II.    God’s Purpose in Incarnation and Redemption

And the Word became flesh and tabernacled among us (and we beheld His glory, glory as of the only Begotten from the Father), full of grace and reality. —John 1:14

Before God could accomplish His purpose, man fell and became lost in sin. Because God loved man and wouldn’t relinquish His eternal purpose, God Himself became a man named Jesus Christ through incarnation to redeem His chosen people on the cross. Watchman Nee describes the incarnation of Christ as “God’s intention to set up a ‘standard’ man, a representative man, in whom all the plans of God are realized.” Although these two words fill theological volumes, the apostle John records both of these momentous events in elegant precision.

The next day he saw Jesus coming to him and said, Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world! —John 1:29

Redeem means “to repossess at a cost.” We were redeemed with the unique, precious blood of Christ (1 Peter 1:18-19). Jesus is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world (John 1:29). We were lost, we were bought, and now we belong!

The more clearly we see the infinite chasm between God’s glory and our sinful falling short thereof, the greater will be our appreciation of His grace and love in bridging that gulf to redeem us. —Dave Hunt

Kyle Barton
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