Today is the beginning of Advent, the four Sundays leading up to Christmas. Maybe for you, Advent isn’t something you observe, you’re just doing regular ol’ Christmas things. For others, Advent is serious stuff: the beginning of a new Church year, etc. I tend to fall in between. For me, Advent offers a chance to slow down, pray, contemplate, and celebrate.
Beginnings are a good place to start, so let’s look at John 1:1-2:
“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God.”
The “Word” here is the Greek Logos, and while it does mean “word”, it conveys something much deeper. If you’ve ever studied ancient philosophy, you may be familiar with the concept. For those not, let me give you a real quick primer.
The Greek philosophers were some of the first to notice that living things, particularly animals, had something that animated them, that gave them their personality and mind. This became to them a concept similar to the idea of a “soul”. One Greek then said there was a universal force (Star Wars fans take note) that controlled everything but was separate from the Greek pantheon of gods.
John took that idea of Logos and applied it to Jesus. He in effect said, yes this Logos does exist but not just as a force, as a person. And so when Jesus is referred to here as “the Word”, it’s not, as some mistakenly believe, calling Jesus the Bible or even referring to God’s Word. John is saying something even deeper than that.
Jesus is not merely the fulfillment of God’s Word, He is the Being (not force) that made the entire universe. Check out verse 3: All things were made through Him, and without Him was not any thing made that was made.
You see, from the start of John’s Gospel, we have this marvelous proclaimation that Jesus is different. He’s not a biological son who was created (as the Mormons believe), a created angel (like the Jehovah’s Witnesses believe), or merely a prophet (as taught by Islam). No, He has always existed and is of the very same essence of God the Father. He is God and He was with God.
This is why Christmas is different than other celebrations. This is what makes Advent different than Ramadan or other feasts or fasts. What we are celebrating is the fulfillment of God’s promise to tabernacle, or dwell, among His people.
Today, take some time to contemplate how Jesus is different than other aspects of the holiday season. Remember that He isn’t just some ornamental trapping, but very God, who loved us enough to come and dwell among us and to offer us salvation.
Prayer:
Jesus, you are God. You are greater than anything else we think of during this time of year. Help me to remain focused on You this Advent and Christmas season. Shine Your light in our darkness. Amen
Adam Will 