As we continue to remember Christ’s birth, we are filled with joy that God so loved us that He gave His only Son for us. So many implications come from that. There is freedom, deliverance, joy, peace, hope! We could write thousands of blog posts, articles, books about what Christ’s birth has brought us and what it all means, but one thing I always remember is that when Christ came, He came full of grace and truth. Grace and truth. What a paradox, we might say. This is a contradiction, others may say. How can it be that there can be truth but at the same time grace? How can I be corrected (truth) of some fault but at the same time with love and be granted forgiveness (grace)? Christ is our best example of how this happens. John 1:14 tells us,

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.

The law of God had come. The truth of God had been in effect for a while now. God had spoken through His prophet Moses and had revealed His character to His people. There was a standard that God expected from His people. Time and time again, Israel had failed and rebelled against God’s truth, His law. When Jesus was born, He came full of truth, but also full of grace. Christ’s coming and arrival was full of grace. God in the flesh, clothing His deity with humanity was an act of grace. Christ was full of grace. He was grace personified. He was God’s Word of grace to people like you and me. John 1:16 says,

For from his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace.

The “riches of His grace” that Paul talks about in Ephesians has come! It was God’s plan to show us the super-abundance of His grace. He lavished it upon us. He gave us enough grace and gave us some more on top of that. But, before we think that this grace is something abstract and something out there in the sky, let’s remember that this grace is Christ Himself. After all, what other grace would we want more than Christ Himself being poured out for us, in us, and working through us?! Yes, God has called us by His grace, saved us by His grace, and is sanctifying us by His grace. This grace is Jesus Christ!

So, when something irks you this Christmas season, when something bothers you, remember God’s Word of grace to you. He has given us (because we have “all received”) grace upon grace.  There is no need to perform perfection in this season. There is grace at the Christmas family dinner. There is grace when opening presents. There is grace when expectations for this year have not been met. There is grace! Christ is here and He is full of grace! May we remember that God dishes out grace upon grace this Christmas. Christ is God’s grace for us.

Pray with me:

“God, thank you for your truth. Thank you for revealing your holiness, perfection, and righteousness through your Son, Jesus. When we have sinned against you, we look at the Truth you gave us and recognize that we have sinned. At the same time, when we have offended your holiness, we look at that same Truth and see that it is full of Grace. Today, remind us that you have lavished your grace upon us and let us swim in it. We have received it. We have received Christ. Thank you Father, for grace personified who was Jesus in the flesh. You so loved us that you gave us grace upon grace. Christ, you have filled us. Amen.”