Sermon - December 24, 2016

John 1:1-14

Christmas Eve 2016
11:00 PM

Christmas Truth

“And the Word became flesh and lived among us, and we have seen his glory… full of grace and truth.”  John’s Christmas message:  the Word has become flesh – the father’s son – here among us, full of grace and truth.

It has been a difficult year for truth.  Again.  My Confirmation class was unhappy to find that the scriptures do not actually say that Mary rode a donkey to Bethlehem.  That we have filled out the story which the Bible tells so succinctly.  She had to get there somehow; it doesn’t say how; we typically add a donkey.  Does that cast suspicion on the rest of the Christmas story?  Is it any of it true?

Those of you who were here last year heard the angels’ announcement: “Glory to God, peace comes to earth in the birth of the Savior.”  But since then, there has been plenty of war, violence, terrorism, more refugees and displaced people than the earth has ever known.  The Prince of Peace was born?  Where is the truth?

Politics and elections often strain the boundaries of truth-telling.  But the election cycle just completed questions the truth of truth itself.  Is there such a thing as truth?  Or is truth just whatever those with power and authority say it is?  Is truth pliable like modeling clay… shaped and re-shaped according to the hands that hold it?  Is truth nothing grounded and enduring which claims us, but whatever the leader you trust or fear says it is that day?  But the church is in the Truth business.  The fresh challenge for Christian faith is not just which idea, which candidate, which biblical interpretation is closest to the truth – but the insinuation and conclusion that there is no such thing as truth.  Except what I choose to believe.
Truth as whatever I say it is.

And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us… have seen his glory… full of
grace and truth!

We are here tonight as a witness to Truth.  Christian faith believes in truth, and believes that what is true about earth and life and death and people is most fully represented in Jesus, son of God, born of Mary, in Bethlehem.  Donkey optional.  We believe that Jesus was the Promised One of God, the Messiah and Savior, because God was in Jesus in a unique way – the Word became flesh – and what happened was not only the truth but the Truth become flesh.

The Truth came and walked among us so that we could see what truth looks like.  The Truth told us about God.  The Truth told us about ourselves and what we are here for.  The Truth told us of God’s kingdom of peace to come in God’s own way and time.  The Truth told us how to walk and live now in the ways of truth.  The Truth put hands of healing upon us.  The Truth loved us and asked us to love the Truth.  His name was Jesus.  He came from God and returned to God.  Here with us, he conquered death, forgave our sin, and stared down evil.  Jesus the Truth.

He was God with us.  Come among us at Bethlehem.  As a baby, human like you.  Blessed mother, holy Father.  Word become flesh.  Yes, there is Truth.  And his name is Jesus.

I wish you a blessed Christmas… and that is the truth.