“Grace upon Grace” John 1:10-18 Sermon Preached by the Reverend Dr. Howard W. Boswell, Jr. Second Sunday after Christmas, January 4, 2015 Kenmore Presbyterian Church Kenmore, New York “So, what did you get for Christmas?” When we go back to school, to work, or home after Christmas, usually, someone will ask us this question. With my parents, when they were alive, and with my brothers now, we ask a variation on this question, “Was Santa good to you?” When we were children, some of us could hardly wait to answer this question. Excitedly and with great detail, we described our haul. However, for others of us, we didn’t want to answer this question. Perhaps, we didn’t get everything we wanted. Maybe, we didn’t get anything at all. Very few of us sounded enthusiastic when we spoke about clothing, especially socks. As we matured, we begin to accept that we won’t get everything we want for Christmas. We live with limited expectations or we exaggerate our expectations to the point where no one could possibly fulfill them all. Even when we know, “Jesus is the reason for the season!” we seem to settle for lighting candles; singing, “Silent Night;” and heading into the cold night, still wondering, “Isn’t there anyone who understands what Christmas is all about?” Now, if that question sounds familiar, it may be because it comes from A Charlie Brown Christmas. Frustrated in his attempt to find the true meaning of Christmas, Charlie Brown asks it after his friends laugh at the scrawny little tree he brings back with him. Linus answers him, quoting, from memory, part of the Christmas story from the second chapter of Luke, “And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them, and they were sore afraid. And the angel said unto them, ‘fear not, for behold, I bring you tidings of great joy which will be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a savior, which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you. Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes lying in the manger.’ And suddenly, there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host, praising God and saying, ‘glory to God in the highest, and on Earth peace, good will toward men.’” In the first chapter of John’s gospel, the evangelist explains something even greater than what Christmas is all about. In eighteen verses, he answers the question that lies behind that question. To answer this question, John goes all the way back to the beginning, starting with words that echo Genesis 1, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” Now, when John talks about the Word, he speaks of something far greater than any word. In Greek, the Word is logos a word whose meaning occupies a couple of pages in my Greek-English lexicon, dictionary. Yet, here, John means God’s most personal expression, God’s most intimate speech, and God’s greatest wisdom. Logos means something like God’s very essence, which created all there is, which gave life, which brought light into darkness. John the evangelist says that another John came to bear witness to this light. In verse 9, which really belongs with verse 10, John says, “The true light, which enlightens everyone, was coming into the world.” Yet, verse 10 tells the sad truth: this light entered the world, but it didn’t recognize him. Even though he created everything and gave it life, the world didn’t know who we was. Verse 11 tells an even sadder truth, “He came to what was his own, and his own people did not accept him.” Now, of course, John points to those in Palestine, who rejected Jesus in the end. Yet, I saw this cartoon on Facebook this week, which was funny and sad at the same time. It showed Jesus with a thorn of crowns on his head, looking sad, alongside the church. They are on a sofa in a marriage counselor’s office. The church says, “We hardly have anything in common anymore.” Now, I told you it was sad and funny at the same time, because it tells the truth about many of us, who claim Christ’s name, who come to this Table. When we hear what Jesus taught, we search for loopholes or, worse, ignore it altogether. When we hear who Jesus was and what he did for us, we wonder, “What difference does it make?” We hardly have anything in common anymore. Yet, John says when we believe in the Word, he gives us power to become children of God. Then, in verse 14, John tells us the most amazing thing. In The Message, Peterson makes language that might go over our head, go straight to our heart, “The Word became flesh and blood, and moved into the neighborhood. We saw the glory with our own eyes, the one-of-a-kind glory, like Father, like Son, Generous inside and out, true from start to finish.” So, what do we get for Christmas? What gifts remain to be open? We find the answer in John 1: 16, “From his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace.” “Grace upon grace.” The word for “grace” in Greek is caris, which can also mean, “gift.” Again, Peterson makes the meaning of this verse clearer, “We all live off his generous bounty, gift after gift after gift.” From Moses, we got the Law, the basics, you know, socks. From Jesus, we get everything and more, “grace upon grace,” “gift after gift after gift.” Jesus doesn’t merely tells us what Christmas is all about; he is what Christmas is all about. Jesus the Christ comes into the world, into our lives, to help us understand how greatly God loves us and wants to give us everything and more, life in all of its abundance. John 1:18 makes a simple statement, which leaves little doubt as to who Jesus is, “No one has ever seen God. It is God the only Son, who is close to the Fathers heart, who has made him known.” Friends in Christ, while Jesus may no longer be physically present with us, he is here in the Spirit, as close as our next breath. Through this bread broken and this cup poured, we may catch a glimpse of him; our eyes might open enough, so that we might recognize him. “Grace upon grace,” God gives us through him, so that we may know fullness of life, here and now. So, what did we get for Christmas? Everything and more, everything and more. ©2015 Kenmore Presbyterian Church
Posted on: Wed, 31 Dec 2014 18:34:00 +0000
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