John 1: 1-18

Grace and peace from God, our Father, and from our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Amen

I certainly can’t speak for everyone here, but in my experience this week: Christmas has been a whirlwind. There was so much to do! There were many lists; shopping, wrapping, decking all of the halls! Meal planning, laundry, sweeping, dusting, vacuuming, to name just a few of the things I did multiple times before Christmas. 

There were many trips to and from the airport to collect family members passing through, as well as more than one trip to the grocery store to pick up forgotten or last minute items.

And then there was all of the lovely Advent build-up. 

We had Wednesday night services every week, a digital Advent calendar, a Christmas concert from Chris, and the extensive planning for Christmas eve. Bulletins were printed, folded, and prepared. We had costumes and a rehearsal for a Christmas pageant. The choir practiced many times, as well. 

It was indeed, a whirlwind. 

It seems like once all of the presents were unwrapped, the dishes had been done, and the trash had been taken out, that I could finally sit down and enjoy the spirit of the season. But, as I turned on the radio to listen to Christmas music, the stations had already stopped playing them!

Friends, I must say: it is still Christmas! Just because the world has seemed to move on, it doesn’t mean we should, too.

Those who came to church on Christmas day got to hear Rev. Deacon Pat preach on part of this mornings Gospel. Truth be told, I was worried to have to follow his sermon, especially on such a similar text to what was shared on Wednesday.

Deacon Pat highlighted the many ways that God has chosen to engage with God’s people throughout scripture, and posing that in the incarnation, God with us, God gets involved in a personal way; taking on human flesh as the baby Jesus.

I have the benefit of an additional 4 verses that Deacon Pat wasn’t assigned, where we will spend most of our time this morning.

The Gospel of John is one of the most fascinating books of the New Testament. Full of imagery, allegory, and metaphor, the purpose of this Gospel is made clear: so that all might believe in Jesus by the works that are recounted. Because of this, there is no story of virgin birth, shepherds, camels, or wise men. 

In the opening verses, the author stretches their words back to creation, the Genesis narrative to unify this story: the story of Jesus with God’s ongoing activity in the world. Then, linking together verses 1 and 14, this word or logos of God takes up flesh and dwells among us. 

And it is from this word of God, that we receive all good things. “Grace upon grace”, the author declares.

There is one other piece of the story that I wanted to lift up. The last verse of our Gospel this morning says that “it is God the only Son, who is close to the Father’s heart, who has made him known”. The word used there for heart is more appropriately translated as bosom, and only appears at one other place in John’s Gospel: where the beloved disciple is reclining and resting at the last supper: on the bosom Jesus. This is a very personal, affectionate, and loving posture. It is caring, supportive, and not unlike the way newborn babies are held, cared for, and nursed by their mothers. 

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Going back to the opening of my homily this morning: the chores, the whirlwind, were you able to hear any of this grace or truth in that? Did my Christmas experience resonate with you?

Perhaps you were also busy with putting on Christmas that you might have missed the ways that God was revealing God’s self in the whirlwind. 

Or, maybe you are one of the many people for whom Christmas is a difficult holiday. Maybe you are far from your family, either location wise, or emotionally. Or maybe it isn’t a safe place for you or your loved ones, so you have un-anchored yourself from the traditions of your youth and are creating a new normalcy for you.

Wherever you find yourself around Christmas time, we have the chance today to come back to the center of the Christmas message: that God is making God’s self known: both as a tiny, fragile baby in Bethlehem, as well as in the ordinary and unremarkable ways in your life, today. 

While we are still very much in the Christmas season, it can be so easy to put away the feeling of hope, and wonder, and move on with our lives as work and school resume.

My challenge for you this morning is to find a way to rest in the bosom of Christ. To take a few moments this day and to remind yourself that in the midst of this season, God is present.

John’s Gospel is clear that there is darkness in the world, and that the darkness is real, and present. But that darkness isn’t the most powerful thing. That the logos of God, the word of God, the light of God, is still shining into all of the dark places in our lives.

And maybe you find yourself so close to God this day that you can help illuminate the way for others. As John is pointing to the light, may you also shine in the lives of others. 

We get to hear the message once more of a weary world; with political unrest, uneasy travel, and family dynamics. We hear of a crowded, busy town; with no room for a young family. And that this baby that has been born is for the whole world, and that his birth, death, and resurrection are so that all people may come to know and believe in him.

Rest in the bosom of the Lord.
Amen