John 1:1-5
The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.
Dear brothers and sisters, as we reflect on the Christmas season, the nativity scenes of the star, the manger, the shepherds, and the angels are fresh in our minds. Yet, when we turn to John’s Gospel, the introduction to Jesus’ life and ministry begins in a strikingly different way—not with His birth, but with the eternal Word and its role in creation. John does not begin with Jesus’ earthly origins but instead points us to the beginning of everything: how the world began and its relationship with the Word. In the original Greek, the word translated as “Word” is logos. This term conveys profound meaning, referring to reason, speech, or divine wisdom. In John’s Gospel, logos signifies the eternal Word of God, embodying divine truth and life.
Through the first few verses of the Gospel of John’s prologue, we learn that everything in the world was created through the Word. He is the eternal Word, who was with God in the beginning and is fully God. He is the true light that gives light to everyone (John 1:9) and the source of all life. The Word didn’t just create the world in the beginning—it also brought life into it. Beyond the act of creating, the Word continues to sustain the universe, acting as the source of life. The logos is the giver of life. But who is this Word? At first, the Apostle John does not explicitly name Him, inviting us to reflect deeply. As the prologue unfolds (John 1:1-18), the identity of the Word becomes clear: the Word is Jesus Christ.
Dear brothers and sisters, in God’s mercy and grace, the Word became flesh, and God Himself came to us. This is the heart of the Gospel. Jesus must always be at the centre of our approach to God, our thinking about God, and our relationship with God. The God we worship is not a distant and aloof supreme being. He is the Almighty Creator of the heavens and the earth, who gives us new life and sustains us daily.
On this first day of 2025, let us marvel at the mystery of the Word becoming flesh. Let us offer Him our worship, our gratitude, and our lives in wholehearted devotion. As we step into a new year, may we resolve to reflect His light in the world and follow Him faithfully in all we do.
Let us pray with the following prayer adapted from the first two and last stanzas of the Hymn “O Word of God Incarnate” written by a bishop of the church of England in the 19th century.
O Word of God incarnate, O Wisdom from on high, O Truth unchanging and eternal, O Light in our darkness, We lift our hearts in praise for the radiance of your Holy Word,a lamp to our feet and a light to our path, shining through the ages.
Lord Jesus, you have entrusted your church with the gift of divine truth. Help us to lift high this light, that it may shine brightly over all the earth. Your Word is a treasure, a golden casket filled with the precious gems of your wisdom. It reveals the living image of you, Christ, the eternal Word. Dear Savior, purify your church, making it a lamp of purest gold,to carry your true light to every nation, just as in days of old. Teach us, your wandering pilgrims, to walk faithfully in your ways,until the clouds and darkness of this world are lifted,and we behold your face in eternal glory.
In your holy name, we pray. Amen.
Dear brothers and sisters, as we reflect on the Christmas season, the nativity scenes of the star, the manger, the shepherds, and the angels are fresh in our minds. Yet, when we turn to John’s Gospel, the introduction to Jesus’ life and ministry begins in a strikingly different way—not with His birth, but with the eternal Word and its role in creation. John does not begin with Jesus’ earthly origins but instead points us to the beginning of everything: how the world began and its relationship with the Word. In the original Greek, the word translated as “Word” is logos. This term conveys profound meaning, referring to reason, speech, or divine wisdom. In John’s Gospel, logos signifies the eternal Word of God, embodying divine truth and life.
Through the first few verses of the Gospel of John’s prologue, we learn that everything in the world was created through the Word. He is the eternal Word, who was with God in the beginning and is fully God. He is the true light that gives light to everyone (John 1:9) and the source of all life. The Word didn’t just create the world in the beginning—it also brought life into it. Beyond the act of creating, the Word continues to sustain the universe, acting as the source of life. The logos is the giver of life. But who is this Word? At first, the Apostle John does not explicitly name Him, inviting us to reflect deeply. As the prologue unfolds (John 1:1-18), the identity of the Word becomes clear: the Word is Jesus Christ.
Dear brothers and sisters, in God’s mercy and grace, the Word became flesh, and God Himself came to us. This is the heart of the Gospel. Jesus must always be at the centre of our approach to God, our thinking about God, and our relationship with God. The God we worship is not a distant and aloof supreme being. He is the Almighty Creator of the heavens and the earth, who gives us new life and sustains us daily.
On this first day of 2025, let us marvel at the mystery of the Word becoming flesh. Let us offer Him our worship, our gratitude, and our lives in wholehearted devotion. As we step into a new year, may we resolve to reflect His light in the world and follow Him faithfully in all we do.
Let us pray with the following prayer adapted from the first two and last stanzas of the Hymn “O Word of God Incarnate” written by a bishop of the church of England in the 19th century.
O Word of God incarnate, O Wisdom from on high, O Truth unchanging and eternal, O Light in our darkness, We lift our hearts in praise for the radiance of your Holy Word,a lamp to our feet and a light to our path, shining through the ages.
Lord Jesus, you have entrusted your church with the gift of divine truth. Help us to lift high this light, that it may shine brightly over all the earth. Your Word is a treasure, a golden casket filled with the precious gems of your wisdom. It reveals the living image of you, Christ, the eternal Word. Dear Savior, purify your church, making it a lamp of purest gold,to carry your true light to every nation, just as in days of old. Teach us, your wandering pilgrims, to walk faithfully in your ways,until the clouds and darkness of this world are lifted,and we behold your face in eternal glory.
In your holy name, we pray. Amen.