Sunday, December 25, 2011

Christmas messengers

Merry Christmas sisters and brothers!
Today Isaiah helps us rejoice about good news: the good news of God's redemption. John sets Jesus' birth in its cosmic place. Jesus is not just the anointed king, not just the son of God, but truly God who created the world. Even though the dark forces of the world can't accept Jesus, even though they try to extinguish his light; Christ's light and love keep shining. Thanks be to God; Alleluia!

God bless,
Sam




Isaiah 52:7-10
7  How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of the messenger who announces peace,
   who brings good news, who announces salvation, who says to Zion, “Your God reigns.”
8  Listen! Your sentinels lift up their voices, together they sing for joy;
   for in plain sight they see the return of the LORD to Zion.
9  Break forth together into singing, you ruins of Jerusalem;
   for the LORD has comforted his people, he has redeemed Jerusalem.
10 The LORD has bared his holy arm before the eyes of all the nations;
   and all the ends of the earth shall see the salvation of our God.


*Sunday
John 1:1-18
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2He was in the beginning with God. 3All things came into being through him, and without him not one thing came into being. What has come into being 4in him was life, and the life was the light of all people. 5The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it.

6There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. 7He came as a witness to testify to the light, so that all might believe through him. 8He himself was not the light, but he came to testify to the light. 9The true light, which enlightens everyone, was coming into the world. 10He was in the world, and the world came into being through him; yet the world did not know him. 11He came to what was his own, and his own people did not accept him. 12But to all who received him, who believed in his name, he gave power to become children of God, 13who were born, not of blood or of the will of the flesh or of the will of man, but of God. 14And 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.

15(John testified to him and cried out, “This was he of whom I said, ‘He who comes after me ranks ahead of me because he was before me.’”) 16From his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace. 17The law indeed was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. 18No one has ever seen God. It is God the only Son, who is close to the Father’s heart, who has made him known.

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