Daily Gospel Reflection for December 25, 2022: The Nativity of the Lord (Christmas)

Join us as we reflect, ponder, and pray together inspired by today's Gospel.

Today's Gospel: John 1:1-18

Happy Christmas!

In the Christmas Day Gospel, John makes explicit connections to Christ’s divinity; the reason was that it was hotly debated whether Jesus was divine or not when John was compiling his Gospel. Without qualms, John states,

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 to be through him, and without him nothing came to be.

Before John penned this, Paul wrote something very similar to the community in Colossae (Colossians 1:15-17), and Paul wrote those words inspired by the Book of Wisdom (7:25-26). And in the second reading today from Hebrews, we hear something very, very similar. What is it that all these authors are getting at? Y’know, it’s so simple that it looks like foolishness at first glance: God is with us.

God with us.

Emmanuel. (Maybe that rings a bell from Isaiah for you, too.)

God, the one Who is before all else and through Whom all is created – yeah, that one. That God became the fragile, vulnerable, little human being Whom Mary swaddled and nourished with her own body and Whom Joseph kept a protective watch over. That God did not regard equality with God as something to be exploited while human (Philippians 2:6). That God, Who submitted himself to suffering and death for the sake of our feeble and finite lives.

That is the God Whom we celebrate being born today; the One, the only one Who is capable of such a pinnacle event, and Who did it out of complete and utter love. Look how much love accomplishes! It is truly amazing.

Rejoice, for today is born our savior: Christ the Lord!

Ponder:

Recall a word from today’s Gospel that has stuck with you; what is it that is making it stick? What might God be whispering into your heart with that word?

Pray:

Jesus, You are the eternal Word of God, Who flooded the world with joy at Your birth. Fill us with joy by the continuous gift of Your life.

Click to tweet:
Y’know, it’s so simple that it looks like foolishness at first glance: God is with us. God with us. Emmanuel. #dailygospel

Copyright 2022 Jane Korvemaker