Today, we are going to take a detour away from the Book of Colossians for a week. I was reading in the Book of Luke this morning and was just awestruck by a verse that I have read so many times. So, it just compelled me to think and write.
“In the same region there were some shepherds staying out in the fields and keeping watch over their flock by night. 9 And an angel of the Lord suddenly stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them; and they were terribly frightened. 10 But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid; for behold, I bring you good news of great joy which will be for all the people; 11 for today in the city of David there has been born for you a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.” (Luke 2:8-11).
Jesus, God in the flesh, came to earth as an infant! Ponder that amazing truth for a moment. To be perfectly honest, many times I read verses in the Bible and it doesn’t impact me at the heart level like it should, because it has almost become secondhand to me (forgive me Lord). However, this morning the truth of those verses . . . the sheer magnitude of it, just penetrated my heart. John says it in a similar way, “And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we saw His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth” (John 1:14). The author of Hebrews communicates it like this, “God, after He spoke long ago to the fathers in the prophets in many portions and in many ways, 2 in these last days has spoken to us in His Son” (Heb. 1:2a). God became man; the God-man!
The rest of the New Testament teaches us that He was tempted like we are, but He was without sin (cf. Hebrews 4:15). Or Paul would say it like this in 2 Corinthians 5:21, “He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.” Jesus lived a perfect life. And Scripture teaches us that he healed the sick, raised the dead, forgave people their sins, taught with authority, and the list goes on. He was tried and found guilty even though he was innocent. He was beaten, flogged, spat upon, crowned with thorns, mocked and finally crucified on a cross. Why would God become the God-man and endure all of that? Because of you and me! Because your sins and my sins (actually Adam’s sin nature that was imputed, charged to our account, when we were conceived) had to be dealt with. And three days later, Jesus was raised from the dead! He is risen, and He is alive. Forty days later, he ascended into heaven and is seated, still, at the right hand of God the Father. And one day, He will come back to earth to judge the living and the dead. And, if you have faith in who Jesus is and what He did for you on the cross, and you receive Him into your life; He will send the helper – the Holy Spirit inside of you – so He can live in you and through you. Wow!
That is the message of the Bible. What do you do with that? Do you believe it? Think about that verse in Luke: “for today in the city of David there has been born for you a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.” May the amazing truths of Jesus Christ never become secondhand to us! Let’s live our life with thankfulness for what the Son of God did for us – He became the God-man!