December 7th

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

There is a LOT to unpack in one verse that is so rich and deep in meaning, but here we go!
When Jesus came to earth, he was fully human and fully divine—not 50/50. Can you imagine hanging out in Heaven with God, living in perfect peace and unity, and then saying, “Sure, I’ll leave this perfect harmony to be born into chaos, live a perfect life, and then DIE for those who reject me”? I’m not sure if Jesus said those exact words, but that is what he did for us.
God is sometimes hard to imagine because we can’t see or touch Him, but Jesus was tangible. There is evidence of His life all throughout history, not just in the Christian Bible. The concept of glory doesn’t necessarily stand out to us today, but John’s readers would have understood that Jesus was a real expression of God’s overwhelming presence and power.
“The Word became flesh” is such a powerful phrase that is often discussed. It means that Jesus became human—the perfect teacher—whom we can look to for wisdom and examples on how to live our lives. “The Word” is God’s message to humanity, and Jesus is the total message of God. That is why so many people spend their time reading the Bible that talks about Jesus! He’s the total package!
If we really take time to look, however, the whole Bible is the story of Jesus! It begins in Genesis with the Word of God and ends (kind of) in Revelation. But the story of Jesus—and God’s story—is still living on today, and we are invited to be a part of that story! How cool is that?! As you go about your week, look for ways to show Jesus to others: through actions, words, or the retelling of His story.

-lex mcghee