

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 a human, but of God.

The true light which enlightens everyone was coming into the world. The true light. The gospel of John is the book with the most occurrences in the New Testament of the word “light” as a reference to Jesus:

In Him was life, and that life was the light of humankind… I am the light of the world… Light has come into the world, but people loved darkness… Whoever lives by the truth comes into the light… You are going to have the light just a little while longer. Walk while you have the light, before darkness overtakes you… Believe in the light while you have the light, so that you may become children of light… I have come into the world as a light, so that no one who believes in me should stay in darkness.

According to the fourth gospel, the purpose and object of the incarnation is to manifest the true light into the world, so that people might see and might believe. Jesus was called many things: the word, the shepherd, the door, the bread, the lamb, the way, the vine… but I don’t think there is any metaphor in John or elsewhere that catches the essence of Jesus better than: the light.

Light helps us see things. It guides us. If you want to know the importance of light, ask someone who lived in a third-world country where we lose electricity 12 hours a day and we had to live literally in darkness. Without light there are no colors in the world; and no flavors! Without light there would be no vegetation, and many chemical phenomena in nature would fail. What would happen to our skin without light? What would happen to all of life without light? Without light there would be no life!

Light is beautiful and mysterious. Think of a glorious sunrise or sunset you have seen. No wonder people worshipped the sun. We talk about being “enlightened” or having found the light, meaning truth, knowledge or awareness. The psalmist spoke of God as light: “The Lord is my light and my salvation” (Psalm 27:1). Isaiah 60 our other reading for today, speaks of the Messiah as light: “Your light has come, the glory of the Lord shines upon you” (Isaiah 60:1). In the Nicene Creed, the oldest church creed, we call Jesus “Light from Light.”

The true light, which enlightens everyone, was coming into the world.

The light is here.

So friends, get ready, Christmas has just started! The true celebration of Jesus’s coming is now. I know we all go about this time of the year cleaning up after Christmas, and putting things back into boxes until next year, and we tend to put the season behind us and start preparing for the next season. But I pray this morning that we do not yet go through a spiritual cleanup at this time, but rather stay here and reflect on the true meaning of the light that is now among us, and how we too can share this light.

The holidays may be over but the light stays. Celebrations cease but the light stays. Decorations are removed but the light stays. Our lives go up and down but the light stays. We experience so many dark moments but the light is there and the light stays. And all the darkness in the world cannot put out a small flicker of light. Our lives go through cycles and seasons but the light stays.

So may we keep walking in this light, and may we remember that Jesus passed on that light to us when he said:

You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.

Sisters and brothers, arise, shine; for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord has risen upon you. Amen.