Scripture
John 1:1-14 (ESV)
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. In him was life, and the life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. He came as a witness, to bear witness about the light, that all might believe through him. He was not the light, but came to bear witness about the light. The true light, which gives light to everyone, was coming into the world. He was in the world, and the world was made through him, yet the world did not know him. He came to his own, and his own people did not receive him. But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God. 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.
AI Prompt
Visualize a tender scene of a baby's hand reaching up into a soft, warm light from a dark background. The focus is on the small, delicate hand, symbolizing innocence, hope, and new beginnings. The light above is gentle yet illuminating, casting a glow on the baby's fingers and creating a contrast with the surrounding darkness. This image captures a moment of connection and aspiration, embodying the universal themes of growth, discovery, and the reaching out for something greater. The composition should evoke emotional resonance, with the light representing guidance, protection, and the promise of the future.
Devotional Reflection
Martin Luther once wrote, "He who wants to speculate about GOD successfully in a godly manner should not do it without the Word but should apprehend the incarnate Son and begin from the manger and the swaddling clothes in which He was wrapped until he comes to the ascent into heaven. In this way he will receive in faith and remain in the Word and the promise which has been given." Luther is right of course. We can't fathom the miracle of the incarnation of the Word. Our reason cannot explain how the infinite, eternal God can dwell fully and completely in a body of human flesh. Our mind cannot, by logic, comprehend how it is that Jesus Christ is fully God and fully man. Yet we dare not attempt to seek God by any other path than the one that leads us right through the Word made flesh. Christ's incarnation is God's most definitive Word to man. If we want to know who God is and what he says to us, his creatures--then we must begin with Christ. Christ in the manger. Christ in the baptismal waters. Christ touching lepers. Christ opening the eyes of the blind. Christ calling forth the dead. Christ silent in mockery. Christ suffering on the cross. Christ rising in victory. Christ ascended into glory. The Word made flesh is the light by which we see God.
Source: Martin Luther, Luther’s Works, Vol. 6: Lectures on Genesis: Chapters 31-37, ed. Jaroslav Jan Pelikan, Hilton C. Oswald, and Helmut T. Lehmann, vol. 6 (Saint Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1999), 261.