December 24 Daily Devotional

Bible Reading

John 1:1-14:

¹In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
²The same was in the beginning with God.
³All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.
⁴In him was life; and the life was the light of men.
⁵And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not.
⁶There was a man sent from God, whose name was John.
⁷The same came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all men through him might believe.
⁸He was not that Light, but was sent to bear witness of that Light.
⁹That was the true Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world.
¹⁰He was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not.
¹¹He came unto his own, and his own received him not.
¹²But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name:
¹³Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.
¹⁴And 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.

Devotional

The Word is Jesus Christ, the Son of God. He is the eternal Word. "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God."

"And the Word was made flesh." What is flesh? Flesh is the opposite of spirit. Man in his fallen condition is flesh. Man in his state of innocence was endued with God's Spirit and all his gifts. But through the instigation of the devil, by willful disobedience he deprived himself of these gifts, and thus became flesh. God declares him to be flesh, that is, sinful flesh, incapable of doing any good. Man became the enemy of God. The carnal mind is enmity against God. To be carnally minded is death.

There was only one way to save man from sin and death: the Word must be made flesh. "The same human nature which had sinned, must make satisfaction for sin." The Son of God must become true man, the man in our place. Thus "He took upon him the very nature of man, of the flesh and blood of the virgin Mary," and He came in the likeness of sinful flesh, and was made sin, not a sinner, for us, who knew no sin, that we might be made the righteousness of God in him. "Great is the mystery of godliness; God manfest in the flesh." Here we cannot but stand in awe, and adore him, our Sinbearer, the Holy One of God, our Mediator and Redeemer.

Prayer

O God, we thank Thee that Thou hast loved us with an everlasting love, and that Thou didst commend Thy love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Thou didst not spare Thine own Son, but hast delivered him up for us all, and with him, wilt freely give us all things. Help us to rejoice in our salvation, and be truly thankful for all Thy benefits. Amen.

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Scripture in Devotional: Gen. 6:3; Gal. 5:18; Rom. 8:7; 8:6; 8:3; 2 Cor. 5:20; I Tim. 3:16.

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