DAY 2 | Love Came Close | More Than a Holiday | When Christmas Becomes Personal

Yesterday, we established that Christmas is a divine interruption—God stepping directly into a world marked by struggle and limitation, at the right time, to accomplish His purpose.

Today, we focus on the truth that God’s love came close, meeting us where we are. 

Christmas tells a story that confronts one of the quietest lies many of us believe—that God loves us, but from a distance. That He cares, but stays removed. That He sends help, but does not come Himself. 

That’s why we have to read our Bibles. Amen. Because scripture insists on something far more intimate. 

The gospel of St. Matthew 1:23 (NIV) says: “The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel” (which means “God with us”). 

Not God above us. Not God watching us. But God with us. That means that God chose closeness over distance and presence over separation, stepping fully into our lives rather than observing them from afar.

That truth alone reframes everything about Christmas. God did not shout love from heaven; He stepped into humanity to demonstrate it. 

John 1:14 NKJV tells us that “the Word became flesh and dwelt among us”. The Message translation says He “moved into the neighborhood.” 

God chose to be near. Think of it: When you have someone in your life who chooses to be around you when they could easily be elsewhere, that says a lot, doesn’t it? It means they love you, it means they care, it means they value your presence and are committed to walking with you, not just watching from a distance.

Many people struggle not because they doubt God’s power, but because they question His nearness. We pray, yet feel unheard. We worship, yet feel unseen. We believe God is real, but wonder if He is reachable. And when we lose awareness of God’s nearness, we can become careless in our choices—forgetting that His Presence is with us, His Eye is upon us, and His Spirit gently calls us toward what is right.

But Christmas answers that tension clearly. 

Luke 2 shows us that Jesus was not born in a palace, but in a place that smelled like animals and sounded like poverty. That choice was intentional. 

Hebrews 4:15 (NKJV) reminds us that “we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin.” Jesus entered the full range of human experience—fatigue, rejection, uncertainty—so that no one could say, “God doesn’t understand.” In fact, we often say and hear others say: God understands.

Life has a way of making God feel far. When prayers go unanswered, when grief lingers, when silence stretches longer than expected, it’s easy to assume God has stepped back. 

Yet Psalm 139:7–10 (NKJV) asks, “Where can I go from Your Spirit? Or where can I flee from Your presence? If I ascend into heaven, You are there; if I make my bed in hell, behold, You are there… Even there Your hand shall lead me, and Your right hand shall hold me.” 

The answer is clear—nowhere. God’s nearness is not determined by our awareness of Him. It is established by His promise.

Mary’s story reflects this beautifully. The angel’s announcement in Luke 1 did not remove her fear or explain every detail. But it did reveal God’s closeness. 

Luke 1:35 (NIV) tells us, “The Holy Spirit will come on you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you.” God would not ask her to walk this out alone. 

And the same is true for us. Isaiah 7:14 (NKJV) declares, “Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a Son, and shall call His name Immanuel.” This was not fulfilled just to mark a prophecy—it was fulfilled to reveal God’s posture toward humanity: He comes near.

Many of us have moments where we say, “God feels far,” when what we really mean is, “God is quiet.” But what we need to understand is that silence is not absence. Think about it: when you have a falling out with a relative or a friend and communication stops, that person doesn’t stop existing or stop being connected to you—they’re still there, even in the silence. Correct?

In 1 Kings 19, Elijah did not find God in the wind, the earthquake, or the fire—but in a still, small voice. 1 Kings 19:12 (NKJV) describes it as “a still small voice.” Nearness does not always announce itself loudly. Sometimes it waits patiently to be noticed.

Think of real-life moments when God’s nearness becomes clear only in hindsight. A phone call that came at the right time. Strength that appeared when you were sure you had none left. Peace that made no logical sense. 

Lamentations 3:22–23 (NKJV) reminds us, “Through the Lord’s mercies we are not consumed, because His compassions fail not. They are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness.” Those mercies don’t arrive from afar. They meet us where we are.

Jesus demonstrated nearness repeatedly during His ministry. Mark 1:41 (NIV) tells us, “Jesus was indignant. He reached out his hand and touched the man.” He touched lepers whom others avoided. John 11:35 (NIV) simply says, “Jesus wept.” He wept with grieving sisters before raising their brother. 

Luke 8:43–48 (NIV) shows us that Jesus noticed the woman who touched the hem of His garment in a crowd full of people and said, “Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace.” Love that stays distant cannot heal like that. Love had to come close.

Christmas proves that God doesn’t love us merely in theory. Romans 8:38–39 (NIV) assures us, “For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons… nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” That love crossed eternity to reach humanity. It crossed heaven to reach earth. And it still crosses silence to reach hearts today. Hallelujah.

The empowerment question presses gently but honestly: Where have I believed God was distant when He was actually near? Perhaps in grief, where comfort arrived slowly. Perhaps in waiting, where answers delayed growth. Perhaps in correction, where love felt uncomfortable. 

James 4:8 (NKJV) tells us, “Draw near to God and He will draw near to you.” That verse is not a threat—it’s an invitation to awareness.

Family, Christmas invites us to stop measuring God’s nearness by feelings and start trusting His presence by faith. 

Jesus did not come to visit. He came to remain. And He promised in Matthew 28:20 (NKJV), “And lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Not just in celebration. Not just in clarity. But always.

Love came close then. And it is still close now.