Worldwide Christmas December 29, 2025 Devotional

JOHN 1:1-5 | ¹ In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. ² He was in the beginning with God. ³ All things came into being through him, and without him not one thing came into being. What has come into being ⁴ in him was life, and the life was the light of all people. ⁵ The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overtake it.

The Word John speaks of is his special way of referring to Jesus. "Word" is one way to translate the Greek term “logos.” When translating a word from one language to another, there are two classic problems—one of poverty and one of excess. Sometimes it is hard to find an equivalent word to render a concept from an original tongue to another language. But sometimes, as with logos, the problem is the richness of the idea. In English, it might be rendered mind, or thought, or principle, or rational order, or coherence. John is saying that, in Jesus, we have the creative power or rational principle that
brings life and order to the cosmos. God's inner life is rational and ordered and so is the creation.

Science arose in western culture because of this belief. Nature was the ordered work of a rational God. Men and women made in His image could explore the natural word, indeed were called to do so, and expected to find order, congruence, and intelligent design.

Thank God for three evidences of order in your life and world today. Pray for all of those in our congregation who teach and help people to make connections between faith and reason.

Gracious God,

I thank You for the marvelous order you have established within Your creation. Thank You too for bestowing intelligence on Your children to allow them to explore.

Amen.