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. The Gospel of Matthew was addressed to a first century Jewish audience. Its aim was to demonstrate that Jesus was the Messiah according to the Jewish scriptures. No wonder the first two ancestors of Jesus mentioned are Abraham, the father of the Jews and David, the great King of the Jews. What Matthew is doing with his extensive genealogy is attempting to demonstrate that He was not only a Jew, but came from a rich and righteous Jewish heritage. Now, when the Gospel of John digs into the background of Jesus, it skips human blood and goes straight back to God.

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 The same was in the beginning with God. 3 All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made. – John 1: 1-3

John’s first century Greco-Roman reading audience would not be particularly impressed by linking Jesus to Abraham. However, for them, the logos (word) which was the reasoning behind everything and the reason for everything was the ultimate source of all things. Thus, to speak of Jesus as being in the beginning with the logos and as the logos were all of the credentials He needed in such a philosophical and skeptical world. The real kicker of what John does in the first chapter of his gospel comes in verse 14 where he writes: 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.

Jesus not only existed in eternity as the logos, but He was incarnated and became flesh in time. It is this incarnation which is the basis for our Christmas celebration. The plan of salvation had finally been taken off of the drawing board. The Savior of the world had made His descent. He became flesh and dwelt among us. Even as a baby wrapped in swaddling clothes, we beheld His glory full of grace and truth. As we observe the birth of our Lord, let us never forget Him as God in the flesh, God with us – Emmanuel.