For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. For one will scarcely die for a righteous person—though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die— but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
— Romans 5:6-8
Jesus, the One whom we offend so often, said, “and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free” (John 8:32). Well, the truth is that we were dead, completely incapable of saving ourselves, “ungodly” (Romans 5:6); and yet, Jesus chose to humble Himself to the point of death so that we would have eternal life (Philippians 2:7-8). This one fact alone is like a splash of cold water in our faces whenever we get familiar.
O LORD, what is man that you regard him,
or the son of man that you think of him?
Man is like a breath;
his days are like a passing shadow.
— Psalm 144:3-4
Who are we that the holy, sovereign God of the Universe would become a man to pay the price for our sins (He even paid for the one I’m writing about in this blog, namely familiarity)? There’s just no way to properly thank Him for what He’s done for us. No sufficient way.
O LORD, our Lord,
how majestic is your name in all the earth!
You have set your glory above the heavens.
Out of the mouth of babies and infants,
you have established strength because of your foes,
to still the enemy and the avenger.
When I look at your heavens, the work of your fingers,
the moon and the stars, which you have set in place,
what is man that you are mindful of him,
and the son of man that you care for him?
Yet you have made him a little lower than the heavenly beings
and crowned him with glory and honor.
You have given him dominion over the works of your hands;
you have put all things under his feet,
all sheep and oxen,
and also the beasts of the field,
the birds of the heavens, and the fish of the sea,
whatever passes along the paths of the seas.
O LORD, our Lord,
how majestic is your name in all the earth!
— Psalm 8
The writer of the Book of Hebrews referenced Psalms when he contemplated the “so great a salvation” which has been afforded believers.
It has been testified somewhere,
“What is man, that you are mindful of him,
or the son of man, that you care for him?
You made him for a little while lower than the angels;
you have crowned him with glory and honor,
putting everything in subjection under his feet.”
Now in putting everything in subjection to him, he left nothing outside his control. At present, we do not yet see everything in subjection to him. But we see him who for a little while was made lower than the angels, namely Jesus, crowned with glory and honor because of the suffering of death, so that by the grace of God he might taste death for everyone. For it was fitting that he, for whom and by whom all things exist, in bringing many sons to glory, should make the founder of their salvation perfect through suffering.
For he who sanctifies and those who are sanctified all have one source. That is why he is not ashamed to call them brothers,
saying,
“I will tell of your name to my brothers;
in the midst of the congregation I will sing your praise.”
And again,
“I will put my trust in him.”
And again,
“Behold, I and the children God has given me.”
— Hebrews 2:6-13
If we’re ever going to remember one thing in this life, I submit that it be the Gospel of Jesus Christ. It’s everything to us; our salvation, our hope, our purpose. It’s what shakes familiarity right out of our souls. It cures us of our arrogance. It humbles us to our knees. How dare we ever forget where we came from in light of it! And if, perchance we do, may we open up our Bibles to an account of what might arguably be one of the most beautiful scenes in human history.
Now when Jesus was at Bethany in the house of Simon the leper, a woman came up to him with an alabaster flask of very expensive ointment, and she poured it on his head as he reclined at table. And when the disciples saw it, they were indignant, saying, “Why this waste? For this could have been sold for a large sum and given to the poor.”
But Jesus, aware of this, said to them, “Why do you trouble the woman? For she has done a beautiful thing to me. For you always have the poor with you, but you will not always have me. In pouring this ointment on my body, she has done it to prepare me for burial. Truly, I say to you, wherever this gospel is proclaimed in the whole world, what she has done will also be told in memory of her.”
— Matthew 26:6-13
I’m speechless. I’m weeping. I’m ashamed. I’m humbled...
This Christmas, please remember where you came from and be blessed.
Love in Christ,
Ed Collins
