Thoughts: This is the theological description of the birth of Jesus. It cannot be fully understood without looking at verse 1 & 2- "In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word was God." In other words- God spoke to us by coming down to us. God breaks the silence of the universe by showing us who He is, by coming down for us.
He dwelt, lived, tabernacled, made His home among us. He lived in our midst knowing our pains, hurts, the problems of evil and misunderstanding- but also the joys of human friendship and life. Not only did God break the silence by coming down, He also dissolved any lack of empathy for our plight. He has walked a mile in our moccasins so to speak.
We have seen His glory- He is writing from the perspective of the resurrection and ascension. Jesus has shown He is not an ordinary guy. But the real glory of the One and Only Son is seen in how He lived and taught- it was full of grace and truth. Grace is unmerited favor- giving us hope, love and strength that we do not deserve. Truth means Jesus gives us a reliable purpose and meaning in life. The glory of God is found in our ability to see and understand His grace and truth. This grace and truth is ultimately fulfilled for us in heaven where we shall see face to face; but it is also fulfilled partially right here. We get a glimpse of the glory of grace and truth embodied here when we look at the person of Jesus- the Word made flesh.
Prayer: Lord, thank you for coming to us to set an example of grace and truth for us. Help us to live in and for this grace and truth in our lives.
Incarnation
Tintorreto (Venice)
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