Wed., 12/11/13 Devotion (Jn. 1:14a)

Today's encouragement comes from John 1:14a, where we read these amazing words:

"And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us . . . "

This word "Flesh" is very strong. It connotes a sense of the Son of God fully entering into our fallenness and its resulting misery, etc.--yet, of course, with no sin of His own (either original or actual). The histor-ical fact of the incarnation of the God-Man has *perpetual* power. Just because the flesh-bound Messiah today is in heaven, this does not mean that He is not *just as* present and active in His church today (as He was in the days of His bodily earthly sojourn).

Therefore, in this joyous Advent season, let all God's churchmen re-member that the One who "became flesh" for us is *still* with us. He has made His church "bone of His bone," etc., (cf. Eph. 5:30).

[Puritan quote of the day: "The happiness of man consists in commun-ion with God and conformity to Him." --Richard Sibbes, in, "Glorious Freedom"]