Words of Encouragement - 27th December

Richard Kerr and his wife Brenda live in Templepatrick where Richard serves as minister of Templepatrick Presbyterian Church. Earlier this year Brenda spoke at our Ballyhenry Ladies' Weekend. They have been good friends to us as a family over the years. Thank you Richard for writing this guest post, words of encouragement for us in Ballyhenry and beyond today ...

"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.” John 1:14

This verse, so often read as part of lessons and carols at a carol service, is a huge encouragement to me, especially in this season and in this year. This Christmas has been like no other. Of course, we could say that about the first Christmas too! This has been the strangest year we have known in our lifetime. At times I’ve asked myself the question “where is God in all this?” 

We could ask that question of the first Christmas too! Yet the incarnation of Jesus provides the answer and the strongest evidence that God is not distant or absent, but rather cares deeply about the people He created.

God is with us. He came in human form. Born as a baby in the most humble of circumstances. He is fully human (as well as being fully God). Made of the same stuff that we are; flesh and blood, fat and muscle, sweat and tears. He does all that any baby does. There’s no sanitizing this story to make it all seem sterile and safe. It was anything but. God becomes human in all its messiness! 

David Mathis, executive editor for desiringGod.org asks have we “lost our wonder at the true and full humanity of Christ?” “….have we overlooked how human — how shockingly human — God himself became in Jesus of Nazareth?”

Let’s not miss the enormity of what Jesus does for us in becoming a human being like us. He is the evidence that God understands our need and cares about us. In fact, He loves us so much He sent His Son into our world to rescue us and bring us back to Himself.