“Word Made Flesh” John 1: 1-18

 “Just don’t preach about the Light. We are tired of hearing about the Light.” A statement that a church member made to me one Advent, in preparation for Christmas Eve. Well, friends, it may not yet be Christmas Eve, and I’m not sure if you can sympathize with the sentiment about being tired of hearing about the Light, but we are going to hear this passage from the Gospel of John together this day. 

Today is the last Sunday of our Advent journey together on a Sunday morning. This week we will be offering special worship services for the Longest Night and Christmas Eve, but by the time that we gather together next Sunday, the season of Christmas will have begun. 

Our text for today doesn’t come from a prophet from the Hebrew Scriptures. It doesn’t tell the story we are used to hearing of Jesus’ brith - but we will hear that proclaimed later this week. Instead, it speak of Jesus as the Word, and the Truth, and the Light.

This season we have been speaking about light in so many different ways. Not just lighting the Advent wreath each week, but also seeking and making room for Christ to truly be the Light of our lives. And that word - truly - that’s where we can get hung up. We may say that we want Christ to be the center of our lives and guide us, but when it comes to every day choices - well, then we would rather go our own way. 

So we need this text. And we need a time to remember. There is something about slowing down, lighting a candle, and watching its flame flicker in the darkness that is seemingly beyond words. Over the years, some people have tried to capture what candle light means to them. One author declared, “the very act of lighting a candle is a prayer” - a prayer that expresses what our voice and thoughts cannot. Another said, “we light a candle to remember that God is here with us.”

And is that not what we have gathered together this day to proclaim - Emmanuel - God with us. While the Gospel of John doesn’t give a traditional version of the accounts surrounding Jesus’ birth, it is of upmost importance to our spiritual lives. John doesn’t begin his Gospel account with the earthly things - barns, birth, and babies. He begins it with the Heavenly things - the Word and Light. John doesn’t care to trace Jesus’ genealogy or to speak about his Earthly parents. Instead he reminds us of God-incarnate, God who has been with us before time even began. God who choose to leave behind his power and prestige in order to bring up hope and life eternal.

John connects his audience to the beginning, to Genesis, where we read that “in the beginning, God created the Heavens and the Earth.” But he goes even further, “in the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word was God.” The Word of God and God the Word are the totality of the beginning and the end. The Alpha and the Omega. God always was and always will be.

Yet for one moment in human history, God came to humanity in the form of Jesus Christ, his son who was God and was with God from the very beginning. Its almost too much for our human minds to grasp, so John speaks to our hearts through poetry. God is described as the Word, the logos, that entered into human history and time and acted on our behalf. Who came to save us in the most unexpected of ways. He came to draw us near. To bring us life.

Christ alone is life-giving. He breaths life and brings about light. When there is only darkness, physically or spiritually, there is chaos. We cannot see. We don’t know what to do. We don’t know who we are. And even though the forces of darkness and chaos are among us today, we have a hope in the Light of Christ. 

A light that we remember this day. A hope that Christ will never be overcome by the darkness. A light that we live in the midst of each and every day. With every dance of the flame we once again renew our yearning to find life and hope and strength in Christ, the Word became flesh. We invite Christ into the chaos of our lives and ask him to ignite our hearts for him. 

As we look at the signs of light in this place and beyond we remember that we did not create the light, we simply shine it for others. We simply wait together this evening, in hopeful expectation for the one who spoke light and life into being. The same one who came to dwell among us as the Light of the World. The same one who is with us this evening and every day who lights our path, drawing us closer to God.

The problem, friends, is that often we do a much better job as the church telling the story of the darkness instead of the light. We point out all of the ways that it seems like darkness is winning. Those things that make us tremble instead of boldly stepping into the light.

See, we still need to hear about Jesus being the Light of the World here today, because it offers the innovation for us to step into that light. We need to be the ones, especially this time of the year, proclaiming the majesty and divine love of our Savior. Because that is what this season is all about. The incarnation. God with us. 

Now does that mean that everyone we proclaim this truth to will listen? No. We know that not everyone will listen because they didn’t listen to Jesus when he came. The world told Jesus to go away. And they didn’t say that friends, because they simply didn’t like what he was saying. They said that because they resented him. Deeply. 

So no, not everyone may receive the Light of Christ that we share. But that does not stop us from sharing. Because we represent Christ in this world.

Sitting on my desk at home is a Willow Tree figure. She is holding out a single, lit candle and bears the name “Angel of Hope”. How appropriate. For surely we find hope in the light of the Lord and are called to bear that light to others. The hope and love of God with us. The hope and love that we find this evening in the Gospel of John. 

Brothers and sisters, as each family leaves today, I invite you to pick up a luminary bag. A luminary is a way of sharing the light of this season into the world. A simple bag that has sand and an electric candle placed in it - put outside of your home for the next several day to share the light of Christ.

For that is who we are called to be - this season and beyond. One who shines the light for others. Many of us may have grown up with someone who turned on the light for us when we were scared or placed a nightlight in the wall. Or maybe this is a gift that you offered to others. Friends, let us offer the gift of illuminating light into the world as we shine the light of Christ. sking him to light our hearts anew. Go forth and live in the Light of Christ.  Amen.