The Mystery of Christmas
“But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons.” (Gal. 4:4-5)
The death of Jesus can be traced down to the very hour, but his birth remains wrapped in mystery – and for good reason! The death of Jesus is the life of the Christian, and its truth must be proclaimed in the most clear and direct terms. But His birth, what of it? The eternal Son was born in time; the Son of God who fills all places was located in the virgin’s womb; the Son of God who has life in Himself was born to die. Who can fathom this bottomless mystery? Who can provide a play-by-play for how this Son could become Mary’s child? Like it’s date, so it’s deed is wrapped in mystery.
What is not mysterious is what Christ accomplished at Christmas. The Son of God became the Son of Man, and we have become sons of God to enjoy the privileges of a heavenly Father. The birth of Christ secured our heavenly adoption. How so? His righteous life redeemed us from under the law; His perfect death rescued us from Satan’s paw and sin’s penalty.
As John Calvin said: “We see that our salvation and all its parts are comprehended in Christ (Acts 4:12). We should therefore take care not to derive the least portion of it from anywhere else. If we seek salvation, we are taught by the very name of Jesus that it is 'of him' (1 Cor. 1:30).… If we seek strength it lies in his dominion; if purity, in his conception; if gentleness, it appears in his birth. For by his birth he was made like us in all respects (Heb. 2:17) that he might learn to feel our pain (cf. Heb. 5:2) … in short, since rich store of every kind of good abounds in him, let us drink our fill from this fountain, and from no other.”
As we come together to celebrate Christmas, we reflect on Christ’s first coming for us with the joyful expectation of his Second Coming. The day will come when the adoption we enjoy in part will be made manifest in the last day. The purity Christ achieved for us in His birth, the righteousness Christ achieved for us in His life, the inheritance Christ achieved for us in His death - all will be enjoyed wholly in heaven. These, my friends, are gifts which need no return policy nor receipt. These gifts are irrevocable on God’s part, and irreplaceable on ours. This Christmas, let us enjoy the gift of Christ above and beyond all else.
