Big Idea - At Christmas, we celebrate the birth of Jesus, but it is not simply that He was born, but that the Word became flesh and dwelt among us. Jesus came from heaven to earth then, so that He might be continually with us now. We do not often hear Advent sermons from Mark, but it is right to think about what we must do to prepare ourselves to receive Jesus. Just as Israel needed to prepare for His coming, if they were going to truly welcome Jesus into their lives, so we too must prepare our lives if we are going to experience Jesus as God with us - that is the point of Christmas.