LOGOS TRADING POST - CHRISTMAS CARDS

The Word Becomes Flesh

John 1:14 says, “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.” Christ coming to live among us is an amazing truth, so we are more than happy to offer these Christian Christmas cards as reminders of His goodness and sacrifice. We carry both Christian bookmarks and pass along scripture cards, and both are represented in this collection. Not to mention, we have a variety of other Christmas products, such as ornaments or hand carved wooden nativities!

Still, what exactly does it mean that “the Word became flesh?” Well, in reality, that is what we are ultimately celebrating on Christmas, so it is worth pursuing a deep understanding of John’s prologue. In this context, the word John uses when authoring his gospel for “Word” appears as “Logos” in the original text. Sounds familiar, doesn’t it? That is indeed where we get our name, Logos Trading Post - perhaps you could even say, “Word of God” Trading Post.

Now, a more critical question would by why exactly the word Logos was chosen for John chapter 1; after all, the Greek language has many synonyms that all translate to “word.” However, it is enriching to understand why Logos is the word that appears. The New Testament is composed of Christian text, but the divinely inspired authors would have still been familiar with the philosophy and belief of their contemporaries. Specifically in their Hellenistic context, the word Logos had been supercharged with deep philosophical meaning. Philosophers had discussed the word for hundreds of years, and its definition had evolved to become more than simply “word.” Over time, it had come to less directly mean things such as “truth”, “the essence of expression”, and “reality.”

It is significant then, that John comes to engage in this discussion. Little did he know that he was writing a gospel for us to experience thousands of years later; in the forefront of his mind was the people to whom he was writing back in his day. It was calculated choice for him to utilize the word Logos in the opening verses of his gospel. By doing this, he expressed that Jesus being born upon the earth in a genuine human body just like us was more than just the birth of an important figure in history - though that it was. Instead, John expressed to those reading his gospel that the birth of the Savior was a magnificent event; not only was the Son of God among us, but the essence of all reality and all truth had come to be expressed through “his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.”

Why Did Jesus Have to Be Born?

We are proud of our Christian Christmas cards, whether our pass along scripture cards or our bible bookmarks, but they are only find their worth in what they celebrate: the birth of Jesus Christ. Let’s consider another gospel, Matthew, which says in Matthew 1:22-23, “All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet: ‘Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call his name Immanuel’ (which means, God with us).” These words were spoken by the prophet Isaiah some 700 years before Christ. But why did any of it have to happen? Wasn’t there any other way for God to bring humanity to salvation?

That’s a hard question to directly answer, but some of the words of Jesus as an adult may lead our thinking in the right direction. Before His crucifixion, the most incredible sacrifice ever made and one of the key components of God’s plan of salvation, he prays, and Luke 22:41-23 records, “He withdrew from them [his disciples] about a stone’s throw, and knelt down and prayed, saying ‘Father, if you are willing, remove this cup from me. Nevertheless, not my will, but yours, be done.’ And there appeared to him an angel from heaven, strengthening him.” Even Jesus Himself questioned if there was any alternative, any other way for God’s will to be done than by his birth, death, resurrection, and ascension as a genuine human being. The Father does not speak in response to the prayer of His only begotten Son, but he sends an angel to strengthen Him to face the fate before Him.

Was there another way? We cannot know the thoughts of God for certain, but we can surmise by this response and by the fact of it being the Father’s will, Christ becoming a man and dying in our place was - at the very least - the best way. After all, the author of Hebrews compares the sacrifices of the past with the sacrifice of Christ, saying in Hebrews 9:12-16, “He [Jesus] entered once and for all into the holy places, not by means of the blood of goats and calves but by means of his own blood, thus securing an eternal redemption. For is the blood of goats and bulls, and the sprinkling of defiled persons with the ashes of a heifer, sanctify for the purification of the flesh, how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without blemish to God, purify our conscience from dead works to serve the living God. Therefore he is the mediator of a new covenant, so that those who are called may receive the promised eternal inheritance, since a death has occurred that redeems them from the transgressions committed under the first covenant. For where a will is involved, the death of the one who made it must be established.”

All in All

In the end, Christmas is worthy of celebration because the Word became flesh and blood, and because He was flesh and blood like us, He was able to grow into a man and make a sacrifice that was truly redemptive. Indeed, it was all worth it to Jesus because our redemption was His will and His love for us was and is His motivation. It is our hope that these thoughts may be at the forefront of your mind when you look at our Christian Christmas cards or any of our Christmas products.