Christmas Calls You to Glory: Day 4, The Mission of Glory

Christmas Calls You to Glory Day 4: The Mission of Glory Devotional Have you ever wondered why Jesus had to come as a baby? Why didn’t God just fix everything from heaven? Why go through the vulnerability of human birth, the limitations of growing up, the pain of living in a broken world? Jesus came with a specific mission that required Him to be both fully God and fully human. He wasn’t born to live a comfortable life or to demonstrate that God cares from a safe distance. He came to accomplish something that could only be done through the cross - to take upon Himself the judgment that our sin deserved. This is where Christmas becomes more than a heartwarming story about a baby. Jesus was born with the cross already in view. His mission was to display the perfect character of God and then substitute Himself for us in judgment. The grace of Christmas is that while Jesus did come to judge sin, He went to the cross and absorbed every ounce of God’s wrath that our sin deserved. This means your guilt doesn’t have to define you. Your failures don’t have to condemn you. Your past doesn’t have to imprison you. Jesus came to deal with the sin problem that separates you from God, and He succeeded. Christmas isn’t just about God’s love - it’s about God’s justice and mercy meeting perfectly at the cross. The baby in the manger grew up to become your substitute, taking your place so you could take His. Bible Verse She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins. - Matthew 1:21 Reflection Question How does understanding that Jesus came specifically to deal with your sin change the way you view both your failures and God’s love for you? Quote “The grace of Jesus Christ is that he did come to judge sin, but in love he went to the cross and he drank up every ounce of the wrath of God for your sin and for mine.” Prayer Lord Jesus, thank You for coming with a mission to save me from my sin. Help me to grasp that You didn’t just come to make me feel better, but to solve the problem that separated me from God. I receive Your gift of salvation with gratitude. Amen.