After so many, many years, it happened. It happened in silence, hidden away inside a young girl’s body. God became a human being, the tiniest of humans, slipping quietly into human history without fanfare or spotlights. It would be nine months before anyone saw His face.
Mary would be the first to know Him. Was He active or quiet, rambunctious or peaceful? Did He kick a lot? Did He like movement or singing? What was Jesus like, before He was born?
Mary left us no record. But there were plenty of people to tell us what Jesus was like after His birth—yes, and how He is even today. “Full of grace and truth,” says John. “Grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.”
What kind of a person is He? A gracious one. One who is kind and merciful, who loves the unlovable and welcomes the unwelcome-able. Although He is pure and holy, we see Him welcoming guilty people of bad reputations—and they are happy to be near Him. Little children come to him. Lepers and foreigners get His attention and help. Nobody is too low for Him.
He is grace walking, talking, and breathing. He is grace dying—and rising. He is Jesus, the image of the invisible God, our Savior.
THE PRAYER: Dear Lord, thank You for treating me with gracious love. Amen.
Reflection Questions:
* What do you think of when you hear the word “gracious”?
* When did a fellow human being show you grace though you didn’t deserve it?
* If you are willing, tell about a specific time when God showed you grace.
Advent Devotions were written by Dr. Kari Vo.