Christmas Eve Reading

Vs. 1 "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning."

From the beginning.

When it all started.

Before it all started.

He was there.

At the creation of it all.

Not as a babe in a feeding trough.

Not as a created soul,

But as God.

With God.

"Very God of very God."

From the beginning.

In the beginning, God.

Vs. 3 "Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made."

The Creator of all creation.

A universe spoken into existence.

Creativity in motion,

Wisdom arranging,

Beauty embodied,

Power made manifest.

Fabrication out of nothing.

And yet, without him, nothing.

Vs. 4 "In him was life, and that life was the light of all people. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it...The true light that gives light to everyone was coming into the world"

Life and light

Come emanating from their source.

Chasing death and darkness

Light pierces the darkness

The increase of light is the decrease of darkness

The light shone

The darkness was overwhelmed

Unable to contest or protest

The true light was coming

And now has come

To illuminate the way

For all to see

For all to see by

He has revealed the Almighty

Shown us himself

Enlightened the masses with his coming

Coming into our world

To bring radiance to our shadows

And hope to our despair

Vs. 16 "The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth."

The Word became flesh

Flesh and blood

Hair and skin

Breath and bone

The immortal took on mortality

The invisible became visible

Creator became creation

The Word became human

He became what he was not

For those he loved

The perfect human

The Creator stepped into his creation

Lived among us

Moved into our neighborhoods

Exposed his splendor

His uniqueness

His singularity

The only Son of the Father

A gift undeserved

But given freely

Personifying that which is true, right and good.

Vs. 18 "Out of his fullness we have all received grace in place of grace already given. For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ."

Out of love

Out of generosity

Out of his lavish riches

Out of his very being

We have been given a gift

We have received

Freely

More than we could ask for

More than we can know and understand

That which is undeserved

Not a payment

Nor a reward

But compassion

Kindness

The old is gone

The new has come

The dos and don'ts fulfilled

While the come and be beckons

Grace and truth have come

In the one long ago foretold

The messiah of old

The Ancient of Days

The lion of Judah

The ruler of all

Wonderful Counselor

The mighty God

Everlasting Father

Prince of Peace

The anointed and chosen one

His is Jesus the Christ

(John 1:1,3,4,16,18)