Galatians 4:4-7 “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.

Good morning, Saints. Wishing you all rich Advent blessings as together we marvel at the mystery of God’s love and anticipate the birth of Christ! 

In today’s devotional scripture, the apostle Paul writes to the Galatians in Chapter 4, reminding them that they are no longer slaves but heirs as children of God, set free by Christ who died a human death by God’s grace. This is a profound mystery of God’s love, revealed to us. What a blessing it is!

It is sometimes difficult for our human brain to think about Jesus as God and man. After all, He’s the only One. There are no other examples or models we have ever seen or will ever see again. Only one. Yet, He took on human flesh and joined humanity in a small cave in Bethlehem in God’s perfect timing. 

Another mind-meddling mystery, impossible for us to understand, is the virgin birth of a human baby sent here to serve a purpose for all of humankind - salvation! Mary, a human mother, gave birth to a human baby, who was also divine. Why would God do that for humanity when, since the dawn of time in the Garden of Eden, we’ve sinned against Him and have been downright disobedient, deserving only a sentence of death and damnation?  

Our human struggle is real. Born into sin, it is a daily struggle to be obedient. Yet, the beauty of this time of year is that together, in community, we hold these mysteries as God’s beloved children of hope. We hope in a Savior, celebrating with great awe and anticipation as we ponder the birth of Jesus Christ, true man and true God—a Savior for all mankind.    

In his book Community, Dutch priest and Christian author Henri J. M. Nouwen helps us gain insight into this profound mystery. He puts it this way:

“The great mystery of revelation is indeed that Jesus Christ did not cling to his equality with God but emptied himself and became as we are. He revealed himself not in being different from us but in being one with us, in sharing our joys and pains and dying a human death. This is very hard for us to understand fully, but we need to keep trying to stay close to this most profound mystery of God’s love. God showed his love for us not by taking away our pains and frustrations and erasing our difficulties, but by becoming part of our human condition and living as we do.

What is central here is that by accepting the human condition, God in no way became less than God but, on the contrary, revealed to us what his being God for us really means. He revealed to us that it belongs to the essence of his nature that he does not keep distant but enters with us into the human struggle. Based on this understanding of God as a God with us…”

The good news is that God is with us, Saints. Christ is with us. May we remember that as we celebrate the profound gift of Christ. God sent Christ to be in the world as man and to be in our hearts as Savior. “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 4:6, 7 

It’s true! It may be confounding to us humans at times. By a simple faith, we give praise and glory to God that His nature is love. Rather than damnation, we have hope. Rather than judgment in which we would all fall short (Romans 3:23), we receive His grace. His grace comes in the form of a human baby named Jesus. Abba! Father! You are so kind. Thank You, Father, for the gift of a Savior, Jesus Christ, given to a dark and broken world. Amen! 



We pray: Abba, Father, thank You for Your underserved love and grace in sending a Savior for the world. Amen. 

Dr. Jeffrey S. Beavers, CEO | Executive Director

Crean Lutheran High School

dr.beavers@creanlutheran.org

Reference: Nouwen, Henri J. M.. Community (p. 46). Orbis Books. Kindle Edition.