photo: Martha G. Brady

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.  
And because you are sons,
God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, “Abba! Father!” 
So you are no longer a slave, but a son,
and if a son, then an heir through God.

Galatians 4:4-7 ESV

So simple. So profound. When the time was just right, GOD sent His Son.

To many, it seemed way too late. A little like an overdue baby. Why had it taken so long?

But the time was just right for GOD. He knew the right time for this special miracle to happen. It was no afterthought. He was planning it from before Creation! This was the set time for Christ’s birth. It was almost as if a cosmic alarm clock had been set for this event.

Yes, He had planned redemption for His people from before Creation. Was Jesus fully GOD? This is what it says so clearly here in Colossians! Of course, Jesus made the same claims too.

He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation.
  For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth,
visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—
all things were created through him and for him.  
And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together.
  And he is the head of the body, the church.
He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead,
that in everything he might be preeminent.
  For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell,  
and through him to reconcile to himself all things,
whether on earth or in heaven,
making peace by the blood of his cross.

Colossians 1:15-20

We repeat this truth over and over. We become numb to the delight of it! GOD stepped across time to reconcile us to Himself in the person of Jesus.

At this time of year, I feel like I repeat this over and over. It is truth. It is awesome in the fullest sense. It is what causes us to celebrate Christmas. Jesus came to dwell with us in order to reconcile us to GOD. It was planned long before the Fall.

It wasn’t Plan B made after we messed everything up to His shock and horror. It was the original plan! He made us. He knew us. He knew we would need to be redeemed because we weren’t made like Him…holy and morally pure.

There is always something new about the old, familiar story

Each year, I am struck by some new aspect of this true story. His sacrificial love, His complete willingness to live with us in our mess in order that we could be reconciled to Him. It is such a huge part of the story. No wonder He is so offended when we can’t forgive fellow sinners! No wonder we are so miserable when we carry around grudges and anger at brothers and sisters in Christ!

Because we are not living out the gospel of reconciliation. We are not living out the truth that He came to forgive us…and learn to forgive each other in the truest sense. Not point the finger at others who won’t forgive me, but actually seek to forgive those who truly have hurt me…deeply. Only in learning to forgive, by His grace, will I find the joy of salvation and reconciliation. Waiting for the other person to change will not cut it! If Jesus had done that, where would we be?  Still sitting in the mud and mess of our sin!

May GOD give us grace to live out His gift of reconciliation to us, as we live in a world that knows so little about it.