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Advent 2025 December 25 - The Light Arrives

 Our pastor has preached an Advent series on "Christ was born for this ________." It was s Christological study of Hebrews 1, Philippians 2:5-11, John 1, and this week, Galatians 4:1-7. These passages provides word for filling in the blank in many ways.

to speak to humankind

forgiveness of sin

to provide an example

to represent God to man

redemption

adoption 

and many more. To learn by the things which he suffered. To glorify God. To change history. To bring in a new kingdom, or the right one. 

Which led me to a reflection this morning. 

I have, at times, been tempted by my own thoughts that take me places I don't need to go. Why should we be surprised or amazed by what God did in the incarnation, cross, and resurrection? Didn't He, in a way, have to do it? That sounds presumptuous and ungrateful. It's not; what I am saying is, how else was this going to get fixed? God made the world, knowing the future. He set it up. And based on His parameters, we were incapable of--well, pick the phrase: saving ourselves, personal redemption, achieving righteousness. 

And, who else could do it? We couldn't. 

This has nothing to do with whether we deserved it or not. It is simply saying, we don't have to be in a constant state of amazement that the one who created the world as it was, is, and would be would have to take care of it that way. Wouldn't it have been unjust of God not to redeem us? I can't go that far; it overlooks our deep rebellion, how we flash our fist and middle finger at God. But in a way, His justice did require Him to do the work of redemption. 

Lest I sound like an ingrate (which I probably do), the plan of God does overwhelm me at times. Regularly. When I realize the depth of my self-addiction and how far I would go (and have) morally for it. When I remember the humiliation of being a poor Jewish man during the Roman Empire--great engineers, barbaric conquerors--who was also crucified for no reason, humanly speaking. When I saw, like this morning in Curtis' sermon, the expanse of redemption and adoption.  

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