First Sunday After Christmas, Year A: John 1:1-18: Hope

You can see all the lectionary readings for the First Sunday after Christmas, Year A by clicking here. I have chosen to discuss the passage from the Gospel of John.

John’s gospel and Christmas story is very different from the other Gospels. It takes a more theological approach.

It’s beautiful and hard to paraphrase, so I’m going to quote it here:

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things came into being through him, and without him not one thing came into being. What has come into being in him was life, and the life was the light of all people. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it.

There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. He came as a witness to testify to the light, so that all might believe through him. He himself was not the light, but he came to testify to the light. The true light, which enlightens everyone, was coming into the world.

He was in the world, and the world came into being through him; yet the world did not know him. He came to what was his own, and his own people did not accept him. But to all who received him, who believed in his name, he gave power to become children of God, who were born, not of blood or of the will of the flesh or of the will of man, but of God.

And the Word became flesh and lived among us, and we have seen his glory, the glory as of a father’s only son, full of grace and truth. (John testified to him and cried out, “This was he of whom I said, ‘He who comes after me ranks ahead of me because he was before me.’”) From his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace. The law indeed was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. No one has ever seen God. It is God the only Son, who is close to the Father’s heart, who has made him known.

John 1: 1-18, NRSV

John’s callbacks to Genesis tie Jesus to God from the beginning of time, influencing our creeds and notions of the Trinity.

It’s comforting to think of the Word becoming flesh and living among us. It is also comforting to think of the light shining in the darkness. The darkness does not overcome it. Again, the darkness does not overcome it.

Life can be hard in this world. It can be hard in so many ways, with disease, war, injustice, famine, poverty, inequality. We follow Jesus, perfect example of God’s love among us, and we strive to bring the light and love to the rest of a hurting world. Sometimes it seems there is no hope for this dark world, but God is there. Even when we struggle to find meaning and hope, God is there and love will win. We must continue to strive and live with love and hope.

Trinity Sunday, Year C: John 16:12-15: Community of Love

You can see all the lectionary readings for Trinity Sunday, Year C by clicking here. I have chosen to discuss the passage from the Gospel of John.

This is one of those brief passages that is better to quote than to paraphrase:

“I have so much more to tell you, but it is too much for you to accept now. But when the Spirit of truth comes, he will lead you into all truth. He will not speak his own words. He will speak only what he hears and will tell you what will happen in the future. The Spirit of truth will bring glory to me by telling you what he receives from me. All that the Father has is mine. That is why I said that the Spirit will tell you what he receives from me.

John 16:12-15 (Easy-to-Read Version)

On this, Trinity Sunday, we have a statement from the Son about the Father and the Holy Spirit. They each have their roles and they interact in love. They also share that love with us. May we all live in such beautiful community.

Trinity Sunday, Year B: Romans 8:12-17: Abiding in the Trinity

You can see all the lectionary readings for Trinity Sunday, Year B by clicking here. I have chosen to discuss the passage from the Epistle of Romans because I already wrote about the Gospel during another Sunday during Year A.

This is a lovely passage that begins with an exhortation that we not be ruled by our sinful selves or by the flesh as some translations call it. It is spiritual death to live only by fleshly desire. He says you can have true life with the Spirit’s help.

This is not a dichotomy between two parts of our personality (like the idea of mind over matter), but instead about the work of the Spirit in our lives to help us overcome the desire to sin.

Paul says that the true children of God let God’s Spirit lead them. My favorite part is that he says this spirit does not make us slaves and cause us to fear. The Spirit makes us God’s children. He says with that Spirit we cry out, “ Abba, Father.” and the Spirit advocates on our behalf and speaks to our spirits. 

How lovely that we are the children of a loving Father and a Spirit to lead us to be more like Christ. That’s abiding in the Trinity of God.

Trinity Sunday, Year A: Celebrate the Mystery: Matthew 28:16-20

Holy Trinity – Source: iStockphoto.com/Bernardojbp

You can see all the lectionary readings for the Trinity Sunday, Year A by clicking here. I have chosen to discuss the passage from the Gospel of Matthew.

This is a very short story. The disciples go to Galilee to meet Jesus at a mountain. They worship him there but some still have their doubts (they’re only human). Jesus tells them (I just can’t bring myself to paraphrase this):

All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything that I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.

This command from Jesus is known as the Great Commission—he is instructing the church to go on and share the Gospel with the whole world and teach others how to follow Jesus. Notice this is Trinity Sunday, when we celebrate the Trinity that is God—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. The wording in the great Commission, “in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit” is the same wording we use in creeds and at baptisms, confirmations, weddings, funerals. The Trinity is a mystery and a paradox—beyond our understanding, but we know God as three in one—God the Father and Creator; God the Son our Redeemer and Teacher; and the Holy Spirit, our Guide and Comforter.

We may not fully grasp the concept of the Trinity, but we can love and embrace the mystery on this day of celebration.