What Really Happened?

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Christian encouragement, christian walk, Christmas, form of a man, Jesus became flesh, mystery of Christmas, season of Christmas, seeking Christmas

 

Philippians 2:7 says, “But [God] emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men.”

There is no way that we can truly grasp what happened on the very first Christmas. Only God Himself and the host of heaven know who Jesus was before He became a tiny infant. All of heaven trusted God, but I’m sure they were amazed and maybe even a bit mystified when it occurred. Can you imagine seeing God in all His majesty choosing to become the most vulnerable of all humans? After they got over their initial shock, it seems they were a bit excited. Luke 2:13-14 says, “And suddenly there appeared with the angel a multitude of heavenly host praising God and saying, ‘Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among men with whom He is pleased.’”

It seems like a curtain was drawn back and God let us see what was taking place in heaven in that moment. All of heaven must have been astounded that their God had humbled Himself, sucked Himself in (as my husband says) enough to become a tiny child. He could have appeared as a man in the middle of the wilderness with a great bio, but He chose to live among us as the most vulnerable. I’m getting a little excited myself!

Barnes’ Notes on the New Testament tells us that the phrase “but emptied Himself” is really rendered from one word in the Greek. Barnes says that this is the only time this word occurs in the entire Bible. (I think it’s because no other event in history can compare with what Jesus did for us.) Barnes says, “It is applied to a case where one lays aside his rank and dignity, and becomes, in respect to that, as nothing.”

We view a tiny babe as the most precious thing on earth, but in comparison to God’s glory it was like He became nothing. Who else but Jesus has really done this in all of history? Who else but Jesus laid aside all rank and privileges to bring a bridge to a dying race? Actually, to become the bridge for a dying race.

Barnes also gives an amazing example of this by saying, “When the sun is obscured by a cloud, or in an eclipse, there is no real change of its glory, nor are his beams extinguished, nor is the sun himself in any measure changed. His luster is only for a time obscured. So it might have been in regard to the manifestation of the glory of the Son of God.”

Wow! The sun is still the sun no matter the clouds and our God was (and is) still God no matter the mantle of humanity. That’s what really happened at Christmas! God sucked Himself in, clothed Himself with humanity and took the form of a vulnerable baby. Oh, what a Savior!

The God who had no need of food, felt the gnawing pain of hunger for us.

The God who never knew thirst, became thirsty for us.

The God who never tires was overcome with sleep.

The God who was worshipped in majesty beyond our imagination became rejected and ridiculed… for us.

That’s what happened at Christmas! Let’s give Him glory today.

Seeking Hearts Ministries

My Story

Today

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attention, calling, Christian encouragement, christian journey, christian walk, Christianity, Christmas, Christmas season, countdown to Christmas, countdowns, devotional, devotions, encouragement, family devotions, focus, future, future focus, goals, God, God's Kingdom, here and now, Kingdom work, redeem the time

I’m sure you’ve all seen it by now. The countdown to Christmas has begun and while I love Christmas and the whole season that comes with it, I am just not ready to see the countdowns begin. On Facebook last week a friend posted how many Fridays were left until Christmas and then, the flashing sign at my pharmacy told me the exact number of days until Christmas. Every time I pass by…BOOM!… there it is in blinking lights: 75 days, 74 days, 73 days… and it will continue to flash the number until the Big Day arrives.

I couldn’t help but wonder if all of these countdowns (whether they involve Christmas, or something else) are just another tool of Satan’s to keep us pseudo focused on life, instead of really focused on living. If I am so focused on what is to come, maybe I am not focused on the here and now and the here and now is where Kingdom work really happens. After all, does someone receive the Gospel tomorrow, or yesterday, or the here and now? (I know all of the above happens, but I hope you get where I’m going with this.) Everything that happens to us, or through us, happens in the now. Satan wants us to only focus on the future and not the now. The now is where miracles take place. The now is where souls accept redemption. The now is where we actually live. Maybe that’s what the Psalmist is getting at in Psalm 90:12. It says, “So teach us to number our days, that we may present to Thee a heart of wisdom.” When we are wise, we are using every moment to give God glory. When we are wise, we are hyperaware of how we can expand God’s Kingdom. When we are wise, we realize that His Kingdom is what this life is all about. When we are only focused on the future, we are no good in the now.

You might be thinking that I must be one of those spontaneous people who have no goals, no ambitions and no future plans. Let me just tell you (after I get up off the floor from laughing hysterically) I most certainly am not a “fly by the seat of her pants” kind of a girl. No, siree. I don’t think I’ve ever lived a week without a major goal list. I’m the master. That might be why this hit me so hard the other day. Goals help me to believe that I haven’t wasted my day, my week, my month, or my year. But, I’m finding in my own life that the goals I’ve set have often kept me from living in the now. I’m so focused on my lists to get done tomorrow that I’m not taking joy for what was accomplished today. I’m often concerned with my agenda instead of God’s agenda for me. I’m so focused on getting to week nine, or fifteen that I lose sight of the here and now. I’m not saying that goals aren’t important, but sometimes goals can get in the way of actually living.

Jesus says in Matthew 6:34, “…do not be anxious about tomorrow; for tomorrow will take care for itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.” Jesus gives us grace for the day, yet we are trying to live in the tomorrow. Tomorrow’s stress is not supposed to be today’s burden.

Lamentations 3:22-23 tells us that His mercies are new every morning. That’s a day by day mercy. If we are aren’t waking up accepting what He has for us each day, what are we missing?

I don’t know about you, but I’m ready to see today’s miracles. I don’t want to miss them. I want my eyes to be wide open to receive what He has for me today. I want to expand His Kingdom today. I want to worship Him today and not wait for Sunday. I want Him to look at me as He sings over me tonight and say, “Well done, girl. Well done. You used every minute I gave you today. Let’s do it again tomorrow.”
My Testimony

Seeking Hearts Ministries – (link to other blogs)

The Mysteries of Christmas

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Christ child, Christmas, Christmas mysteries, contemplating Christmas, Jesus, meditating on Christmas, one of us, wonders of Christmas

There are so many mysteries that surround the birth of Christ and often I just gloss over them. To sit and examine them seems overwhelming, so I thank Him for His birth and move along with my day. This year though, I have found myself delving into the wonder of Christ’s birth more. I have allowed myself to plunge into the questions of who, what, how and why. Scriptures from Philippians, Deuteronomy, Hebrews, and of course John have jumped out at me over the last few months and shown me a touch of what Christ gave up to become humankind’s sacrifice for sin.

When I think of His sacrifice, I usually think of the cross and Easter, but I am finding that becoming a baby must have been just as hard, if not harder. The trust that it took to be that vulnerable…I can’t even imagine. You and I have no choice about how we enter this world, but our Savior, Jesus, was not just already mature, He was eternal. He had always been. He was infinite. He was all-powerful and well, who knows what else? He’s God! Yet, He placed Himself in His Father’s hands and said, “Your will, not mine be done.” He had known God the Father for all eternity and fully trusted Him. This would have been the perfect time for the Father to kill off the Son if there was any jealousy, or strife in the Godhead, but Jesus had been with Him for all time and fully trusted Him. He knew the mind and heart of the Father. He knew there was no darkness, or dark shadow in Him (I John 1:5).Our triune Godhead loves with no envy, or strife and Jesus knew this with every fiber of His being. He trusted with every fiber, holding nothing back. He knew the Father and Spirit would cover Him, protect Him and help Him to reach His designated path. No worries, only trust.

Hebrews 10:5-7 says, “Therefore, when He [Jesus] comes into the world, He says, ‘Sacrifice and offering Thou hast not desired, but a body Thou hast prepared for Me’; …Then I [Jesus] said, ‘Behold, I have come (In the roll of the book it is written of Me) to do Thy will, O God.’”

Jesus knew from the beginning of time that a body had been prepared for Him to come to this earth for us. He trusted the Godhead enough to be completely sold out to the solution and was willing to endure the extreme vulnerability that would be required of Him. I too often take for granted the miracle of birth, but Jesus intimately knew the complications that could occur. He knew everything, yet still agreed to do the will of the Father. He trusted Him completely. The choice of mother, the choice of father, the choice of living conditions, everything was placed in the Father’s hands.

I do wonder if Jesus helped pick Mary to give birth to Him, or did He leave all of the decisions up to the Father? I think He at least realized as she was growing up that this was it, the time had come.

What did He think of Joseph, the man who would be His earthly Father? Did He watch Joseph play as a boy more intensely than He watched other Hebrew boys? Did He smile when Mary first heard Joseph’s name? When the betrothal was formalized was He excited to see the first step in His “parents” life together?

I also wonder if being fully God and fully man, did Jesus know the reality of the womb? Did He want the “full experience” and give up His omniscient side during this uterine experience? Was the baby Christ fully aware even at this time of His humanity? When the birth took place did He remember that He had created this world that He had just entered? Oh, the mysteries of Christmas!

When Jesus was a child in the synagogue, did He have to work at memorizing the holy canon like other children, or was He a genius who knew everything by heart? After all, He helped write it. When He was read Deuteronomy 31:8, ‘And the LORD is the One who goes ahead of you; He will be with you. He will not fail you or forsake you. Do not fear, or be dismayed,’ did He jump up with joy and yell out that He knew this to be true, or did He sit quietly knowing that His Father was proving this daily in His own little life? Oh, the mysteries of Christmas!

Then, we must look at the other side of things. What was it like in heaven with Jesus gone? It had never happened before. Was He missed? Were all of the angels with Him on earth? Were they taking shifts, or volunteering for overtime to be with Him? The Godhead itself, were the Spirit and Father lonely at times? They were ever-present with Jesus, but not in the same way. Yes, Jesus was fully God, but He was fully present on earth as well. I don’t believe we will fully understand even a fraction of the sacrifice they all made until we are in heaven. To be totally one for all of time and then, suddenly, not to be…the mysteries of Christmas are almost overwhelming at times.

I wonder… when Jesus was full of the Spirit in Luke 4, did He feel almost “normal”? Was the intensity of not being one with the Father still as strong? As Jesus later in His life would go to a “lonely place” to pray was the communication frustrating, or refreshing? Did He just want His stint on earth to be over, or was He relishing every moment? The Word shows us that He grew frustrated with humanity at times, yet still never said that we were not worth it. What a mystery!

So, this Christmas as you go about your busy days, stop and contemplate some of the mysteries of Christmas. Contemplate how our GOD came down in the form of a human. Think about how He was one of us. Remember that He had the same vulnerabilities, the same defenselessness and the same struggles and chose to go through it for us. He chose to trust all of Himself into the hands of the Father. He knew He would be taken care of. He knew He would be safe in His arms. He knew His will was worth any struggle. He trusted fully. What a mystery! May we do the same.

Seeking Hearts Ministries