TOPIC:“The God Who Came Near (Christmas)”
“And 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.” (1:14)
If you want an interesting study take your Bible concordance and trace out the usage of the word "near," especially, as it relates to the nearness of God. The word is used approximately 200 times in the Bible.
Listen to a few of these Bible verses: The Psalmist David declared: "The Lord is near unto those who are of a broken heart" (Psalm 34:18). When our spirits are crushed because of sorrow we can feel His abiding presence. Again the Psalmist proclaimed: "The Lord is near unto all of those who call upon Him" (Psalm 145:18). When we cry out to God in prayer we know first hand of His adoring closeness. Or again David declared: "Thou art near, O Lord" (119:151). Or take these words of Isaiah: "Seek ye the Lord while He may be found, call ye upon Him while He is near" (Isaiah 55:6). Though God does not move away from us, we often put distance between ourselves and God. Isaiah encourages us to seek Him while He is near.
But it is not until we come to the New Testament that we discover just how near God has come to each one of us. Whereas in the Old Testament God was concealed, now in the New Testament God has been revealed. It was at Bethlehem over 2000 years ago when infinite, Almighty God, who made the heavens and the earth, came and lived among us. And now because of Bethlehem's cradle, God is saying to all who will believe, "I am not far away."
And there you have Christmas. God coming close to man. God coming near enough to help us, near enough to show us He cares, and near enough to hear our faintest cry. Oh, what a marvelous truth: “God with us.” Vocal to our ears, visible to our eyes, and tangible to our touch. And get this: With the sending of the Holy Spirit we have God IN us.