The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.        John 1:14 ESV

“Lord I’m asking for a new bike for my birthday.” Was the first prayer I ever prayed, not counting my “Bless the food.” requests. As that day drew closer and closer, my fervency increased. But when a real bicycle actually appeared on my big day; no one was more shocked than me!   

My family saw only two wheels, a chain and spokes; but for the first time I saw that there really was a God and that He listened when I prayed. If you think my theology was a bit wobbly, you would be right. You might ask; did I deserve a bike? But God was not just interested in how I prayed or the merits of my request. He knew that whether deserving it or not I needed something that I could put my hands on and say, “God is really there!”

The answer to my bicycle prayer gives a dim picture of why God sent Jesus to earth. If He would have waited for us to figure everything out Jesus would have never come. But God knew that we needed more than just words; we needed a person. We needed someone who we could touch and hear and see to show us His love. The people had the Ten Commandments but that was like having a bicycle with no idea of how to ride it. But Jesus came, so we could know that God listens to our prayers and that if we believe in Him we would have someone who could carry us all the way home!