Trinity-God Came Near

Scripture

John 1:14
“And the Word became flesh and lived among us, and we have seen his glory, the glory as of a father’s only son, full of grace and truth.”

Reflection

One of the great claims of the Christian faith is that God did not remain at a safe distance and send instructions. God came near.

In Jesus Christ, God entered the neighborhood of human life. The Word became flesh. The Son of God was born in Bethlehem, baptized in the Jordan, tempted in the wilderness, rejected by religious leaders, welcomed by sinners, crucified outside Jerusalem, and raised from the dead. This is not a distant God sending down advice from heaven. This is God with us.

That matters because when we look at Jesus, we are seeing the heart of God. We see him blessing children. We see him eating with sinners. We see him touching the untouchable. We see him defending the vulnerable. We see him telling stories about lost sheep, lost coins, and lost sons. We see him from the cross saying, “Father, forgive them.”

Jesus does not reveal a softer side of God while hiding the rest. Jesus reveals the character of God. If we want to know what God is like, we look at Jesus.

And this is why the Trinity matters for salvation. If Jesus is only a messenger, then he can point us toward God. If Jesus is only a teacher, then he can give us wisdom about God. But if Jesus is truly God the Son, then in Jesus, God has come all the way to us. God has not delegated salvation. God has personally entered our condition to rescue, heal, reconcile, and restore.

Application

Read one Gospel story today and ask: “What does this reveal about the heart of God?” Let Jesus correct any image of God that is colder, harsher, smaller, or less merciful than he is.

Prayer

Lord Jesus Christ, Word made flesh, thank you for coming near. Thank you for revealing the heart of God in your life, death, and resurrection. Help me trust that when I look at you, I am seeing the love of God reaching all the way to me. Amen.

Song

“O Come to the Altar” — Elevation Worship