Act IV: Savior

There’s nothing quite like being with somebody who gets it. In The Four Loves,C.S. Lewis described that “gets it” feeling this way: “Friendship ... is born at the moment when one man says to another ‘What! You too? I thought that no one but myself . . .’” When somebody gets you, there’s a connection. There’s a shared understanding of the same circumstance. It can lead to deep friendship and abiding love.

Today’s passage from Isaiah is one you’re probably used to hearing during the Christmas season. It’s a prophecy of Jesus’s birth that often gets read aloud during Advent sermons and Christmas programs. The “Hallelujah Chorus” even borrows some of its lyrics from verse 6. But it’s good to read passages like this outside the Christmas season, too. Sometimes, we need to hear something familiar out of its normal context for it to strike us in a fresh way.

This passage focuses on Jesus’s reign over all creation. His power and goodness will be undeniable. His justice and righteousness will be markers of who he is and life in God’s kingdom. Jesus will be on a throne, worthy of worship and praise in his resplendent glory.

But the prophecy doesn’t start there! The story of King Jesus starts with a baby. Before taking the throne and shouldering the government, Jesus was a baby, a son given to humanity. What does this mean? It means Jesus gets us. He understands what it means to be human. Weak. Easily wounded. In need of family and community. The author of Hebrews put it this way: “We do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet he did not sin” (Hebrews 4:15 NIV).

Act IV in God’s story is the climax. The savior, Jesus, comes to earth and pays the cost of sin. His resurrection demonstrates that he is more powerful than death and that his promises are true. Now we wait in hope for his return. But don’t miss that Jesus is human, too. He is both fully God and fully man. Jesus gets you. Like connecting with a friend over a shared experience, you can connect with Jesus over the pains and the joys of being human.

Reflection

• Jesus can empathize with your weaknesses. How does this affect what you think about him?
• What struck you in a fresh way in the Christmas story in Matthew 1:18-2:23 & Luke 1:5-2:21?

Prayer

Thank you, God, for understanding me. You are glorious and powerful and far beyond what I can comprehend. At the same time, you are the man, Jesus, who was tempted just like I am. Thank you for understanding and for living a sinless life. I worship you today. Amen.