Spend Christmas TogetherSample

Christmas in the Neighborhood

Moving is one of the most frustrating things that people ever have to do. Physically, it takes a lot to pack up your boxes, load them on the moving truck, and unpack it all at your new destination. The emotional toll that moving takes is great, as well. You have to say goodbye to friends, leave places that hold precious memories, and get used to living in a new community.

We often don’t think about how God has progressed in how He interacts with His creation. In the beginning, Genesis describes God as hovering over the creation. In Exodus 19, Moses is the only one who gets to interact with God on the mountain. In Exodus 40, God moves to dwelling among His people in a created tabernacle and later the temple that they constructed.

Then the most significant change happens. God comes in human form and dwells with His creation. Eugene Peterson captures this reality well when he translates John 1:14 by saying, “The Word became flesh and blood, and moved into the neighborhood. We saw the glory with our own eyes, the one-of-a-kind glory, like Father, like Son, generous inside and out, true from start to finish.”

This is not where the progression of interaction between God and His people stops. Paul clearly describes in 1 Corinthians 3:16 that people who follow Jesus are the temple of the Holy Spirit. This means that God’s people are now where God dwells and interacts with the world.

Hopefully, during this season of Advent, you have prepared for a greater amount of the presence of Jesus in your life. One of the results of having a greater understanding of Christ’s coming and being with us should be to prompt you to be more present with the people God has put in your life.

As you spend time with friends and family, focus on how you can be present in the moment. How can you better represent Jesus in those relationships? Who is God calling you to be present with as Jesus has been present with you?