‘The Word became flesh and dwelt among us. We observed his glory, the glory as the one and only Son of the Father, full of grace and truth’ John 1:14

In a few short days it will be Christmas. Some of us are about to travel to get ‘home’. Some of us are waiting on people from ‘home’ travelling to us. But in a few days our ‘home’ for Christmas will be here. Hopefully that will be a joyful time for us, but for some no doubt it will difficult. For some of us home is always a disappointment. It’s not what it used to be. It’s not what we want it to be. It’s not what it should be. If we’re honest ‘home’ doesn’t feel much like home.

And many carry that disappointment into the idea of being at ‘home’ with God. We read Psalm 16 and hear it tell us there is ‘abundant joy’ in God’s presence… but if we’re really honest we fear we will be disappointed by God too. Surely he can’t be as good as he says he is… surely this too is all talk that will end in silence or tears.

But John 1 gives us one earth shattering reason not to be disappointed. Because… Jesus DID come. God the Son (the second person of the trinity) became flesh. He didn’t become less divine but he took on flesh and became a man. Jesus, therefore, is truly God and truly man. That’s good news! Because if he wasn’t truly God he would be ruined by sin like the rest of us. Yet if he wasn’t truly man then he couldn’t take the place of sinners like he came to do. The glorious news of Christmas is the mind-boggling truth of the incarnation… The Word became flesh.

The Word became flesh… and dwelt among us. The original word for ‘dwelt’ is tabernacled. John is saying Jesus really did bring God’s presence back. That, because of Jesus, we really can know joy in God’s presence again. More than that he was ‘full of grace and truth’… that means he came to wrap up lost and ruined sinners in his mercy and love. He could have come as a judge and condemned us (indeed one day he will bring justice to all who rebel against him), but first John says Jesus came in flesh first to save us.

John 1:14 gives us all the reasons in the world to trust that God will do what he promised and give us abundant joy in his presence. The incarnation is proof that he moved heaven and earth to bring his people back to himself. God gave life to an empty womb so he could life through an empty tomb. When we trust in Jesus we will not be disappointed. Jesus DID come. We CAN trust him. So today come to him and know abundant joy in his presence, you’ll actually find it there, and you’ll only find disappointment everywhere else.

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A thought to remember: Emmanuel will not disapoint us, for Jesus did come.

A bit more to read: John 1

A question to ask: How does the truth of the incarnation give us hope this Christmas?

A song to sing: Heaven has come