Christmas- the artist enters his work
Jesus is the Word through whom all creation was created. This Word is full of life and light. Christmas means that this Word came into the world as a human being with a body. It is true that the creator Jesus was for the most part neither recognised nor received by his works, but this did not detract from his luminosity. But whoever receives this Word made man has the privilege of being a child of God with indescribable advantages.
We are used to the Christmas story being embellished, with a touch of romance. The narrative according to John is less colourful, but exceedingly powerful and inspiring – and it is an excellent conclusion to our annual theme «Creatio – Hope and Responsibility».
The Creator – Alpha and Omega
«In the beginning was the Word. The Word was with God and the Word was God. He (meaning Christ – cf. v.14) was with God in the beginning. Through him all that is was created. There is nothing that he, the Word, has not created»(John 1:1–3 NLB). John stole the first sentence from the creation storywhere it says: «In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.«What was before the beginning? Adam had neither father, grandfather nor a history book. Before creation was absolutely nothingexcept God. What is nothing? Nothing does not exist. We are unable to talk about nothing to think. As soon as we think, we think about a Somewhat to. A good definition can be found in Jonathan Edwards: «Nothing is what sleeping rocks dream of.«An artist who creates something needs materials. No painter paints without paint, no writer writes without words. An artist must start with something. He cannot start with nothing work. God created the whole cosmos from the Nothing create. Before was nothing. And then, at the word of God, there was a universe. This word, which comes from the empty Nothing created everything very well, Jesus is.
The Bible says: In the beginning was the Word. The God we serve is the God who has always been. HE is the One who has life from Himself, HE alone is eternal, HE alone has power over life and death, HE alone can bring worlds into existence through the power of His words.
In the very beginning, before the world was created, there was the Word. It is the original, the cube of power, the nuclear energy from which everything arose. There is nothing in this world that exists if the Word had not been first. Some time ago, Silvia and I hiked to Lake Toma, which is considered the source and origin of the Rhine. When you look at the romantic lake, you can hardly imagine that it will become a stream that provides energy, ensures the transport of goods from the sea to inland Switzerland, becomes a lifeline. It is even more impressive that from the one word the entire cosmos arose.
Jesus is the Creation Mediator. Everything is created through Him and for Him: «[…] Through him he created the whole universe and all that is in it, and he appointed him heir over all. The Son reflects the glory of God, and everything about him is an expression of the nature of God. He sustains the universe through the power of his Word […].»(Hebrews 1:2f NLB). Jesus is the Alpha and the Omega. Through Him creation was created, through Him it is preserved and recreated. His Word is also the executor of judgement and re-creation.
«Life itself was in him, and this life gives light to all people. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness could not extinguish it»(John 1:4f NLB). In the Word, in Jesus, is life. The Greek distinguishes between organic (bios) and divine life (zoe). Here stands zoe. Through Jesus, divine, eternal life comes to people. That is Christmas. The Tree of life, which has been inaccessible to anyone since the debacle in Paradise, is once again coming within reach. zoe brings a gift to all people: Light! This is not about electromagnetic radiation in the visible spectral range. Paul describes it: «Even though it was dark in you before, you are now filled with the light of the Lord; therefore, live now also as children of light! For this light within you brings forth only goodness, righteousness and truth.»(Ephesians 5:8f NLB). The light, which cannot be extinguished by anything, fundamentally changes individuals and thus the whole world.
The trailblazer – unvarnished and testimonial
Great events cast their shadows ahead. This is how it was before the great artist entered his work: «God sent John the Baptist to tell all people about the light, so that through him all might believe in it. John himself was not the light; he was only a witness to the light.»(John 1:6–8 NLB). Like other kings, Jesus has a vanguard, a pioneer, an avant-garde. An avant-garde is a group of pioneers of an intellectual development. He bluntly shows the country’s spiritual leaders that they must repent: «[…] You brood of vipers! Who gave you the idea that you could escape the coming judgement? Bring forth fruit that shows you are serious about repentance, and do not think you can plead that you have Abraham for a father […].»(John 3:7–9 NCC). Turn around instead of relying on one’s origins! This champion is aware of his role. He «was not the light; he was only a witness for the light». He is not the one who brings salvation and creates new life, but only a guide. John is not thebut a Witness to the healing light. Every person who is converted and now walking with Jesus also becomes a witness for life. We don’t have to prove or defend God or talk strongly, but be a witness to Him who has changed our lives.
The artist ‑unrecognised and rejected
«And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld his glory, a glory as of the only begotten Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.»(John 1:14 LUT). Christmas means that the artist enters his work. He takes on an earthly body and joins his creations. In ancient times there was hostility towards the body. People wanted to be enlightened in their souls. The body stood in the way of this. And that a god should be made of matter was unthinkable, scandalous. C.S. Lewis: «Christianity is almost the only one among the great religions that affirms the body through and through. From the Christian point of view, matter is something good. God himself once took on a human body, and we will also get a body of some kind in heaven, which will then be an essential part of our blessedness, our beauty and our power.» It was a revolutionary thought that God comes into the world with a body. The Creator of the whole universe cares about the body. God gives it value and dignity. Nor does it matter how we deal with our bodies. Even in the new world we will not float around as disembodied souls, but will receive a body with new abilities. What is your relationship with your body? It is a work of art of the Creator and He even uses it as a temple for the Holy Spirit (1Corinthians 6:19).
So God enters his work provided with a body. «But although the world was created through him, the world did not recognise him when he came. He came into the world that is his, and his own people did not receive him»(John 1:10f NLB). It’s crazy; the world was created by God and bears his fingerprint. Nevertheless, He, the artist, was not taken in by his works. This began even before his birth, when his parents could not find a place to stay, and continues to this day. How arrogant is that? The world does not respond to God’s plan. That is why Jesus was killed and created out of the world. But that is where God intervenes. He brought Jesus back to life in such a way that He became resistant to suffering, pain and death. There had never been anything like it on planet earth before. But it was the first step towards the great goal of which God speaks through the prophet Isaiah: «Behold! I create a new heaven and a new earth […].»(Isaiah 65:17 NLB).
Thank God there is an option to not accepting Jesus; namely accepting Him: «But to all those who received him and believed in his name, he gave the right to become God’s children. They did not become this by their descent or by human effort or intention, but this new life comes from God» (John 1:12f NLB). Objectively, Christmas means that the Creator enters his work. Subjectively, we experience Christmas when we receive the Word made flesh and believe in his name. To receive Him and believe in His name is to recognise the Incarnate Word and allow Him to begin to create in one’s heart, bringing life and installing the gift of light. Angelus Silesius expresses it drastically: «And if Christ were born a thousand times in Bethlehem, and not in you, you would still be lost for all eternity.«When we receive Jesus, He immediately becomes creative. The new creation consists of a human being becoming a child of God (cf. 1 Corinthians 5:17). And as such it receives new life from God (zoe) and its existence is linked to the Light God floods through. As a child of God, a person becomes heir to the glory of God and partaker of the new heaven and the new earth.
Today we celebrate Christmas. It is the feast when the origin of creation showed itself to the world for the first time. The same creative spirit that created the world set the new creation in motion in Mary’s womb with the formation of an embryo.. The Word, meaning Jesus, has creative power and is responsible for the new creation in the same measure as in the beginning when the universe was created. Give the Word space in your heart. He will create something new.
