My favorite part of teaching has always been reading aloud to my students. I love watching their faces as the plot twists or hearing their laughs during a silly story. One year, we even got to watch some of our favorite characters come to life as we had a special “Book Character Dress Up Day”.

Just like my favorite childhood read-alouds, the Old Testament is amazingly filled with many different characters, but truly all of them point to one specific character- Jesus. He is the one common thread that keeps showing up and weaving hope into a people in dire need of saving. These words of hope were all God’s people had as hundreds of years passed with no end of waiting in sight.

Today in John, we see that this Word of prophecy and promise finally becomes flesh. No longer a foreshadowing and not someone playing “dress up”, but Jesus is here—true God and true man come to save us from sin, death, and the devil.

Jesus, God’s only Son, came for us. The wait is over and we finally get to watch the real thing. “We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son…” We get to see the incredible story unfold of the baby in the manger, the perfect life, the innocent suffering and death and the glorious resurrection. Sometimes I find myself thinking I’m reading a story and not an actual account in history. It all can seem too big, too extraordinary, too good to be true.

Praise God that it is all true. This Word truly became flesh and came to dwell among us. Jesus came to his people not with fire and brimstone, but “full of grace and truth.” His desire is to save us from our sin and give us the best ending ever written—a perfect home with him for eternity.

On the calendar, it seems that Christmas is over. Maybe you are spending the next week undecorating your classroom and hallways. The songs and recitations are tucked away, and the tree is put back in the attic. But in many ways, Christmas is just beginning. This is one story that never ends. God still dwells among us; therefore, the pages are still being written in our lives and in the lives of our students. Let us continue to grow in our own faith, equip our students for lives of service to our Savior, and never stop telling the best and truest story of all time! He is born—our Savior!