When God Came to Dwell With Us

Scripture

“The Word became flesh and made His dwelling among us. We have seen His glory, the

glory of the one and only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.”— John 1:14 BSB

Reflection

When John says that Jesus “made His dwelling among us,” it is easy to read that as simply meaning Jesus came to live on earth.

But John is pointing to something much bigger. The word behind “made His dwelling” carries the idea of tabernacling. In other words, John is deliberately taking us back to the Tabernacle in Exodus.

After God rescued Israel from Egypt, He told Moses:

“And they are to make a sanctuary for Me, so that I may dwell among them.”

— Exodus 25:8

The Tabernacle was a portable sanctuary that traveled with Israel through the wilderness. At its center was the Most Holy Place, where God made His presence known among His people.

I think it is easy to miss how meaningful that must have been for Israel.

They had just left Egypt and were heading into unfamiliar territory. They did not know everything that was ahead of them, but right in the middle of the camp stood a constant reminder that they were not traveling alone.

God was with them.

At the same time, the Tabernacle reminded them that something was still wrong between humanity and God. His presence was near, but access to Him was limited because of sin. Priests, sacrifices, cleansing, and the curtain around the Most Holy Place all showed that people could not simply walk into God's presence on their terms.

Only the high priest could enter the Most Holy Place, and even then it happened in the way God had provided, with sacrificial blood.

Then John tells us: “The Word became flesh and made His dwelling among us.”

The God who had once made His presence known in the Tabernacle had now come near in Jesus.

That changes the way we read this verse. Jesus did not simply arrive on earth to teach people about God from a distance. In Him, God came to dwell among us.

How Jesus Meets Us

Sometimes our relationship with God can begin to feel more complicated than it really is.

We may start thinking that closeness with Him depends on praying better, understanding more, or getting ourselves into better spiritual shape first. Before long, we can feel as though God is somewhere ahead of us and we are trying to figure out how to get to Him.

But the story of Jesus moves in the opposite direction.

God came to us.

Jesus entered real human life and experienced the things that are part of being human: tiredness, hunger, grief, friendship, rejection, tears, and physical pain. Our salvation did not come from a safe distance. In Jesus, God entered our world and came near.

The Tabernacle had shown Israel that God wanted to dwell among His people, but the curtain still stood between them and the Most Holy Place.

Jesus came to deal with what created that separation.

Hebrews tells us: “Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the Most Holy

Place by the blood of Jesus, by the new and living way opened for us through the

curtain…”— Hebrews 10:19–20 BSB

Through Jesus, the way into God's presence is open.

That is one of the things I love about the Tabernacle story. It helps us see that God's desire has always been to be with His people.

So when you come to God, you are not trying to convince Him to let you close. You are coming through the way He has already opened for you in Jesus.

And the story keeps going.

Revelation gives us a glimpse of where everything is headed: “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man, and He will dwell with them.”— Revelation 21:3 BSB

The Tabernacle was never the end of the story. Neither was the Temple.

God's plan has always been moving toward the day when nothing will separate Him from His people and His presence will no longer be known through a tent, a building, or a curtain.

Jesus is at the center of that story.

Prayer

There may be days when God feels close to you, and other days when He does not. Sometimes that feeling comes because life is heavy. You may be tired, distracted, worried about something, or waiting for an answer that has not come yet. At other times, there may not be any obvious reason at all. God simply feels farther away than you would like.

Those feelings are real, but they do not change what Jesus has done. God has already moved toward you. Jesus came to dwell among us, and through Him you have been given access to God's presence.

You do not have to create that access for yourself.

So instead of trying to force yourself to feel spiritual today, spend a few quiet minutes with Him. You might simply pray:

“Jesus, thank You for coming near. Help me remember that I do not have to find my way

to You because You have already made the way for me to come to God.”

Then stay there for a little while. There does not have to be a big moment or an immediate answer.

   

Sometimes spending time with Jesus is simply learning to be present with Him.

Reflection Questions

• When you think about God, do you tend to imagine Him as near to you or far away? What has shaped that picture?

• What does the Tabernacle tell you about God's desire to be with His people?

• Have you ever felt as though you needed to get yourself together spiritually before coming to God? How does Jesus change that?

• What does it mean to you personally that Jesus has opened the way into God's presence?

• Is there one part of your day where you could become more aware of God's presence with you?

Remember This

The Tabernacle was a reminder that God wanted to dwell among His people. Jesus shows us just how far God was willing to go to make that nearness possible. The Word became flesh and came into our world.

Through His death and resurrection, Jesus opened the way for us to come to God. You do not have to spend your life trying to reach a distant God. In Jesus, God has already come near.

Today's Faithful Step

Choose one ordinary part of your day when you usually move quickly from one thing to the next. It could be while making coffee, driving somewhere, taking a shower, folding laundry, or getting ready for bed.

Use that moment to remember what this devotional has shown you about Jesus. You do not need a long prayer. Simply acknowledge His presence and say:

“Jesus, thank You for coming near. Help me live this part of my day with You.”

Continuing the Journey

If today’s reflection helped you experience the reality of God's nearness, we invite you to continue your walk along the Meet With Him pathway:

Read Next: Learn how His wisdom leads us directly into His character and draws us into a deeper relationship with Him in our companion devotional, Wisdom Leads Us to Jesus (1 Corinthians 1:30).

Take a Step: Spend five quiet minutes today meditating on Hebrews 10:19–20. Bring your honest feelings to God, and thank Jesus that through His blood, the curtain has been torn and you can enter His loving presence freely right now