God brooded for years over His remarkable idea of bringing salvation to earth, and in the fullness of time, He put flesh on His idea and brought forth that Word or idea in the form of a baby boy, His only Son.  It was more than a stroke of genius; it was a stroke of wisdom and power!

s we enter this holiday season, our thoughts focus on the meaning of Christmas.  Often the true significance is nudged into second or third place for many of us, as the tinsel and blinking lights tend to diminish the allure of that true Light of the world, Jesus Christ.  It’s kind of like going to a birthday party where more attention is given to the birthday cake than to the one whose birthday it is.

However, if it were left up to the writer of the Gospel of St. John, we would never forget what Christmas is all about.  In fact, John does not even portray the Christmas story with all its physical effects as do the other Gospel writers.  Instead, he writes a very poignant description of what truly took place from the very inception of God’s plan to its realization in time and space.

Creativity is never uniquely manifested in concrete form.  It is not a spur of the moment happening.  Creativity always appears first as an idea or concept.  Writers, artists, musicians, or sculptors never produce their works of art without an idea first forming in their minds.  Many will brood over an idea for a long period of time, even for years before the idea takes on a form that can be appreciated through the senses by others, whether that be through the sense of touch, hearing, or sight.

The Apostle John enables us to see that the birth of Christ was conceived millennia before it took place.  It was the idea and the plan of God from the very beginning. “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God and the Word was God.  He was with God in the beginning . . . The Word became flesh and dwelt among us.  We have seen His glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.”  (John 1: 1, 14)

God brooded for years over His remarkable idea of bringing salvation to earth, and in the fullness of time, He put flesh on His idea and brought forth that Word or idea in the form of a baby boy, His only Son.  It was more than a stroke of genius; it was a stroke of wisdom and power!

As we celebrate Christ’s birthday—more so incarnation, may we not only focus on the birthday honoree, but let’s also celebrate God’s wonderful idea which was conceived in the very beginning of time and in eternity.  May Christmas for all Christians be blessed and joyous!  Let’s commit ourselves to pray and work to make 2020 a year of fruitfulness and great glory on behalf of the Word made flesh who is full of grace and truth.

Helen Louise Herndon is a member of Central Presbyterian Church (EPC) in St. Louis, Missouri. She is freelance writer and served as a missionary to the Arab/Muslim world in France and North Africa.