Advent Reflection: 17th December - Paul Tripp

Every day this Advent we will be sharing reflections from Christian authors. Today's is by Paul Tripp.

Jesus is the grace of God, given to sinners who cannot free themselves from the death grip of sin. Look into that manger at that baby boy and see grace. The Christmas story is about grace in its most shocking and surprising form. The Lord of lords, one of incalculable glory, humbles himself and takes on human flesh and blood. The Creator, in a way that boggles the mind, becomes the created. The One who made a perfect world now exposes himself to a world stained with imperfections. The judge of all things places himself under judgment. The One who deserves worship becomes the Lamb of sacrifice. The One who deserves everyone’s love subjects himself to being despised and rejected. The One who owns all things lives with no place to call home and no place to rest his weary head.

Here in one single word, the name Jesus, is the shocking turn in the redemptive story. In sovereignty and with power, God would respond to the sorry condition of his world. With holy authority, he would deal with the image bearers who had turned their backs on him. Yet he would deal with the ravages of sin not with the tools of judgment, but with a single tool of grace, Jesus. You simply cannot use the word grace without connecting that word to Jesus. Yes, it needs to be said again and again and again. Jesus is the grace of God to sinners. Without his life, death, and resurrection, grace would be a sentiment devoid of any helpfulness. Without the gift of Jesus, grace would be a promise with no power. Without the presence, life, and work of that baby in the manger, there is no light at the end of the tunnel for sinners. There is no happy ending for rebels. There is no home waiting for the lost. There is only darkness, defeat, judgment, and death.

This season, in the midst of all the celebrations and gift-giving, be careful to remember that at the center of what we celebrate is one game-changing, life-altering, hope-giving reality: grace is a person, and his name is Jesus. God knew that nothing else would ever repair what sin had broken, so he gave us the ultimate gift of gifts, the gift of his Son. It’s not enough to say that Jesus came to preach grace to us. It is not enough to say that he came to give grace to us. No, Jesus is God’s redeeming grace, given to those who without him would have no hope in life or in death. Now that’s worth celebrating, not just on one special day but on every day of your life, and for the rest of eternity too!

Come, Let Us Adore Him by Paul David Tripp: Every time the Christmas season comes around, we look forward to putting up a tree, giving and receiving gifts, and participating in other traditions that make this wonderful time of year so special. But sometimes the most significant aspect of the season--remembering and focusing on the coming of Jesus--grows old and familiar. In Come Let Us Adore Him: A Daily Advent Devotional, Paul Tripp seeks to recapture our attention and reawaken our awe during Christmastime.

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