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John 1:14 - He Loves to Be with the Ones He Loves.

John 1:14: He Loves to Be with the Ones He Loves.

John 1:14 (KJV) 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.  

John 1:14 (NIV) The Word became flesh and made his dwelling 
among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, 
who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.  

John 1:14 (AMP) And the Word (Christ) became flesh (human, 
incarnate) and tabernacled (fixed His tent of flesh, lived awhile) among 
us; and we [actually] saw His glory (His honor, His majesty), such 
glory as an only begotten son receives from his father, full of grace 
(favor, loving-kindness) and truth.  

DEVOTIONAL PEARL

   Holiday travel. It isnt easy. Then why do we do it? Why 
cram the trunks and endure the airports? You know the answer. We love 
to be with the ones we love. 
   The four-year-old running up the sidewalk into the arms of 
Grandpa. 
   The cup of coffee with Mom before the rest of the house 
awakes. 
   That moment when, for a moment, everyone is quiet as we hold 
hands around the table and thank God for family and friends and 
pumpkin pie. 
   We love to be with the ones we love.
   May I remind you? So does God. He loves to be with the ones 
he loves. How else do you explain what he did? Between him and us 
there was a distance - a great span. And he couldnt bear it. He 
couldnt stand it. So he did something about it. 
   Before coming to the earth, Christ himself was like God in 
every-thing. But he gave up his place with God and made himself nothing. He 
was born to be a man and became like a servant (Phil. 2:6"7 
NCV). 
   Why? Why did Jesus travel so far?
   I was asking myself that question when I spotted the 
squirrels outside my window. A family of black-tailed squirrels has made 
its home amid the roots of the tree north of my office. Weve been 
neighbors for three years now. They watch me peck the keyboard. I watch 
them store their nuts and climb the trunk. Were mutually amused. I 
could watch them all day. Sometimes I do. 
   But Ive never considered becoming one of them. The 
squirrel world holds no appeal to me. Who wants to sleep next to a hairy 
rodent with beady eyes? (No comments from you wives who feel you 
already do.) Give up the Rocky Mountains, bass fishing, weddings, and 
laughter for a hole in the ground and a diet of dirty nuts? Count me 
out. 
   But count Jesus in. What a world he left. Our classiest 
mansion would be a tree trunk to him. Earths finest cuisine would be 
walnuts on heavens table. And the idea of becoming a squirrel with 
claws and tiny teeth and a furry tail? Its nothing compared to God 
becoming a one-celled embryo and entering the womb of Mary. 
   But he did. The God of the universe kicked against the wall 
of a womb, was born into the poverty of a peasant, and spent his 
first night in the feed trough of a cow. The Word became flesh and 
lived among us (John 1:14 NRSV). The God of the universe left the 
glory of heaven and moved into the neighborhood. Our neighborhood! Who 
could have imagined he would do such a thing. 
   Why? He loves to be with the ones he loves. [Max Lucado Daily 
Devotional at maxlucado.com] 

COMMENTARY

What does "the Word became flesh" mean?
   This is called the "incarnation." When the Son of God was 
born, God became a man. He was not part man and part God; he was 
completely human and completely divine (Col. 2:9). The incarnation is the 
act whereby the second person of the Trinity, the Son of God, took 
on real human flesh. He was one person with two natures-a perfectly 
divine nature and a perfectly human (yet sinless) nature. As the 
God-man he had all the attributes of deity (Col. 1:19; Heb. 1:8-10). As 
man he had all the attributes of humanity. His two natures are 
separate, distinct, and without fusion or mixture. Before Christ came, 
people could know God partially. After Christ came, people could know 
God fully because he became visible and tangible in Christ. Christ 
is the perfect expression of God in human form. The two most common 
errors people make about Jesus are to minimize his humanity or to 
minimize his divinity. Jesus is both God and man. [The One Year Bible 
Companion re John 1:14] 

   Do you think Jesus ever hit his funny bone and had his hand 
go numb? Or if the Lord bumped his knee just right, did his foot 
involuntarily shoot into the air? It's kind of weird to think about God's Son 
having normal human bodily responses. But the Bible dearly says that 
Jesus became flesh and dwelt among us (John 1:14). When he got tired, 
he slept. When he was hungry, his stomach rumbled. And if he ate 
too fast, he might have suffered from aerophagia - frequent belching 
after eating too quickly and swallowing a lot of air. (Can you imagine 
Jesus burping?) That may sound gross, but the fact is Jesus was 100 
percent God and 100 percent human. 
   The Bible contains a number of verses that show Jesus' 
humanity. He got angry. He cried. He experienced pain. 
   When Jesus walked through the countryside teaching about 
God's kingdom, he probably got sweaty. (It's pretty hot and dusty in 
some parts of the Holy Land.) If it had been too long between baths, 
he might have even had BO (as in "body odor"). 
   Because Jesus was fully human, he understands everything 
you're going through. He knows what it's like to grow up with siblings 
and have friends stab you in the back. But it's also important to 
remember that Jesus was a real person who lived during a real time in 
history. 
   The books of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John are filled with 
stories about Jesus' life. But he also appears in numerous other 
historical writings. In the first century AD, a Jewish historian named 
Flavius Josephus documented that Jesus was a teacher who performed 
"surpassing feats" and had a group of disciples who continued to follow him 
after his death. Tacitus, a Roman historian and senator, wrote about 
Jesus' execution by Pontius Pilate. And Jesus is mentioned in other 
ancient writings as well. 
   As you put your faith in Jesus and build the foundation of 
your faith, you can be confident about who Jesus Christ really is. 
He's a real man who lived in a real place during a real time in 
history. And he's really God's Son who really loves you a lot, right now. 
[Case For Christ For Kids by Les Strobel] 

LINK FOR FURTHER STUDY 

Love Supreme: 
http://www.abible.com/devotions/2018/20180906-1054.html 

LINKS WORTH CHECKING OUT

Most Important Decision in Life: 
http://www.youtube.com/embed/WGnEuGwvXqU?rel=0 

A Man without Equal by Bill Bright: 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NiVa7UoruIo [old, but one of the best] 

Importance of Choice: 
http://creationhealth.com/CREATION-Health/Choice [click on video]  

Seeking God Made Real: http://vimeo.com/31489782

Prayer Made Real: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tc8VdMV26VE

Musical Devotional On Christian Living: 
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OcotY5K7T0c  

Medical Seminar on Healthful Living by David DeRose, MD, MPH: 
https://www.smartlifestyletv.com/lifestart 

LINKS FOR BIBLE STUDIES 

Lifting Up Jesus Bible Studies: http://www.liftingupjesus.net/

Amazing Facts Bible Studies: 
http://www.amazingfacts.org/bible-study/bible-study-guides.aspx  

Discover Bible Studies: http://studies.itiswritten.com/discover/

Glow Tract Video Bible Studies: http://www.bibleresearch.info/

ABible.com: http://www.aBible.com

LINKS FOR BIBLE PROPHECY SEMINARS

The Last Day of Prophecy by Pastor Doug Batchelor: 
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLmGvdtMCf1aJTiC59-lPtuUMEq_uEn0BK 

Restoring The Power by John Bradshaw: 
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLRogO1SxoZN15Boa7BMon4BouVMdteVaq 

Prophecies Decoded by Pastor Ron Clouzet: 
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL1A435C5373550657  

Last Day Prophecy: His Other Sheep by Pastor Gerald Babanezhad: 
https://vimeo.com/162267518