The Path to Christmas 12

Written by TimMaynard on December 12, 2017. Posted in Pastor Tim's Blog.

As we think about all the Christmas journeys that are described in the telling of the birth of Christ… the wise men, Mary and Joseph, the shepherds… we need to be careful that we not forget one important traveler who arrived that evening,
Jesus.

If we understand the Bible correctly, Jesus left Heaven approximately nine months before the evening that we sing of as the night of His birth. Heaven had a sendoff over 270 days prior to the first cry of our Lord on the earth.

Now I’m already in deeper water with this than I know how to swim out of, to be honest. This is pretty heavy to think about, especially for some of us this early in the morning. But it’s true that, if Jesus is both Deity (God), and He is, and human (baby), and He was, then something amazing happened, and it didn’t just happen one fateful night in Bethlehem.

It happened in the fore thought of the Father. Sometimes the coming of Jesus is portrayed almost like an emergency, rescue mission. It was a rescue mission, but certainly not one that caught God off-guard.

Mary’s nine month pregnancy was not phony. Not faked. Not photoshopped. It was a real pregnancy with a real embryo that really contained the God of the Universe drawing nourishment from her body. Just… amazing.

Jesus’ journey was downward. Intentionally downward. He came down from the heights of the heavenly throne, and walked with sandaled feet the dusty roads of first-century Judea. Just….amazing.

Don’t lose the wonder of this. Don’t lose the power of this. One old carol puts it,

Thus to come from highest bliss
Down to such a world as this.

Just… amazing.

(Jesus) made Himself nothing, taking on the form of a servant, being made in the likeness of man. Philippians 2:7

Lord of all, Christmas should leave us amazed. Amazed at your love… amazed at Your plan from eternity past. Amazed at the love You showed in sending Your Son…Your beloved…to become a baby for us. We can only be amazed at such an act. And for all eternity we will praise You for it. Through the name above all names we pray, Amen.