God made us for Himself (Ps. 100:3; Eph. 2:10).
But all of us turned from Him (Rom. 3:11, 12).
We placed ourselves in the power of His adversary, the devil.
In Jesus, God came among us as one of us, to pay the penalty for our rebellion on our
behalf, to break the power and authority of the adversary over us, and to reconcile us
for ever to God, our Maker and now, our Father.
Phil. 2 5 … Christ Jesus: 6 Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with
God something to be grasped, 7 but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a
servant, being made in human likeness. 8 And being found in appearance as a man, he
humbled himself and became obedient to death – even death on a cross!
9 Therefor God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above
every name, 10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth
and under the earth, 11 and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of
God the Father.
The birth of Jesus makes no sense apart from His death on the cross to pay the price of
our redemption. He is, from all eternity, the Lamb of God, slain in shame and suffering
to redeem us for God. In Revelation we see Him in heaven, a Lamb slain, praised by
angels and saints. Rev. 5 9 “You are worthy … because you were slain, and with your
blood you purchased men for God from every tribe and language and people and
nation. 10 You have made them to be a kingdom and priests to serve our God, and they
will reign on the earth.”
At the end of his life, He prays: “Father, the time has come. Glorify your Son, that your
Son may glorify you. For you granted him authority over all people that he might give
eternal life to all those you have given him. Now this is eternal life: that they may know
you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent. I have brought you
glory on earth by completing the work you gave me to do. And now, Father, glorify me
in your presence with the glory I had with you before the world began.” (John 17:1-5)
Jesus came to be Immanuel, God with us, so we may see God in him and know God
through him – so we may have eternal life in His presence. He removed every
obstacle, everything that separated us from God.
Col. 1 13 He (God the Father) has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought
us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, 14 in whom we have redemption, the
forgiveness of sins.
15 He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. 16 For by him all
things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible … all things
were created by him and for him. 17 He is before all things, and in him all things hold
together. … 19 For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him, 20 and through
him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by
making peace through his blood, shed on the cross … 27 To them (the saints) God has
chosen to make known among the Gentiles the glorious riches of this mystery, which is
Christ in you, the hope of glory.
Rom. 11 33 Oh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How
unsearchable his judgments, and his paths beyond tracing out!
34 Who has known the mind of the Lord? Or who has been his counsellor?
35 Who has ever given to God, that God should repay him?
36 For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be the glory forever!
Amen.
Elzeth Malherbe