Monday, December 8, 2014
Galatians 4:4-5 (NKJV) But when the fullness of the time had come, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, that we might receive the adoption as sons.
HE CAME IN HUMILITY TO SAVE
ADVENT means COMING, thus during the season of Advent we prepare for the celebration of Christ's first coming in humility while also preparing for His Second Coming in glory. Today we notice that Christ came in humility to save.
God had promised many times in different circumstances that the promised Savior, the Christ, would appear. When the time was right, as the words of Galatians 4:4-5 bear witness, God at Bethlehem sent His Son into the human race to save the human race.
HE CAME ... TO LIVE. The Christ came to earth to live under the strict demands of God's Law and by His perfect obedience provide us with the righteousness God's Holy Law demanded of us all. Christ's perfect life is credited to our accounts through faith.
HE CAME ... TO DIE. The Christ came because God is no permissive old grandfather, willing to overlook sin. God's justice demanded atonement and only the sacrifice of the eternal Son could pay the debt incurred by humankind.
HE CAME ... TO RISE. The Christ completed the work of our redemption and arose from death the third day to confirm that our debt has been paid in full.
We can arise from our beds each day with joy and hope because of Christ's first coming in humility to save.
Jesus came, the heav'ns adoring, came with peace from realms on high;
Jesus came for man's redemption, lowly came on earth to die;
Alleluia! Alleluia! Came in deep humility.
(The Lutheran Hymnal, 56:1)
