Isaiah 61:10-62:3 Galatians 3:23-25; 4:4-7 John 1:1-18 Psalm 147 or 147:13-21

Despite the overnight transformation from Christmas décor to Valentine candy and gifts on the local store shelves, our Anglo-Catholic tradition tells us we have twelve full days of Christmas.  Let’s at the least take these twelve days to spend some time trying to understand what we have been anticipating and celebrating before we move on to another year with its resolutions and tax return preparation.

We waited in the dark empty room for the four weeks of the season of Advent in preparation for Christmas.  Each year, reliving and celebrating the coming of the first Christmas in Bethlehem, we relive and celebrate the coming of the light for which the world had been waiting.  As we relive that preparation and transition from Advent to Christmas each year, we recognize that it is a very bright light that has come after we have been in the darkness for a long time.  And so, we need the twelve days of Christmas to give time for our eyes and minds to adjust to the mystery that came with the first Christmas and that we continue to celebrate each Christmas – the Incarnation – the Word made flesh.  Reading from John’s Gospel: The Eternal Word that was in the beginning with God – the Eternal Word that is God.  This quite difficult and unimaginable concept is the foundation of our Christian faith.  “The Incarnation – the Word made flesh; the Eternal Word that was in the beginning with God – the Eternal Word that is God.”

Confirming the words of the prologue of John’s Gospel:  On that first Christmas, Jesus Christ – the Word – became flesh; the Word, which had been in the beginning with God; the Word, which is God – came into the world, being born of the Holy Spirit and the God-bearer [the Theotokos] the Blessed Virgin Mary.  Jesus Christ is the Word – the Word of God – the Word being interpreted in a much broader sense than we interpret “word” as simply “speech.”  John affirms for us that though we celebrate this earthly event of the birth of Christ, there has never been and never will be a time that Christ did not/does not exist; Christ, the Word, was with God in the beginning and will be forever.

We find a helpful text in the words from verse 3 of the hymn (#102) that begins Once in royal David’s city.  We hear these words, “We, like Mary, rest confounded that a stable should display heaven’s Word, the world’s creator, cradled there on Christmas Day, yet this child, our Lord and brother, brought us love for one another.”[1]

While remaining completely and perfectly divine, God, described in our hymn as “heaven’s Word, the world’s creator,” came to earth as a human by virtue of his human birth through the Virgin Mary.  Heaven’s Word – Jesus Christ – came for the purpose of redeeming us – showing us how we are to love one another.  This is the story of God’s redemption of all humankind.

This is the garment of salvation – the robe of righteousness about which Isaiah speaks.  And, certainly, this entire concept is beyond the limitations of our human-ness.    We do not have the capacity of mind or of language to formulate and put forth an explanation or even to make sense of such an event as the Incarnation.

In the Apostle Paul’s letter to the Galatians, he writes that Christ Jesus revealed true faith.  Was Jesus simply a great prophet – a seer and revealer of God’s intentions for all creation?

We know Jesus of Nazareth as a great teacher who redefined God’s law for us humans, living his life on earth so that we might take up his example in living in relationship with another.  Does that role model end with his earthly death?

We recognize Jesus Christ as our redeemer.  Did God’s intentions for our redemption become possible only due to the birth of Jesus?  Did this plan for redemption begin on December 25 in year 0000?  Did God say, “Ah, this newborn babe in the feeding trough has real potential; now perhaps I can make a plan to redeem creation.”?

Do we define Christmas simply as the birthday of Jesus of Nazareth who just happened to grow up to be a great man?  So, we celebrate with fruitcake and eggnog, and then we move on to the next celebration….

No, the Apostle Paul and the writer of John’s Gospel do not allow us to carry on in this state of ignorance and superficial understanding.

Jesus’ earthly birth occurred, says the Apostle Paul, “when the fullness of time had come.”  Paul assures us that the birth of Jesus Christ was, from the beginning, all part of God’s plan, in God’s time, on God’s terms.

Jesus’ earthly birth was not a happenstance; and, Jesus did not, simply by coincidence, become a great man.  Jesus Christ is the Word made flesh – God Incarnate.  His earthly birth was an intentional event in God’s divine plan – God’s one story of redemption of all creation.

John’s inspired words of Good News are clear: “In the beginning was the Word [big W], and the Word was with God, and the Word was God….  And the Word became flesh and lived among us.”  God came to earth on that first Christmas – the all-knowing, all-powerful, all-present God fulfilled his plan in the birth of Jesus Christ – that’s not an event to be frivolously celebrated with fruitcake and eggnog before hastily moving on to candy hearts.  Fully man, yet fully God, our Lord came to earth from heaven on the day we celebrate as Christmas – the day on which the Word was made flesh, God Incarnate.

We are none worthy, but we come worthily to share in his Body and Blood, to celebrate our redemption – all according to God’s eternal plan – the Word made flesh, living among us.  And, as we will profess in the prayer of thanksgiving that will follow, we are living members of this Word made flesh.

Our collect for today expresses this same call to mission:

Almighty God, you have poured upon us the new light of your incarnate Word:  Grant that this light, enkindled in our hearts, may shine forth in our lives; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever.  Amen.