John chapter 1. By George Severn
John 1:14 states, “And the Word became flesh and lived among us, and we have seen his glory, the glory as of a father’s only son, full of grace and truth.” It is commonly believed that the Christmas narratives are found in the Gospels of Matthew and Luke, and we generally turn to them this time of year, as we celebrate the birth of Jesus the Christ. However, it seems to me that we often miss out on the nativity scene according to John. There is no doubt that Matthew and Luke are recorded from an earthly perspective, yet John clearly records the event from God’s perspective. God had been in the Garden of Eden and had walked with His image bearers in the cool of the day. Unfortunately that practice stopped as the result of human sin. For thousands of years the Lord watched over His people in various ways but never walked with humanity as He did in the Garden. Thankfully that absence came to an end with the birth of Christ. John said that the Word became flesh and made His dwelling among us. The Greek word for dwelling in this particular verse is σκηνόω (skēnoō), meaning to live; take up residence. On the first Christmas morning (whatever day that actually was), God in the flesh, Emmanuel, once again walked among humanity, even lived with them. Can you imagine God, in the form of His only begotten Son, moving into your neighborhood? That is exactly what took place in the birth of Jesus. Wow…how awesome. However, it gets even better. Jesus grew into a man and He died on the cross making forgiveness for all sins possible, for those who allow His grace to govern their lives. As a result a New Testament Christian is not only able to have their sins forgiven, but also become indwelled by the Holy Spirit of God. Yes, Jesus once lived in a “house next door.” Yet, Holy Spirit moves into our “home” with us as we become born again believers of Christ Jesus. This, to me, is the greatest aspect of Christmas, Jesus not only brought the glory of God, but also His grace and truth. If you have never opened this perfect Christmas gift I would love to discuss it with you. May each of you have a blessed day and please remember the true hope that this day brings.
