12/26/18 – Pastor Brian’s Blog
Just imagine, God would become like us… The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth. John 1:14
Jesus chose to become man at a time when they did not have the technology we have today. I remember when Judy was pregnant with our first born Jamie. She was 4 weeks past due and we were trying everything we dared to, to help her give birth. We would eat pizza late at night, she helped me throw wood into our basement, we even would look for the bumpiest roads to ride on, but nothing seemed to work!
The doctor did take x-rays of our son Jamie and assured us that everything was fine, although I am not sure that Judy thought the extra 4 weeks was fine!! Anyway… the day finally arrives and I find myself in a delivery room getting ready to experience something I would never forget. As Judy participated in all the “joys” of labor, as she began to give birth to our son, and then as Jamie takes his first breath and begins to cry; an excitement, an emotion, an awe, a feeling I can’t even explain, overtook me as I watched our child come into our lives to dwell with us.
The same kind of feelings must have been felt by Jesus’ earthly dad, Joseph. I am pretty sure Joseph didn’t have a roll of dimes like I had, to call everyone when his son was born. And although Joseph did not have the same technology we had, he had something better. Joseph had an angel tell him that Mary would give birth to a son and that everything would be OK. He heard angels sing as Jesus, the God Man, arrived to dwell with his family.
Nothing in the Christmas story would indicate that the birth of Jesus was different than any other birth. Mary did not have some supernatural birth, Jesus didn’t rise out of Mary like a ghost so Mary could skip labor. The baby Jesus did not get up and walk over to the shepherds and welcome them when they arrived. No, John tells us that Jesus became flesh just like every other baby and made his dwelling among us.
The phrase John uses for “made his dwelling” comes from the idea of a tabernacle or tent. Jesus did not come to earth to live in some lofty tower, or to hang out with only the Jewish royalty, or to live the lavish lifestyle of the rich and famous. No! Jesus came, not to separate Himself from His creation, but to dwell with them, to ‘pitch his tent’ as it were, with humanity.
Unlike our son who was born in a hospital, with technology, doctors, and nurses surrounding him, the Creator of the world entered the world in a stinking manager, with only the help of a first-time dad. The Word was born into a home that was too poor to provide a bed, into a family that was scared and seemingly all alone.
The Word, Jesus, became flesh to set up a tent to reside with us. Later on in his life, Jesus would give us more insight into why He came to dwell among us… The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full. John 10:10
Jesus became flesh, not only to live a physical life, but to give us spiritual life. As overwhelming and emotional for me it was when Judy gave physical birth to Jamie, it doesn’t even come close to when Jesus give spiritual life to Jamie, Doria, Heather, Jeremy, and Heidi. And now to watch Jesus give spiritual life to my grandchildren? There is nothing like it! I feel like the Apostle John when he wrote… I have no greater joy than this, to hear of my children walking in the truth. 3 John 1:4
Jesus became flesh to dwell with us and to give us life… And this is the testimony: God has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life. I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life. 1 John 5:11-13
Jesus because flesh to dwell with us and to tell us that… “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” John 14:6
Jesus became flesh to dwell among us, so that He could tell us about salvation, and He also became flesh so that He could pay for the salvation He freely gives… But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Romans 5:8
Jesus came to dwell with us collectively because He longs to dwell with us individually! He longs to dwell in you!!
What better season of the year to let the world know that God, the One and Only, has come. If you have never received Christ, He wants to dwell in you. If you have received Christ, rejoice that He has come, and then go and tell your family, your children, your grandchildren, your neighbors, your friends, that “Jesus has come to seek and to save what was lost.” Luke 19:10 Just imagine, God became flesh just for you!!
Merry Christmas to you and your family from the Gowers. May you experience God in 2019 in ways that only He could imagine. And remember, because the Word, the One and Only, became flesh, all is well!!
