Veiled in Flesh the Godhead See

When should Christmas celebration begin? December 1^st seems good to some. "Keep Christmas in December", they reason. Many start celebrating the day after Thanksgiving, hauling out the decorations and putting up the tree Friday morning. Radio DJ's cue up Mariah Carey's "All I Want for Christmas is You" at least a week before Thanksgiving. Earliest of all, retail stores now decorate for Christmas well before the end of October. The beginning of our Christmas celebration is clearly a moving target no one quite agrees on.

So let me ask another question. When did Christmas begin? Some might say it began in the early to mid 300's A.D., when Christians were first known to officially celebrate the birth of Christ on December 25^th. Others might say Christmas began the night Christ was born to the virgin Mary and laid in a manger. (Think of it - cradling the Creator!) Still others might say Christmas began the moment Mary miraculously conceived by the power of the Spirit.

But if we allow a beginning of Christmas before Christ's birth, others might point to the unstoppable promises of God centuries early, like "the virgin shall conceive and bear a son" (Is. 7:14). And if we count the sure promises of God concerning the birth of Jesus as the beginning of Christmas, we'll have to go back to the Garden of Eden where God promised as early as Genesis 3:15 that a male offspring of Eve would crush the serpent's skull. This question isn't much easier to answer!

As with all good questions, we need to turn to Scripture to find the answer. Matthew begins with Abraham and traces his line purposefully all the way to Jesus before saying, "Now the birth of Jesus Christ took place in this way" (Matt. 2:1). Luke, not to be outdone, traces Jesus's family line all the way back to "the son of Enos, the son of Seth, the son of Adam" (Luke 3:38)! It's hard to go back any farther than that! But actually… he does. Luke concludes the verse above, "the son of Adam, the son of God."

Most scholars believe John wrote his gospel at least a decade later than Matthew and Luke. I wonder if Luke's "son of God" rang in John's ears during those years. Because when John finally sat to write his account of the life of Jesus he went all the way back, back before time began, back to the mystery of eternity past where the Father, Son, and Spirit existed eternally as coequals in perfect loving fellowship. Here, in the shining glory of trinitarian fellowship, before the creation of the world, John believes, is when Christmas began!

(John 1:1 - 3, 14) In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God. 3 All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made… 14 And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth."

The One who became flesh and dwelt among us (Immanuel, which means God with us), is the One who inhabited eternity, who was with God, and, indeed, who was God. Sharing the one divine nature of our undivided God, Jesus, the Son, began his work in the saving counsels of God in eternity past before creating the world - a world he would then enter into and suffer at the hands of and on behalf of.

So when did Christmas begin? Christmas began in eternity past when Father, Son, and Spirit, in love, decided to save undeserving sinners. When should our celebration of Christmas begin? The moment our eyes open every single day!

The first chapters of Matthew and Luke reveal Gabriel's visits, John's prenatal leap, the census, trip to Bethlehem, manger, star, wise men and more. John has one verse about Christ's birth! "And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us…" (John 1:14) - all the rich imagery we know and love (think every Christmas card and pageant you've ever seen) in just two words: "became flesh".

Writing after Matthew and Luke, John was adding to the birth narratives. But how, with only one verse on Jesus's birth? John focused not on the birth itself, but rather on the astonishing truths before and behind it. John insists that the swaddled child is none other than very God, the eternal Son, Creator of everything!

Verses 1 - 5 each contain staggering truths about the deity of Christ, so that by the time he gets to verse 14 we can hardly believe this Jesus could take on human flesh able to suffer and die!

Jesus reveals the Father perfectly (vs. 1). "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God." The baby who knew not one word was the Word who perfectly communicated the fullness of the Father! "He is…the exact imprint of [the Father's] nature" (Heb. 1:3), and "no one knows the Father except the Son and anyone to whom the Son chooses to reveal him" (Matt. 11:27). Jesus reveals God as only God can.

Jesus relates to the Father eternally (vs. 2). "He was in the beginning with God." The baby just becoming imprinted on his mother had known the love of His Father for billions of years! There never was, nor will be, a time when Jesus was not "with God". And this cannot change (Heb. 13:1). What good news for those united to Jesus by faith! "Consequently, he is able to save to the uttermost those who draw near to God through him, since he always lives to make intercession for them" (Heb. 7:25). Jesus relates to God as only God can.

Jesus created all things comprehensively (vs. 3). "All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made." The baby unable to open his chubby fists on command fashioned the world by his handiwork (Col. 1:16; Heb. 1:2; Ps. 19:1)! He is the Lord over all creation by owner's right. And having completed his atoning mission said, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me" (Matt. 28:18). As both Creator and Redeemer Jesus has absolute authority over creation and new creation. Nothing can stop him. Jesus saves as only God can!

Jesus produces life intrinsically (vs. 4). "In him was life, and the life was the light of men." The baby who needed Mary's life-giving milk was the fountain of life for all humanity! "For as the Father has life in himself, so he has granted the Son also to have life in himself" (John 5:26). When Jesus entered humanity, Eternal Life was bursting through the darkness of death, shining like the sun. "The life was made manifest, and we have seen it, and testify to it and proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and was made manifest to us" (1 John 1:2). "God gave us eternal life, and this life is in his Son" (1 John 5:11). Jesus gives life as only God can!

Jesus illuminates the darkness victoriously (vs. 5). "The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it." The harmless baby so loved by his parents was a mystery (John 1:11) and a threat (Matt. 2:16) to those who loved darkness. But Jesus said, "I have come into the world as light, so that whoever believes in me may not remain in darkness" (John 12:46). Through the door of faith in Christ we step out of the darkness of sin and death and into the light of Life Himself. Jesus dispels darkness as only God can!

I've always loved Christmas lights. Some of my earliest memories of Christmas are the lights. Electric candles on our front windowsills, colored bulbs on our tree, and twinkling lights on neighbors' houses still shine in my childhood memories. There's something captivating about beautiful lights in the darkness! And when it comes to Christmas, light may be as significant as it is sentimental.

The Bible is a story of light dispelling darkness. The first chapter says, "…darkness was over the face of the deep…and God said, 'Let there be light.'" (Gen. 1:2 - 3). In the very last chapter John says, "They will need no light of lamp or sun, for the Lord God will be their light" (Rev. 22:5), and Jesus says, "I am the root and the descendant of David, the bright morning star" (22:16, emphasis mine). In between, unbelievers are those who walk in darkness (1 John 2:11) because they are full of darkness (Matt. 6:23), while believers are those who walk in the light (Eph. 5:18) because they are full of light (Luke 11:36).

What does this have to do with Christmas? And why might lights be a very appropriate part of our Christmas celebration? While Matthew and Luke give us a history of Jesus's birth, John gives us a theology thereof. And in John 1:4 - 9 John uses the word light 7 times, ultimately saying, "the true light, which gives light to everyone, was coming into the world" (John 1:9). The quiet advent of Christ into humanity was a cosmic explosion of light into darkness.

Let's consider just three truths about Jesus, the light of life, from John 1.

Jesus is the life-giving light of God. "In him was life, and the life was the light of men" (vs. 4). One thousand years earlier, David said, "with you is the fountain of life; in your light do we see light" (Ps. 36:9). Jesus would later say, "I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life" (John 8:12). Jesus calls sinners out of darkness into his marvelous, eternal light (1 Pet. 2:9)!

The light of Christ could not be stopped. "The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it" (vs. 5). The darkness of sin has wrapped like a "darkness to be felt" (Ex. 10:21) around the world since Adam sinned. In that darkness, the patriarchs, kings, and priests stumbled until Israel crumbled into destruction and exile. How could God's Messianic promises ever be fulfilled? Even when Israel returned to their land, the visible light of God's glory never entered the rebuilt Temple. Until, that is, Jesus was presented as a baby and Simeon held him up and proclaimed, "a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and for glory to your people Israel" (Luke 2:28, 32)! No depth of darkness could stop the arrival of the Light! Matthew saw in Jesus the fulfillment of Isaiah's prophecy, "The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who dwelt in a land of deep darkness, on them has light shone" (Is. 9:2; cf. Matt. 4:16). The light of life could not be stopped and will not be extinguished!

Christians are light bearers. "He came as a witness, to bear witness about the light, that all might believe through him" (vs. 7). John bore witness about the light of Christ before his ministry. But all Christians carry and are called to shine that light now! "Let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven" (Matt. 5:16). You are "children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and twisted generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world" (Phil. 2:15). Are you shining this Christmas?

So, as you put up some lights this year, praise God that "the darkness is passing away and the true light is already shining" (1 John 2:8)!

Where I grew up, many people burned their paper trash. My grandfather used to describe gathering up the bags and boxes and bows and packaging and wrapping paper after Christmas morning and walking it all out before lunch for the "great fire." My Dad often laughed, "I think we burned up at least a gift a year!" I don't know if they ever actually overlooked and destroyed a gift, but if they did, I'm sure the consequences were minimal.

I do know for sure of one gift that was overlooked at Christmastime, however. And it was definitely destroyed (for a time). But the consequences were not minimal. John talks about it in verses 9 - 14 of the first chapter of his gospel.

The world failed to know Jesus. "He was in the world, and the world was made through him, yet the world did not know him" (vs. 10). The bitter irony is staggering. The Author entered the story and the characters rejected him. The King entered his realm and the subjects banished him. Jesus created the world, but the world did not know him! To know, in John, is to have a personal, intimate relationship. Jesus said we should never be surprised if Christians are rejected or mistreated by the world. "They will do these things because they have not known the Father, nor me" (John 16:3, emphasis mine). When Jesus came into the world, he was, as Isaiah prophesied, "despised and rejected by men" (Is. 53:3). The world rejected the gift of Jesus.

His own people failed to receive Jesus. "He came to his own, and his own people did not receive him" (vs. 11). For the Gentiles, who knew little of God's promises, to reject Jesus relationally is less surprising. But God's own covenant people who possessed his Word, containing myriad prophecies fulfilled by Jesus, also reject him. This is more shocking and tragic. John the Baptist said of Jesus, "He bears witness to what he has seen and heard, yet no one receives his testimony" (John 3:32). And Jesus himself said, "I have come in my Father's name, and you do not receive me" (John 5:43). Jesus came as the long-promised Christ of God. Peter knew and loved him as such (Luke 9:20). Israel's rulers mocked him as such (Luke 23:35) as he hung, not merely denied, but destroyed - or so they thought. Israel sought to destroy the gift of Jesus.

All who received him became children of God. "But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God" (vs. 12). Most Gentiles and most Jews thought Jesus a troublemaker or pretender. But some of each saw him as the true light (vs. 9), the life (vs. 4), the Word (vs. 1), and the Son of God full of grace and truth (vs. 14). Some saw him for who he truly was, and they believed in his name - his character, work, and promises. Some joyfully received him personally, relationally, permanently. And to all who received him like that he gave the right to become children of God. All who received Jesus as a gift of grace became children of God.

But what about now? What about you? So far, these three groups have been in the past tense. Today, many still fail to know and receive Jesus. But John was written for you. "Jesus did many other signs in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book; but these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name" (John 20:30 - 31). Jesus said to the woman at the well, "If you knew the gift of God, and who it is that is saying to you, 'Give me a drink,' you would have asked him, and he would have given you living water" (John 4:10, emphasis mine). Receive the Gift of Jesus!

As a kid, I had several maps on my wall. We lived in the country in rural Appalachia and didn't travel much. But I was fascinated by the wider world. I read every issue of National Geographic for years and loved learning about far places. I never doubted the places I studied were real, but with no personal experience, neither did I truly understand them.

So, I also loved meeting people from other countries. That's when those places became real to me. I had seen pictures; they had lived there. I had read stories; they were part of them. I had heard of their culture; they shaped and embodied it. By seeing their face, shaking their hand, and hearing their words, I was personally and relationally experiencing the reality of their country, even before going there myself.

John opens his gospel by explaining that this is precisely why Jesus was born into the world. God, in his essence, is invisible. Jesus, by taking on visible, physical human form, makes God known. Jesus came from the far country of Heaven that we might see, hear, and know God personally. Consider three of the ways this is true from John 1:14 - 18.

Jesus displays the glory of God. "The Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father…" (vs. 14). Salvation is the result of God revealing to the hearts and minds of sinners that his glory shines nowhere more purely than in Jesus Christ! "In their case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God. For what we proclaim is not ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord… For God, who said, 'Let light shine out of darkness,' has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ" (2 Cor. 4:4 - 6). To see the glory of Jesus is to see God himself, the very glory of Heaven!

Jesus dispenses the grace and truth of God. "From his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace. For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ" (vv. 16 - 17). In just four verses Jesus is "full of grace and truth" (14), the giver of "grace upon grace" (16), and the channel of "grace and truth" (17). Our nation is short on grace and truth. Many aren't sure what or who to believe anymore, but they know for certain who their enemies are. Little truth, little grace. How important it is this Christmas season to point hearts to Jesus who came into our mess overflowing with grace and truth, pleased to dispense grace and teach truth, and who is the sole channel of grace and truth! All who cling to Christ this Christ can say with John, "Grace, mercy, and peace will be with us, from God the Father and from Jesus Christ the Father's Son, in truth and love" (2 John 3). To receive Jesus is to receive the grace and truth of God!

Jesus draws prodigals into fellowship with God. "No one has ever seen God; God the only Son, who is at the Father's side, he has made him known" (vs. 18) John begins and ends his prologue with Jesus's intimate, eternal relationship with his Father. He is "with" God (vs. 1) and "at the Father's side" (or in his bosom) (vs. 18). Jesus lives in perfect, loving, eternal union with the Father. Jesus says, "Whoever has seen me has seen the Father" (John 14:9), and "If you really know me, you will know my Father as well" (John 14:7). To be united to Christ in the obedience of faith is to be drawn into fellowship with the eternal God (Rom. 16:26). To know Jesus is to know the Father.

Mark is the only synoptic gospel (Matthew, Mark, and Luke) that does not include the birth narrative of Christ. This does not mean, however, that Mark has nothing to tell us of the coming of Christ.

First, Mark tells us that this book is the gospel, which means the good news. The good news begins with perhaps the most important thing we must understand as we enter into this text: Jesus Christ is the Son of God. We open the gospel of Mark with an immediate flash of Christ's glorious God-ness. This is not the biography of a mere man, or even a famous man. As J.C. Ryle says, these opening words declare the full dignity of our Lord Jesus Christ, fully divine and the Son of God. As we read the rest of the book, we must read it with the understanding that the good news is only good because Jesus Christ is the Son of God. If He were just another man, this news would not be good.

Second, we see that Christ did not come out of nowhere. He was born in obscurity, but not unforeseen or suddenly contrived. His coming was foretold in the writings of the prophets, as we see in Mark 1:2: "As it is written in Isaiah," or some versions translate it, "as it is written by the prophets." Christ's coming was foretold long before He came. In Genesis 3:15, we see the first prophecy, often called the protoevangelium, or "first gospel," of the seed of the woman who would crush the serpent's head and deliver mankind. This promise would be often renewed, repeated, and further clarified through the patriarchs and prophets. Jesus Himself said in John 5:39, "...it is (the Scriptures) that bear witness about Me." From the beginning chapters of the Bible, through the end of the Old Testament, the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ was foretold.

Finally, His coming was not only foretold, but also heralded by a specially appointed emissary, John the Baptist. The coming of this herald, as Mark points out, was also foretold. Malachi 3:1, "Behold, I send my messenger, and he will prepare the way before me. And the Lord whom you seek will suddenly come to his temple; and the messenger of the covenant in whom you delight, behold, he is coming, says the LORD of hosts." Isaiah 40:3: "A voice cries: 'In the wilderness prepare the way of the LORD; make straight in the desert a highway for our God." John the Baptist was sent in God's perfect timing to make straight the paths of His Son Jesus Christ, and to prepare the people's hearts to receive Him.

John the Baptist's purpose was to prepare the way for the Lord, for the coming of Jesus Christ the Son of God. So, too, ought we to prepare His way in our hearts, preaching to our own hearts the same message: "Repent and turn from your sins." J.C. Ryle, in his Expository Thoughts on the Gospels: Mark, commenting on this passage, prods our hearts: "Let us ask ourselves, how much do we know by practical experience of the truths John preached. What think we of Christ? Have we felt our need of Him and fled to Him for peace? Is He King over our hearts and all things in our souls? Life or death depends on our answers."

As we work through this Advent season, as you work through this devotional, be diligent to prepare the way of the King in your own heart. May Christmas day not sneak up on you; rather, may you prepare a warm and welcoming heart for the celebration of the coming of our great and glorious King!

Joy to the world! The Lord is come.

Let earth receive her King.

Let every heart prepare him room…

We get a lot of Christmas cards this time of year. A beautiful picture and maybe some Scripture on the front. More Scripture or some encouraging words on the inside. Finally, a handwritten note with well wishes at the end of another year. And then, always last, the name of the one who wrote the note and sent the card.

In the introduction of Paul's letter to the Ephesians, he does things differently. He begins by introducing himself, along with his credentials as an apostle, and offering a blessing to the congregation. I personally think the ancient format makes more sense, because knowing who is speaking helps us understand the letter as we read it!

One thing I am often guilty of when reading Paul's epistles is skipping through these greetings and salutations to "get to the good part." In nine of his thirteen letters, Paul notes that he is an apostle chosen by the will of Jesus Christ. The opening blessing for all of his letters is some variation of the same prayer: "Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ" (Eph. 1:2; Rom. 1:7; 1 Cor. 1:3; 2 Cor. 1:2; Gal. 1:3; Phil. 1:2; Col. 1:2; 1 Thess. 1:1; 2 Thess. 1:2; 1 Tim. 1:2; 2 Tim. 1:2; Tit. 1:4; Phlm 3). Take a moment if you have it and flip through each of these introductions so you can see this for yourself.

With the repetition in each greeting, it can be easy to skim past it to get to the main point of the letter, which is whatever Paul was writing to address. Yet, when we skip the introduction to each letter, as repetitive as they may seem, we sidestep the very gateway through which we are to enter into what God is saying in the letter. What is this gateway? Dr. Martin Lloyd-Jones, in his commentary on Ephesians, says that Paul's introduction is no less than a proclamation of the gospel. How can that be so? Look at verse two: "Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ." Now, let's break it down piece by piece.

First, notice that grace has come to us: "Grace to you." This grace is the very person of our Lord Jesus Christ (Tit. 2:11-14). When God the Son came down and took on a human nature, the grace of God was manifested to all people.

Second, the peace that comes to us comes through the Lord Jesus Christ. He has brought peace (Rom. 5:1). At His birth, the angels sang, "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom He is pleased!" (Luke 2:14).

Finally, through the grace given to us in Christ Jesus and the peace He has obtained for us through His blood, we now call God our Father! What is the end result of Christ's work? That God and sinners are reconciled so completely that we who were once His enemies can now call Him our Father! How incredibly amazing is that?! Once again, Lloyd-Jones said, "The Son of God became a Son of Man so that the sons of men might become sons of God." We have peace with God and can now call Him "our Father" because of the grace He sent us: the Lord Jesus Christ.

This is the assurance we have that grace and peace have come to us, and that Christ, in the fullness of time, came down to us. This is what we celebrate at Christmas: the incarnation and birth of our Lord Jesus Christ, the grace of God, the securer of our peace!

This Christmas, instead of skimming over Paul's greetings, perhaps we should commandeer it to use with one another: "Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ."

In the opening chapter of Matthew, Jesus is given two names, Jesus and Immanuel. These two names clarify His nature and His role. The name Jesus means Savior. It is the same name as Joshua in the Old Testament. This is His special office. This is the purpose for which He came: to save His people from their sins (v. 21). He was born sinless, lived a perfect life that He might bear the penalty for our sins in His flesh on the cross (1 Pet. 2:24), and suffered our death that we might have His life (2 Cor. 5:21).

Matthew also sees the fulfillment of Isaiah's messianic prophecy that the virgin would bear a son, and his name would be Immanuel, which means "God with us" (Isa. 7:14). This name describes Jesus's nature, in that God took on real flesh and blood. He had a real human nature as we do. We often find throughout the gospels that Jesus experienced the same things we do; He was hungry (Matt. 4:2), thirsty (John 19:28), and tired (John 4:6). He wept (John 11:35), slept (Matt. 8:24), felt pain (Mark 14:33-34), joy (Luke 10:21), and more. In all of this, He was a man as we are (Heb. 4:15), yet without sin (1 Pet. 2:22). He was always truly God, but in the incarnation, He became truly man as well (Heb. 2:9-18).

This truth - our Savior Jesus Christ is God with us - bookends the gospel of Matthew. When Jesus departs to ascend back to heaven, He leaves his disciples with the refrain, "I am with you always" (Matt. 28:20b). This is not just a promise; it's a fact. It is a present reality. Though in heaven, Christ is present today in every believer's life through the Holy Spirit. From the day He came down to earth, God has been with us, and He remains with us now and for all eternity.

J.C. Ryle helpfully writes, "Would you have a strong foundation for your faith and hope? Then keep in constant view Your Savior's divinity. All power is His in heaven and on earth. None can pluck you out of His hand. Would you likewise enjoy this sweet comfort in your suffering and trial? Look to your Savior's humanity. He is the man Christ Jesus, who lay at the bosom of the Virgin Mary as a little infant and knows the heart of men and women. He can sympathize with his people."

The famous missionary John G. Paton understood these truths well. If he had a life verse, it was this promise, that Christ is with us, which held him firmly all the years of his life. In his autobiography, he recounts one particularly sweet comfort from this promise. While being hunted by cannibals out for his blood, he climbed a large tree to hide. He writes, "I climbed into the tree and was left there alone in the bush. The hours I spent there live all before me as if it were but of yesterday. I heard the frequent discharging of muskets and the yells of the savages. Yet I sat there among the branches as safe in the arms of Jesus. Never, in all of my sorrows, did my Lord draw nearer to me and speak more soothingly to my soul than when the moonlight flickered among those chestnut leaves. The night air played on my throbbing brow as I told all my heart to Jesus. Alone, yet not alone! If it be to glorify my God, I would not grudge to spend many nights alone in such a tree to feel again my Savior's spiritual presence, to enjoy His consoling fellowship. If thus thrown back upon your own soul alone, all alone, in the midnight, in the bush, in the very embrace of death itself, have you a friend that will not fail you? Gladly I would have lingered there for one night of comparative peace. Had I been a stranger to Jesus and to prayer, my reason would verily have given way. But my comfort and joy sprung out of these words: 'I will never leave thee nor forsake thee. Lo, I am with you always.' Pleading these promises, I followed my guide to safe harbor."

At Christmas, we celebrate Immanuel, God with us! Amen, Friends! You never walk alone. Let us bless God for the encouraging truths in the first chapter of the New Testament that God came down to be with us, and for the last chapter, which affirms that God remains with us.

Of course, the climactic expression of God's love culminates in a son. Isn't it wonderful to behold? Through Ruth, the daughter-in-law who loved Naomi, who was better than 7 sons, God did not leave Naomi without a redeemer. After praising the Lord for His faithful love, the women continue, "He shall be to you a restorer of life and a nourisher of your old age, for your daughter-in-law who loves you, who is more to you than seven sons, has given birth to him."

A Go'el, or redeemer, is a near relative who was able to take care of their relatives. The redeemer is the problem solver. Primarily, the problem was the need to buy something back, whether it was land or family sold into servitude. It can even mean to buy back from the dead, which is what we see here. Earlier in the story, only Boaz and another man from Naomi's family are referred to as redeemers, but now we see the women not speaking about Boaz at all, but Obed, the child. A baby a redeemer? How can that be?

Don't get me wrong, I love babies, perhaps as much as Pastor Ben. They're so precious, even though the only thing they've done is to be born! Yet how can Obed be Naomi's redeemer? When the women speak of the redeemer, they speak of what's been accomplished. Obed was a redeemer simply because he was born. Through him, the name of the dead was no longer cut off, and Naomi and Ruth would be cared for.

Boaz was old. This, too, is part of Ruth's great love in marrying Boaz, knowing she would most likely become a widow again. But we do not have to wonder whether God's provision for these two women will end with Boaz's death, because a son has been born, little Obed. God did not leave Naomi without a redeemer; He provided one. She is redeemed; it's been accomplished; it's done!

While we have focused on these two widows and the intriguing story of redemption God has been weaving, the story suddenly shifts through the closing genealogies to show us that God has been weaving our redemption as well! The story that began in darkness, with no king and emptiness, now ends filled with the shining of a great light, a king, and fullness. As John Piper says of the book of Ruth, "The story points forward to David, and David points forward to Jesus, and Jesus points forward to the resurrection of our mortal bodies." Matthew establishes this connection through the genealogy of Jesus Christ in Matthew 1:1-6, 16-17.

Naomi and Ruth could never have guessed how significant their lives and suffering would become. They never saw it, like the saints in Hebrews 11 who were commended for their faith but did not see the realization of what was promised in their lives on earth (Heb. 11:39). We now begin to realize that without Ruth there would be no David, which means there would be no Messiah through the royal line of David, yet God was working things across hundreds and hundreds of years to bring about the ultimate good He had in store for those who love Him, namely the birth of His Son, Jesus Christ.

There is a beautiful symmetry between the cooing of the women and Isaiah 9:6-7. What began with two widows and an old man brings forth a son from whom another Son will be born, who will bless the nations. A child has been born to us! "Blessed be the LORD, who has not left you this day without a redeemer…" This is what we celebrate at Christmas: that the Lord has given to us a son, a redeemer, to ransom us from our sin. The tiny hands that Mary held in her lap would pay the full price of costly redeeming love by His precious blood. Through His death and resurrection, He has redeemed many sons to glory.

As Christmas approaches, there will be many prayers lifted up. Some for snow, others for world peace, many for bicycles or Red Ryder Air Rifles despite repeated warnings that they'll shoot their eye out.

But one prayer has been repeated by humanity since the fall: a prayer for a child. And not just any child, but for the child, the promised seed of the woman who would crush the serpent's head and reconcile lost sinners to God.

This is what all mankind has prayed for since the fall (Gen. 4:26). We see this hope in Eve when she gives birth to Cain, saying "I have gotten a man with the help of the LORD." (Gen. 4:1). But Cain was not the promised child. We see this prayer in Lamech's naming of Noah, "Out of the ground that the LORD has cursed, this one shall bring us relief from our work and from the painful toil of our hands." (Gen. 5:29). But Noah was not the promised child. Over and over, this prayer for the child, this longing for the promised child, would be lifted that through this child God and mankind might be reconciled.

In 1 Samuel, Hannah pours out her prayer for a child to the Lord from the depth of her distress. Hannah's earnest prayer for a child before the Lord was not specifically a prayer for the messianic child, just a child. Yet her prayer echoes the prayer of humanity. A prayer only God can answer, and one God answers. In response to God's blessing, Hannah sings a hymn praising the Lord. Her hymn anticipates the answer to mankind's prayer for the promised child, praising the Lord for reversing human misfortune by His mighty power. Her hymn concludes by looking forward to the Lord's king. In 1 and 2 Samuel, that king would be David, but ultimately Hannah's hymn, and the rest of Scripture, look forward to the true king, the promised child, Jesus Christ, who would reverse the curse of His people, ransoming them and redeeming them from their sin (1 Pet. 1:18-19).

This connection is made clearer in Mary's Magnificat, where Mary echoes many of the themes of Hannah's hymn (Luke 1:46-55). It is for this child, Jesus Christ, this savior, this king, that humanity has groaned for since the fall, that through the work of this child they might be made right with God.

In his collection of works, the Puritan George Swinnock recounts the story of the Athenian general Themistocles: "It was a sacred law among the Molossians, that whosoever came to the king, with the king's son in his arms, should be pardoned, whatsoever offense he was guilty of. The Athenian general, therefore, when banished from his country, fled to Admetus, king of the Molossians, his deadly enemy, and prostrated himself before him with the king's son in his arms, and found favour. God and man are enemies; there is no appearing before this dreadful King without his Son in our arms, and with him there is no fear of a repulse: ' In him we have boldness, and access with confidence by the faith of him,' (Eph. 3:12)."

This is the child for which we have groaned in our hearts from the depth of our bitterness and distress. This is the prayer God has already answered! No other child will do. Only the King's own Son. This is the child, the answered prayer we celebrate at Christmas. That we, who are enemies with God, need only take in our arms this dear Child, Jesus Christ, the Son of God, and go before God's throne so that we, who were His enemies, might obtain mercy and grace through Him.

Hark! the herald angels sing,

"Glory to the newborn King:

peace on earth, and mercy mild,

God and sinners reconciled!"

For all the attention that they receive, babies do actually very little. As far as meaningful contributions, you will wait quite a while for things like washing dishes or cleaning their rooms (still waiting). Babies cannot even be bothered to feed themselves. Needy and loud, their only real contribution requires immediate cleaning. Have you ever stopped to consider why babies get so much hype? What is it that makes us love babies, universally and immediately? I would suggest that what we love so much is their simple humanity. We recognize in these tiny people both the wonder of God's creative work and our participation in it. We see the unique and powerful possibilities of being made in the image of God, before the destructive effects of sin and a broken world can be noticed. We catch a glimpse of what we fully recognize in the man Jesus Christ.

Hebrews 2:5-18 describes several reasons the Son of God took on humanity and participated fully in all that it means to be human. While the deity of Christ might be easier for us to imagine, the humanity of Christ is essential for us to understand his mission. Why did Jesus become a man?

First, Jesus took on humanity to experience death (vs. 9). While we rarely think or talk about it, a well-known fact about humans is that we eventually die. This being the case, Jesus became a man to take on the burden of death. The difference between his death and every other death was that he died "so that by the grace of God he might taste death for everyone." His death was effectual in that it accomplished our salvation.

Second, Jesus took on humanity to destroy the devil and free his enslaved captives (vs. 14-15). Humanity is enslaved by Satan, who, vs. 14 says, "has the power of death". Our "lifelong slavery" to the "fear of death" is forever destroyed through Jesus' sacrificial death. Our debt of sin is cancelled and nailed to the cross, taking the Devil's only weapon, disarming him once for all (Colossians 2:14-15). In Christ, death no longer has power over us. The baby born in a manger eventually becomes the victorious hero who defeats the enemy and sets the prisoners free.

Third, Jesus took on humanity to experience suffering (vs. 10b). Even though the writer of Hebrews begins by discussing Jesus' death, he also emphasizes that Jesus lived through the same kind of suffering that we face. In fact, he makes a shocking statement. He says the Creator made "the founder of their salvation perfect through suffering." How is Jesus not perfect?! He is not referring to moral perfection, since he states clearly in Hebrews 4:15 that Jesus is "without sin." What the writer describes is the need for Jesus to experience human suffering and identify with us as "brothers", thereby qualifying him to serve as our perfect High Priest (See Hebrews 5:1-2).

Fourth, Jesus took on humanity to endure temptation (vs. 18). Just like the suffering Jesus endured, God's plan required that he experience temptation, so that he can help us when we are tempted. The key difference with Christ is that though he was tempted, he never gave in to the temptation. Hebrews 4:15 again, "For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin." For those in Christ, he helps us by his Spirit who dwells in us, empowering us to live in obedience to him.

We can marvel at the baby in the manger this Christmas season just as we marvel at the birth of each newborn baby. The simple, miraculous truth of Christ's humanity is that the Son of God became like us in every way. Jesus took on flesh to redeem us in his death, to rescue us from bondage to Satan, to sympathize with our suffering, and to help us in temptation to follow Him.

One of my favorite Christmas carols is a song from a children's musical written by Robert Davis in 1920 called "The Friendly Beasts." The setting of the song is the nativity, with each verse describing one of the "friendly beasts" in the stable bringing a gift to the baby Jesus. The first few times I heard it, though, the opening line sounded odd to me. It begins, "Jesus, our brother, strong and good…" Jesus our brother? Of the many ways to describe the Savior, I confess that "brother" is usually far from mind. So, what's the problem? Why does this bother me?

While I don't have a brother, I do have a sister. Though I love, respect, and admire her greatly, I think of us above all as equals. In growing up together, we've had the opportunity to see each other at our best and worst. We had the same authority in our parents, and most of our experiences were shared. Many of our interactions revolved around whose turn it was to "go first" or to sit in the front seat. The sibling relationship more than any other bears the overriding idea of equality. So, speaking of Jesus, our Lord and King, as in any way an equal gives me pause. I think this is the point.

Hebrews 2:11, "For he who sanctifies and those who are sanctified all have one source. That is why he is not ashamed to call them brothers." Whatever my hangups might be, Jesus has no such hesitation. He calls us brothers and sisters. In Hebrews 2:9-10 God the Father is at work in the sending of the Son. Jesus is passive in the action. In verse 11, however, Jesus himself is the one who is calling us brothers and sisters. His incarnation initiates a relational connection to humanity. The rest of Hebrews 2:11-14 points to three reasons why Jesus calls us "brother."

First, we share a common humanity. Jesus lived through the same common human experiences that we do. In Hebrews 2:14 the writer says, "Since, therefore, the children share in flesh and blood, he himself likewise partook of the same things…(vs.14)." Christ came down to our level to share the experience of humanity with us, and ultimately, to make a way of salvation for us through his death and resurrection. Now we share unity in the Spirit, as we are conformed to his image. "For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers." (Romans 8:29)

Second, we have a common source. Verse 10 says, "For he who sanctifies and those who are sanctified all have one source." In the Gospels, Jesus describes being sent by the Father to do his will. All siblings have a common source in their parents and share the same expectation of obedience to these parents. The difference between us and Jesus, though, is that he was always obedient to the Father. In John 6:38 he says, "For I have come down from heaven, not to do my own will but the will of him who sent me." Since we all find our source in God the Father, we also share the same call to be obedient to him.

Third, we share a common mission. Jesus was sent into the world to declare the good news of salvation and secure that salvation in the cross. He now has given this mission to us. We accomplish this by both declaring the gospel and living it out in ministry to others. Jesus said, "As you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me." (Matthew 25:40) As Jesus' brothers and sisters we are to love one another and care for those he sends our way. This is summed up nicely in Hebrews 13:1-2, "Let brotherly love continue."

In Galatians 4:4-6, the Apostle Paul gives us a succinct and powerful description of the entire Gospel. It's no wonder these verses are a favorite at Christmas. With so much truth packed into three verses, each phrase could be the foundation for a sermon. We will stick to the highlights, but before we do that, I want to point out how these three verses are structured. Theologians use an unnecessarily technical term to describe the way these verses mirror one another, called a chiastic structure. This means each phrase lines up in a parallel way with a phrase that comes after. We can see it clearly when we write the verse as follows: "But when the fullness of time had come…":

(A) God sent forth his Son,

(B) born of woman,

(C) born under the law,

(C') to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might

(B') receive adoption as sons. 6 And because you are sons,

(A') God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, "Abba! Father!"

This structure is important because it centers on a point of emphasis, which in this case is that Jesus was born under the law to redeem those who are under the law. The other "steps" match up, as well. Jesus was born so we can be adopted. God sent forth his Son then sent the Spirit of his Son. Paul is emphasizing that these historical realities of the incarnation secure our eternal position in God's family. What does all this mean? I want to emphasize four important truths for us to understand about the incarnation of Christ from Galatians 4:4-6.

First, we see the fullness of our triune God at work in the incarnation. Each person of the Trinity is seen in these verses - Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. The Father "sent forth his Son." The Son, born of a woman and under the law, secures our adoption. The Spirit is sent into our hearts, causing us to praise God as "Abba, Father!" In the creation story, God says, "Let us make man in our image…" In the rest of Scripture, you can hear the Father, Son, and Spirit say, "Let us re-make man in the image of the Son."

Second, Jesus is born so that we can be adopted. The phrase "born of woman" is a common idiom to describe someone as human. Paul is emphasizing that Jesus was a member of the human race like the rest of us, but he was also a son who would be a part of a family and an inheritance. Because he redeemed us on the cross, we, too, can be a part of the family of God by adoption. We are now sons and daughters and have the same family privileges of relationship and inheritance in Christ.

Third, Jesus is born under the law to redeem us from the condemnation of the law. Earlier in Galatians 3:10-14, Paul points out that the law ultimately curses those who are inevitably unable to keep it, which includes us all. Christ fulfills the law and then takes the curse on himself at the cross. In "becoming a curse for us", he redeems or rescues us by facing death in our place. There is "now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus."

Fourth, the Holy Spirit empowers us to respond to this gift of adoption. When Paul says the "Spirit of his Son", he means the Holy Spirit, the third person of the Trinity. Here God sends us the Spirit, causing us to cry, "Abba! Father!" Far from some abstract theological fact, our adoption as sons and daughters by the Spirit engenders an emotional declaration - a shout of proclamation - a shout of praise.

I hope you'll ponder these four great and powerful truths packed into three small verses this Christmas. We can worship God in the fullness of the Trinity this season because the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit each and all secured our salvation in Christ.

There is a game that we play with babies where we hide our face with our hands for a few moments and then suddenly pull our hands back to reveal our face to the child again. This game, "peek-a-boo", often elicits squeals of joy and laughter. The baby seems to like it too, so we do it over and over. Experts insist that seeing and recognizing faces is important to the development of every infant.

In 2 Corinthians 4:3-6, the Apostle Paul is in the middle of a discussion about the Gospel and his apostolic ministry. In chapter 3, he alludes to Exodus 34 when God gives the law to Moses on Mt. Sinai. After meeting face to face with God, Moses' face was shining, so he put a veil over his face. With this picture in mind, Paul reminds the Corinthians of the ministry of the gospel. In 4:3-6, he lays out the gospel, plainly describing two possible responses: belief or unbelief. Verse 4 describes how Satan blinds the minds of unbelievers. Verse 6 describes how God reveals Christ to those who believe. Sandwiched in the middle, Paul says of his ministry, "For what we proclaim is not ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord" (vs. 5). This is way beyond Paul's abilities and influence. A cosmic battle rages between the god of this world and the God of creation for our souls. Jesus takes on flesh to establish his rule in the hearts of those who believe. Satan uses every tool at his disposal to hide the face of Christ. These verses point to four significant truths about the incarnation.

First, the Gospel has a face. The Messiah has come as a baby in a manger. Sent from the Father, Jesus took on humanity to reveal the light of the glory of God. This glory is seen in the birth, life, death, and resurrection of the Savior, and it is he who shines in our hearts to reveal himself to us. We can know him because he has come to us and has shown his glorious face.

Second, Jesus' face reveals the image of God. The language of creation covers these verses. In vs. 6, Paul quotes directly from Genesis 1:3, but in vs. 4 also mentions, "Christ, who is the image of God." In Genesis 1:27, God creates man in the image of God. Likewise, Christ, in becoming a man, displays the image and glory of God. Because of sin, the image and glory of God are distorted in us. We can neither recognize nor display his glory in our sinfulness. Only by the "light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ" can we see and show his glory.

Third, Jesus gives new life. While this is not explicitly stated in these verses, the implication is certainly there. In fact, Paul gets there quickly in 2 Cor. 5:17-18, "If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation." Because sin and death entered the world through the disobedience of Adam and Eve, humanity is blinded to the truth of the Gospel. Without God shining the light of Christ in our hearts, we can never be restored to new life. We are now being formed into the image of Christ.

Fourth, the Gospel still has a face in the world. Now in Christ, God's light shines in our hearts, making us the "face" of the Gospel. Paul says this in 2 Cor. 3:18, "And we all, with unveiled face…are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another." The point Paul makes about ministry is that Christ is to be proclaimed, no matter the circumstances. We are his servants. The gospel is entrusted to us. "We are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us." (2 Cor. 5:18-20)

As we ponder the incarnation this Christmas season, let us consider what face we reveal when we pull our hands away.

There is a relatively obscure Christmas carol called "Lo, How a Rose E'er Blooming," the first verse of which says,

Lo, how a rose e'er blooming from tender stem hath sprung,

Of Jesse's lineage coming, as men of old have sung.

Taken directly from this prophecy of Isaiah 11:1, the song goes on to describe how Christ, the "rose", is the fulfillment of God's promise to send an Anointed King - a Messiah - to shine forth his glory and save us from sin and death. Dating all the way back to the 15th century, the irregular time signature and enigmatic lyrics mean it is rarely sung in most churches now. It does contain, however, a beautiful expression of the incarnation of Christ.

Isaiah 11:1-2 begins by describing a coming Messiah, his character and his kingdom. Verse 1 is a prophecy of "a shoot from the stump of Jesse," which we understand to be referring to Jesus. Verse 2 describes the first characteristic of the Messiah, saying, "the Spirit of the Lord will rest upon him." In each description of the ministry of the Spirit, we find remarkable parallels to the ministry of Jesus in the Gospels.

To begin, we must ask, "Why is there a stump?" If you find a stump, it means a tree has been cut down. The first ten chapters of Isaiah detail the sins and the judgment coming to Israel and Judah. The people of God, including the Davidic dynasty, have failed to remain faithful to God. Isaiah 11:1 shows, however, that despite their sinful rebellion and the devastation of judgment, God will keep his promise of redemption through the Messiah King in the line of David. There is hope in this branch who will bear the fruit of redemption. What do these verses say about this Messiah?

First, the Messiah is born out of the wreckage of humanity's sin. God's purposes are always fulfilled despite the failure of his people. Throughout the Old Testament sin and failure are a constant companion of God's people. Yet, each time, God takes what is broken and uses it to fulfill his plan to send Jesus. The same is true for us today. God can use our sin and failure for his glory if we turn in repentance to the Savior King, Jesus.

Second, God's purposes are fulfilled in the Kingship of Christ. Isaiah 11describes the source, character, and purposes of this new Messianic Kingdom. The Gospels bear witness that Jesus is the fulfilment of this promised Messiah King. Starting in Matthew 1:1, "The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham." Matthew continually points to Jesus as the Messiah King throughout his gospel, but it is clearly seen in the visit of the wise men in chapter 2. They come asking, "Where is he who has been born king of the Jews? For we saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him" (Matthew 2:2). Will you also bow and worship the Messiah King?

Third, the indwelling Holy Spirit is the mark of the Messiah King and his kingdom. Again, the gospels bear witness to the work of the Spirit in the life and ministry of Jesus, especially the Gospel of Luke. At his birth (Luke 1:35), at his baptism (Luke 3:22), and in the wilderness temptations (Luke 4:1), the Spirit is mentioned. Jesus begins his ministry in Luke 4:16 - 30 by reading from Isaiah 61:1 - 2, saying, "The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor." The references are numerous. After resurrection, the Holy Spirit becomes the mark of all believers. In Acts 1:8, Jesus tells his disciples, "You will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses." The Holy Spirit is at work in the hearts of his people, just as in our Messiah, King Jesus. Will you declare the good news of Jesus this Christmas?

When a person stands trial for breaking the law, he or she can be found "guilty" or "not guilty." When we consider our standing before God, we know - and we know God knows - that we are guilty. All people stand before God condemned for our sin - the verdict we deserve is "guilty." Yet the Father didn't send Christ to deliver a "guilty" verdict against us. In fact, he didn't even send him to declare us "not guilty". He sent Christ to set us free from our "guilty" verdict and to declare us not simply "not guilty", but truly "righteous." God displays his goodness to the world in making guilty sinners righteous.

The Father sent his Son to set us free from condemnation. "There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus" (v. 1). Christians do not have to fear being condemned for our sin. We do not have a God and Father who is eternally displeased with us. If we are united to ("in") Christ, then we are set free from the condemnation that we deserve. Yet the Father does not simply "let us slide" for our sin or let our sin go unpunished. "By sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin, he condemned sin in the flesh…" (v. 3b). He condemned our sin and punished Christ for it. Therefore, we are set free from the condemnation we rightly deserve. Jesus saves us from the penalty of sin.

The Father sent his Son to make us righteous before him. "...in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit" (v. 4). Christ took our sins on himself and paid the penalty, but he did not stop there. He put his righteousness on us. So, the Father doesn't look upon his people and see vile sinners; he doesn't even look upon us and see us as morally or spiritually neutral. When he looks upon his people, he sees the righteousness of his perfect Son. "For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God" (2 Cor. 5:21). We could never be righteous on our own; the only thing we can be on our own power is sinful. But Christ has made us righteous before God.

The Father sent his Son in order to send his Spirit. "But if Christ is in you, though the body is dead because of sin, the Spirit is life because of righteousness. If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit who dwells in you" (vv. 10-11). The Father sent his Son in the past to accomplish the work he did on the cross. He doesn't need to continue to send Christ to atone for us. But he sends the Holy Spirit in an ongoing way to make us increasingly like Jesus. The Spirit indwells believers and gives life to our bodies, empowering us to live in dependence on and trust in our heavenly Father, the way our Savior always does. Jesus shares his life with us through the Holy Spirit.

In setting us free from condemnation, declaring us righteous, and indwelling us with his Spirit, God gives us new lives. Where we once were controlled by the flesh, unable to please God, we are now led by the Spirit to be more and more like Jesus, who always pleases his Father.

You probably know people whose family you could identify even if they looked physically nothing like them. Even if they don't share facial features, they likely share mannerisms, quirks, and habits of speech that would suggest a relation even where facial features don't. As you consider the advent of Christ, remember that Romans 8:15 tells us that believers are adopted into God's family as sons. And, just like with any family, there are certain identifying marks that come with living in God's family. Look to Christ to see what family resemblance you ought to have.

Members of God's family live like Jesus (vv. 12-14). John Owen helpfully said, "Be killing sin or it will be killing you." Sin is deadly, and there is no making peace with it. Look to Jesus as our example here. Directly after the Spirit's arrival at his baptism, the Spirit led Jesus to shut down each of Satan's attempts by answering with Scripture. This is the pattern of the Christian life. The Holy Spirit leads us to put sin to death by setting our minds on God and his word. We can-and must-know and treasure God's word in order to battle sin.

Members of God's family pray like Jesus (v. 15). The Spirit of adoption brings us into the loving relationship between the Father and the Son, and he causes us to cry with Christ, "Abba! Father!" Pray with confidence that our Father hears, cares about, and answers your prayers. "[Cast] all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you" (1 Pet. 5:7). Trust in his goodness and sovereign will, knowing that nothing can be out of his control and that he is working for your good. Look to Christ as one might look admiringly on an older brother (Heb. 2:11), who prayed, "Abba, Father, all things are possible for you. Remove this cup from me. Yet not what I will, but what you will" (Luke 22:42). Pray with confidence that God hears and cares, and trust that His answers-whatever they are-are what you truly need.

Members of God's family are as secure as Jesus (vv. 16-17). Adoption into God's family brings with it a sweet comfort. God leaves it no mystery who his children are. He tells us by his Spirit that we are His. We do not live in fear that this privileged status of adopted sons in God's family will one day be stripped from us; God doesn't disown his children. He has written every one of us into his will and made us co-heirs with the eternal Son. So we have assurance that we are his and that we are secure-God would no sooner disown Christ than disown any of us who are in him. But remember that Christ still suffered. His security in the Father's love did not mean he was spared from suffering. And neither did the suffering prove that his security was lacking. It was not to be taken as evidence that God was displeased with him, or that God had stopped loving him. It was all part of the plan, and Jesus knew it and trusted the Father to do his work.

So take up arms against your sin. Put it to death by the Spirit, who works in you through God's word to make you like Christ. Cast your cares on the Father, praying and trusting him for whatever his answer is. And know, whatever He causes to pass in your life, that no suffering is worse than Christ endured, and no blessing he gives (or takes away) can possibly be greater than Christ himself.

When a baby first learns to talk, there is only one person in the world who can understand her. Moms seem to have an uncanny ability to interpret these little babbles and make sense of what their babies are trying to communicate. In fact, moms usually begin this interpretation long before their babies make noises that sound anything like words. They are able to interpret facial expressions, distinguish between various kinds of crying, and can very nearly describe conversations that they had with their babies, though the baby could do nothing that looked or sounded like speaking. What a beautiful, living illustration of one of the ministries of the Holy Spirit!

The Spirit's ministry toward us is easy to overlook. Everything he does in us, he does to point our hearts and minds toward Christ, not himself. But Scripture is clear that his ministry toward us is crucial for our prayers, for our hearts, and for our understanding of who God is and what he has done for us.

The Spirit empowers and directs our prayers (v. 26). How relieving to know that God knows that we are weak! He doesn't expect us to have it all figured out. He doesn't even expect us to know what we need to pray for. He sends the Holy Spirit to help us in our weakness. He takes our weak, feeble, prayers of little faith, often centered myopically on worldly cares, and he intercedes for us, knowing how we ought to be praying and presenting his own prayers to the Father. But before you take that as an excuse not to pray or not to be intentional in prayer, remember that Scripture commands us to pray, constantly (Rom. 12:12, 1 Thess 5:17), purposefully (1 Cor. 7:5, Jas. 5:13), and watchfully (Col. 4:2), and we're promised that our prayers matter (Jas. 5:16). The Spirit helps us to pray.

The Spirit ignites our affections (v. 27-28). As the Spirit does his God-facing work of interceding on our behalf, he also does a Christian-facing work, leading us to pray according to the will of God. Mothers once again provide a living illustration of the Spirit's work in this matter. Sometimes babies will say one word but mean another, and their interpreter-mothers will provide the proper word for them; this interprets & clarifies for any other humans in the room, but it also serves to instruct the child & teach them the right word or the proper response. The Holy Spirit's ministry to us is instructive as well. He does not only intercede for us behind closed doors or in some unknown way; he works in our hearts and does some of his interceding work by teaching us to pray as we ought. He causes us to love and depend on our Father and trust that His work is for our good. The Spirit stirs up our hearts to love and trust our Father.

The Spirit reveals the God who works all things for our good (vv. 29-30). If you are in Christ, then know that you are in him because before the foundation of the world, the Father knew you and chose you (v. 29). What an undeserved gift! And because he chose you, he called you, justified you, and his future promise to glorify you is so certain that Paul says it in the past tense here. Trust the God who graciously orders all things for your good. He has been about this work since before the foundation of the world (Eph. 1:3-6), and he has never had any dropouts, and he has never failed.

For your part, rejoice! Choose to delight in what the Holy Spirit is bringing about in you. Fan into flame the affections he ignites in your heart for Christ.

We celebrate the birth of Christ at Christmas time, but the birth of Christ is only part of the story. Sin was not dealt with in the manger, but on the cross. Yet both the manger and the cross were part of the Father's plan. God sent his Son into the world to die for us and to be raised for us, to speak on our behalf forever. This passage gives us a double certainty that God will not hold our sin against us. The first is the Father's own heart, proved at both the manger and the cross: He is for us. The second is the Son's ministry: he speaks for us.

The Father himself is for us (vv. 31-32). In God's courtroom, we stand worthy of condemnation-we are guilty sinners. Yet the judge has already told us how he will rule: There is no condemnation for those who are in Christ (Rom. 8:1). No matter what anyone else may say, the judge is on our side. God proved that he is for us when he sent the Son to die in our place. He has promised his judgment in our favor if we are united to Christ, whose substitutionary death is sufficient to cover all our sins.

Don't let familiarity with the cross numb you to its scandal. That the eternal Son would die in your place is itself an unimaginable act of humility and love. But the Son was sent by the Father, who loves and delights in him perfectly and completely. The Father has nothing greater to give than his Son. Yet he did not withhold him, but sent him to die in our place to make us right with him, to call us into his presence, and to pour out his love on us. If your accuser wants to make his case against you, he has an uphill battle. The Judge is decidedly against him and for you.

The Son speaks for us (vv. 33-34). Who shall bring any charge? Well, Satan may try. Scripture tells us that Satan accuses us night and day before God (Rev. 12:9-10). But Christ is at his Father's right hand, speaking for us, praying things like he prayed when he was on earth: "Father, I desire that they also, whom you have given me, may be with me where I am, to see my glory that you have given me because you loved me before the foundation of the world" (John 17:24). Even as Satan rails about your guilt, Christ speaks to his Father, praying that his Father's love for him would be yours as well. He tells the Father, "This is one of those you sent me to save. Love him (or her) as you love me" (c.f. John 17:22-26). Satan may as well pack up and go home. Nothing he can say can cause the Father to turn away from or reject this prayer of his Son.

So when you consider your own sin, do not give Satan's arguments more ground than God does. If God is for you, Satan has no case against you. If Satan throws his darts of self-condemnation at you, look to Christ. Answer as Martin Luther suggests:

"I admit that I deserve death and hell, what of it? For I know One who suffered and made satisfaction on my behalf. His name is Jesus Christ, Son of God, and where He is there I shall be also!"

You will be able to stand against Satan's condemning attacks to the degree that your eyes are set on Christ. Look to him and set all your trust on him.

"Yea, to express the depth of His humility, He was made in the likeness of man. Oh, how did Christ abase himself in taking flesh! It was more humility in Christ to humble Himself to the womb than to the cross. It was not so much for flesh to suffer, but for God to be made flesh. This was the wonder of humility." - Thomas Watson

Why is Christmas a time of charity and gift giving? Because God made it so through the sending of His Son. There is no greater gift for heaven to give than the eternal Son of God, Jesus Christ, yet how little we think of His incarnation, and the great humility of our dear Lord. It seems little wonder or joy, this mystery of how God took on flesh, and yet if we were but to stop and ponder for even a few minutes, we would be astounded by how extraordinary and awesome this is. The God of the universe, the Creator of all things, who existed from eternity past, who has no needs, who is the sum of perfection. He, the sum and totality of divinity, took on a human nature like us! He did not treat His divinity as something to hold on to or guard at all costs, but emptied Himself of divine privileges and glory for a time to become a servant. In His service, He became a man (Rom. 8:3). As Thomas Watson points out, this act of the incarnation, God taking on a human nature, was the act of humility. It is, and always will be, the greatest display of humility possible. We might be awed or impressed by a king who conceals his identity to live among his servants for a time, but he eventually returns to his throne and casts off his rags. We might laugh as the undercover boss is reprimanded for a time while performing an entry-level position at his own company, but he will eventually take off the disguise and return to his prominence. Christ is not like that. The eternal God added a human nature to Himself. He who was always truly God is now also truly man! That the God os the universe, the creator of all things, should stoop to identify Himself with us by becoming like us is beyond belief! Yet this is the humility demonstrated at Christmas!

Our Lord didn't stop there. Here, too, we see Christ's humility: He didn't come down and choose the best of our human circumstances, though He would have been entitled to do so. He could have been born to royalty and lived in a castle. Surely the King of the Universe would be right to come down as a King on earth, but He didn't (Matt. 8:20; John 18:36). He didn't come down and give Himself the most beautiful human body. Surely the King of beauty and grace would have been right to choose to be beautiful, but He didn't (Isa. 33:17). He took on an average, unnoticeable complexion (Isa. 53:2). He didn't come to a rich or even a middle-class family. He chose to be born by the wife of a poor man. A family too poor to purchase a one-year-old lamb for the offering of the firstborn, so they offered two turtledoves instead (Luke 2:24; Lev. 12:8). All of these and more He could have chosen, but He took on the humblest form of a servant. He continued to humble Himself through His daily obedience to his Father, even to the point of picking up a wooden cross and obeying to the point of death (v. 8). All of this and more our Savior did that every knee should bow, and tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord. That He might free us from our sin, and make us alive to righteousness so that we too can serve others as He served us (Mark 10:45).

This Christmas, let us remember the humility of our dear Savior. Let us do nothing out of selfish ambition or conceit. Let us look not to our own interests but to the interests of others. This is the spirit of Christmas; this is the same mind we share with Christ that enables us to love one another just as Christ loved us and gave Himself up for us (Eph. 5:2). May He be praised forever and ever, Amen!

Out of the ivory palaces

into a world of woe,

only His great eternal love

made my Savior go.

(1 John 1:3) that which we have seen and heard we proclaim also to you, so that you too may have fellowship with us; and indeed our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ.

When I was a kid and had not yet come to faith in Christ, I distinctly recognized the letdown of Christmas. In saying that, I don't mean the letdown of what Christmas is actually all about. I mean, the way I saw it in my self-focused, child-like mind. For me, it was all about the presents. As early as mid-morning on Christmas day, I remember thinking, "That's it?", after my sister and I had torn through all the wrapping paper. I had not come to faith, but I could sense the truth of Proverbs 27:20 - "Never satisfied are the eyes of man."

God has "put eternity into man's heart" (Ecclesiastes 3:11), so we should expect that a Christmas centered on what is temporal would not fulfill us. This is why you must center Christmas on that which is eternal. Only then, will the midmorning, post-present aftermath of Christmas mean settled contentment for you.

The introduction to the letter of 1 John shows us why the celebration of Christmas is a satisfying experience for those who focus on Christ at Christmas. Even with a cursory reading of 1 John 1:1-4, it is not hard to pick up on the repetition of sensory language regarding the apostles' relationship to Jesus in His earthly ministry. They had "heard" Him, "looked upon" Him, and "touched" Him "with [their] hands" (v. 1). He "was made manifest" to them (v. 2) because of the reality of the Incarnation. Jesus could not have been heard, seen, and touched by the apostles without Him taking on full humanity.

John and the other apostles were eyewitnesses to Jesus. John, in particular, followed Jesus as His disciple (Matthew 4:21-22), saw His glory on the mountain of transfiguration (Matthew 17:1-2), stood before Him as He hung on the cross (John 19:26-27), and ate breakfast with Him on the beach after His resurrection (John 21:1-2, 12-13). But to our great benefit, John does not hide these things from his audience. He says, "That which we have seen and heard we proclaim also to you" (1 John 1:3).

John has refused to hoard the glories of Jesus that he has witnessed, so we can know them too. But why? Is it just so that we can have our curiosities quenched? Is it just so that we can be aware of these important historical facts? No. The reason is much greater!

In the second part of 1 John 1:3, he says that the apostles proclaim these things "so that you too may have fellowship with us; and indeed our fellowship is with the Father and with His Son Jesus Christ." When we believe the truth of Jesus Christ, we are brought into fellowship with those who have done likewise, but beyond that, we are brought into fellowship with God the Father and God the Son.

You and I have never seen Jesus with our eyes, never heard Him with our ears, and never touched Him with our hands. But because His apostles did and testified to this reality under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, we get the same privilege of fellowship with Him that they did.

The longing of our hearts is not satisfied by the amount of presents we have under the tree, the amount of decorations we put up in the house, or even the amount of loved ones at the table for Christmas dinner. When we center our celebration of Christmas around the truth that we get Jesus Himself through believing the gospel, then Christmas will never be a letdown.

(1 Peter 1:20) "He was foreknown before the foundation of the world but was made manifest in the last times for the sake of you…"

If you were a boy growing up in the U.S. in the 80's and 90's, you were likely well-versed in the cinematic story of The Karate Kid. A teenage, California transplant from New Jersey (Daniel LaRusso) finds himself the victim of intense bullying at the hands of a group of peers trained in martial arts. Seeking to defend himself, he receives karate instruction from an unassuming maintenance man at his apartment complex (Mr. Miyagi).

At first, Mr. Miyagi only has Daniel work long days at his home, commanding him to "sand the floor", "wax the car", and "paint the fence". In a fit of anger, Daniel finally confronts Mr. Miyagi about the seeming pointlessness of all this labor, only to discover that this had been Mr. Miyagi's plan all along. The memory of Daniel's muscles was now prepared for combat.

When we find out that there has been a wise plan behind things that seem pointless or out of control, then our hearts are settled. This is exceedingly true of our sovereign God regarding His Son Jesus Christ and the time He spent here on earth. Much of Jesus' earthly life could initially appear out of control to someone being introduced to the Christian faith. Upon His birth, His bed was a feeding trough, King Herod sought to kill Him, His family had to flee to Egypt, and that's just getting started. As a man, His ministry was met with hostility from Israel's leadership, He was abandoned by His disciples, and, though innocent, He was murdered by means of crucifixion after enduring much ridicule and mockery. At first, Jesus' time on earth doesn't seem to be wisely planned.

But our text for today says otherwise. Jesus spilled His "precious blood" (1 Peter 1:19), and according to Peter, this was part of God's predetermined plan. Peter tells us that Jesus "was foreknown before the foundation of the world" (v. 20). The word "foreknown" is not simply referring to a kind of cognitive awareness that God possessed about Jesus' life and death. Rather, it is a word that captures the idea of God choosing Jesus in eternity past for His atoning work on the cross. God planned that this would be Jesus' mission, and then, in the unfolding of history, 2000 years ago, Jesus was "made manifest" for the sake of those who believe (v. 20).

Nothing that took place in Jesus' life, death, or resurrection was outside of God's sovereign will. Indeed, as God says in Isaiah 46, "There is none like me, declaring the end from the beginning" (vv. 9-10). The plan of our salvation was not a plan made on the fly. God does not make things up as He goes. He never redirects due to surprise, because He is never surprised, being the One "who works all things according to the counsel of His will" (Ephesians 1:11).

This Christmas, then, our worship can expand as we see this facet of the glory of God whose love is displayed in such intricate detail through a grand design that pre-dates time. C.S. Lewis wrote that one of the reasons he believed in Christianity is because "it is a religion you could not have guessed." This is true.

We could not have guessed that this humble baby laid in a manger would grow to be the One who was crushed under the wrath of His Father, being punished in the place of His enemies to save them from judgment. We never would've figured that out on our own. But doesn't that show us that the only explanation is for all of this to be an infinitely wise narrative being unfolded in time by an absolutely sovereign God? May your hearts be settled this season as you remember that your hope in Christ is all according to God's unbreakable plan.

(2 Corinthians 8:9) For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sake He became poor, so that you by His poverty might become rich.

The Christmas season is permeated with giving - giving gifts to loved ones, giving baked goods to neighbors, giving to the poor, giving to the church, etc. But how often are we connecting this giving to Christ's giving? How much are we letting the love of Christ control us (2 Corinthians 5:14) so that He is the reason for our generosity at Christmas?

Our text today speaks of the incarnation of Christ by using gift language - "For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ" (emphasis added). The language of grace is the language of gifts that are unearned and undeserved. In this verse, we discover that it was a gift for the Son of God to come to earth and take on humanity as one of us. This, in part, is what it means for Jesus to "become poor", and we see the grace of this more clearly when we understand that He was previously rich.

Rich in what way? The Bible is clear that before Jesus was born to Mary and laid in a manger, He lived in the glories and privileges of heaven, which, being God, He fully deserved. But when "the Word became flesh and dwelt among us" (John 1:14), He left that behind, becoming poor as He came "not to be served but to serve" (Mark 10:45). This poverty, then, culminated in the agony of His death on the cross.

This is why Paul can say that we "by His poverty might become rich." Jesus came from heaven to earth to the cross as one of us so that if we believe in Him, we are blessed "with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places" (Ephesians 1:3). In Christ, we become spiritually rich, enjoying full reconciliation to God and all of His glorious promises that come with it.

When you grasp our spiritual condition as sinners, you see just how awesome this truth is. Left to ourselves, we are spiritually destitute, having nothing but incalculable debt before God. But when we come to Christ, with our spiritual pockets outturned, singing, "Nothing in my hands I bring, simply to Thy cross I cling", then we freely receive the unending blessings of salvation.

As we consider this great descent of Christ for us, our giving during the Christmas season is transformed. We don't give just because it's that time of year. We don't give because we feel obligated to give to those we know will be giving a gift to us. We don't give to feel good about ourselves. We give because Jesus "loved [us] and gave Himself for [us]" (Galatians 2:20).

There is no greater journey than the one Jesus took from heaven to Calvary. There is no greater humility than God taking on full humanity. There is no greater payment than the blood of the Lamb of God poured out for our sins. There is no greater agony than feeling the undiluted wrath of God in our place. And so, we give. We give in smaller, Christ-shaped ways at Christmas and throughout the year, knowing that Christ gave us the unmatched gift of eternal communion with Him through His sacrifice.

This is a gift we could never pay back, nor should we try. But we should live our lives in faithful obedience to our Savior, seeking to show others His generosity through our giving. Our giving at Christmas is an opportunity to point others to the reality that the "poor in spirit" (Matthew 5:3) can know "the immeasurable riches of [God's] grace" in Christ (Ephesians 2:7).

(Hebrews 4:15) "For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin."

There are some people who are obsessed with the Christmas season. The music, the colors, the smells, the sweaters, the lights, the movies, the baked goods, the gatherings - they love it all. But there are others for whom the Christmas season can't end quickly enough. For them, this time of year is fraught with feelings of loneliness, sadness at the thought of loved ones no longer at the table, sorrow over broken relationships, or reminders of unfulfilled goals. All the things that stir up happiness in those who are obsessed about Christmas, stir up grief in those who are counting the days until things are back to normal.

Perhaps you, or someone you love, knows all-too-well the burden felt by the latter group. The good news is that focusing on the person of Christ during this season brings comfort to the soul that is tempted to despair.

In our text for today, we are reminded about something crucial regarding Jesus' ministry as our high priest. It is a sympathetic ministry; He sympathizes with our weaknesses. The reason why he can do this is because He is one "who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin." This tells us that Jesus didn't just put on a human disguise when He came to earth. In the Bible, angels appear as human, but Jesus was actually the God-man, taking on a true human body and soul.

This means that the sympathy Jesus shows us is genuine. He's not like a smarmy politician who is just trying to get votes by putting on a show of concern and telling people what they want to hear. Jesus sympathizes with us because He has felt real human weakness. But unlike us, He never gave in to temptation when the pressure got too intense. Some people think this means that Jesus is limited in His sympathy since He doesn't know what it's like to sin. This thinking is misdirected.

C.S. Lewis helps us here: "Only those who try to resist temptation know how strong it is. After all, you find out the strength of the German army by fighting against it, not by giving in. You find out the strength of a wind by trying to walk against it, not by lying down. A man who gives in to temptation after five minutes simply does not know what it would have been like an hour later…. Christ, because He was the only man who never yielded to temptation, is also the only man who knows to the full what temptation means-the only complete realist."

Jesus knows the full strength of the temptations to which we have chosen to succumb, because He persevered in faithfulness. Because of this, we can legitimately trust Him to sympathize with us no matter how potent the difficulty may be. So, for those who see the Christmas season as a burden, let this sympathy be a balm to your soul. As you pass through the various trademarks of the holiday, don't give in to the temptation to despair. Jesus fully understands.

When the people around you seem to be full of glee this Christmas, don't allow that to lead you into a spiral of gloomy isolation. Remember that the same One who is "the radiance of the glory of God" and who "upholds the universe by the word of His power" (Hebrews 1:3) is your sympathetic high priest. You can come to Him with all of your weaknesses, knowing that you won't put a damper on His Christmas spirit. Instead, He will draw near to you with perfect compassion and console you with the tenderness of His mercy.

Titus 2:11-12 - "For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people, training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age…"

When I was growing up, it was not uncommon at Christmas to see yard displays that read, "Jesus is the Reason for the Season". The phrase is short, memorable, and, above all, it's true. Yes, Jesus is absolutely the reason why Christians celebrate Christmas. But what is it about Jesus that drives our celebration? According to today's text, we celebrate the truth that when Jesus appeared on earth, God's grace appeared on earth, and this grace brought salvation to sinners.

Christmas can't be separated from Easter. The manger can't be separated from the cross. Jesus' birth can't be separated from his death. This must be central to our celebration of Christ at Christmas. But Titus 2:12 gives another layer of glory in understanding God's grace in Christ. This grace brings salvation, and this grace also trains us. Paul says that it trains us to live in such a way that we "renounce ungodliness and worldly passions", and, instead, "live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives." This training grace reaches down to the level of our hearts, addressing our "passions", and it extends out from there to address our "lives". It is a grace that trains us from the inside-out.

Like good parents training their children toward maturity, God's grace trains us to put off sin and put on righteousness for His sake. This means that the gift of Jesus not only matters for our future in eternity, but also for our present in this life. At Christmas, we rejoice in the promise of John 3:16, that God gave His Son out of love for us "so that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life." But this does not mean that we just sit around twiddling our thumbs until the Lord takes us home to heaven. God saved us through Christ and left us here to represent Him, proclaim His gospel, and teach others to do the same. This requires growth and maturity, which is why God has provided us with grace that has the power to train us in godliness.

Each year at Christmas, we look again at Matthew 1-2 and Luke 1-2 to see the birth narratives of Christ. This repetition is good and right, but many other texts in the Bible explain why Jesus came from heaven as one of us. Uncommon Christmas texts like Titus 2:11-12 show us that we have a myriad of reasons to praise God during this season. It's important that we understand increasingly the depth of the Christmas story or else we will be in danger of tired familiarity, and we will be lured away by the world's generic good will and empty materialism.

As it is, however, because of the truth of Titus 2:11-12, we can rejoice this Christmas in knowing that God has not left us to obey Him in the powerlessness of our own strength. Jesus doesn't save us from drowning in sin and death only to put us on dry ground and leave us to our own devices. In Christ, God provides grace for our justification and our sanctification. You have sufficient grace to live the Christian life. Christmas means that all our sins are forgiven because of grace, but it also means that all our sins are inexcusable because of grace. Meaning, we have all the grace we need in Christ to flee sin and embrace righteousness. This Christmas season don't neglect to worship God for sending Jesus to save us and train us.