Jesus-centered Christmas

1 In the beginning was the Word
    and the Word was with God
    and the Word was God.
² The Word was with God in the beginning.
³ Everything came into being through the Word,
    and without the Word
    nothing came into being.
What came into being
⁴     through the Word was life,^[a]
    and the life was the light for all people.
⁵ The light shines in the darkness,
    and the darkness doesn’t extinguish the light.

⁹ The true light that shines on all people
    was coming into the world.
¹⁰ The light was in the world,
    and the world came into being through the light,
        but the world didn’t recognize the light.
¹¹ The light came to his own people,
    and his own people didn’t welcome him.
¹² But those who did welcome him,
        those who believed in his name,
    he authorized to become God’s children,
¹³         born not from blood
        nor from human desire or passion,
        but born from God.
¹⁴ The Word became flesh
    and made his home among us.
We have seen his glory,
    glory like that of a father’s only son,
        full of grace and truth.

¹⁶ From his fullness we have all received grace upon grace;
¹⁷     as the Law was given through Moses,
    so grace and truth came into being through Jesus Christ.
¹⁸ No one has ever seen God.
    God the only Son,
        who is at the Father’s side,
        has made God known.