advent day twelve


The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us

John 1:14

God with us

What an astonishing decision for God to have made!

In the Old Testament, the people of God saw God’s presence with them as a pillar of fire and smoke, as they travelled away from Egypt across the desert. It was important for them to know in some tangible way that as they took the huge risk of leaving Egypt and striking out into the unknown, God was with them. Soon they were busy making a tent to be a sacred place, where God could dwell among them.

John uses the same word for tent-making here as he attempts to describe God coming to dwell with his people in Jesus. Somehow as God becomes human in Jesus, he ‘tabernacles’ with us, makes a tent of human-beingness  so he can live on earth, as one of us. Not so he can identify with us, because he created us and knows all about us, but so that we can understand him.

What a God we have! What love He shows us, that He is prepared time and time again to reach out to us, to come to us in ways we will understand.

Lets make sure this Christmas that people know the truth about God– he is not stuck inside a Christmas card, imprisoned by a holy halo, but reaching out to be with us.

A virgin will have a baby boy, and he will be called Immanuel, which means “God is with us”.
Matthew 1:23

Immanuel



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