The Word Became Flesh

When Christmas rolls around every year, we read again and again, the story of God coming to us in the form of humanity through the miraculous birth of the Christ child. The story remains fresh with us when we are followers of Jesus.  The account most of us remember is from Luke 2.

In John's writing of the gospel, there is a completely different approach taken in the birth announcement. Not many lines in John's writing tell the details of the story. However, what John does say gives insight into the mission and the message of the savior. Let's look at part of it:

John 1:10-14

10 He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him. 11 He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him. 12 Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God— 13 children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God.

14 The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.

Today we have the written word, the Bible, which tells us the story, along with the testimony in the lives of believers who have received him. Do we recognize him and receive him? Think of ways and areas of your life that may need to be opened to accept him.

The scripture says, "those who received him, those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God." Read that over and over, underline it in your Bible, memorize it...and claim it. You have a God-given right to be God's child. What does that mean to you today?

I recently watched a video of the Gospel of John. The audio part of the production was word for word from the scripture. As I watched, I began to think of those who were the ones hearing, first hand, the teachings of Jesus, yet failing to receive him and believe he was the Christ. How sad when that is duplicated in the lives of people today. 

Receive him and believe in him. To you he gives the right to become God's child. 

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