Apocalyptic Christmas (Week 3): The Unveiling of Nearness

If you’ve missed any of the previous weeks in this series, we encourage you to go back and watch or listen. The conversations build on one another, and how we see Scripture deeply shapes how we see God. When Scripture is misunderstood, God is often misunderstood. But when Scripture is seen rightly, as God unveiling His heart, it has the power to transform everything about our faith.

This series is not about collecting information. It’s about transformation.

What Does “Apocalyptic” Really Mean?

When we hear the word apocalyptic, we often think of destruction, fear, or the end of the world. But biblically, the word apocalypse simply means an unveiling - a revealing of something that has always been true but not yet fully seen.

We all experience apocalyptic moments, even if we never call them that.

Sometimes it’s a health wake-up call.
Sometimes it’s a relationship you suddenly see clearly.
Sometimes it’s a familiar verse that hits you in a brand-new way.
Sometimes it’s a lyric in worship that feels like it was written just for you.

Nothing new was created in those moments…truth was revealed.

And those moments are never just informational. They are invitational.

God does not reveal truth merely to educate us. He reveals truth to invite us into His presence. But an invitation still must be received. We can have an “aha” moment and change nothing - or we can allow God to transform us.

The Ache Every Human Carries

Scripture unveils something true about every human heart:
there is a deep ache within us - a longing for belonging and identity.

In the Garden of Eden, humanity had everything it needed.
Presence with God.
Identity from God.
Belonging with God.

There was no striving. No insecurity. No searching.

But when sin fractured that relationship, humanity lost nearness, not ownership. We still belonged to God - but we could no longer dwell with Him.

And yet, our spirits remember.

Every human life becomes a search for what was lost. We chase belonging in relationships, success, pleasure, religion - even good things. But when those pursuits are disconnected from God, they leave us empty.

Not because we’re broken - but because we were never designed to find belonging in substitutes.

Shadows Were Never the Destination

After Eden, God gave humanity shadows: altars, sacrifices, holy days, temples. All of them were merciful. All of them were good.

But shadows were never meant to be destinations.
They were directional signs - whispers pointing us toward something greater.

Humanity, however, fell in love with the shadows.

And the ache only deepened.

A Fall Before the Fall

Scripture pulls back the curtain even further. Before humanity fell, there was another fall.

The enemy did not fall because he lacked power or beauty - but because of pride. He desired identity apart from God and belonging without dependence.

What he lost was presence.

And when humanity was created in God’s image - walking with God, belonging with God - that became the target.

The conflict has never been about morality alone.
It has always been about presence and identity.

The enemy is not after humanity because we are valuable to him.
He is after humanity because we are offered something he will never regain:
restored presence with the Father.

The Fracture Was Relational, Not Behavioral

In the Garden, the serpent did not deny God’s existence or power. He attacked trust.

“Did God really say…?”

And when humanity believed the lie that God was withholding from them, shame entered. Then hiding. Then exile.

The fracture was not merely behavioral, it was relational.

And from that moment on, the promise remained suspended:
Someone is coming.

Necessary, But Not Sufficient

God gave the law.
God gave sacrifice.
God gave priests and temples.

All of it was necessary.
None of it was sufficient.

The law could reveal sin, but not restore intimacy.
Sacrifice could cover guilt, but not remove exile.
The temple could mark holy space, but not return humanity to walking with God.

Access remained limited. Guarded. Temporary.

Because relationship cannot be repaired from one side alone.

And Then God Did the Unthinkable

“The Word became flesh and dwelt among us.” (John 1:14)

That word dwelt means tabernacled.

God did not send another shadow.
God became the fulfillment of every shadow.

The invisible became visible.
The eternal entered time.
Holiness took on skin.

For the first time since Eden, God was no longer revealed through something - He was revealed as someone.

The Sign Was a Manger

Not a throne.
Not a temple.
Not a guarded space.

A feeding trough.

This was not accidental. It was intentional revelation.

The manger was a sign of accessibility.

The shadows had passed.
The way was open.
God could be approached without fear.

Glory in the Open Fields

God revealed this first not to kings or priests - but to shepherds.

The glory once hidden behind a veil now filled an open field.
The presence once guarded by cherubim was freely displayed.

“I bring you good news of great joy for all people.”

Not new rules.
Not new conditions.
Good news.

Christmas Reveals God’s Heart

God could have come in power - and revealed strength.
God could have come in judgment - and revealed holiness.

But God came as a child.

And that tells us something.

God is not threatened by closeness.
Holiness does not recoil from humanity - it moves toward it.
God’s desire has never been distance, but presence.

Restoring Nearness, Not Reclaiming Property

Humanity was always God’s by creation.
But Christ restores what was lost - relational belonging.

“To all who received Him… He gave the right to become children of God.” (John 1:12)

We don’t become something to be welcomed.
God came near first.

Nearness is a gift - but it must be received.

The Apocalypse of Christmas

Christmas is not an unveiling of demands.
It is an unveiling of nearness.

God does not desire servants alone.
He desires sons and daughters.

The presence once hidden is now available.
The belonging once lost is now restored.

And the only faithful response is awe.

Because what humanity could not cross, God crossed Himself.

That is the apocalypse of Christmas.