By Pastor Kevin Barnhart
Spring Grove Evangelical Free
What’s in a conjunction? Do you remember School House Rock? I know this dates me, but Conjunction – Junction what’s your function? Maybe some of you can hear that little jingle in your head. Oh the power of a catchy jingle, isn’t it incredible. So, when Jesus came why wasn’t it grace or truth? Many today are not big fans of the “and” here, they would much prefer “or.” So, why didn’t Jesus come in grace or truth? He could come to us and we could tell him what we want – I need grace today, hold the truth. Or maybe, can I get truth on the side in a little plastic cup that I can sprinkle in according to taste?
Truth is hard, it’s unrelenting, it doesn’t just stop existing because we don’t like it. Who wants that? Truth can be scary, it can be jarring, ugly and unwanted. So, given all the problems with truth why would the Son of God come to us full of grace and truth?
Some want to flip this question and ask; “why grace?” They are “just the facts, ma’am” kind of people. Why sugar coat it, why water it down – just give us the truth. Why bother messing around with feelings; if we must take our medicine lets just hold our noses and down the hatch.
No matter which side of this you land on, both sides are asking why “and” versus “or.”
The simplest answer after you boil down all the nonessentials is this – love. Love demands grace and truth. This can be a hard pill to swallow for either side.
To not tell the truth about someone’s true condition in a very polite way is nevertheless an unloving act. If only the truth will set you free, then to withhold truth even politely is to keep people in bondage. If deception keeps us captive it doesn’t matter how polite our jailor is. Jesus wants you free, so He brings truth, but delivers this truth in life giving ways. Not all truth is delivered in life giving ways.
Let me encourage you with this – Jesus comes to you in grace and truth. He came that way into our world to everyone, but also, he comes that way to YOU personally. He knows you need grace, he knows all your foibles and failures, weaknesses, and deficiencies. He understands every corner of your heart the ones you share with him and the ones you desperately try and hide; He sees you, He knows you, and He loves you – He loves me. Isn’t that incredible. Isn’t it incredible that Jesus sees every piece of our hearts, chose to walk down the same roads of joy and sorrows, and not just from on high rather Jesus bends low to be among us. He is born in a manger, he has skin that bleeds, a heart that beats, emotions, frustrations, He thirsts, isn’t it amazing that we worship a God who is deeply acquainted with our sorrows… Christ chose of His own free will to die for a people who would deny him, betray him, desert him, beat him ruthlessly, and eventually nail Him to a cross. The ultimate demonstration of our desperate need for grace and truth is found on a hill, nailed between two thieves… grace and truth, LOVE and sin… His blood rolled down because of our sin (truth) and though there were nails that is not what held Him there – the one who holds the power of the cosmos in His hands is held there by LOVE and love alone… He could have come down He could have saved himself, He could have done a million different things. But He chose to die for our sin in His amazing love. That is grace and truth!
We spend so much time hiding, like in the garden of Eden hiding in the bushes afraid to be exposed. But grace and truth calls us out of the bushes, whispers to us to take that hand of Christ, and to run into a future he has for us.
As we prepare our hearts for celebrating the resurrection, take in the wonder of how Jesus came, full of grace and truth.
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