Yesterday we celebrated the third week of Advent by lighting the rose-colored candle, also called the joy candle. The reason for our joy is grounded in the hope that is found only in Christ. We needed a savior (because of our sin), a savior was promised by God, and, because of God’s great love for us, we see that the Son of God himself will come to rescue us.

Image via Wikipedia

For many, Christ enters the story at this point.  It’s the story told through the Gospels, bookended by Bethlehem and the empty tomb. And while this part of the story is central to our faith, it is not the complete story of Christ. There is a prequel to the manger.

During this season of Advent I’ve camped on several passages of scripture that remind me who Christ was (and is) before (and after) the incarnation. Here are just a couple of those passages:

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made.” (John 1:1-3)

“He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities – all things were created through him and for him. And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together…For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell.” (Colossians 1:15-17,19)

John and Paul are sharing the prequel to the Christmas story.  Before the manger, Christ was with the Father (and the Spirit)…always.  It was Christ who executed the will of the Father to create everything.  And only because of Christ does everything hold together.  (Think about it: Apart from Christ, the molecules in our bodies would fly apart.)  And everything was made for him.  Yes, we exist for Christ.

So what does all this have to do with Advent and Christmas? Simply this: Christ, God himself, all-powerful, always existing, completely superior in every way, chose to enter the creation he made.  Paul says it better than I can:

“Though (Christ) was in the form of God, (he) did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men.” (Philippians 2:6-7)

It was the ultimate act of humility born out of the ultimate act of love.  In the end, it was the only way to save us.  Only the sinless Christ could be the worthy sacrifice to pay the price for our sin.  Only Christ, the perfectly obedient Son of God, could be worthy to intercede for us on behalf of the father.  Only the spotless Christ could be the visible image in the flesh of the invisible God.  Only the grace of God in Christ could provide the saving grace in which we stand every day.

My prayer is that during this Advent season we will be mindful of who Christ was before he appeared in the manger.  Then we can appreciate the astounding humility and endless love that caused him to enter his creation to save it.  And only then can we truly worship him.

Grace & Peace,

Jim