In the New Beginning

Blame it on Eva Ann Cunningham: She told me I should preach at Ridgecrest. I've only given one sermon in my life---at a women's retreat several years ago, and it was preached through tears. However, Eva Ann's invitation as well as the low bar set by the audience sparked something. So, the Edwards Five joined the Ridgecrest team last Sunday, and it was beautiful. Singing with Sarah leading and Dave playing.... Scriptures read and prayers offered. About 25 folks eventually joined us, and it was rich and meaningful to not only share my words but also handshakes and "I'm glad to see you today"s. I humbly share my sermon below.

It was a good morning and a great way to finish the year. If you have never served at Ridgecrest, DaySpringers lead worship there on the 2nd and 4th Sunday of the month.

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A very blessed and merry Christmas to you all. Welcome to each of you on the first Sunday of Christmas. Christmas in our church calendar lasts for twelve days— Isn’t it wonderful that we don’t have to pack it all up? That’s how I grew up, you know… December 26 was the end of Christmas, and anyone who still had their lights up after January 1 was just plain lazy. So imagine my delight and surprise when I discovered the church calendar!

In this Christmastide, between Christmas Day and the day of Epiphany on January 6, we just celebrate and dwell with the fact that the God of the universe came to earth

as a frail infant, in a humble house, 

in a tiny town, under Roman rule with a puppet Jewish king

born to a young mother and a devoted, albeit slightly confused earthly father.

Unlike the expectant wait and hope of Advent, where the reality of Christ’s coming is a hush or a whisper, we get to shout and praise that Christ the Lord is born! There’s a bit of a counter-cultural thing happening with our liturgical traditions—in the hustle and bustle of early December, we wait in quiet anticipation of not only the birth of Jesus —Yeshua—God Saves, but also the any-moment-now return of this Messiah King to reign on Earth. And now, that it’s December 28th, the fourth day of Christmas, another rebellious move in that while the world not only puts away the tinsel and holly—but also marks it on clearance, we choose to continue the celebration for twelve more days.

And why shouldn’t we? God Incarnate, the Word made Flesh has come! 

All of those words are incredible and should cause awe and wonder at the sound of them: 

 "For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord". 

[Luke 2:11]

A baby, helpless and fragile. 

The Incarnate Word, God in the Flesh… this has been on my mind and heart.

Our text today is the poetic prologue to the Gospel according to John. It’s a new Genesis, where John, in his unique depth of expression mirrors the Creation account, the bringing of LIGHT and LIFE….

You know, we are given two Creation stories in Genesis: 

chapter 1, with its cosmic gong of “LET THERE BE LIGHT, and there was light”…. 

And chapter 2, with its quiet Gardener in Eden, sculpting the dust of the Earth into human flesh. 

And so, John echoes that….

…the Word of God way back then—at the beginning of all things….

…the cosmic light breaking forth and that light being the life of all things…

…the earthly flesh tabernacling among us, showing us the glory of the Father…

…now that Word is at the Father’s side, being made known…

And God’s Word is through out the scriptures— through poetry and prophets, the Word of the Lord comes through those who have a voice. Until finally, at that right place, at the right time, The Word comes in His own flesh. Jesus is the embodiment of God’s wisdom, the wisdom woven through Creation. John might be nudging to us that if we want to know Jesus, we need to go back to the beginning.

I don’t know if anyone needs to be told this directly–I’m not sure I realized that before a couple of years ago, as obvious as that seems-- but the second person of the Trinity is not just 2000 years old. That act of speaking Creation into existence took a voice to speak the words. The Word of God–the Logos–-is as much God as the Spirit that hovered over the waters before Creation began. 

I think it’s easy to think of this Word—the Son—as second, a close second, but second to God, the Father. After all, there needs to be a Father before there is the Son. And maybe that’s the providence of John’s opening verses giving us a framework for how to think about the Messiah. The Word has come to the earth as the Son. The Glory of God comes as an infant, grows up walking around with skin on, and fingerprints and fingernails, who crafts with his hands and laughs uniquely and cries when he hurts. He has a voice.

He was promised as Immanuel, God With Us. And he comes as a new Genesis, a new beginning of the world, as a new reality to whom the whole of Scripture was pointing. The Word in the Beginning–of life as we know it, of all that was made—has now become human so we can see and know his life personally. We can now relate to the Word that shaped the universe. The Word is a person, and he can reshape our lives.

So yes, Christ the Savior is born. Let every heart prepare him room. 

The baby in the manger we remember and celebrate at Christmas grows up. 

The man Jesus calls followers like a Rabbi and teaches and heals and gives up his life.

His resurrection gives us life, and the gift of the Holy Spirit remains with us.

And “from his fullness we have all received grace upon grace…” 

Thanks be to God. Amen.