Pastor's Pen

God became flesh and dwelt among us. He showed His divine nature to us so that we can see and understand His love.

There is an old story told of a young family who suffered a terrible tragedy. The couple and their young son were involved in an automobile accident. The mother was killed and the young father had to make the painful adjustments of raising a son alone. One night during a thunderstorm the little boy was frightened, so he left his room to jump in bed with his father. The father said, "Son, your heavenly Father is watching over you during this storm." The little boy replied, "Yes, Dad, but right now I just need someone with skin on."

Our Heavenly Father knew we needed someone with "skin" on. The apostle John tells us in the first verse of his Gospel: "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God." So, John is reaffirming Genesis 1 in the first verses of his gospel by telling us that the eternal God was at the beginning of time. The eternal Word (logos) was there, and He created out of nothing the things which exist today (John 1:3–5). In New Testament Greek parlance, the logos is a system of thought expressed in written form. God's concept of Himself has been expressed in His creation as well as in His written Word. But He knew the people He created needed someone with "skin" on to express His love toward them.

In verse fourteen of the wonderful Gospel, John tells us: "And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth." The word dwelt carries the concept of a tented or temporary dwelling. Indeed, our Lord lived in temporary dwellings all His life. The stable, the house to which the Magi came, and His stay in Egypt all show that He lived in temporary dwellings during His childhood. Even the one instance of His boyhood that is revealed to us shows Him in His travel to the temple. In all His earthly ministry we see Him moving from place to place.

But more importantly, God became flesh and dwelt among us. He showed His divine nature to us so that we can see and understand His love. The simplicity of the manger scene, the tender care of those with whom He came into contact, His complete obedience to His own Word, all give us a concept of Who God is. Every miracle He performed was to reveal to us His power and His love.

The eternal Almighty God created for Himself a human nature so that we can understand Him.

He did it in such simple ways: a virgin, a manger, and swaddling clothes. Such profound truth is revealed to us in such simple human terms. God does "so love the world."

We at Calvary Baptist Church wish you a blessed Christmas. It is our wish that everyone knows Him as we do. He dwells in our hearts.

"For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life."

John 3:16