Emmanuel

         Maybe i didn't come from a "religious" household, but there are some things I never questioned.  I wasn't about to say anything against the Bible or question why it was the way it was.  I never questioned the fact that there four gospels.  I didn't know why there were four of them and I never thought much more about it until years later when I found out the differences between the four of them and that meant.  Two of them, Matthew and Luke have genealogies and mark has no genealogy at all.  Of course, neither does the Gospel of John.  The Gospel of John had a specific purpose and was written to a certain group of people.  The gospel of John shows that Jesus is the Son of God.  The Christmas story is perhaps summed up in one verse.   John 1:14 says, "And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth." 
      The first thirteen verses bring you up to the present time in a hurry.  It goes from "in the beginning" to "and the Word was made flesh..."  And that is, perhaps, the "First Advent" in the Gospel of John.  We look at the differences in the Gospels now and see that John's Gospel is telling the world that Jesus is the Son of God.  He is deity.  He is eternal.  Wow!  what else can you say about that!  The world, on the other hand, is quite accustomed to challenging every aspect of the First Advent of the Lord Jesus Christ.  They doubt His ancestry.  They doubt His virgin birth.  They doubt that He is God.  They doubt His name.  So, then, what is Christmas to the world.  Well, it has been relegated the title of "happy holidays," Santa Claus, Papa Noel, and a host of other characters in red suits and beards.  It is trees, lights, snowmen, winter wonderland and a lot of gifts.  The more gifts the better.  So, we advertise and sell.   In the meantime, the simple sentence from John 1:14 goes unnoticed.  "And the Word was made flesh."    Does Jesus have first place in your heart today and especially in this Christmas season?  We would like to think, that as Christians, certainly He has first place, but maybe not.  Perhaps we are being caught up in the world's Christmas which is far from John 1:14.  Take a deep breath and hum "Silent Night" and think on the night so many years ago when the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, heading for the cross of Calvary.  Praise God that He sent us His Son.