He Came to Redeem

Scripture does not speak as to how the eternal God took on humanity. It is most likely far too great a mystery for our humble minds to grasp. The fact of Scripture is that God in Christ did become man. John, speaking of Jesus, said simply, "And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth" (John 1:14). Paul, speaking of Christ Jesus, adds, "Who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men" (Phil. 2:6-7).

Hebrews 2:9 says, "But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels, for the suffering of death crowned with glory and honor, that He, by the grace of God, might taste death for everyone." It should come as no surprise that "the Word became flesh and dwelt among us" (John 1:14), or Jesus came "in the likeness of men" (Phil. 2:7), or "Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels" (Heb. 2:9a) are all references to His incarnation, which occured for the main purpose of saving a lost people from eternal ruin. Christ became a man in every respect in order to provide us our salvation, our redemption from sin.

Christ came that He might taste death—the wages of sin—for each and every one of us (Heb. 2:9). When you think of Christmas, you think of the incarnation—God became man. When you think of the incarnation of Christ, you think of the fact that He came to die a death that was voluntary and substitutionary. He died in our place.

Because of our sin, we deserved to be hung on that cross. Yet Christ hung there and died instead, in our place, as our substitute. "By the grace of God" (Heb. 2:9c) Jesus came to redeem us from our sin. We deserved death, but we received salvation instead. That is grace. Amen.