“But when the fullness of the time was come — God sent forth His Son — made of a woman…” “And the Word was made 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.” Gal.4:4; Jn.1:14
These two texts describe the one and the same event within the appointed and decreed providence governed by sovereign almighty God. This grand event — marked the crowning moment of the fallen world — the whole age of sin and death! It marked the beginning — for all those of both time and eternity — of the fulfillment of God’s promise of ultimate judgment upon the deceitful, evil head of the devil — and of the ultimate bestowal of grace and truth that saves — upon the souls of His fallen and lost children. It marked the coming of the promised Christ of God — who is none other than the Lord Jesus — the only begotten — and eternal — Son of God!
In the garden where mankind plunged himself headlong into sin, God said unto the deceiving serpent: “and I will put enmity between thee and between the woman — and between thy seed and between her seed — it (or, lit., He) shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise His heel.” (Gen.3:15) And, there is written in scripture from 1Jn.3:8 the grace/truth of the matter that says: “He that committeth sin is of the devil — for the devil sinneth from the beginning. For this purpose — the Son of God was manifested — that He might destroy the works of the devil.” And, for our eternal assurance there is explained from He.9:11-12, “But Christ being come an High Priest of good things to come — by a greater and more perfect tabernacle — not made with hands — that is to say, not of this building (or, lit., creation)…by His own blood He entered in once for all into the holy place — having obtained eternal redemption for us.” And, then it is further declared from He.10:5-7, “Wherefore, when He cometh into the world — He saith…Then said I — ‘Lo, in the Volume of the Book it is written of me — to do thy will, O God’!” And, what He said He would do — He has done!
Even so, the Christ of Christmas came into this world according to the eternal will and purpose of God to effectually undo the deception and death of the devil — and to effectually save His people from their sins. This is what it means when it says that “the Word was made flesh and dwelt — or, tabernacled — among us and we beheld His glory.” The only begotten Son of God — in human flesh — was born of the seed of a woman — in order to be unto us an eternally effective display of God’s saving grace as a perfect propitiation for all His children. His coming into this — our fallen world — in order to perform this divinely ordered feat of eternal glory is what is worth a great celebration! Heaven and earth rejoice in the glory of His accomplishment!
Oh that there would genuinely be a worldwide restoration of the pure truth of this good news — this gospel of the glory of the Lord Jesus Christ! May all of our lives be so lived to the accomplishment and maintenance of this very thing. Amen.
