What God’s Glory Brings
What God’s Glory Brings
Jesus
Read:
John 1:1-18
Devotional
In the beginning was the Word. Jesus Christ, the Eternal Son of God, who eternally existed with the Father and the Holy Spirit, spoke a word and made all things. All things were made by Him, and through Him, and for Him. He saw all that He made and it was all very good.
Who wouldn’t want to live with this God and in His world?
He then put our first parents, Adam and Eve, in His good and perfect world, free to enjoy Him and all the good things He gave to them.
But they rebelled.
And the hard pill to swallow is that we would have done the same.
The creatures rose up against their good and perfect Creator. Sin and death entered God’s perfect world. Satan’s word was believed over the Eternal Word.
And all of humanity became slaves. Slaves to sin and death and Satan. All of us were born separated from God and His goodness, born spiritually dead, freely choosing to be like our first parents and rebelling against Him and His good plan. And the wages of our sin is death, eternal death!
And try as hard as we might, there was no way we could fix the problem.
Left to ourselves, that’s where the story should have ended.
And God would have been just and right to end it all right then and there. All of creation, including you and me, had been corrupted. Darkness had entered God’s world and men loved the darkness more than the Light.
But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which He loved us, had another plan. And this plan wasn’t a plan that dealt with us from a distance, its a plan that drew near to us in love.
“And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us.” (John 1:14)
The Author wrote Himself into the story. He wrote Himself into our story.
God the Son took on flesh, becoming like us, and showed up in all His glory. And when the fullness of God and all His glory draws near to sinful humanity, we all know what should come next.
Judgement.
That’s what we all deserve.
But God’s thoughts and His ways are far above our own. When the fullness of God and all His glory appeared, He brought with Him what we would have never expected. It’s not shocking that God shows up in glory. What is shocking is that when the Eternal God, the Word that was there creating at the beginning, enters the story, coming in all His glory and all His fullness, grace and truth are what He brings.
And when we receive the fullness of who He is, He gives grace upon grace.
This is the wonder of the Christmas story, the first coming of Jesus.
While we were still sinners and enemies of God, He sent His Son. We deserved His wrath and judgement, He showed us His mercy and grace. Jesus existed eternally as God, but He humbled Himself, took the form of a servant, and was born in the likeness of men. And to all who receive Him, who believe in His name, He gives them the right to become children of God.
Reflection Questions:
What would you have expected to happen when God showed up in His fullness, revealing all His glory?
What does it reveal about God that His response to humanity’s sin and rebellion was to send His Son, full of grace and truth?
John 1:12 invites us to receive Jesus as Savior and as King, and to believe in His name. If you have done this, take this moment to remember and thank God for the free gift of salvation. If you haven’t yet, the invitation is for today, to receive Jesus, believe in His name, and become a child of God.
Advent Prayer:
Father,
We cannot understand the wonders of Your grace unless we first understand what we rightly deserve. Open our eyes to see the incredible reality that while we were helpless and lost in our sin and rebellion, You sent Your Son. Move our hearts with great awe, wonder, and affection as we remember the gift of Your Son. Would our awe, wonder, and affection overflow in worship.
Father, we never stop needing Your grace and Your truth.
We need to receive Your grace today. Whether we are found in despair in the lowest valley, or found enjoying the heights of the mountains, we never stop needing Your grace. Thank You that when we receive the fullness of Your Son, our Savior and our King, grace upon grace is what He brings.
We need to hear Your truth today. Please don’t let the familiarity of this story rob us of wonder and worship. Whether this is the first year we are hearing these truths, or the 80th year we have heard these truths, cause us to see the wonder again and anew.
Would we draw near to You, because You are the One who draws near to us.
Amen
