Christmas Day
John 1:1-14
Dear brothers and sisters in Christ,
In 1968, the space shuttle Apollo 8 was orbiting the Moon. But on that Christmas, the astronauts onboard this space shuttle broadcasted a short, brief greeting from high above down to Earth below in one of the most watched television broadcasts at that time. Some of you may remember huddling around a TV or radio for this mesmerizing event. As the astronauts orbited, and the lunar sunrise approached, they spoke the words “In the Beginning…” The three astronauts read the first ten verses of the book of Genesis, the beginning of creation.
Imagine what those three astronauts experienced. What a sight to see the Earth below as the sun rises and they read these Words of God, these Words of creation. What awe and wonder to witness the beauty of Earth and God’s creation as they begin their new day with, “In the beginning….” How small the world must have seemed, with its problems and challenges, to these astronauts at that moment as they orbited in space.
Today’s Gospel, John 1, in many ways paints a cosmic picture for us. The tone and makeup of the Christmas readings have shifted. No longer are you hearing about cattle lowing, angels from on high, mangers, or room at the inn. Today’s Gospel points you to creation.
How often do you reflect on the words of creation, “In the beginning?”
“In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.” The truth is, most days you forget how awe-inspiring the world God created is. Instead, you focus on the world often shaped by you. Why is this the case?
You are a fallen creation; a child separated from their Father. In Adam and Eve’s fall into sin, you fell too. Just as your first parents became concerned and even consumed with their needs in this life, so have you.
It must have been a fleeting moment in time when those astronauts read the words of Genesis during Christmas in 1968. We might like to think the sense of awe and wonder lasted, but surely children soon after this event longed for Red Ryder Range Model 1938 BB guns to shoot and baby dolls to dress. Before long, this moment in history became just the past, and man and woman on earth were once again consumed by their own wants, needs, and desires. They were preoccupied with their own world.
Things haven’t changed much since 1968.
Our lives continue to be filled with daily events. When a man and a woman become engaged, their days and world are shaped by wedding plans. As couples welcome children into the world, new parents feverishly prepare to care for this gift, this child of God entrusted to them. In the face of job loss, one is overwhelmed with concerns about how to provide for and care for their family. Likewise, when death occurs, you must bear the burden of planning a funeral and returning your loved one’s body to the earth. These are the joys, the challenges, and the sorrows of life; they have not changed over time but remain constants.
Yet, in the joy and sadness that so often shape your lives and the world you live in, you have a promise that remains with you. A promise first made to Adam and Eve in Genesis, where God said, “And I will put enmity between you and the women, and between your seed and her Seed; He shall bruise your head and you shall bruise His heel.” (Genesis 3:15) Amidst the crumbling world around Adam and Eve, God came to them, spoke to them, and offered hope through a promise, through His Word.
If the world around you feels like it’s crumbling, or God seems distant and uninterested in you, don’t listen to the flesh or the lies of the serpent. Instead, listen to this Word of God. Hear the promise made to send a Seed, an offspring to conquer sin in this world, to defeat and destroy the devil, and to undo death with life. This child does not abandon you in your struggles or leave you in loneliness. Rather, this promise has been fulfilled in the Word that became flesh, the Word incarnate that was nailed to a tree and became a curse for you and every child.
Your joy today is these words, “In the beginning…”
Because as we hear “In the beginning” from the Gospel of St. John, we hear the beginning of God’s promise to man being fulfilled through the redemptive and regenerative work of the Word made Flesh, Jesus Christ.
For every child born of God, this promise is given. In baptism, Jesus penetrates your world as a child, uniting Himself with you. Our text says, “As many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name: who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.” (NKJV) Blood and flesh are the ways of earthly birth and earthly death, but the birth given in Holy Baptism is a heavenly birth, a birth that leads to eternal life in Jesus.
In the midst of this world, Jesus comes to you. He becomes man and takes on your flesh, joining Himself to you. He does not sit high above the heavens as a God who does not love His creation or is indifferent to your prayers and petitions. Instead, He humbles Himself, enters into this world, and bears the crosses of your life in His flesh, taking them upon the cross He bore for you, dear child of God. And He continues to bring renewal and His forgiveness to you. How wonderful this is—soon, we will gather not around a television but here around this altar, Saint Augustine writes.
What you can see here, dearly beloved, on the table of the Lord, is bread and wine; but this bread and wine, when the word is applied to it, becomes the body and blood of the Word. That Lord, you see, who “in the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God” was so compassionate that he did not despise what he had created in his own image; and therefore “the Word became flesh and dwelt among us.” Because, yes, the very Word took to himself a man, that is, the soul and flesh of a man, and became man while remaining God. For that reason, because he also suffered for us, he also presented us in this sacrament with his body and blood.
This very flesh and blood are for the comfort, encouragement, and forgiveness you are so desperately in need of. At this rail, something truly amazing happens: heaven fills this earth. You are joined with your fellow brothers and sisters in Christ as our voices unite in praise with the angels, archangels, the saints who now rest from their labors. We rejoice and praise the one who comes and enters our world.
The miraculous aspect of Christmas is that your Savior comes to you. In Him, you receive forgiveness and salvation. He is your hope in this life, a light that shines in your darkness, and your joy during times of sadness. Through Him, you were created, and in Him, all things are fulfilled, giving you eternal peace.
As you journey through life until your final day on earth, let your days be shaped by the Word that was made flesh and now dwells among us. When you pass by the font, remember the new creation you are through holy baptism. As you approach this rail, rejoice that your Savior lives within you as you live in Him. Rejoice, for this is not just a fleeting moment, but the joy of eternity extended to you. God bless you and keep you this Christmas Day. Merry Christmas!
“The peace of God, which passes all understanding, keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.”
