Advent Day 18 John 1:1-18

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. ² He was in the beginning with God. ³ All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made. ⁴ In him was life, and the life was the light of men. ⁵ The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.

⁶ There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. ⁷ He came as a witness, to bear witness about the light, that all might believe through him. ⁸ He was not the light, but came to bear witness about the light.

⁹ The true light, which gives light to everyone, was coming into the world. ¹⁰ He was in the world, and the world was made through him, yet the world did not know him. ¹¹ He came to his own, and his own people did not receive him. ¹² But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, ¹³ who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.

¹⁴ And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth. ¹⁵ (John bore witness about him, and cried out, “This was he of whom I said, ‘He who comes after me ranks before me, because he was before me.’”) ¹⁶ For from his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace. ¹⁷ For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. ¹⁸ No one has ever seen God; God the only Son, who is at the Father's side, he has made him known.”(John 1:1-18 ESV)

First, I love the Gospel of John. It is where I send every new believer in Christ when they start reading the Bible. The reason is that John makes the deity of Christ perfectly clear. John simply says, “Here, read this. Jesus is God.” He tells us Jesus is the “Word” of God. He goes on to tell of the eternal nature of Christ, having been with the Father since before the beginning.

John goes on to tell us that Jesus is life and that He is the light, the light of the world. In Christ is eternal life, unlike our fleeting existence on earth. His light is His righteousness, as John told us; evil has not overcome it. It, being the light of the glory of God, is eternal and cannot be overcome by Satan.

What I love about the prologue of John is that he speaks plainly, telling us of the incarnation. Jesus coming into the world. The reason we celebrate Advent. He also tells us Christ is the creator. God spoke creation into existence from nothing, Ex Nihilo, through Jesus Christ. Nothing made was made except by the hand of Jesus. Amazing, is it not? Christ came and walked in the flesh, through the very creation He made.

John also tells us of the denial and rejection of Christ, and that for all those who placed their faith in God, Christ gave them the right to be called children of God. Salvation. John is telling us that salvation comes to those who have faith in Christ alone.

John tells us about John the Baptist, the herald of Christ, who paved the way straight for the coming Messiah. A fulfillment of Isaiah 40:3-8, John the Baptist, when questioned, told the Pharisees that he was the voice calling in the wilderness. (John 1:19-28)

Lastly. John tells us that the law came from God through Moses. But Jesus came full of grace and truth. A grace that comes to life as faith in the Son of God, and the truth that salvation comes by the sacrifice of Christ. Jesus shattered the law, which condemned, and brought victory over sin and death for all who believe in His finished work on the cross.

In these 18 verses are the very reasons we celebrate Advent. They contain everything about Christ that we celebrate in His birth. The coming of the God/Creator in the flesh, who walked in creation, and sacrificed His life for the people given to Him by the Father. In doing so, they are reunited with the Father in a living, vibrant relationship by grace through Faith in Christ. God is alive, and so are those who place their faith in His Son, Christ Jesus. This is Advent, this is the reason for the celebration. If you do not know Christ, will you join us in faith in Him? His saving grace and sacrifice by which He rose again in fulfillment of scripture, defeating sin and death for all who believe, waits for you. Soli Deo Gloria!

Advent Prayer Day 18

This Advent, Lord, we give you thanks and praise.

We are grateful for Your plan of redemption and for our Savior, Jesus Christ.

Thank you for the scriptures that reveal the truth of all things.

We are continually blessed by Your grace and mercy, which are new every day.

May we be pleasing to you, and may we glorify You to the world.

Lord, make us bold during this Advent, and every day thereafter, to share the Gospel with all we meet.

Let us be a light in the darkness that cannot be hidden.

We pray all this in and for the sake of Your Son, Jesus Christ, Amen