From the Throne Room to the Common

As I listened to my hubby/pastor read Luke Two again, I was struck with the humility and love of a God who leaves perfection and comes to anything but perfection.

"So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David. He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child. While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn."

How much more common could you get? A young couple traveling from a small town, finding no place to stay, ending up in a stable. Jesus' first crib was a manger. We see pictures and our eyes have become so used to the images, we forget what we're really seeing. God in human form was born on the floor of a barn used for animals. Some scraps of cloth were fashioned into a blanket and He was laid in a wooden trough used to feed animals.

Think about this from a different perspective. Jesus had left the very throne room of Heaven. A place we can't fathom but know is glorious from John's account in Revelation. This is a place with no pain, no tears, no death, no sin. This is a place where things that we hold so precious like gold and gems are used for building and road making materials.

I believe we can't begin to fathom the love required to leave Glory and descend into a dirty world. But, that is the love God has for us.

But, then again, the intelligence behind God making Jesus a man who walked and talked among the people. We can never say that we have a Savior who doesn't understand where we're coming from. He was here. He lived it.

Even further - Jesus returned to Heaven to prepare a place for us to come to that marvelous place. Without His blood to save us, we wouldn't have entrance. But, we have the hope of Glory because He gave it up for a time.

Pause just a moment this season and consider the love God had when He came to earth. Yes, I can easily see the love Jesus showed on the cross. He wrote it in red, his blood. But, I believe He showed this extreme love even before He died for our sins. He was already showing his deep love for us when He left the splendor of Heaven and came to earth.

He left Heaven for you! That's love.

Merry Christmas.