“In the birth of Jesus, the unknowable was made known and the invisible was revealed for all to see.”
Thoughts from daily Bible reading for today – December 24, 2022
And he came down with them and stood on a level place, with a great crowd of his disciples and a great multitude of people from all Judea and Jerusalem and the seacoast of Tyre and Sidon, who came to hear him and to be healed of their diseases. And those who were troubled with unclean spirits were cured. And all the crowd sought to touch him, for power came out from him and healed them all. Luke 6:17-19, ESV
In the birth of Jesus, the unknowable was made known and the invisible was revealed for all to see.
For all of human history, mankind has searched for God, longed to know him, and understand the mysteries of the universe. And even when he revealed himself to the people of Israel, it was at a great distance, guiding them by a pillar of fire or veiled in thick clouds upon a mountain. A God to be feared and revered? Absolutely. A God that could be seen and touched? Absolutely not.
In the humility of the manger, let us not lose sight of the transcendent glory it contains. The power of Christmas, after all, is the combination of humanity and divinity, the unknowable now made known. For countless thousands in ancient Israel, Jesus was not simply an idea or a source of sentimentality but was changing and transforming their world in concrete and remarkable ways. He healed their diseases and made the blind see. And so for good reason, “all the crowd sought to touch him” (Luke 6:19).
As we are now on the eve of the great celebration of Christ’s birth, reflect anew upon the wonder of God’s presence with us. In Jesus, God can be known, seen, and touched. He invites intimacy, and it is as we draw near that we are healed. Of course, Jesus can do as he pleases, and there are times when he heals from a distance (see Luke 7:1-10), yet the normative pattern is proximity: people are healed as they draw near to Jesus. The closer you and I are to Jesus, the more we know God, not as an idea or abstraction, but as a person who loves us more than we even love ourselves.
This Christmas, in the midst of all of the food and festivities, do not lose sight of the singular and glorious truth of this day. God is with us. He has not left us to stumble in the dark but shone his light thousands of years ago, and continues to shine that light today, driving out the darkness and inviting us near.
Prayer
Father, keep us close to Jesus this Christmas we pray, looking to him for our healing and only source of true and lasting peace. Amen.
Application
Take time this evening to read aloud the whole of Luke 2, marveling at the mystery and wonder of the birth of Jesus Christ.
Related Reading
Isaiah 9:6; Psalm 73:28; Acts 17:27-28, Song of Solomon 2:3
Worship Resource
King’s College, Cambridge: Jesus Christ the Apple Tree
Donate
If you are blessed by these daily devotionals please prayerfully consider a donation to support Wisdom Hunters Resources. We are trusting the Lord for His provision.
Download our app!
