1. In the Beginning Was the Word

Today is the third Sunday of Advent. Next Sunday, we will observe the Christmas service. Today’s lecturing passage is John 1:1-18, a hymn-like celebration of the coming of the Word into the world. These short opening verses represent the essence of the Gospel according to John: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God” (John 1:1).

And there is more: “The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us” (John 1:14). John concludes the initial prologue with: “No one has ever seen God, but God the One and Only, who is at the Father’s side, has made him known” (1:18 ).

In John’s prologue, the Magi, shepherds of Bethlehem, or even Jesus’ mother Mary, are not present. The beginning focuses our attention immediately on what follows - the Gospel story is about the very character of God, and how God makes Himself known to the world through the life and death of Jesus.

In the beginning recalls Gen.1:1, but points to a time before the creation of the world. “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God” (John 1:1). The Word’s relationship with God, underscored in the three short phrases of this verse is eternal. It begins outside the limits of time and place, but will eventually move into the time-bound world.

Naturally many of us who live in modern societies might find it difficult to believe that, ‘God plus word equals creation.’ Some Christians reject the Darwinian and Big Bang theory.

However, I think faith and natural science do not exclude each other, but progress of scientific research will eventually explain and even confirm some biblical records of creation. The world was created by God’s word, and the Word generated these events. By believing in this theory, we continue to read the Bible and listen to sermons. Those activities help us to gain insight into the meaning of the Bible. God’s words will pierce the hearts and minds of people who are receptive to biblical faith and truth. The Word has a dynamism about it which breeds life. As John says: “In him (Christ) was life, and that life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not understood it” (John 1:4-5).

However John admits that the world rejected God’s only and unique son, Jesus: “the darkness has not understood it.” The Gospel of John was written around the 90s C.E., or about 60 years after the crucifixion of Jesus. During those years many of the disciples of the first generation were killed after suffering persecution. In John’s time of writing Jewish authorities were condemning the Christian church as heretic. They expelled Jesus’ followers from synagogs and the community. Being expelled from the synagogs meant no official recognition and protection from the authorities. “He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him. He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him” (John 1:10-11).

Though Jesus was executed by Roman soldiers, the real executioners were the Jewish priests and law teachers. Originally their role was to communicate God’s Word to people. Despite that, they killed God’s son. Why such a contradiction? The priests said the people would be forgiven and saved by worshiping God and offering money to the Temple. But, in reality, donated money was used by the priests, who lived in rich and gorgeous conditions as a religious aristocracy. Law teachers compelled people to respect strictly the Jewish law. Jesus once said, “they love the place of honor at banquets and the most important seats in the synagogues; they love to be greeted in the marketplaces and to have men call them ‘Rabbi’ ” (Matthew 23:6-7).

Law teachers, pretending to serve God, sought only to be served by others. In spite of their conduct they considered themselves to be in the light. Jesus’ criticism of their activities hastened the persecution of His followers and his untimely death on the cross. Even though the majority of Jewish people denied and rejected Jesus’ divinity, a few had faith, and remained believers as John testifies: “Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God” (John 1:12).

The verses above signify that God’s children are not born through human will, or natural procreation. Indeed, from the genetical point of view, we are born from our parents. But in spiritual meaning all humans are created by God. Therefore our lives are not our own, but of God. For that reason wilful acts of homicide, suicide, or abortion, are to be recognized as sin. All human lives receive God’s blessing, regardless of physical, mental, or behavioural conditions. And we are compelled to love each other as brothers and sisters, even though some may be enemies. Here we have the drama of rejection, and the saving purpose of the ministry of the Word. Whoever believes in His name - that in the Word one sees and knows is God - is given new life and existence as a child of God.

£². The Word Became Flesh

As lighted candles show, Christmas is often a festival of lights. Because, light shines in the darkness. Although the Church has celebrated Christmas on the 25 December since about the fourth century, the exact date of Jesus’ birth is still largely unknown. The celebration of the birth of Christ took over from the pagan winter solstice holiday that fell in late December. From there, the 25th of December was observed by Christians at a holy Mass or Christ¡Çs Mass. Today, one-third of the world¡Çs population celebrates the birth of Jesus, the light of the world, on this day.

We chose John 3:16-17 for today’s invocation verses: “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. Eternal life does not speak of immortality or a future life in heaven, but is a metaphor for living now in the unending presence of God. Jesus’ offer of his own life through being lifted up on the cross makes eternal life possible for those who believe.

Surveys and research have indicated that modern-day humans, depend heavily on human intelligence and reasoning from a stable point-of-view. Descartes’ famous statement: “Cogito, ergo sum” (I think, therefore I am), ** symbolizes such an attitude. In effect it declares humans have no need of God. And, under the influence of that Philosopher, many have sought to eliminate religious teaching from our daily lives. Many today mistakenly believe that humans are all-powerful and strong in their own right. Some people try to be superior to others, and often exclude the weak, like the disabled or less talented people. The world has changed into a kind of battle field. Wars between countries and cultures appear to be unstoppable. However after experiencing two world wars we began to recognize that human existence is not perfect or self-sufficient. Today we cannot really say, “Cogito, ergo sum.”

The time for turning back to God has come. Despite John’s encouragement: “For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him” (John 3:17), many remain in the dark, filled with sadness because the world does not yet accept the Cross of Jesus. Therefore we, as Christians, must reveal the light of Christ in the dark tunnels of life.

Let us rejoice in the fact that: “The Word became flesh and lived among us, and we have seen his glory, the glory of the Father’s only Son, full of grace and truth” (John 1:14). God evolved into a human body. Normally the human body is fragile and defective. Astonishingly, God took such a fragile body to dwell among us in order to open the way to salvation. The story of Jesus is the story of the Word becoming flesh. By reading through the magnificent prologue from the Gospel of John, a hymn-like celebration of the coming of the Word into this world, we have again been reminded of the hope and consolation we have in the light and life of Jesus.

————-
* http://www.tohoku.ac.jp/english/
** http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Descartes