We don’t like to see the cross when we’re looking into the Christmas manger, but maybe we need to. On the day Jesus said goodbye to His father, and to Heaven’s throne; when He stepped across the threshold of Heaven and made His way across the stars and landed softly in Mary’s virgin womb, He began His sacrifice.

Look closely into the day that the angel spoke to Mary because that was the day the Son left His perfect place in heaven and came to such an imperfect one on earth. He left majesty, peace, and perfect holiness to be a human.

Because you see, something had to be done about our sin problem. And something had to be done about our lack of trust in God.

God took all of our disbelief and weak faith and instead of walking away from us, He did the unthinkable. He gave us proof positive that there is nothing He won’t do for us.

He had parted seas for us, He had defeated giants for us, had shut lions’ mouths for us, saved us from the flames of a furnace, provided food in our famines and water in our droughts. AND He even raised dead men to life before our very eyes! It was never enough for us. He should never have had to prove Himself to us to begin with, but He did it again and again.

This is not like a love you experience from anyone else. It’s a love that doesn’t ever let you down. It’s a love that isn’t selfish for even a second. It’s a love that proved it can be trusted completely. It’s a love that left EVERYTHING magnificent to come and rescue us.

Some of us spend our whole lives working hard to prove that we are worthy of someone’s love and then when it’s not reciprocated, we get frustrated and sometimes even walk away. The people we love here on this Earth are fallible, and I think we compare the love of God to the love of regular people. But when it comes to Jesus, our expectations are too low if we are comparing His love to anyone else’s.

Stare into the manger, but also get a mental picture of Jesus on His throne in heaven. His robe fills the throne room. The angels are singing praises to Him around the clock because His glory is so magnificent that they just can’t stop! There is no sickness around him. There is no evil in His presence.

In Heaven there is no rushing around buying Christmas presents, or going to get a Covid test. There are no snarky co-workers or rude salesmen. There is no anxiety, depression, or fear. There are no lawns to mow or laundry to wash.

In Heaven, Jesus’ only job is to be King Jesus! And then the Father says to Him “YOU are the only solution to the sin problem on earth. But You have to become one of them. You have to live among them without honor. You will be mocked, beaten and eventually killed. But, because of You, the world

will finally know how much I love them and that there is nothing I would hold back from them in order to live with them for eternity.”

His suffering began the second He nodded His head and left His throne to live among us. His suffering ended at the Cross. And our eternity began! It’s more than my mind can fully comprehend, so I will just acknowledge that it’s TRUE, and I will praise Him for it!

“The people living in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of the shadow of death a light has dawned.” Matthew 4:16

We don’t live in the “shadow of death” any longer. Lift up your face and praise the Father for His incredible Gift of Love!

Praise God for Christmas

Praise Him for the Incarnation

For the Word made flesh

I will not sing of shepherds watching flocks

On frosty night

Or angel choristers.

I will not sing of stable bare

In Bethlehem

Or lowing oxen

Wise men

Trailing distant star

And myrrh

Tonight I will sing

Praise to the Father

Who stood on heaven’s

Threshold

And said farewell to His Son

As he stepped across the stars

To Bethlehem

And Jerusalem

And I will sing praise to the

Infinite eternal Son

Who became most fine

A Baby

Who would one day be executed

For my crimes

Praise Him in the heavens

Praise Him in the stable

Praise Him in my heart

- Joseph Bayly