Most of us do not realize it, but there are two sets of Christmas stories in the gospels. (Just like there are two sets of creation stories and two sets of flood account stories…)
One set of Christmas stories is from the Gospels of “Matthew and Luke” and the other from – the Gospel of John.
The first set of Christmas stories are more familiar and are more well known to us. We can see those stories, visualize those stories and imagine these stories such as Zechariah and Elizabeth, Mary and Joseph, the baby in the manger, the sheep and the shepherds, the angels and angelic choirs, the wise men and their gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh.
But the second Christmas story comes to us from the Gospel of John and we cannot see it or visualize it or draw John’s Christmas story. Painters do not paint paintings about John’s Christmas story. It is too creative, too inventive, too brainy and is too easily dismissed.
John’s Christmas story is abstract, philosophical and very theological…is has been called the height of Christology. It is different! Not to be expected!
As a matter of fact, there are those sets of scholars who believe the first 18 verses of John are a long-lost hymn that was at one time, actually sung within the Christian community!
I find it interesting that not one painter has been inspired to attempt to paint the Christmas story according to the Gospel of John.
Why?
John’s Christmas story is too abstract, too philosophical, too theological and too Christological – and too mind numbing. It is brain-iac stuff!
If you look – even our bulletin cover comes to us by way of Luke’s gospel, not Johns’.
One of the amazing things that this text is saying is that: “the master intelligence behind the universe” did not stay up in the safety of heaven, that God did not remain living up there in heaven, far away from the evil and suffering of earth, that God didn’t live in some kind of “eternal far west side haven,” hopefully safe from it all. God didn’t live away from “the rough and tumble of the world,” but God came down here to this earth to suffer like we do and to jump feet first into its mix…
The book of Colossians says that – “In Jesus, all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell.” So Jesus is full of two qualities: full of grace or giving and full of the truth of God. Jesus was full of the reality of God.
What the Bible is saying is that Jesus is “identical” to the Father.
Jesus is the “same substance” of the Father, the “same nature.” It almost sounds creedal.
If you want to know what the Father is like, look at the genetic reproduction of the Son. There is only one.
This is what Christmas is all about…(according to John) that God, the logical intelligence behind the universe, was born only once and into the flesh of Jesus of Nazareth.
Then comes one of the most beautifully written lines in the entire Bible, a line that a lot of people have come to love and respect…
“From his fullness, we all have received grace upon grace.”
I cannot and will not speak for you.
But I will tell you this – that I am personally aware that my life has been overwhelmed with all the grace that God has given to me personally, grace upon grace upon grace. I have been blessed.
There is a Russian hymn that is entitled, “O Day Full of Grace,” and I am one of those people who have been immeasurably blessed by God’s giving and giving and giving. And I am not alone in this. I am in good company.
John’s Christmas gospel is so clear; that all of us have received grace upon grace upon grace. All of us.
Not just Lutherans.
Not just Americans.
Not just Christians.
Not just those who live now in twentieth-first century America.
No, not at all…
The Christmas Gospel according to John says that God showers and continues to shower his “gracious love” on all of us, on the whole earth, on the whole universe…on all people’s.
That awareness…like so much that is said – in this “Christmas gospel,” is too expansive – too mind boggling for me to comprehend.
John is either loved or hated, adored or left unread…but know this: there is more than one way- to get the message across that Jesus came for you!
The Season of Christmas continues…