Click here to watch my video reflection on our text for today, or keep reading for my written reflections: 

This week we’re going to be looking at John 13: 31-35. but before we get into this reading for this week I want to take a minute to talk about what Christmas looks like in the Gospel of John. Also this Wednesday night for our own line Wednesday night bible study I’ll be taking a look at the Christmas story within each of the Gospels.

 Matthew and Luke seek to give a historical account of the birth of Jesus, while John is not as worried about that. John is seeking to tell us about the why of Jesus’ birth. John’s Christmas account is Cosmic in nature. John talks about the word being with God in the Word became flesh and living amongst us. The word that we see their forward is actually logos. This word low guys can actually best be understood as the very essence of who God is. So what we see in Jesus coming at Christmas is a word that is known as the Incarnation. In the Incarnation, God puts on flesh and becomes one of us.

 Forge on Christmas is not merely a story about a child born in Bethlehem, but for John Christmas is the story of the creator of the cosmos becoming one of those created beings in order to redeem the entire Cosmos. John’s Christmas account is Cosmic and Universal in scope. John is telling you an epic story. John is telling you the why of Christmas 

In many ways, we may need John’s Christmas account now more than ever. We live in a time and then an AIDs that often feels dark. John’s gospel reminds us repeatedly that Darkness cannot overcome the light. Light will triumph over darkness, and his children the light we should not be afraid of the dark because we serve a God who has overcome the darkness.

 So as Christmas people we do not need to despair or fear or doubt or worry, because we serve a God who is light. This God came to us through Jesus at Christmas and through the cross and the empty grave has overcome the darkness. And now the power of the Holy Spirit we too can overcome the darkness through Christ who dwells within us. 4 John this is what Christmas looks like. It’s not about wise men or shepherds are angels. It’s about light overcoming Darkness.

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