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

The glory of the incarnated God is not the glory of the kings and the powerful, but of an infant wrapped in swaddling clothes and lying in a manger. The word “dwelling” could be translated as “tabernacle” and goes back to the Old Testament. Moses constructed the Ark of the Covenant and placed it in a tent, so God dwelt among his people as they wandered in the desert. Likewise, we could say that at Christmas God stepped onto our earth, pitched his tent, and set up camp right in our midst.

Jesus is full of grace and truth. He is truth and speaks truth. He calls things as they are and does not excuse sinful behavior. He is also full of grace. He understands our nature and is always ready to welcome us back when we have missed our mark and detached ourselves from him. This is the perpetual gift of Christmas.

Lord Jesus, thank you for having set up camp in our midst. Help me to walk in grace and truth and proclaim the good news of your coming to earth.