Advent Devotionals: Day 29

The “Christmas story” of wise men, shepherds, and the baby in the manger comes from Matthew and Luke. But John’s gospel presents a different birth narrative, one that crystallizes the glorious truth at the heart of Christmas.

It is a cosmic opening: “in the beginning.” John describes “The Word,” fully God, Creator of the world. A Jew might think of Genesis 1, in which God’s spoken word shapes reality. A Greek might think of the philosophical Logos, or divine reason. But then John obliterates the preconceptions of his readers with four simple words: the Word became flesh. God became a man. The creative Power behind the universe became a human being.

This concept, the Incarnation (literally, “enfleshment”) is the single most dramatic truth in the history of the world. It is a mystery, a miracle—how could God become man? And yet the gospel centers on it. Our salvation, the atonement that Jesus accomplished, depends on it. It is the cornerstone of theology, the turning point of history, the answer to the riddles of philosophy.

And it is the reason for Christmas. Strip away all the lights and presents, and today is really a celebration of the Incarnation. Today, as you remember the birth of Jesus with your loved ones, take some time to give thanks for the glorious truth of “the Word became flesh.” And from all of us at Campus Bible Church, Merry Christmas!

Prayer: Father, thank you for this day to remember the Incarnation. May the Word become flesh, Jesus Christ, fill us with peace, joy, and hope today. May our celebration honor Him. Amen!

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