And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we saw His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth.
John 1:14
John, one of Jesus’ disciples, writes about the mysterious person called “the Word.” He describes who the Word is and what the Worddoes. He was with God in the beginning and is God himself. All things were created through the Word and the Word has become flesh.
John goes on to say that this Word will bring light to humanity living in darkness and revelation to a people separated from God. At the time of his arrival, Israel was living under Roman occupation and had been led astray by corrupt shepherds. Yet, the real problem they were facing was—and always has been—sin, the power of darkness that separates people from God Almighty. Human beings, without exception, have all sinned.
However, as hopeless as this seems, hope shone forth in the bright Word. The Word became flesh so that he may dwell among sinning people. By taking on a human nature he has come to end darkness by offering himself as the means for satisfying the penalty for sin and fixing the problem of sin. It is not a surprise that John writes, “and we saw His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth.”
What a testimony to bear and share with God’s people! John, along with the other disciples and eyewitnesses, was able to see the living God through the person of the Son whom we know as Jesus Christ. This person of God has brought to his people grace and truth. He offers a grace that brings salvation to all who believe in him and truth that brings justice to satisfy God’s judgement for sin.
We can all take comfort in the Word made flesh because he has come to save us from our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. One day he would be sacrificed and killed for bearing our sins so that God’s judgement for sin is fully satisfied and all who have trusted in Jesus will have eternal life and no longer dwell in darkness but in the light of our Saviour.
Our God and Saviour, as David once prayed so we pray now: you are our lamp and you, O Lord, turn our darkness into light. We thank you and praise you for rescuing sinners like us, saving sinners like us, enlivening sinners like us!
Brett Harris
* Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are from the New American Standard Bible, ©The Lockman Foundation, 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1995. Used by permission.
** The above was taken from Glory to God in the Highest: A Christmas Devotional (Oakville: Proclamation, 2024).
By job title, Alice is the office administrator at Oakridge. But her behind-the-scenes efforts go far beyond that! She is actively involved in the leadership team for the Tuesday evening women's bible study, she is on the mission committee, and she has recently both stepped into the leadership of church bridal and baby shower celebrations, and started teaching in our Ozone kids program. Oh, and if you see any special seasonal or holiday decorations around the church, it's a safe bet that Alice was involved!