Our Constant Star: Advent Day 5

Read & Journal

Today, read John 1:14-18. Ask yourself: 

• What examples of light do you notice in this passage? 

• What do these verses teach you about Jesus? In your journal, write down a quick list of qualities or characteristics you see.  

• Thinking about the first verse of “O Savior of Our Fallen Race,” do you see any ideas or truths from today’s reading reflected in the hymn? Explain.

• What does this passage help you understand about God the Father and his character? 

• How do these verses help you to understand the role of God the Father and the role of Jesus? Explain. 

• What does it mean to say that Jesus reveals the Father? How have you experienced that in your faith journey? 

Ponder

O Brightness of the Father's face,

O Son who shared the Father's might.

In the first sentence of his Gospel, John stressed Jesus’ deity—and the Word was God—and in verse 14, he adds another layer to that argument. Jesus, the Word, didn’t just play an active role in creation, but he  also “became flesh and dwelt among us.” 

The theological or doctrinal term for this is “incarnation.” At a specific time and place, Jesus, who has existed throughout all eternity, took on human flesh and came to live among us. He came to save us, yes, but also to demonstrate God’s glory and to reveal more of God’s character. The second Person of the Trinity, the one who shares the Father’s power and strength, wrapped himself in flesh and came to live among a people who walked in darkness (Isaiah 9:6), fully human and fully divine. 

Various translations render John 1:14 differently, but the idea is the same. Jesus “became flesh” (CSB) or “made his home among us” (NLT), but the original wording is even more picturesque. The Greek word, skēnoō, means “pitched his tent” or “tabernacled.” The tabernacle, you’ll remember from the Old Testament, was the symbol of God’s presence among his chosen people. The tabernacle was the symbol of God’s presence, but Jesus is the reality. In Christ, God is living among his people. What the Jews had understood in part was now ultimately and truly fulfilled in Jesus. 

The only way we can know the Father is through Jesus Christ the Son. Jesus reveals God’s glory and demonstrates the true meaning of grace and truth. Jesus is both fully human and fully divine, the Brightness of the Father’s face, and the way we learn to recognize the glory and truth of our Father’s character and his deep love for each and every one of us.