The sign read, “Apartment for Rent”, advertising the unit below us. In the entire year the tenant lived under us, we never heard a peep. He moved in as a stranger and stayed a stranger. One day, I tried to exchange names but was met with hostility. Worse yet, what if he had been our housemate? What if he shared our apartment, our furniture, our utilities, our conversations, and our life? Both his arrival and departure would have affected our lives. Our time living together would have been awkward (to say the least!) Quickly, I would have removed the welcome mat.
THE NEW NEIGHBOR
John 1:1-14 describes someone whose entrance into the world rocked the existence of mankind. He is the divine Housemate. This new neighbor is called “The Word”. If the Word had to fill out an application to live with us, he would list His previous address as heaven. As for references, He would list God. According to John, this new tenant sent shockwaves across the universe. He rocked the world. Another name for the Tenant is: “Immanuel” (God with us).
VISIBLE PRESENCE OF GOD AMONG MEN
The Old Testament describes God living in the midst of His people. The Tabernacle and Solomon’s temple both contained the “Holy of Holies,” also called by Jewish rabbis the “Shekinah Glory, the visible presence of God among men”. God decided to dwell among a people who rarely loved or fully devoted themselves to Him. In the Book of John, God again pitches His tent, but this time the Tent is in human form, Immanuel. Spurgeon warns us about our attitude toward the new Neighbor, “Do not let us live as if God were a long way off.”
GOD’S FAVOR TOWARD THE UNWORTHY
Immanuel did not come as judge and executioner. All of us were already guilty before Him and doomed to everlasting punishment. John Piper writes: “The Word, the Son, who is God, became flesh to reveal a divine glory that is full of grace and truth. The Word of God became flesh to be gracious to us.” “Grace” is “God’s favor toward the unworthy”. In His grace, God is willing to forgive us and bless us abundantly, even though we don’t deserve to be treated well or dealt with generously. Piper continues, “The Word became flesh so that this graciousness to us would come in accord with God’s truthfulness. This is expensive grace. The price led straight to Jesus’ death on the cross. In fact, this is why he became flesh. He had to have flesh in order to die.”
GOD WANTS TO DWELL WITH YOU
God wants to permanently dwell with us through Immanuel. You don’t have to fight to make a connection with this new Neighbor; invite Him in. He will come to you, and nothing will ever remain the same. God is in the House! This Neighbor rocks my world. He lives in my apartment, my heart, my soul. He promises to never leave me or forsake me. I don’t ever have to go searching for someone or something else. That spiritual advertisement announcing room for rent has gone down, because God makes His home with me for eternity. Have you invited Him in?
In case you want to read further about this New Neighbor, click Revelation 19:11-16