Ricky Bobby in Talladega Nights preferred the “eight-pound baby Jesus” to the full-grown Messiah. I’m pretty sure he’s not the only one. However, that’s not a real option, is it? 

This verse tells us about Jesus the man. Take note of the description.

The Eternal One stepped into time in the usual way. 

He lived as we live. He lived among people in his neighborhood as we live around those in our neighborhoods. 

It didn’t take long to see there is something different about Jesus. He is glorious. He is so like His Father. 

Jesus is a man of grace. Jesus is a man of truth. He overflows with both of these heavenly characteristics. 

Some people prefer the wonderful grace of Jesus. Others prefer the powerful truth of Jesus. Again, it’s not really an option to choose either of these attributes to the neglect of the other. 

Truth without grace says mean things on social media about people with sins different from ours.

Grace without truth says nice things about people no matter the sins people commit. 

We need to know Jesus in full. He is the Way, the Truth, and the Life (John 14:6). He is the Only Way, the Right Way, and the Joyful Way. 

He is the Truth, the Whole Truth, and Nothing but the Truth. 

He is the Life, the Good Life, and Eternal Life.

No matter how good or bad we pride ourselves on being, there is a Better Way.

No matter how right or wrong we consider ourselves within our epoch and citizenship, there is a Greater Truth. 

To know Jesus as he wants to be known is to know a Grace Greater than All Our Sin. 

To know Jesus as he wants to be known is to find true freedom in the Truth that Stands the Tests of Time. 

It is ultimately unloving not to relate to ourselves and others with grace and truth. We need truth for direction and grace for redirection. We need truth for an unchanging standard and we need grace because we can never meet that standard on our own. 

We need more than an eight-pound Baby Jesus. We need the full-grown, crucified, buried, resurrected, and ascended Jesus who is more gracious than any objection and more truthful than any argument to the contrary. 

We need Jesus in all his glory. 

—

I will see Jesus for who he is, and in seeing him in this way, see everything else, including myself, in proper perspective. 

—

Our Father, thank you for grace greater than all our sin. Thank you for truth bigger, better, and broader than all human reason. Thank you for the glory of the incarnation. Thank you for songs to sing and prayers to pray as we declare our faith and worship you with praise. Amen.