Theology and faith

Three reflections for advent

Posted by Jenni James on 1 December 2025

Jesus, God with us

“The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us.” – John 1:14

This is an maybe all-too familiar theme of our Christmas messages: Jesus came as Immanuel, God with us. But in its familiarity, let’s not rush past it. God was not content to remain distant from us. He came down to live among us, to identify with us in all our weakness, experiencing fully the highs and the lows of the human experience. This Christmas, however you are feeling, know that Jesus knows and shares that with you. In moments of joy and celebration, he is rejoicing with us; in moments of pain and darkness, he is just as close, and he understands. What dignity this brings to our whole spectrum of emotions! What comfort we can find as we bring our hopes and fears to him; he is close in them all. 

Jesus, born of Mary

“‘Do not be afraid, Mary; you have found favor with God. You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to call him Jesus.’ ” – Luke 1:30-31

The wonder of the incarnation isn’t just that God came to dwell with us, but in how he chose to come: a baby, born of a woman. This year I’m particularly thinking about what this tells us about how God sees and values women. God chose Mary – a young, unknown woman – to bear the saviour of the world. All of Jesus’ flesh, his human substance, came from Mary; God was pleased to have his fulness dwell inside her body. “Lo, he abhors not the Virgin’s womb”!

In a world – a church culture, even – where women have been treated as secondary, I think this brings real hope. Yes, Jesus was a man, but he came through a woman. This particular aspect of the incarnation should challenge any suggestion that God identifies more closely with men, and gives great encouragement to women who have been made to feel inferior. 

Jesus, who lifts up the humble

“He has brought down rulers from their thrones but has lifted up the humble. He has filled the hungry with good things but has sent the rich away empty.” – Luke 1:52

We can’t talk about Mary without giving some time to her song, found in Luke chapter 1. Here, she worships God for the great things he has done and gives us a glimpse of what the coming saviour will accomplish: establishing justice, lifting up the humble and bringing down the proud, extending mercy to his people. 

Maybe you are feeling the sting of injustice this Christmas time. At Restored, we walk alongside hundreds of women who have been let down by people and systems that should have been there to support them. On this side of eternity, the powerful seem to remain at the top whilst the vulnerable continue to face oppression. Amidst all of this, we can look forward to a day when Jesus will come to rescue his people and establish justice once and for all, just as he promised.