At Christmas, we celebrate the coming of God as a human being.
And the Word became flesh and lived among us, and we have seen his glory, the glory as of a father’s only son, full of grace and truth.
For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who in every respect has been tested as we are, yet without sin.
At Christmas, we celebrate the coming of God as a human being. The Incarnation makes salvation possible, which is amazing and wonderful. But it also shows us that God understands us from the inside. God knows what it’s like to be human. God knows what it’s like to be you. God gets it!
We marvel at the fact that God entered this world, not as a mighty superhero or indestructible demigod, but as a small, vulnerable baby. This was the beginning of God living among us as a human being, one who was fully God and also fully human.
God could have remained safely up in heaven, sending orders down on stone tablets or through thundering prophets. But God chose a very different way to reveal himself to us. God became human, truly and fully human, in Jesus. How amazing!
This means that God understands from the inside what it’s like to be a helpless baby, a curious toddler, an energetic child, a developing teenager, a hard-working craftsman, and a small business owner. God knows what it’s like to be a son, brother, friend, and neighbor. God knows what it feels like to laugh and cry, to rejoice and grieve, to hope and hesitate.
The good news of Christmas has many dimensions. Ultimately, of course, the birth of Jesus makes possible the saving power of his death. The Incarnation, that is, the Word of God made flesh, paves the way for salvation through the cross. But, alongside this glorious and essential truth, the Incarnation also means that God understands. When we struggle, when suffering, when we are tempted, when we are sorrowful, our God gets it. God also gets it when we celebrate, smile, and embrace (see John 1:14 and Hebrews 4:15).
This means, dear friend, that God gets you. God not only loves you with a love that will not let you go, but also understands you, knows you, and has deep compassion for you. God’s incarnational empathy incites within us grateful loyalty, deep love, and joy unspeakable.
Joy to the world, the Lord has come . . . for the world . . . including you! Hallelujah!
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