Saturday, December 20, 2008

Pages from a Preacher's Prayer Book (10)

The beginning Word.
In the beginning was the Word (John 1:1)

What a Christmas word for the preacher! When the fourth gospel describes Jesus' coming there are no stars, stable, shepherds, Mary and Joseph, but the shock assertion, sounding out like the first words of Genesis 1:1, that Jesus is the Word in the beginning.

To call Jesus the Word is extraordinary.
Words break silence - the baby Jesus tells us who God is, as noone else can. No more wondering, in the silence, how God sounds.
Words create relationship - other people are necessary for words to be heard and make sense.
Words create personal relationships in community.
Word reveal truth - the Word in John 1:1 is LOGOS, which describes the fundamental principles of existence. In Jesus the ultimate truth about humankind is told.

But there's more. Jesus is the Word in the beginning.
Jesus shares within the Trinity breaking silence at the beginning of creation, as God said, said, said and it was so.
Jesus is the culimination of God's word spoken by law and prophets. He embodies: "Thus says the Lord."
Jesus is the complete expression of God. "Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father" John 14: 9.

O Come let us adore Him.

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