“The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth” (John 1:14).

Certain moments in life take your breath away. The glory of a sunset over snowcapped mountain peaks or an early morning sunrise over endless waters. A groom’s first glimpse of his bride just before she walks down the aisle. A child’s first word, first step. An amazing feat of skill and ability. A brilliant display of artistry. Large snowflakes quietly descending from the heavens during an evening stroll. A powerful moment when music reflects your thoughts. Simple words like hearing “I love you” for the first time or “Welcome home!” to one who has been away for so long.

Or perhaps it’s these simple, yet profound words at Christmas: “The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us.” Simple words with breathtaking power. Consider for a moment what the apostle John has to say.

The Word . . . Consider what words are. They reveal what we think and what we are like. Now consider God’s words as we find them in Scripture. They reveal what God thinks and what God is like. Through Jesus, we find out what God is thinking and how he really feels about us. Without Jesus, we could only assume that God is an angry judge, punishing our sin with eternal destruction. Through Jesus, we see God’s love from eternity. Jesus was there in the beginning. Through Jesus, all things were made. Jesus is God himself. Since Jesus is the focal point of all Scripture, he is the Word, but what makes him so breathtaking?

. . . became flesh . . . Need to catch your breath? After all, these words are some of the most profound ever written in human language. God . . . became . . . a human being. The Lord of heaven and earth, the Creator of the universe, the holy and almighty God who dwells in unapproachable light and in whose presence sin cannot exist, allowed himself to become an actual human being—mortal, weak, and limited. At one point, in the womb of his virgin mother, Mary, God allowed himself to become no larger than the period at the end of this sentence. He allowed himself to experience suffering. He even endured the awful reality of death. Why?

Since Jesus is the focal point of all Scripture, he is the Word, but what makes him so breathtaking?

. . . and made his dwelling among us. God became human to do what? Why would God come into our sinful existence to face temptation and all the painful effects of life in a sinful world? Why would God willingly endure suffering and death that he did not deserve? To make his dwelling among us! To set up his tent in our world and make himself approachable in the person of our Savior Jesus Christ.

No longer do we need to live in fear of God’s righteous judgment. God became human for us. Jesus became human to put himself in our place to endure that judgment and give us peace with God again. The glory of God’s one and only Son is revealed to us in the One who comes from the Father, full of grace and truth.

Such a glorious reality this Christmas! Let it take your breath away.

PRAYER: Lord Jesus Christ, truly God and truly human, take my breath away this Christmas at the reality that you became flesh to live with me. Amen.

Author: Jeremiah Gumm
Volume 111, Number 12
Issue: December 2024