The heart of the Christmas story is: Christ Incarnate – God amongst men.

"But will God indeed dwell on earth?" (1Kings 8:27)

When Solomon dedicates the temple in prayer he starts by acknowledging that God, who is too big for the "heaven of heavens" cannot dwell in the temple made by human hands. He was wise enough to understand that no building could ever contain God. Stephen emphasizes this when he challenges the religious leaders of his day and pronounces their condemnation for having had the audacity to presume that God Almighty must fit into their buildings and rituals (Acts 7:48).

The wonderful truth of the Gospel is that our Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God, was willing to lower Himself and "dwelt among us" "full of grace and truth" (Jn 1:14). He was willing to humble Himself to be born in a lowly manger and then, humbling Himself even further, He became "obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross" (Phil 2:8).

Christ's incarnation - becoming man on earth - has made it possible for us to become like Him in heaven one day. In the meantime we are His temple (1Cor 6:19) and the Lord wants to reveal His glory in us as He prepares us for heaven.

K. Olsen