Day 25: The Word Made Flesh Dwells Among Us
In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world. (This was the first census that took place while Quirinius was governor of Syria.) And everyone went to their own town to register. So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David. He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child. While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no guest room available for them. -Luke 2-1:7
The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth. - John 1:14
Devotional:
Today, after our journey of listening and preparing, we arrive at the heart of Christmas - the moment when God's eternal Word becomes flesh and dwells among us. All the prophecies, all the dreams, all the angelic announcements find their fulfillment in a baby's cry echoing through a humble stable in Bethlehem.
Throughout this advent season, we've explored many ways God speaks - through angels and dreams, through stars and scriptures, through shepherds and wise men. But here, in the manger, we find God's clearest voice of all. The infinite God chooses to speak through the vulnerability of an infant. The Creator of language chooses to communicate through a baby's wordless presence.
What's remarkable about this moment is its simplicity. No royal pronouncements, no heavenly fanfare (at least not at the manger) - just a young mother wrapping her newborn in strips of cloth, laying him in a feeding trough. Yet in this simple scene, we find the profound truth that God's voice isn't distant or theoretical. In Jesus, God's Word takes on flesh and bone, skin and breath, hunger and tears.
"The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us" - literally, He "pitched his tent" among us. This isn't a voice that speaks from a safe distance. This is God choosing to enter our messy, complicated world, to experience our joys and sorrows firsthand. In Jesus, God doesn't just speak to us; He lives with us, walks with us, shares our humanity in all its beauty and brokenness.
As we celebrate Christmas today, we're not just remembering a historical event. We're celebrating that God is still speaking, still dwelling among us. The same Jesus who entered our world as a baby continues to make Himself known in our daily lives. Every act of love, every moment of grace, every whisper of truth echoes the voice that first spoke through a newborn's cry in Bethlehem.
Reflection Questions:
How has your understanding of God's voice changed through this advent journey?
Where do you see Jesus "dwelling among us" in your life today?
Prayer Prompt: Thank God for the gift of Jesus - the Word made flesh - and ask Him to help you continue hearing and responding to His voice as you carry the Christmas message forward into the new year.
Final Thought: As we conclude our advent journey of listening for God's voice, may we remember that Christmas isn't the end of the story - it's the beginning. The same God who spoke through prophets and angels, who took on flesh in a manger, continues to speak today. May we carry forward the lessons we've learned about listening, trusting, and responding to His voice. For the Word made flesh still dwells among us, still speaks to us, and still invites us to join in His ongoing story of redemption and love.
Merry Christmas!