“Incarnation”Main point: The incarnation shows us salvation.INTRODUCTION My wife recently posted on Facebook the list of books she read during 2024. Over the last several years his has become somewhat of an annual tradition among our family and friends scattered around the country. She lists her favorites of the 60+ books she's read and I casually enjoy the rich conversation that develops from others who have read or intended to read books from the list.More than a few times each year as she works her way through one book or another she remarks to me of her discontent with the way the book is dragging along, usually around ¾ of the way through. She wonders aloud if she should push through and complete the book or drop it and start another one. Here is another point of departure between my wife's methods and my own. I finish only around ⅓ of the books I start. My wife, on the other hand, finds a way to power through and complete the book nearly every time.The season of Christmas may be sitting with you in similar terms. We find ourselves on the 12th day - the last day - of Christmas. Most of us dropped Christmas a week or more ago. Some of us are committed to pushing through to the end. You might be over it, but concerning the coming of Jesus into the world 2000 years ago - the real meaning of Christmas - there's still a little bit more toothpaste we can squeeze out of the tube.The first chapter of John's gospel tells the story of the incarnation of God. For those of us who are unfamiliar with the term incarnation, think of it this way. When we say incarnation we simply mean when God became human.In our gospel we discover the setting of incarnation: In the beginning was the Word.Next we discover the substance of incarnation: The Word became flesh and dwelt among us.Finally, we discover salvation found in incarnation:From his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace.Setting. Substance. Salvation.SETTING OF INCARNATIONIn the beginning was the Word. The Word was with God and the Word was God. (vs. 1)This line may sound familiar. “In the beginning…” The first words of the entire Bible in the first chapter of Genesis are “In the beginning, God…”  Here we read. “In the beginning, was the Word…(that is Jesus).”It's no accident that the writer of our Gospel, St. John, echoes the language of Genesis 1 when he introduces Jesus to the world.John tells us, Jesus was in the beginning. All things were created through Jesus. No one has ever seen God, but now, in Jesus, we have seen God and in Jesus we see the fullness of God revealed to us.Let's not rush through such a profound statement. Pause and let it sink in for a moment. In the beginning was the Word. The Word was with God and the Word was God.Do you realize what St. John is saying? God was as fully on display as God can be - in the person Jesus Christ, because when we see Jesus, we see God. Wow. Soak that in. Let it catch you.The setting of the incarnation starts in the beginning. In the beginning, Jesus was with God and Jesus was God.

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