"The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth....No one has ever seen God at any time, but God the One and Only, who is in the bosom of the Father, He has explained." (From John 1, NIV & NASB)
Though the NASB has, "explained him," the word for, "him," is not in the Greek text. It is just, "He has explained"---------- all of this. It took me several translations to get it right. Forgive the presumption, but Bible translators are human too. Man just cannot grasp the depths of the Blessed Trinity, no matter how learned, how spiritual, how--- whatever. But the combined NIV and NASB give us a descent translation of an Eternal Reality. The Word was not created or born. At the "birth" of Jesus, "The Word became flesh."
Church history has called this season, "Advent." The word, "advent," means, "the coming, or arrival," an accurate definition of Christmas. Jesus was not "born" in the sense you and I were born. There was a time when you and I were not; then we were conceived and born. We had a beginning. Jesus did not. "In the beginning was the word." Jesus did not come into being "in the beginning." Jesus was there waiting for the "beginning" to begin. "Before the beginning began, the Word already was."
Whatever are, as Paul describes, "the depths of God," the "God-Breathed" Word tells us, "In the same way no one knows the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God. We have not received the spirit of the world but the Spirit who is from God, that we may understand what God has freely given to us." During the Christmas Season we celebrate with trees, lights, carols, gifts, and worship "what God has freely given to us"----------Himself in Jesus Christ.
"How silently, how silently, the wondrous gift is given
So God imparts to human hearts the blessings of his heaven
No ear may hear his coming, but in this world of sin
Where meek souls will receive him still, the dear Christ enters in."
Father, in Jesus' Name, "O come to us abide with us, Our Lord, Emmanuel." Amen.
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When 18 year old Peter Torjesen "heard the call to evangelize China, he not only emptied his wallet into the collection plate, but included a small note with the words, 'and my life.'"
"Looking Unto Jesus"
Hebrews 12:2
