121018: Such Mighty Works

Seeing their faith, He said, "Friend, your sins are forgiven you." The scribes and the Pharisees began to reason, saying, "Who is this [man] who speaks blasphemies? Who can forgive sins, but God alone?" But Jesus, aware of their reasonings, answered and said to them, "Why are you reasoning in your hearts? "Which is easier, to say, 'Your sins have been forgiven you,' or to say, 'Get up and walk'? "But, so that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins,"--He said to the paralytic--"I say to you, get up, and pick up your stretcher and go home." Immediately he got up before them, and picked up what he had been lying on, and went home glorifying God. They were all struck with astonishment and [began] glorifying God; and they were filled with fear, saying, "We have seen remarkable things today."
Luke 5:20-26 (NASB)

Hymn: "Come, Thou Fount" Robert Robinson

Those who observe modern Jewish rites are coming to the close of Chanukah today, while Christians are continuing to look ahead to Christmas. This season, where we both celebrate miraculous light coming into the darkness, has at its heart the wondrous works of God.

It can be easy around Christmas to focus entirely on the infancy of Christ. Because He was very much a real infant, with all the limitations and needs that fact includes. But what a magnificent work He has done! We have no idea what it takes to boil the whole person of God the Son into a tiny, fragile, helpless human frame. We can't conceive of the scope of the miracle that is the Incarnation.

The people who watched Christ perform miracles often glorified God, and rightly so, because the works they saw were so far beyond what they were expecting or could understand. But they rarely saw the greatest miracle of Christ's life, that being the fact that He was there in human flesh at all. Let us, this season, consider the mighty works of God in our lives and in the Incarnation itself, and glorify God accordingly.

Give thanks to the LORD, for He is good,
For His lovingkindness is everlasting.
Give thanks to the God of gods,
For His lovingkindness is everlasting.
Give thanks to the Lord of lords,
For His lovingkindness is everlasting.
To Him who alone does great wonders,
For His lovingkindness is everlasting;
...
Who remembered us in our low estate,
For His lovingkindness is everlasting,
And has rescued us from our adversaries,
For His lovingkindness is everlasting;
Who gives food to all flesh,
For His lovingkindness is everlasting.
Give thanks to the God of heaven,
For His lovingkindness is everlasting.
Psalm 136:1-4, 23-26 (NASB)