The Feast of Christmas â 25 December 2022
Lectionary Readings: Isaiah 52:7-10; Ps. 98:1-6; Hebr.1:1-6; John 1:1-18
Theme: âThe Word is the life and light of Godâ
The Gospel reading for today comes almost as a shock after the Infancy Narratives taken from Matthew and Luke for the Christmas Eve, Midnight, and Dawn Liturgies.  Itâs time goes right back to âIn the beginningâ (Gen. 1:1) linking Jesus, the Word, to the God of Creation and thereby pointing to the event of Jesusâ Incarnation as being of cosmic significance â a universal, âearth shatteringâ event. The Word is Jesus Christ, the eternal expression of God. In the first Creation Story (Gen. 1:1-2:4a) God spoke the world into existence. In the Gospel account we see how God spoke his final word into existence through the living Word, Godâs Son.
 Verses 4 and 5 speak about the Word bringing life and light which was God, the Creatorâs âactionâ by mean of words in the First Creation Story. âAnd the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it.â(NKJV) According to Strong # 2638 âComprehendâ- katalambano (Greek) can be interpreted in three ways: 1) to seize, lay hold of, overcome. Thus v. 5 could read as âThe darkness does not gain control of it.â 2) To perceive, attain, lay hold of with the mind; to apprehend with mental and moral effort. Thus v. 5 could read: âThe darkness is unreceptive to and does not understand the light.â 3) To quench, extinguish, snuff out the light by stifling it. Thus we read: âThe darkness will never be able to eliminate it.â Our joy is thus in knowing that the light of Christ is not only greater than our darkness (in all its layers) but that it will outlast the darkness.
âHow beautiful upon the mountains/Are the feet of him who brings good news,/Who proclaims peace,/Who brings glad tidings of good things,/Who proclaims salvation,/Who says to Zion,/âYour God reigns!â (Isaiah 52:7) Jesus is the supreme messenger who comes down from God. Because of his proclamation of good news â peace and salvation (life and light) – the reign of God will bring eternal light and life.
âGodâŠÂ has in these last days spoken to us by His SonâŠÂ who being the brightness of His glory and the express image of His personâŠÂ had by Himself purged our sinsâŠâ (Hebr. 1:1-3). Here we are once again presented with Godâs Word (spoken) who is Godâs incarnate and eternal Son displaying his light and glory as Godâs image; and purging our sins â giving us eternal life.
At this wonderful event we cannot refrain from singing the words of Ps. 98:1- âOh, sing to the Lord a new song! /For He has done marvelous things; /His right hand and His holy arm have gained Him the victory.â (Our God Reigns supreme!) Jesus the Christ did not come just for certain people as seen in his life as we read the Gospels and therefore we can say with joy that he brought light and life to all peoples and creation as the Ps. 98:2: âThe Lord has made known His salvation; /His righteousness He has revealed in the sight of the nations.â âAll the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God.â (v. 3b) Amen! Alleluia!
For Reflection and Discussion: 1. In this time of war, sickness, natural disasters etc â unbelievable darkness – can we know because of the coming of Jesus at Christmas that the âdarkness will never be able to eliminate the Lightâ, who is the Word?
Bibliography: Hayford, Jack (gen. ed.) Spirit Filled Life Bible (Nashville: 1991); www.biblegateway.com NRSVCE; NKJV.
This weekâs Sunday Liturgy Commentary was prepared by
Bernadette Teresa Chellew, Durban, South Africa, Bat Kol Alumna: 2008
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