At this time of the year, I’m sure you are experiencing many sermons and stories about "the real meaning of Christmas," 24/7 Christmas music, and enough Christmas lighting to make Earth visible from other galaxies. But let me add just a few thoughts about how Christmas relates to Christian education, other than giving students and teachers two weeks of vacation.
One of the most amazing verses I hear at this time of the year is John 1:14 – "And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us." Think about this: the Word – the Son of God, who had existed from all eternity, who shared in all the glory of being God for all eternity – that Word became flesh. He didn’t say, "You know, I’m God, and I kind of like being worshipped by all the angels. I’m not going to leave heaven." No, He was willing to come down to earth, and even to become a man, with all the limitations that involved. "The Word became flesh."
In the Old Testament, the people of God worshipped at a tabernacle built by Moses, and later at a temple built by Solomon. These places symbolized God living with His people. He is not a God who is far off and distant, but a God who is near to His people. Now think about what John said here. "The Word...dwelt among us." When John originally wrote that, he used a word that literally means that the Word "tabernacled" with us. Just as God lived among His people in the Old Testament, symbolized by the tabernacle, so now Christ lives among His people – not symbolically, but really in the flesh.
You see, because of the sin of man, God could have withdrawn completely from earth, and stayed totally separate from us. He would have been perfectly right to do so. But because of His love for His people, God was willing to send His own Son to earth, to become like us, and to live with us. That’s real love. As one of my former pastors liked to say, "God loved us simply because He loved us."
So what does that have to do with Christian education? It is this Christ – this Word who became flesh and dwelt among us – it is this Jesus that we proclaim to our students. We don’t teach about some vague, impersonal god or higher power; we point our students to the eternal Son of God who became a man, who was willing even to die to save His people from their sins.
We also point our students to Christ as one who is always present with us. He’s not way off, separated from us. No, Jesus, through the Holy Spirit, is always close to us. As the students study math, as they play in a basketball game, as they eat lunch, as they serve in Student Council, Christ is there with them. Our Lord never leaves us or forsakes us, and we want our students to apply that comforting truth in everything they do.
"The Word became flesh and dwelt among us." May you all know the presence of the Son of God, the Lord Jesus Christ, this Christmas season!
One of the most amazing verses I hear at this time of the year is John 1:14 – "And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us." Think about this: the Word – the Son of God, who had existed from all eternity, who shared in all the glory of being God for all eternity – that Word became flesh. He didn’t say, "You know, I’m God, and I kind of like being worshipped by all the angels. I’m not going to leave heaven." No, He was willing to come down to earth, and even to become a man, with all the limitations that involved. "The Word became flesh."
In the Old Testament, the people of God worshipped at a tabernacle built by Moses, and later at a temple built by Solomon. These places symbolized God living with His people. He is not a God who is far off and distant, but a God who is near to His people. Now think about what John said here. "The Word...dwelt among us." When John originally wrote that, he used a word that literally means that the Word "tabernacled" with us. Just as God lived among His people in the Old Testament, symbolized by the tabernacle, so now Christ lives among His people – not symbolically, but really in the flesh.
You see, because of the sin of man, God could have withdrawn completely from earth, and stayed totally separate from us. He would have been perfectly right to do so. But because of His love for His people, God was willing to send His own Son to earth, to become like us, and to live with us. That’s real love. As one of my former pastors liked to say, "God loved us simply because He loved us."
So what does that have to do with Christian education? It is this Christ – this Word who became flesh and dwelt among us – it is this Jesus that we proclaim to our students. We don’t teach about some vague, impersonal god or higher power; we point our students to the eternal Son of God who became a man, who was willing even to die to save His people from their sins.
We also point our students to Christ as one who is always present with us. He’s not way off, separated from us. No, Jesus, through the Holy Spirit, is always close to us. As the students study math, as they play in a basketball game, as they eat lunch, as they serve in Student Council, Christ is there with them. Our Lord never leaves us or forsakes us, and we want our students to apply that comforting truth in everything they do.
"The Word became flesh and dwelt among us." May you all know the presence of the Son of God, the Lord Jesus Christ, this Christmas season!