December 22, 2024

 

Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed the heir of all things, through whom also he created the world. He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature(Hebrews 1:1-3)

Last Sunday, Junior helped us comprehend the amazing truth that when Jesus took on flesh, our Creator came as creature. This Sunday presents us with another equally mind-bending truth that the infant in the manger and the man who walked the dusty roads of Galilee without a place to lay his head was (and is!) also the radiance of God and the exact imprint of his nature.

On one hand, Isaiah prophesied about the Christ…

“He had no form or majesty that we should look at him,
         and no beauty that we should desire him.” (Isaiah 53:2)

Yet when Jesus came, the apostle John wrote of him…

“The Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.” (John 1:14)

And Jesus said of himself…

“Whoever has seen me, has seen the Father.” (John 14:9)

So how do we see the glory of eternal God in the very human face of Jesus of Nazareth? With God’s help. When the lights first came on for Peter and he exclaimed, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God,” Jesus told him, “Flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father who is in heaven (Matt. 16:17).”

This Sunday Erik Thoennes will be preaching on Christ, the Radiance and Exact Imprint of God and Kenny Clark will be leading us in sung worship. Would you pray for each as they prepare? And let’s ask “God, who said, ‘Let light shine out of darkness,’ to shine in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ (2 Corinthians 4:6).”

See you Sunday, Grace. Come hungry!

Song of the Week

Come Adore the Humble King by Matt Papa and Matt Boswell

Come adore the humble King
Lowly in the manger
Fall before His majesty
Hail the little Savior
Hope, what hope! No tongue could tell
God has come with us to dwell
His name is Emmanuel
O praise the humble King