Real Hope: God's Heart for HumanitySample

Coming in Person

READ JOHN 1:10–14

A story has been told of a very rich young man who sadly had become a widower, leaving him to care for his one precious son. Being wealthy, he had servants and staff to look after all his needs.

One day as he worked in his office, he looked out the window and noticed his young son clambering up one of the trees in the garden. He turned back to his work till he heard a sharp cry from outside. He saw that his son had fallen from the tree and was in pain on the ground. He didn’t bother sending a servant, or delegating care of his son to one of his offsiders. He rushed outside and came to the rescue himself. Love compelled him to go in person.

Which is a bit like what happened when Jesus came into the world. God saw we were in trouble. He came in person, in the person of Jesus who is God in human form. God spelling Himself out to us in a language we humans could understand. In our own everyday lives, we often reckon that if we want a job done well, it’s best to do it ourselves. We reckon we can do the best job, and we may be right on occasions.

God had to come in person to show us finally what He was like. He had to come to bear the guilt of humankind’s sin from the beginning to the end of history. He had to come to show us what true humanity was about. No angelic board of enquiry would do. No white paper on the world’s predicament would be enough.

God so loved the world that He didn’t form a committee.

Written by DAVID REAY