December 27, 2016 – Christmas + 2
St. John, Apostle and Evangelist

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things came into being through him, and without him not one thing came into being. What has come into being in him was life, and the life was the light of all people. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it. There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. He came as a witness to testify to the light, so that all might believe through him. He himself was not the light, but he came to testify to the light. The true light, which enlightens everyone, was coming into the world. He was in the world, and the world came into being through him; yet the world did not know him. He came to what was his own, and his own people did not accept him. 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. And the Word became flesh and lived among us, and we have seen his glory, the glory as of a father’s only son, full of grace and truth.” John 1:1-14

The Church celebrates the Feast of St. John, apostle and evangelist on December 27.  Born in Bethsaida, he was called to follow Jesus while he was mending his nets. He became the beloved disciple of Jesus. Tradition suggests he wrote the fourth Gospel, three Epistles and possibly (but doubtfully) the Apocalypse (we call Revelation). His passages on the pre-existence of the Word, who by His Incarnation became the light of the world and the life of our souls, are among the finest of the New Testament.

On this date in 1871, the very first World’s Cat Show was held in the Crystal Palace, London. Sixty-five cats were shown that day – and the popularity of the cat show grew from there to the point that in 1893 six hundred domestic cats participated. You can tell that not much has happened on December 27 throughout history that I have to list a cat show as the most exciting or challenging event in history (yes that is hyperbole, but just roll with it).

But we have St. John, the Gospel writer, who helps us remember that Jesus, the Word made flesh, was existent, even pre-existent since the beginning of everything. But it is the manner in which John shares his understanding of the Word. By connecting Jesus to the Genesis text and the beginning of all things, John helps us remember that Jesus was not made or begot from G-d – Jesus existed along with G-d and the Holy Spirit as the Trinity before the creation of everything, a theological concept that would take until the fourth century to become orthodoxy.

Today the church remembers one of the greatest and most profound writers of the life and times of Jesus. And because it is so different from the Synoptic Gospels, it is a wonderful witness to the high Christology of first century thinking and teaching.

Pastor Dave