“And the Word was made 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).
One of the happiest announcements is the arrival of a baby. The Christmas story of Jesus’s birth never gets old. He is celebrated in pageants and concerts, in homes, huge cathedrals and tiny chapels around the world as the incarnation of God Himself. I Timothy 3:16 says, “...great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh...” No friends and relatives gathered to welcome Him with shower gifts of soft, cuddly blankets and toys; no mid-wife to assist the young mother with delivery of her firstborn, and yet His birth drew responses from angels and shepherds, wise men and kings. He came as Emmanuel—God with us, the same God who existed before the creation of the world which He spoke into existence. He came as “the Word,” which when spoken drew responses from all the elements of creation so that chaos was put in order, darkness was no threat to the light, waters made room for land, and man and beast lived in harmony. And there was joy!
Imagine the pride of a father when he hears, “It’s a boy!” Joseph must have felt something similar when Baby Jesus was born. Now imagine the Father speaking on three occasions from heaven, once Jesus had grown up and begun His ministry, “This is My Beloved Son, Whom I love; with Him I am well pleased” (Matt.3:17 &17:5; Mk.9:7; Lk.9:35). In my imagination, I can hear Jesus babbling as a baby and saying His first word, “da-da” to Joseph and later, in the Garden of Gethsemane before His crucifixion, crying out to God, “Abba Father...everything is possible for You...” (Mk. 14:36). The Beloved Son, the Word, from a young age must have been an eager learner, becoming so astute in the scriptures by the age of 12 that Jewish leaders marveled at His intellectual engagement with them when Joseph and Mary retraced their steps and found Him in the temple.
In this Christmas season, may we followers of Jesus let the Word become flesh in us as we represent the character of Christ to the world, for we may indeed be, “the only Bible the world will ever read.” In one of his devotionals, David Jeremiah makes this observation: “Last year this answer appeared in the $200 box on the television program Jeopardy: ‘Our Father which art in heaven, ________be thy name.’ The three contestants looked perplexed as the buzzer sounded. The host supplied the question: “What is hallowed?” How tragic that people no longer know the Lord’s Prayer!”
Where is the Word in our homes? Is it hidden in plain sight? On the coffee table? In a drawer or on a shelf? The psalmist says in Psalm 119:11, “Thy word have I hid in my heart, that I might not sin against thee.” May our hearts be the dwelling place for His glory to shine through us for others to behold, witnessing grace and truth in a world where both are in such short supply.