Hebrews 1:1-4; John 1:1-14 (Exodus Chapter 3)

The Reverend Paul D. Allick, St. George’s Episcopal Church, December 25, 2009

Do you ever lose words? You know that feeling when you are searching for a name, a place, or a word to express a feeling. We think hard. We grasp with the fingers of our minds and try to grab the lost word and bring it forth.

To put a word to something is to name it. To name something is to understand it.

In the Third Chapter of the Book of Exodus, Moses tries to find out God’s name. Moses is out tending to father-in-law’s sheep when God appears. He appears as a burning bush that never burns up; it keeps burning but is never consumed. God calls to Moses but then says, “Do not come closer. Remove your sandals from your feet, for this place on which you are standing is holy ground.”

Moses isn’t sure what he is seeing or hearing. He wants to put a name to it. If he can name this experience then he can explain it. Then the voice identifies itself, “I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.” In other words, “You know me. You’ve heard of me. Your people know me.”

Now it’s becoming clearer. Moses hides his face. He is afraid to look at God. Who could ever see God and live? But Moses wants to know more. So he asks God, “What is your name?” The answer is more mysterious than the bush. God answers, “I am who I am.”

It’s hard for Moses to understand who that is. The meaning of that phrase in Hebrew is hard to explain. It could be, “I am who I am” or “I am who I will be” or “I am what I am.” Many commentators suggest that it means, “I will be what tomorrow demands.” (Torah, p.405) God will do what needs to be done.

In the Jewish tradition of Midrash it is suggested that while God will have many names “He is what He is by virtue of His deeds. That is to say, you cannot really know Him until you experience Him in your life.” (Torah, p. 406)

Moses needed a name. He needed to tell the people who he was asking them to follow. If Moses was going to be the messenger, he needed to identify the source of the message.

In those days, God spoke to the people through messengers. As we read in the Letter to the Hebrews, “Long ago God spoke to our ancestors in many and various ways by the prophets, but in these last days he has spoken to us by a Son.”

This is what you and I celebrate today: the arrival of the Son. In Christ, we now have a name. We now have words that can make sense to us. God’s presence has now come to us in a more accessible way. In Christ, all of God’s glory is brought forth in human form: No longer a mystery only but also a tangible presence.

The Letter to the Hebrews explains Jesus’ identity this way, “He is the reflection of God’s glory and the exact imprint of God’s very being.”

God has now come very close to us; He has come in our very flesh. The wisdom of God, that is His Word, has come into our words, our language. He has come into our existence. Now we have another way to put words to the unspeakable presence of God.

The Word of God is the first word of the universe; the Word that explains all of the logic of God. This Word was in the beginning of creation, it was with God and it was God. Through this Word all created things came into being. And now, in this person of Jesus, this Word has become flesh and dwelt among us.

I will never get over how incredible that is!

We don’t have to hide our faces. We can look God in the face. He is accessible in a whole new way. We aren’t searching for name or a word anymore.

Ah, and there is the danger inherent in the blessing of it all. We aren’t searching for a name or a word anymore. As soon as we name something we think we own it and completely understand it. As soon as we begin to name things they begin to lose all mystery for us.

Because Moses couldn’t fully name God, couldn’t look Him in the face, Moses remained in awe. He was held by the mystery of it all. He was unable to ever put God into words.

We Christians have a name for God. For us it is, “Father, Son and Holy Spirit.” For others it is simply “Jesus” or “Christ”. We name it. We claim it. We categorize it. We use it as a weapon. We drain it of all its power and glory by putting it into our words.

Even though we received this great gift of the Incarnation, the Word become flesh, we should never be satisfied because we will never know the whole name of God. We will never have it all figured out.

In Christ, what we have is a way to approach God not to name God completely.

We approach God now in the Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ. We read, mark, learn and inwardly digest His teachings and actions. We don’t do this so that we can completely name and categorize God. We do it to get closer to Him; to follow him more intently.

Ultimately, you and I can never know God’s name any better than Moses. But we are blessed to have a whole new way to get to know Him better. That is the gift of Christmas, the true gift of the Incarnation.

Reference: THE TORAH, A Modern Commentary

Edited by W. Gunther Plaut

Union of Hebrew Congregations

New York 1981