JOHN 1:11-12

He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him. Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God.

TO PONDER

Our theme this week has been the 'perilous adventure'. I don't know if it's right to think of anything as being 'perilous' for God; but if there was ever a plan or situation that was, the birth of Jesus into the world of humanity would surely be it.

Think about it for a moment. The infinite, eternal, creator of all things puts aside all that power and infinite glory and majesty, and willingly makes himself a part of his own creation because it is the one shot He has to put things right between himself and the creation which he loves so dearly. Yet it is not a sure victory. Here in John 1, we hear the reality of the situation. "He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him. This may have always been God's plan but it was not a plan without risk.

Max Lucado put it this way, “Jesus humbled Himself. He went from commanding angels to sleeping in straw. From Holding stars to clutching Mary's finger. The palm that held the universe took the nail of a soldier. Why? Because that's what love does.”

To borrow a phrase from the world of poker, God went 'all in'. He put it all on the line so that you could be united and restored to himself. It may not have been a gamble, God knew how things would work out, but even so, dying for all people while knowing that some would reject that act of love and mercy makes the life, death and resurrection of Jesus even a more profound expression of God's love for us, don't you think?

PRAYER: God, I can't begin to imagine the fullness of who you are or even begin to understand the enormity of what you did by sending Jesus into the world to bear the pain and punishment of our sins so that we could be restored to relationship with you. I simply ask that you would help me each day to grasp a little more how deep and high and vast and wide your love is for me. Amen

Today's devotion was written by Mathew von Stanke, LifeWay Newcastle