CHARISSA CHEONG reflects on the amazing truth that the “Word became flesh”…
London, UK
Detail from a stained glass window depicting the entrance of Jesus to Jerusalem in the cathedral in Targu Mures, Romania. PICTURE: Sebastian_Photography/Shutterstock
“The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.” – John 1:14
When was the last time you stopped to think about how radical it was for Jesus to come down to Earth as a man?
It’s not Christmas time, so I personally haven’t thought very specifically about this in a while. But this verse struck me as I was reading Romans earlier this month, particularly the very last phrase: full of grace and truth.
“I think this is an incredible phrase because God didn’t have to come to us this way. He could have come with judgement and condemnation, and that’s what we would have deserved. But Jesus Himself says that God sent His Son into the world to save it, not to condemn it (John 3:17), so Jesus comes to us filled completely with grace – a word used to describe undeserved favour – and truth. “
I think this is an incredible phrase because God didn’t have to come to us this way. He could have come with judgement and condemnation, and that’s what we would have deserved. But Jesus Himself says that God sent His Son into the world to save it, not to condemn it (John 3:17), so Jesus comes to us filled completely with grace – a word used to describe undeserved favour – and truth.
Sometimes, in my own relationship with Jesus, I forget this fundamental truth about who He is. I forget that there is absolutely no malice in Him. No darkness, no anger towards me. He is unlike any human we’ve ever known, He is entirely good, and His love for us is completely perfect. It doesn’t change depending on or the day or the way we’ve behaved.
I often feel I lack grace for myself because I forget this truth. I am harsh on myself when I make a mistake or don’t perform well at something, and this often leaves me stewing in feelings of inadequacy and condemnation, questioning why God would choose me to have anything to do with His kingdom at all. I forget that Jesus’ love for me is secure and nothing can separate me from it. Not even my inadequacies.
It’s done me some good to remember that Jesus is full of grace and truth. Our mistakes and mess-ups don’t faze Him because He has more than enough grace to cover them. When we’re hiding away in shame, He comes towards us, holding out this amazing grace that abounds in our deepest places of failure.
I want to let an awareness of His grace sink so deep into me that I can finally show condemnation the door. Condemnation tells us that one mistake means it’s all over. We had a clean sheet but we’ve stained it now, so we might as well crumple it up and throw it all away. But the grace of Jesus says, “I see every stain and blot and mistake you’ll ever make, and my blood has washed them all away, no matter how bad or ugly they are.”
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We are full of sin, but Jesus is full of grace and truth. The radical reality worth remembering is that although we have failed and fallen short of God’s standard, Jesus descended into our messy lives to dole out undeserved favour.
A completely sinless, completely perfect God sees us at our absolute worst and does not turn away with disgust. Instead, He looks lovingly into our brokenness and promises that He has sufficient grace within Himself to fix what we broke, to restore what’s been lost, and to shower us with so much love that any sense of condemnation or inadequacy we’ve been carrying becomes a distant memory.
