This week we will continue on with my favorite Christmas bible verses. This week’s verses are not a typical set, but as you will see, it’s undeniably related to Christmas. Let's get into it!
“But when the set time had fully come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those under the law, that we might receive adoption to sonship.” -Galatians 4:4-5
It’s not often that the book of Galatians is referred to when discussing Christmas verses. This book is better known for “the fruit of the Spirit,” being crucified with Christ, and for freedom, He has set us free. All three are rich and authoritative text that should be examined and valued, but for this blog, we will set our focus on God’s Son and free adoption.
First, it’s important to recognize what Jesus left and why he left it. Jesus left heaven: a place untouched by sin and the abode of God Almighty. Heaven is perfect. Angels and other celestial beings hang out up there, but he traded that in to be made “ a little lower than angels." If this was poker, Jesus was sitting on a Royal Flush and folded on it all. Jesus submitted to the will of the Father and gave all that up.
Jesus put all that on hold, and this week’s Christmas verse tells us the two-fold reason why: to redeem and adopt.
To view redemption properly, we need an accurate view of what exactly Jesus redeemed. Humanity is sinful. Sin is ugly, reprehensible, and shameful. At our very core, we are undeserving and unworthy. To be clear, humanity is not like the ugly duckling that just needs a little time to become a swan. We are more like a flea riddled dog with mange and rabies that likes to roll around in its own poop while eating its own vomit. Our sin is not to be taken lightly. Jesus gave up heaven to redeem us.
As if redemption was not enough, Jesus adopts believers. Our inability to clean our selves up or change our nature must not be ignored. Let's take our discussion back to that nasty dog. If we were that dog, we should just be put down. There’s too much wrong with that dog to overcome, but not for Jesus!
Not only does Jesus clean up and heal that dog, but he adopts us as sons! The dirty dog is brought into the family as a son and given full rights as a son. God the Father does not treat us as a pet that sleeps in a crate and gets the leftovers. We are sons. This is the meaning of Christmas! Christmas is all about Easter.
Merry Christmas!
-Your favorite church planter
Mike Watt
