Jesus is Near

"The Word became flesh and dwelt among us." John 1:14

Yesterday we celebrated the birth of Jesus. We celebrated the babe born in the manger to save us from our sin. The Holy One. The Son of God. Today let's meditate on the depth of that concept just a little bit- Jesus came to earth and dwelt among us!

Jesus has been with God since the beginning. As scripture opens, Jesus is with God in the creation of the world (Genesis 1:26). John gives us some understanding of Christ's journey in Chapter 1:1-3
     "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made." 

Think about that! Jesus was in on creation. He didn't just come onto the scene when Mary had a baby. He was with God. He knew God. He walked and talked with God. They shared the glory of all creation and intimately fellowshipped together! Jesus experienced the goodness of living in the presence of God. But he surrendered it all to dwell among us. He gave up a physical closeness with God to experience life as a human. He left the comfort of God's personal touch to know the pain of life on this earth. He drew near to us to understand us and to bear pain for us. He not only experienced our spiritual separation from God, but he experienced our humanity in all forms. Jesus walked through rejection, betrayal, and weariness. He knew the exhaustion of meeting others' needs and the temptation of satan.  He learned a trade and dealt with family issues. He 'gets us' because he was fully human!

Much of this we know in our head, but today let your heart really take it in. He didn't have to do it! He did it because he loves us. He surrendered his place on the throne to experience life in human shoes. And in the end, he gave his very life as a sacrifice for sin that was not his own.

Friend, we are so deeply loved. Loved by a God who created us and then moved from heaven to earth to redeem us from our own sin. Praises today to the One who loves us so greatly!

Thank you, Jesus, that you chose to dwell among us. Thank you for not only the sacrifice of your life, but for the sacrifice to experience life on this earth as well. Because you dwelt among us, you understand us. Dear Jesus, in that thought alone, I feel such a sense of your presence, comfort and love. I love you! Amen and Amen