The Magnanimity Of God’s Love

The Magnanimity of God’s Love

December 22, 2024

Dr. Bradford Reaves

Crossway Christian Fellowship

Psalm 24:3-10

John 1:14, 3:16

Introduction: The Tension of Christmas

As we gather this Christmas Sunday, there is a tension in the air, one that is often masked by the lights, the decorations, and the festive songs. It’s easy to get caught up in the excitement of Christmas—the gifts, the food, the joy. But do we ever stop to reflect on the true weight of this season? Do we stop long enough to consider the incredible price behind the birth of Christ?

The earth is the Lord’s and the fullness thereof, the world and those who dwell therein, 2 for he has founded it upon the seas and established it upon the rivers. 3 Who shall ascend the hill of the Lord? And who shall stand in his holy place? 4 He who has clean hands and a pure heart, who does not lift up his soul to what is false and does not swear deceitfully. (Psalm 24:1–4)

In Psalm 24, the psalmist asks a haunting question: “Who shall ascend the hill of the Lord? And who shall stand in his holy place?” (Psalm 24:3). This is not just a casual question—it’s one that forces us to face the reality of God’s holiness and our utter inability to come before Him on our own. The answer to that question is clear: “He who has clean hands and a pure heart” (Psalm 24:4).

We may think of ourselves as good, moral people, but in comparison to the holiness of God, we fall desperately short. God’s holiness is a terrifying thing. When people encounter God or even His messengers, the reaction is often one of fear and reverence. Isaiah, when he saw God’s holiness, cried out, “Woe is me! I am undone!”(Isaiah 6:5). Even the shepherds, who received the good news of Jesus’ birth, were “filled with great fear” when they encountered the angel of the Lord

“There is none holy like the Lord: for there is none besides you; there is no rock like our God. (Luke 2:9).

Since we have these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from every defilement of body and spirit, bringing holiness to completion in the fear of God. (2 Corinthians 7:1)

Therefore let us be grateful for receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, and thus let us offer to God acceptable worship, with reverence and awe, 29 for our God is a consuming fire. (Hebrews 12:28–29)

This is the tension we begin with at Christmas: How can we, who are sinful and broken, approach a holy and righteous God? The answer, and the miracle, of Christmas is this: We can’t. We cannot ascend that holy hill on our own. We cannot bridge the gap between us and God through our own efforts. And yet, in an act of profound love, God came to us.

The story of Charles Peace is a true tale that emphasizes the gravity of sin and the urgency of God’s holiness. Charles Peace was a notorious criminal who, near the end of his life, was about to be executed. The chaplain, as part of the prison ritual, stood near him, reading the Bible to him, saying that if he didn’t repent, he would face eternal damnation. As he listened, Peace’s face changed from indifference to fear. He stopped the chaplain and said, “Sir, if I believed what you are telling me, I would crawl on my hands and knees through broken glass to save one soul from eternal hell.” His words starkly reveal the deep, fearful reverence for God that comes from understanding the reality of sin and judgment. This illustrates the “mountain of God” idea—who could ascend to God’s holiness, and the impossible gap between us and God in our sin.

The Magnanimity of God’s Love

Here is where the story of Christmas begins to unfold. We cannot ascend the mountain; God descends to us. This wasn’t some ‘loophole in the system that God found, this was an act of love! And the way He does this is nothing short of miraculous. We would expect God to come in power, in might, with strength and judgment to deal with our sin. But He doesn’t. He comes as a baby. The Creator of the universe, the one who is seated above the cherubim and seraphim, the one who is holy, holy, holy, comes to us as an infant, vulnerable and humble.

Why did he come as a baby? Because if he came in power and might he would have devoured all the enemies of God - that’s still you and I! So he came humble and gently and this babe in a manger was God’s way of saying, ‘I love you.’ I’m humbling myself so it’s safe.