John's Gospel doesn't tell us about the shepherds and angels, nor the wise men. Rather, he goes back even further to the very beginning. He introduces us to 'the Word', who was with God, and was God. So in Genesis 1, as God spoke light into being, this Word was the agent of creation. This Word is also light and life for the world, but it's in verse 14 that we find the Christmas message:
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. (John 1:14)
The Word of God became one of us, and lived among us. Matthew may use the word Emmanuel, John tells us the very same thing. John, one of this who saw Jesus up close and personal describes what he has seen as glory - God's glory manifested in flesh, full of grace and truth.
Often we imagine that's it's an either / or choice - grace or truth. Truth in it's brutal reality withholding nothing; or else just being nice without integrity. Jesus, however, gives us both grace and truth. The glory of God is here.
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