With the Christmas season upon us, we are reminded of God’s plan of salvation for His people; a plan which centered on the incarnation, death, and resurrection of His only begotten Son. We naturally meditate upon the reality of Christ’s work on behalf of sinners; a truth which ought to be on the forefront of our minds. Inseparably tied to this truth, however, is the Father’s divine, sovereign ordination of this salvation plan.
In a sermon discussing Christ’s incarnation and birth, Spurgeon helps us understand God the Father’s sovereign role in sending the Son.
The Father sent him! Contemplate that subject. Let your soul get hold of it, and in every period of his life think that he suffered what the Father willed; that every step of his life was marked with the approval of the great I AM. Let every thought that you have of Jesus be also connected with the eternal, ever-blessed God; for “he,” saith Jehovah, “shall come forth unto me.” Who sent him, then? The answer is, his Father.[1]
The Lord’s ultimate sovereignty is displayed through Christ’s incarnation, and Spurgeon helps us shift our focus to again gaze at the divine author of all things: the “great I AM.” Why is it important for us to behold God’s role here? Because it is the great proof of the Father’s love. It was the Father’s plan to send His Son among men to die in their stead, thus bringing both redemption and reconciliation to earth. Unpacking this truth still further, Spurgeon remarks:
Who sent Jesus Christ?… “Out of thee” saith Jehovah, speaking by the mouth of Micah, “Out of thee shall he come forth unto me.” It is a sweet thought that Jesus Christ, did not come forth without his Father’s permission, authority, consent, and assistance. He was sent of the Father, that he might be the Saviour of men… What if Jesus came? Did not his Father send him? If he was made a child did not the Holy Ghost beget him? If he spake wondrously, did not his Father pour grace into his lips, that he might be an able minister of the new covenant? If his Father did forsake him when he drank the bitter cup of gall, did he not love him still? and did he not, by-and by, after three days, raise him from the dead, and at last receive him up on high, leading captivity captive?[2]
The work which the Father initiated through the life, death, and resurrection of His Son is the story of God’s love. It is good news. In this Christmas season, while the incarnation and earthly work of Christ are remembered more intentionally, let us not lose sight of the Father’s goodwill in sending forth His Son. We would do well to pay heed to the truth of which Spurgeon reminds us; this season points us back to God’s sovereign love.
Let our hearts take eternal courage and comfort in the truth that the Father brought about salvation for His people – despite the evil intentions of sinful man. In this season, whatever circumstances you may find yourself in – whether grieving, fighting illness, striving for familial peace – in all things, the Father’s goodwill is forever triumphant. As we ponder the incarnate, infant Christ in the manger, and reflect upon the Lord’s redemption in this humble child, let us look to Him for the peace which His divine sovereignty brings. Spurgeon leaves us with comforting and perfectly fitting Christmas-time truth to dwell on:
…for Jesus Christ did not die to make God loving, but he died because God was loving… Christ was sent into the world by his Father, as the consequence of the Father’s affection for his people. Yea, he “so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”[3]
[1] Charles Spurgeon, “The Incarnation and Birth of Christ”, 49.