| 1 Love came down at Christmas, Love all lovely, love divine; Love was born at Christmas, Stars and angels gave the sign. |
2 Worship we the Godhead, Love incarnate, love divine; Worship we our Jesus: But wherewith for sacred sign? |
3 Love shall be our token, Love be yours and love be mine, Love to God and all men, Love for plea and gift and sign. |
by Christina Rossetti
5Jesus Is Born
1 At that time the Emperor Augustus ordered a census of the Roman Empire. 2 This was the first census taken while Quirinius was governor of Syria. 3 All the people went to register in the cities where their ancestors had lived. |
Prologue
- Before anything else existed, there was Christ, with God. He has always been alive and is himself God. He created everything there is - nothing exists that he didn't make.
- Eternal life is in him, and this life gives light to all mankind. His life is the light that shines through the darkness - and the darkness can never extinguish it.
- God sent John the Baptist as a witness to the fact that Jesus Christ is the true Light. John himself was not the Light; he was only a witness to identify it.
- Later on, the one who is the true Light arrived to shine on everyone coming into the world. But although he made the world, the world didn't recognize him when he came. Even in his own land and among his own people, the Jews, he was not accepted. Only a few would welcome and receive him.
- But to all who received him, he gave the right to become children of God. All they needed to do was to trust him to save them. All those who believe this are reborn! - not a physical rebirth resulting from human passion or plan - but from the will of God.
- And Christ became a human being and lived here on earth among us and was full of loving forgiveness and truth. And some of us have seen his glory - the glory of the only Son of the heavenly Father!
John chapter 1, verses 1 - 14
The Living Bible
