Advent Reading for Wednesday, Week 4 (December 21, 2022)

 

The Season of Advent prepares us for Christ's coming--both on Christmas Day and when we comes again in glory.  This year, we will spend each week exploring a different way we can prepare ourselves.  The post for each day will include a scripture, a song, a few brief questions to reflect upon, and a prayer. 

 

Week 4 Introduction

As we enter into the 4th week of Advent, the time has come to proclaim that our Savior is about to arrive.  The Hebrew and Greek words for "proclaim"  give us a variety of ways to share the Good News.  For a more in-depth introduction to the idea of proclamation, please refer back to our post for Sunday, Dec. 18.

Scripture

John 1:1- 18

1 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 came into being through him, and without him not one thing came into being. What has come into being ⁴ in him was life, and the life was the light of all people. ⁵ The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overtake it.

⁶ There was a man sent from God whose name was John. ⁷ He came as a witness to testify to the light, so that all might believe through him. ⁸ He himself was not the light, but he came to testify to the light. ⁹ The true light, which enlightens everyone, was coming into the world.

¹⁰ He was in the world, and the world came into being through him, yet the world did not know him. ¹¹ He came to what was his own, and his own people did not accept him. ¹² But to all who received him, who believed in his name, he gave power to become children of God, ¹³ who were born, not of blood or of the will of the flesh or of the will of man, but of God.

¹⁴ 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. 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.’ ”) ¹⁶ From his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace. ¹⁷ The law indeed was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. ¹⁸ No one has ever seen God. It is the only Son, himself God, who is close to the Father’s heart, who has made him known.  (NRSVUE) 

Hymn

Questions

John begins his Gospel by proclaiming that Jesus is God's Word made flesh, a Light the darkness, and the Son of God.

• Which of these images are you the most drawn to?  Why?
• What is John trying to tell us about who  Jesus is and what he came to do?
  
• If you were given the opportunity to write a Gospel, what would you want to tell people about who Jesus is?  How would you start out?
  

Prayer

Christ, give us the words to tell the world about who you are and what you came to do.  Amen.