So the Word became human and made his home among us. He was full of unfailing love and faithfulness. And we have seen his glory, the glory of the Father’s one and only Son. John 1:14

 

All that work, and it’s over. Another Christmas celebration has passed.

It’s the day after Christmas and all through the house there are piles of wrapping paper, cast off toys, and unwanted gifts to be returned as soon as possible. Was there any connection at all between the focus of your Christmas holiday—and what drives and motivates your life after the decorations are gone?

There’s still time to bask in the reality of the meaning of Christmas. It’s something called the Incarnation. Because Jesus isn’t a babe whose manger is old and dusty.  He’s a living person, whom you can know.

The gospel of John explains that Christmas is about Jesus taking on humanity and making His home with us. It says, “And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth” (John 1:14 ESV). The word translated “dwell” meant “to pitch a tent.”  The Message paraphrase of John says, “The Word became flesh and blood, and moved into the neighborhood.  We saw the glory with our own eyes, the one-of-a-kind glory, like Father, like Son… generous inside and out, true from start to finish” (John 1:14).

Jesus has moved into the neighborhood. The real Jesus—the One who became flesh at Bethlehem wants to move into your life, and to touch the lives of others through you. He compels us to decide who we say He is and determine whether knowing Him means we change the way we live and the way we treat others.

When our after-Christmas lives are full of grace and truth, marked by generosity, like Jesus, we’ll know we didn’t just celebrate a holiday but truly invited Him in.