The Glorious Intrusion of Mercy
Christmas celebrates the unexpected and merciful arrival of Christ, who came not to condemn but to bear our sins.
"And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with great fear. And the angel said to them, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people" (Luke 2:9-10).
Christmas is about the glorious intrusion of God's mercy in human history. It is glorious because it is from heaven that Christ came for us. It is an intrusion because Christ came in a way we least expected. It is mercy because Christ came not to condemn us but to bear our sin in His own body (1 Peter 2:24). When the glory of the Lord shone around the shepherds in the field, they were afraid. Who wouldn't fear the light of God's glory? In the light of His power and holiness, we are exposed. We fear the unknown. We fear what reveals our smallness. We fear raw power. But His coming was not for judgment; it was for mercy! "Fear not" because there is good news of great joy. In Jesus, mercy came clothed in our humanity. In Jesus, God is with us, better yet, for us. Take heart! In Jesus, we have no reason to fear and every reason to rejoice.
Amen!