Born to Take Our Place
“But he who is joined to the Lord
becomes one spirit with him.” — 1 Corinthians 6:17
There are moments in the Christian life when we need to slow down and stare again.
To behold.
To wonder.
To be undone by the fact that God came near.
“And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.” (John 1:14)
When we speak of Jesus being born, we often say that He came to save us from our sins. But if we stop there, we miss the fullness of what the incarnation truly means.
Jesus didn’t only come to die for us.
He came to live for us.
God Entered Our Story
The eternal Son of God did not hover above humanity or merely visit us. He entered our condition fully.
“Though he was in the form of God, he did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men.” (Philippians 2:6–7)
Jesus took on a real body.
A real childhood.
Real limitations.
Real temptation.
Real suffering.
He knew hunger and fatigue. He learned obedience through suffering. He lived under the law of God every single day.
“For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin.”(Hebrews 4:15)
This means the Son of God did not merely empathize with human life—He lived it perfectly.
A Life Lived in Our Place
Scripture tells us something astonishing: Jesus did not only die instead of us, He lived instead of us.
“For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.”(2 Corinthians 5:21)
This righteousness is not earned.
It is not achieved.
It is imputed, credited to us as a gift.
“For as by the one man’s disobedience the many were made sinners, so by the one man’s obedience the many will be made righteous.” (Romans 5:19)
Jesus obeyed where we fail.
He trusted where we doubt.
He loved the Father with His whole heart where we wander.
And God counts His obedience as ours.
What His Coming Means for Our Daily Lives
Because Jesus lived a perfect human life for us, everything changes.
We no longer live under condemnation.
“There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.” (Romans 8:1)
We are no longer defined by our failures.
“I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me.” (Galatians 2:20)
We are clothed, not exposed.
“I will greatly rejoice in the LORD… for he has clothed me with the garments of salvation; he has covered me with the robe of righteousness.” (Isaiah 61:10)
Our obedience flows from rest, not fear.
“By a single offering he has perfected for all time those who are being sanctified.” (Hebrews 10:14)
God relates to us as beloved children, not probationary servants.
“Because you are sons, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, ‘Abba! Father!’” (Galatians 4:6)
Awe Is the Only Right Response
The baby in the manger was not only fragile, He was purposeful.
Jesus came first and foremost for the glory of the Father.
“I glorified you on earth, having accomplished the work that you gave me to do.” (John 17:4)
And yet, in God’s astonishing mercy, that work was for us.
Every breath He took was in obedience to His Father and for our good.
Every temptation He resisted brought glory to God and secured righteousness for us.
Every act of obedience pleased heaven and became our hope.
“For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be glory forever. Amen.” (Romans 11:36)
“Thanks be to God for his inexpressible gift!” (2 Corinthians 9:15)
This is why the angels sang.
This is why shepherds ran.
This is why we fall down in worship.
Not because God merely forgives us, but because He gives us His Son’s entire life.
May our hearts be freshly awed by the Savior who was born not only to save us from sin, but to give us His righteousness, His standing, His life.
“From his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace.” (John 1:16)
Grace upon grace, indeed.
