“And the Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us” (John 1:14). The Logos, the Word, the second person of the Holy Trinity, dwelt or another translation, “tabernacled” among us. The Son of God pitched his tent in our midst. This is a reference to the tabernacle or tent of meeting which was erected whenever Moses and those who had escaped slavery in Egypt camped. Within the tent of meeting was placed the Ark of the Covenant. This tent of meeting was made present because God instructed Moses to do so that he would be present with his people. “They shall make a sanctuary for me, that I may dwell in their midst” (Exodus 25:8).
The Ark of the Covenant and the tabernacle housing it was portable and would move with the people, such that God was always present in their midst. The basic structure would later become the foundation for Solomon’s temple, then Herod’s Temple. The Holy of Holies was believed to be the very seat of God in Jerusalem. In the fullness of time, Jesus was born to us, and he became the living temple, Emmanuel, God with us. “Destroy this temple and in three days I will raise it up” (Jn 2:19).
And why did Jesus come? So that the glory of God could be revealed not just to the temple priest, but to all of us, “and we saw his glory, the glory as of the Father’s only-begotten Son, full of grace and truth” (Jn 1:14). Jesus came to be one with us in our humanity while remaining fully divine to reveal the glory of his Father to us, the same glory that filled the tabernacle. Jesus came to be present, to come close and accompany us, in our very midst as God did in the tabernacle and then the Temple.
Jesus was born to share the fullness of God’s grace and his truth with us. He came to restore the ancient covenant that God has been making with his people throughout the ages. Jesus invites us to share in the infinite, faithful love that he shares, has shared, and always will share with his Father. This free, generous act of love is a pure gift. Jesus, in becoming human, in living among us, in teaching, healing, and so building a bridge of relationship with God, shines his light. A light that is not overcome by the darkness of pride, hatred, prejudice, and violence, so that we can see the truth, that God is our Father and we are all brothers and sisters.
The Incarnation, the reality that the Son of God became human while remaining fully divine, reveals to us that none of us are junk. God created us very good and was willing to send his Son to become one with us. Each of us by our very existence has human dignity, value, and worth because we are created in his image and likeness.
Each and every human being is a part of God’s family. Because of our fallen nature, we are still made in the image of God, but we have lost our likeness to him, in that we have lost our glory. Ezekiel witnessed the glory of the LORD leaving the temple because of the unwillingness of the people to repent (See Ezekiel 10:1-22). We, if we choose to remain in our sin will remain in darkness, separated from God. We are all members of God’s family, all of us. Jesus came to redeem us and restore us to our glory, so that we can regain our likeness to the Father. That is why John the Baptist, Jesus, and his Apostles all called us to repent.
When we repent, turn back to God, and accept his invitation to spend time with him in prayer, we walk out from the darkness and into the light of the Lord’s love along the path of reconciliation that leads to us building a sanctuary for him within us. Our likeness is then restored to the extent that we develop and spend time cultivating our relationship with and allowing him to transform us. Jesus shows us the way to do so.
This unmeritorious gift of grace, that Jesus became one with us in our humanity so that we can become one with him in his divinity, is what we are celebrating this Christmas Season. Let us open and lift up our hearts and minds to receive, rest, and ponder the significance of this wonderful gift. May we also commit to daily abiding in his love through prayer, meditating upon his word, and sharing the love we receive with all we encounter today and each day in this new year.
Photo: Spending some quiet time in our temporary, hall sanctuary early evening of Christmas Day.
Spiritual Stepping Stones