Getting Job-ed
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made. In him was life, and the life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it…
The true light, which gives light to everyone, was coming into the world. He was in the world, and the world was made through him, yet the world did not know him. He came to his own, and his own people did not receive him. But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.
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. (John bore witness about him, and cried out, “This was he of whom I said, ‘He who comes after me ranks before me, because he was before me.’”) For from his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace. For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. No one has ever seen God; the only God, who is at the Father’s side, he has made him known. John 1:1-4, 9-18 ESV
The passage above may as well be a mic drop, how can I even follow that act?! There is so much theology in that passage, I will keep this brief.
Prepare Room for Jesus
We talked about preparing room for Jesus in the first advent article, I still want to build on that. When we are coming into the Christmas season, we come in with so much baggage and craziness that the season demands that we can lose sight of Who this time is truly about. I would also argue, it’s what ALL times of the year are truly about! Read that passage above. Don’t boil the story of Christmas down to just a little 8lb 6oz baby Jesus: this is about God. So in this season and in every other season for now on, above and beyond all else, Jesus is King. Society can keep their black Friday hype and consumerism. Christians are called to be ‘holy’ (literally set apart). We are called to be different than what society says this season is meant for. Their gauge for what is good and right is so completely skewed anyhow.
Jesus is not a Plan B
Jesus existed before time on earth began. A common misconception to Jesus coming to earth was some sort of divine plan B, in which, plan A failed (Adam sins in the garden) and then God thinks quickly and gets a plan together to send His Son to earth as a plan B. That’s bad theology. Jesus existed before time began. Ephesians 1:3-12 ESV and Interlinear Greek (One of my favorite passages):
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love he predestined us for adoption to himself as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will, to the praise of his glorious grace, with which he has blessed us in the Beloved. In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace, which he lavished upon us, in all wisdom and insight making known to us the mystery of his will, according to his purpose, which he set forth in Christ as a plan for the fullness of time, to unite all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth. In him we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to the purpose of him who works all things according to the counsel of his will, so that we who were the first to hope in Christ be to the praise of his glory.
Why did Jesus come to us? It was a plan, by His wisdom and will (Providence) from before the foundation of the world, to adopt children who hated Him. Why did God do this? All of this is “…to the praise of His glorious grace.” That’s what Christmas is all about: God saved hateful and rebellious creatures to praise His glorious grace. That, in fact, is true love to those creatures by setting them free from slavery to sin, to fulfilling what they were actually created to do: praise. We praise anything and everything, except for what is truly worthy of worship.
Examine your hearts this season. Make room for the King!
-Austin
