This Sunday is the last Sunday of Christmastide, and January 6th will be Epiphany of the Lord. Our Scripture this week comes from John 1:10-18. It is the second half of the prologue to John’s Gospel, at least that is what many commentators believed about John 1:1-18. The prologue contains poetic verses that likened Jesus to the Word and light along with the concepts of incarnation, glory, grace, and truth. These concepts are illumined when we interpret them through Jesus.
For the author of the Gospel of John, Jesus is the Word of God and the light that gives life. Yet the truth is, no matter how hard we try, we never fully grasp these concepts. Perhaps that is the way it’s supposed to be. If mystery is fully revealed, then it is no longer a mystery. But we are not left without a clue. We are given glimpses of the truth of God through Jesus Christ, the Word and radiance of God.
Most important of all, in Jesus there is life and that life is light to guide us on our life’s journey. Light has incarnated and became flesh walking among us. Through Jesus, we receive the gift of life and are called to emanate that life.
John 1:10-18 (CEB)
10 The light was in the world,
and the world came into being through the light,
but the world didn’t recognize the light.
11 The light came to his own people,
and his own people didn’t welcome him.
12 But those who did welcome him,
those who believed in his name,
he authorized to become God’s children,
13 born not from blood
nor from human desire or passion,
but born from God.
14 The Word became flesh
and made his home among us.
We have seen his glory,
glory like that of a father’s only son,
full of grace and truth.
15 John testified about him, crying out, “This is the one of whom I said, ‘He who comes after me is greater than me because he existed before me.’”
16 From his fullness we have all received grace upon grace;
17 as the Law was given through Moses,
so grace and truth came into being through Jesus Christ.
18 No one has ever seen God.
God the only Son,
who is at the Father’s side,
has made God known.
Consider these questions:
1. How do you understand Jesus? How does he help you understand God?
2. What is your relationship with him? Is Jesus important/necessary for your faith? Why? Or why not?
3. How do you define incarnation? Where does it manifest in your faith, church, and/or life?
4. If Jesus is the light of the world, how can you share that light with others?
5. The second half of verse 14 says Jesus is full of grace and truth. How do you understand grace and truth? Are they mutually exclusive or are they complementary to each other? How does Jesus embody these concepts?