When The Door Slams
And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth. John 1:14 NKJV
When Daniel was captive in Babylon, Nebuchadnezzar the king had a dream. He demanded that the wise men of his court not only tell him the interpretation of the dream but the dream itself! How else would he know if they truly had access to "the divine"? His courtiers recoiled at the very idea: "It is a difficult thing that the king requests, and there is no other who can tell it to the king except the gods, whose dwelling is not with flesh" (Daniel 2:11).
Therein lies the human dilemma: We are "here," and God is "there." While God dwelt with man in the Holy of Holies, He was not "with flesh." It was not until the first Christmas that God "became flesh and dwelt among us" so that we might know Him and behold God's glory (John 1:14). At the first Christmas, the gap between God and man was bridged in a way never before imagined in history-God becoming a man! Jesus of Nazareth came to live a life acceptable unto God so that we could be forgiven for our unacceptable (sinful) lives.
In a sense, of course, Christmas is about us. God loved us, became flesh for us, died to forgive our sins, and rose to give us everlasting life. Christmas is the celebration of what Jesus did for us. But in return, we should make it all about Him: loving Him, serving Him, praising Him, and emulating His attitude of humility.
He humbled Himself to become human; in turn, Joseph and Mary put His interests before their own. The shepherds, too, put Him first. They left their flocks and bowed before Him. The Magi worshiped Him and presented Him with their gifts. In the temple, the aged Anna and the venerable Simeon praised God because of Him. They gladly let Him be the central focus.
Think about this: As you celebrate Christmas this year, don't lose sight of what Christmas means: God became a man and dwelt among us. Not just in spirit, but in bodily form so that humanity and deity might be reunited forever through faith in Him.
Let's have ourselves a humble Christmas. Turn your thoughts toward Him and others. What a great time to rededicate the remainder of your days on earth to serving Christ with a humility that transcends the holidays.
Intercession: But this Man, after He had offered one sacrifice for sins forever, sat down at the right hand of God (Hebrews 10:12).
Ask the Holy Spirit to search your heart and reveal any areas of unconfessed sin. Acknowledge these to the LORD and thank Him for His forgiveness.
Never Rest Ministries
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