“The true light, which gives light to everyone, was coming into the world. He was in the world, and the world was made through him, yet the world did not know him. He came to his own, and his own people did not receive him. But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.” (John 1:9-13)

Like the writer of the Letter to the Hebrews, John enlightens and encourages us with several fundamental truths about Jesus. He proclaims that Jesus is the Word of God. This means that He is the fullness of God’s revelation to man, the fullest expression of God’s love. If we want to know what God is like, we look at Jesus. He is the Messiah who was promised to the Jews but He came into the world to speak the truth that brings the light of God into a world darkened world by sin, violence, and oppression.

John tells us that Jesus is God incarnate, in the flesh. Yet He existed always; He created all things; He holds all things together by His power. What John is saying is that if we want to know what God is like, what He expects of us, we must listen to the Words of Jesus. We must observe His life as proclaimed in the gospels. There we find that Jesus is merciful, loving, compassionate, and kind. He is truth. There then is the good news of Christmas, Jesus came into the world as truth but also as the Lamb of God, the sacrifice which would atone for the sins of all mankind.

The apostle John’s purpose was to convince his readers that Jesus is Who He says He is. Not all would agree, then or now. The rulers of the Jews, the ones who held religious authority and administered the Law of Moses would reject him as do many now. Though many today claim to walk in the light, judging from the chaos, falsehood, cheating, and violence going on in our world, millions dwell in spiritual darkness. They do not know Jesus, the one they claim to celebrate at Christmas. He was a suffering servant who was executed like a criminal. He is now King of Kings, ruling the universe. Those who are oppressed and broken, humbled by their sinfulness, these accept Jesus by the faith He gives through His Holy Spirit. They no longer dwell in darkness, but in the light of God’s truth revealed in the Word, in Jesus.