The Incredible Love of God: He Came Near
Why would the Creator of heaven and earth choose to become human?
Why would the Almighty enter our world, experience hunger and weariness, walk dusty roads, sit with ordinary people, touch the rejected, weep with the grieving, and ultimately submit Himself to death?
Perhaps one of the most beautiful answers is also one of the simplest:
Because God loves us and desires to dwell with us.
The story of the Bible is not merely humanity trying to find God. Again and again, it is the story of God drawing near to humanity.
From the beginning, God wanted to be near
In Eden, we see an extraordinary picture of closeness. God walked in the garden where Adam and Eve lived (Genesis 3:8).
Sin damaged that fellowship, but God did not abandon humanity.
He called Abraham. He spoke to him, appeared to him, made promises to him, and began revealing His purposes through Abraham and his descendants.
Then, in the days of Moses, something remarkable happened.
God came to dwell among His people.
He led Israel with a pillar of cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night (Exodus 13:21–22). He instructed Moses:
“Let them make me a sanctuary, that I may dwell in their midst.” — Exodus 25:8
The Tabernacle stood in the middle of the camp.
Think about what that represented.
The God of heaven desired His dwelling place to be among His people.
Later came the Temple, where God's presence was associated especially with the Most Holy Place. Yet even this was not the end of the story.
God was going to come closer still.
And the Word became flesh
Then came one of the most astonishing statements in Scripture:
“And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us.” — John 1:14
God did not merely send another message from heaven.
He came near.
Jesus could have entered the world surrounded by earthly splendour. He could have been born in a palace and lived among kings.
Instead, He was laid in a manger.
He grew up among ordinary people. He walked through villages. Fishermen became His disciples. Children could approach Him. Lepers were touched by Him. The sick called out to Him. He ate with people whom respectable society often rejected.
The God whom people might have imagined as impossibly distant had come close enough to touch.
This was Emmanuel:
“God with us.” — Matthew 1:23
And look at the way Jesus revealed God's heart.
Although He performed extraordinary miracles, He did not build His kingdom by terrorizing ordinary people into submission.
He said:
“I am gentle and lowly in heart.” — Matthew 11:29
He washed His disciples' feet.
He welcomed children.
He forgave sinners.
He wept.
He served.
And ultimately, He gave His life.
His life was given, not taken
Jesus said something extraordinary about His death:
“No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord.” — John 10:18
The cross therefore reveals something profound about God's love.
The One with all authority chose obedience and self-giving love.
Philippians describes Christ as humbling Himself and becoming “obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross” (Philippians 2:8).
And death did not have the final word.
Jesus rose again.
The tomb was empty.
The One who had said that He had authority to lay down His life also declared that He had authority to take it up again (John 10:17–18).
But even the resurrection was not the end of God's movement toward us.
Something even more personal was coming.
God with us became God dwelling in us
Before Jesus left His disciples, He made them an astonishing promise.
He would send another Helper — the Holy Spirit.
Jesus said:
“He dwells with you and will be in you.” — John 14:17
Consider how far the story has come.
God walked with humanity in Eden.
God spoke to Abraham.
God travelled with Israel.
God's presence filled the Tabernacle and Temple.
God became flesh and walked among us in Jesus Christ.
And now, through the Holy Spirit, God makes His dwelling within His people.
Paul therefore asks:
“Do you not know that you are God's temple and that God's Spirit dwells in you?” — 1 Corinthians 3:16
The Temple is no longer merely a distant building that we must travel to in order to seek God's presence.
His people are His temple.
God has come near.
And He is not finished drawing near
There is one more chapter.
The Bible begins with God dwelling with humanity, and its final pages return to that same beautiful picture — only now there is no serpent, no separation, no death and no sorrow.
John hears a voice from heaven declaring:
“Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them.” — Revelation 21:3
That is where the story is going.
From Eden to Abraham.
From Abraham to the Tabernacle.
From the Tabernacle to the Temple.
From the Temple to Christ.
From Christ walking beside us to the Holy Spirit dwelling within us.
And finally, to God's people dwelling with Him forever.
God with man.
God among His people.
God becoming one of us.
God dwelling within us.
God with us forever.
Emmanuel
Perhaps you sometimes feel that God is very far away.
The story of Scripture tells us something very different about His character.
Again and again, He came near.
Jesus entered the world of ordinary people so that ordinary people could approach Him. His invitation was not reserved for kings, scholars, priests, the wealthy or the powerful.
The shepherd could come.
The fisherman could come.
The sick could come.
The rejected could come.
The sinner could come.
And we can come.
Jesus promised His disciples:
“I will not leave you as orphans.” — John 14:18
That is the incredible love of God.
He did not remain far away.
He came near.
And through His Spirit, He still abides with His people.
So know Him.
Love Him.
Walk with Him.
And hold on to the promise that runs through this entire story:
EMMANUEL — GOD WITH US
“I will never leave you nor forsake you.” — Hebrews 13:5
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