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 were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made. John 1:1-4 ESV

Without any persuasive oration, John dives right in, just like Moses did in Genesis. We are introduced to the eternal Creator (He was already present when the beginning began), modestly referred to as “the Word.” In Greek this is logos, meaning to cause, the extension of, the communication of, or the Divine Expression.

We are also reminded of the triune nature of God (the Word was with and simultaneously was; multiple persons in the same Being).

And we see that the Word is the Creator of all things, and that nothing came into existence without Him, ruling out any chance that Christ was created by God (a common heresy in the time John wrote his epistle and one that still exists today). Christ was and always has been God the Creator.

Later in this chapter we confirm that the Word John is referring to is indeed Jesus Christ:

And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth. John 1:14 ESV

Christ, the Word, the Creator, God Himself, was born as a fully human baby (became flesh) in a barn to poor, young parents, and Whose birth was first announced to the world by a few night shepherds (Luke 2:8). Interestingly, shepherds on night watch occupied the lowest rung on the totem pole of life. They had as much clout and respect as the sheep they cared for.

Ponder that for a moment and let the gravity of Christ’s humility sink in… the Divine Expression of God, the Breath of all life, the Creator of atoms and galaxies, Who was, and is, and is to come (Rev 1:8), became a helpless baby.

Why? Because we need a Savior. We need a humble, perfect, sinless sacrifice that will stand in our place to cover our lifetime of wretched sins (Phil 2:6-8). There was and is nothing else and no one else that could wash the filthy mud of sin from our feet so that we can approach the spotless throne of God Almighty. That’s love… deep, incomprehensible love.

We have much to be thankful for this Christmas. It’s not about presents, lights, trees, or Santa. It’s about recognizing the humility of the very Word of all creation, Who came into the world for our benefit. What better gift could we ever get than what we already have in Christ Jesus!