Begin with two minutes of silence.
Scripture: John 1:14
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.
Devotional:
By Kelly Fonteijn
Jesus is God Incarnate, God deciding to come live with us as a man. John and the other disciples saw God day after day during Jesus’ ministry. They walked with him, ate with him, lived with him, smelled him… They listened to Jesus’s words and saw his interactions with other humans. John says they saw his glory. Their record of their time with Jesus, captured in the Gospels, shows us some of that glory.
The Word became flesh, and so we are able to catch a glimpse of God’s heart and priorities.
What did the disciples see the one “who came from the Father, full of grace and truth” doing with his time? This is not an exhaustive list, but I see Jesus was:
Spending most of his time with people who were “unlovable,” rejected, sinful, sick, with no status or wealth he could benefit from;
Restoring and healing people who had no hope, who were at the end of their rope;
Speaking stark truths bravely in opposition to people with money, status, and power… because those people’s hypocrisy and religious demands harmed society’s most vulnerable;
Teaching that God’s kingdom was an upside-down place where the least are honored and the proud brought low;
Loving people with the type of sacrificial love that washes feet, endures torture… and dies.
The Word became flesh, and so we are able to catch a glimpse of God’s heart and priorities.
Question to Consider:
What aspects of God’s character do you see revealed in Jesus’ words and actions on Earth? What ways have you seen other apprentices of Jesus reflect God’s character over your lifetime?
End with two minutes of silence.
Prayer
Jesus, thank you for putting on flesh and blood so that I could know and understand who you are, who God is. Help me to see you more clearly this Advent season and to reflect to those around me what I see - a servant full of sacrificial love. Help me to become more like you. In your wonderful name, Amen.