Woven

Yesterday, we read Dr. Luke’s version of the Christmas story. Without a doubt, Luke 2 is the story I most remember being read as part of Christmas Eve or Christmas morning tradition. It's fitting, because Luke is so detailed.

But, John scripted the story I appreciate most. His book holds the words that mean the most to me in studying Christ’s entry into our world as a man. Specifically, John 1:14 is my favorite way to remember Christmas.

And, the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth. (NASV)

And so the Living Expression became a man and lived among us! We gazed upon his glory, the glory of the One and Only who came from the Father overflowing with tender mercy and truth! (The Passion Translation)

The Word became flesh and blood, and moved into the neighborhood. We saw the glory with our own eyes, the one-of-a-kind glory, like Father, like Son, generous inside and out, true from start to finish. (The Message)

I don’t know why He’d choose such a path. THE Christ, THE Son of God, THE Savior of the world chose to come here and live with us.

Here in this place that is so hard.

Here in this place that is full of so much evil.

Here in this place that is inhabited by us, and we keep messing it all up.

But, He moved right into the neighborhood because of His great love for us and because it was the plan from the very beginning.

While this is certainly the first and only time God had come to the earth in human form. It certainly wasn’t the first time God had initiated a dwelling among His people.

You remember, right? When the Hebrews escaped slavery in the book of Exodus and wandered into the desert, God promised that if they'd build a house for His Presence, He would come a meet with them. So, they built the tabernacle exactly like God instructed from the materials they had plundered from the Egyptians. That tabernacle was made mobile so that God could travel the desert with His people and move with them into the Promised Land.

That’s why this verse is so precious to me. In verse 14, the Greek translation of “dwelt among us” literally means “tabernacled,”

Jesus became flesh and tabernacled among us.

The wording reminds me that God has been making a way to be with His people for a long time, and Jesus was going to be that forever dwelling. He was going to make a way for us to have full access to our Father forever.

Oh, we know what’s coming. He won’t live forever here on earth. We all know that He will die for our sins, raise from death to save us from our sins forever, and then live in Heaven with His Father until He returns to get us. BUT, this tabernacle on earth would make a way for God to live with us (in us) forever.

I don’t possess the words to write out how amazing this is! So, open your Bible and read John 1: 1-18 for yourself. I pray that you marvel in His gift today. No matter how long you’ve been saved I pray the magnitude of what’s been done for us washes over you in a fresh way today.

If so, journal about it. Write out anything that you experience in your study. Then, write a message to Jesus. If He was sitting right here with you in His human form, what would you say to Him?

Ladies, there is so much more in the book of John. If you’ve never read it from start to finish, I encourage you to do that someday. It’s a powerful Gospel and a great place to start in reading about Jesus. I wish we could do all the reading together. I have to trust that God is leading you to the specific words He has for you throughout our study together.

Jesus, Jesus, Jesus…. Yours is the sweetest Name that we know. Thank you for moving into our neighborhood. It was such a difficult walk for You. Yet, You showed us that we were worth it. We were the JOY that was set before You enabling You to endure difficulty all the way to death. Become the JOY that is within us, the joy that enables and strengthens us to do our own difficult journey. We want to live the full life intended for us, and we just can’t do it without You. Since You came all this way to tabernacle among us, cause us to recognize that and to look to You every moment of every day to satisfy all of our needs. Amen.