John 1:12-13

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.

My initial inclination at this point in John’s Gospel is to move immediately to the next verse, John 1:14, and declare that we have now arrived at John’s version of the Christmas story. And, indeed, that would in some significant measure be true, as John 1:14 declares that “the Word became flesh.”

But it occurs to me that while 1:14 talks about the Incarnation – and therefore the source and center of our celebration of the Feast of the Incarnation (the other name for Christmas), perhaps these very verses we have been focusing on provide another way to think about Christmas. For while we celebrate Christmas as the birth of Jesus, these verses suggest that at the heart of Jesus’ mission is our own birth as children of God.

We will have great occasion next week to celebrate Jesus’ birth and already tomorrow contemplate the Incarnation, but perhaps today we may tarry for a moment in order to realize John’s desire also to celebrate our birth, our new birth as God’s beloved children who are free in all ways and hopeful in all circumstances.

Happy Birthday!

Prayer: Dear God, we give you thanks that you sent Jesus among us to reveal to us our birthright as your beloved children. In Jesus’ name, Amen.