The hymn, Come Thou Long Expected Jesus, captures the wonder of the Jesus’ first coming (also called the incarnation) perfectly; Christ - the One by whom and for whom all things were created - was born.
Come to earth to taste our sadness / He whose glories knew no end;
By His life He brings us gladness / Our Redeemer, Shepherd, Friend.
Leaving riches without number / Born within a cattle stall;
This the everlasting wonder / Christ was born the Lord of all.
What a mystery! How is this possible? Why would God choose to do this? Why would the Son willingly come to "taste our sadness"? In 1 Tim. 3:16, Paul echoes the hymn-writer's awe at the story of the Incarnation, calling it the “mystery of godliness.” But Paul and the hymn-writer aren't just saying these things in a “this-stuff-is-hard-to-wrap-our-brain-around” kind of way; they're pointing to the immense power and beauty of the story of Jesus’ first coming. It's an event that is truly wonder-full. We'll spend the season of Advent 2021, beginning November 28, in a teaching series intended to revel in The Everlasting Wonder of Christ's Incarnation.
