Silence: Take a moment to get still and ask God to center your heart on him.
Scripture: In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God. 3 All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made. 4 In him was life,[a] and the life was the light of men. 5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.14 And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son[a] from the Father, full of grace and truth. (John 1:1-5;14)
Devotional: Advent is the time in the church calendar where we celebrate the truth that Jesus the Messiah – the Christ, the deliverer of the Jewish people, the Anointed One the prophets spoke about – had come to earth. Advent, from the Latin word adventus, meaning “arrival”, is a season where we celebrate not only Christ’s first arrival, but also anticipate his promised second arrival where he will return not as a helpless baby, but as a triumphant King coming to restore all things.
Here in John’s Gospel we are invited in to peak behind the curtains of eternity along with seeing Jesus’ first arrival. We are introduced to Jesus as “the Word” who not only was with God from the beginning, but was God. It states that through Jesus all things of the world were created. Where have we heard this creation language before? Where have were read the phrase, “In the beginning”? It’s a reference to the book of Genesis. In the beginning was God and he created the heavens and the earth (Gen. 1:1). We also see John reference light, darkness, and life which was share a common thread in the story of Creation.
The profound truth we want to zero in on today is the fact that “the Word became flesh and dwelt among us”. The God of the Universe, the Creator of the world wrapped himself in flesh to enter into time and space to rescue his people. He moved in down the street. The phrase in the original language could be interpreted as he “put up a tent” on earth. He came to be the light of man and to push back the darkness of sin. God cared so deeply for his people that he was willing to leave the comforts of heaven to pursue his people, to pursue you, so that you wouldn’t remain in darkness. Christ, the Messiah, had arrived.
Question: How does it make you feel that God was willing to leave the comforts of heaven to pursue you?
Action: Spend today praying that God would help you stay focused on him during this holiday season.
Prayer: God of the Universe, Creator of the world, we thank you for sending your son to dwell among us. Thank you for sending him so that the darkness would not overcome. Thank you for sending Jesus as the light of men. Would you help me stay focused on you in the midst of the busyness during this holiday season. Amen.