Sign up to save your podcasts
Or
Share The Light Comes Into the World (11/30/25)
Share to email
Share to Facebook
Share to X
Share to email
Share to Facebook
Share to X
Or
The Light Comes Into the World (11/30/25)
Can you believe that it is Advent already? We are on the countdown days ‘til Christmas.
Usually when we recall the Christmas story, we think of the scene at the manger in Bethlehem: a baby, shepherds, wise men, angels, and, of course, Mary and Joseph. But that is not the Christmas account we get in the Gospel according to St. John. There is no star shining over a borrowed stable. There is no gold, frankincense, or myrrh.
Some students of the Bible think that the writer of the Gospel According to John wrote after the other Gospel writers, so he knew that the story of Jesus’ birth had already been told. John made his focus on what it all meant.
John’s account (John 1:1-18) begins with the theological truth that the Word that became flesh was an expression of God. In fact, that Word was God! After these more or less abstract descriptions, John moves into the recorded history, telling about the one we usually call “John, the Baptist.” (John 1:6-8). Then, this Gospel writer gives the summary truth: “the Word became flesh” (John 1:14) And it is that Word made flesh who makes God fully known (John 1:18).
The Gospel writer uses “light” as a descriptor of Jesus (John 1:4-9). He was light in a world of darkness. Light helps us see what is around us. Light offers a view of where we need to be going. Light overcomes the darkness that would hide truth. But keep this in mind: Light also reveals some things we might want to keep hidden! The Light of our Lord is both for our path and to make visible the sin that we commit.
Look at John 1:15. In the original Greek, the word “testified” is in the present tense: “testifies.” (Or as Henry Alford translates it: “beareth witness.”) I like to claim both the past tense (testified) and the present tense (testifies) as the timeless reality of the truth being announced by John, the Baptizer. It was true and it is true!
View all episodes
By NC Conference of The UMCCan you believe that it is Advent already? We are on the countdown days ‘til Christmas.
Usually when we recall the Christmas story, we think of the scene at the manger in Bethlehem: a baby, shepherds, wise men, angels, and, of course, Mary and Joseph. But that is not the Christmas account we get in the Gospel according to St. John. There is no star shining over a borrowed stable. There is no gold, frankincense, or myrrh.
Some students of the Bible think that the writer of the Gospel According to John wrote after the other Gospel writers, so he knew that the story of Jesus’ birth had already been told. John made his focus on what it all meant.
John’s account (John 1:1-18) begins with the theological truth that the Word that became flesh was an expression of God. In fact, that Word was God! After these more or less abstract descriptions, John moves into the recorded history, telling about the one we usually call “John, the Baptist.” (John 1:6-8). Then, this Gospel writer gives the summary truth: “the Word became flesh” (John 1:14) And it is that Word made flesh who makes God fully known (John 1:18).
The Gospel writer uses “light” as a descriptor of Jesus (John 1:4-9). He was light in a world of darkness. Light helps us see what is around us. Light offers a view of where we need to be going. Light overcomes the darkness that would hide truth. But keep this in mind: Light also reveals some things we might want to keep hidden! The Light of our Lord is both for our path and to make visible the sin that we commit.
Look at John 1:15. In the original Greek, the word “testified” is in the present tense: “testifies.” (Or as Henry Alford translates it: “beareth witness.”) I like to claim both the past tense (testified) and the present tense (testifies) as the timeless reality of the truth being announced by John, the Baptizer. It was true and it is true!