An Heir, Through God

…for in Christ Jesus you are all children of God through faith. As many of you as were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. There is no longer Jew or Greek, there is no longer slave or free, there is no longer male and female; for all of you are one in Christ Jesus. And if you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s offspring, heirs according to the promise.

My point is this: heirs, as long as they are minors, are not better than slaves, though they are the owners of all the property; but they remain under guardians and trustees until the date set by the father. So with us; while we were minors, we were enslaved to the elemental spirits of the world. But when the fullness of time had come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under the law, in order to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as children. And because you are children, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, “Abba! Father!” So you are no longer a slave but a child, and if a child then also an heir, through God.

Galatians 3:26-4:7

During the Christmas season, it is good to keep a firm grip on the reality of Easter. While the two events are celebrated at different times of the year and in very different ways, they are both parts of God’s initiative in His grand plan of salvation.

The stable in Bethlehem and the cross of Calvary remind us that “when the fullness of the time had come, God sent forth His Son.” Jesus was sent to redeem us so we could become His own sons. The Lord did not wait for an invitation to enter our world. Clothed with humanity, He lived as our teacher, died as our sacrifice, and rose from the grave as our Savior.

Christmas is coming – and so is Easter.

Jesus’ earthly life is framed by two impossibilities:

a virgin’s womb and an empty tomb.

Our Daily Bread – December 12, 2006