Welcome back! Today is Day 19 of our journey through Advent, reading the devotionals in Jill and Stuart Briscoe's "Meet Him at the Manger". I'm so glad you're here!
Our Bible reading passage today is John 1: 1 - 2 , 14 (although I'm going to include all 14 verses here for us) ...
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was with God in the beginning. 3 All things were created through Him, and apart from Him not one thing was created that has been created. 4 Life was in Him, and that life was the light of men. 5 That light shines in the darkness, yet the darkness did not overcome it.
6 There was a man named John who was sent from God. 7 He came as a witness to testify about the light, so that all might believe through him. 8 He was not the light, but he came to testify about the light. 9 The true light, who gives light to everyone, was coming into the world.
10 He was in the world, and the world was created through Him, yet the world did not recognize Him. 11 He came to His own, and His own people did not receive Him. 12 But to all who did receive Him, He gave them the right to be children of God, to those who believe in His name, 13 who were born, not of blood, or of the will of the flesh, or of the will of man, but of God.
14 The Word became flesh and took up residence among us. We observed His glory, the glory as the One and Only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.
Listen to how Stuart Briscoe explains how these verses fit into the Christmas story: "It’s impossible for us to comprehend God. Just as you can’t pour an ocean into a
thimble, you can’t fit the mind of God into the human brain. So God decided that He
would translate Himself into a language humans could understand. And that’s why
Jesus was born. He came to interpret God to us in our own language."
Isn't it amazing?? Continuing with yesterday's theme of God communicating with His Children, today's verses are just mind-boggling ... we serve a God who so desperately wants to restore us to Him, that He translated Himself into a form we could almost comprehend, in order to be a "visible expression of God" for us (S. Briscoe).
That's what "the Word became flesh means" - it's the Ultimate, sinless, perfect Creator God, choosing to identify with the people He loves, in order to lead us to Himself.
Silent night, Holy night Son of God, love's pure light Radiant beams from thy holy face With the dawn of redeeming grace, Jesus, Lord at thy birth Jesus, Lord at thy birth