For all eternity, Jesus had lived in the splendor of Heaven. He was omnipotent. Yet, He surrendered His comfort, His power, His very life to shrink into the body of the Babe of Bethlehem. He didn’t have to do it. What could He gain by being weak and lowly?
Well, perhaps He gained the knowledge of how it feels to be human. He learned the carpenter’s trade – how to build things with a tradesman’s tools. Maybe He experienced how difficult it is to live a perfect life on this planet. But most of all, He gained a brutal, undignified death on a Roman cross.
Why? Why would Jesus give up perfect contentment, comfort, and abundance for a harsh life and a cruel death here on Earth?
WWIIFJ
In the sales game, there’s this abbreviation – WIIFM, What’s In It For Me? If you want to sell something, you have to remember that your potential customer is always asking, “WIIFM?”
So WWIIFJ – What Was In It For Jesus? Why did He appear on Earth that first Christmas?
Well, for one thing: you.
He loves you. He wants you to love Him. And He doesn’t want you to spend eternity in the place of torment He created for the devil and the demons. No, He wants you to join His family and live with Him in Heaven forever.
Driven by Hope
So, one quiet night, a Baby was born in Bethlehem. He came because He had hope.
He had hope that one day you would hear His story. You would understand His sacrifice. And you would receive His gift of infinite love.
Hope is a powerful emotion. And sometimes hope is the only force making life worth living. In fact, hope was the driving force that brought Jesus out of Glory into grimy, earthly existence.
Sustained by a Dream
In Genesis, we learn that God created a man and a woman, put them in a beautiful garden, and walked with them in the cool of the day. At that time, mud and blood were not part of the relationship. Life was simple. Earth was beautiful. And fellowship was sweet.
But sin entered and drove the man and woman out of the garden. Sin blackened human hearts. And sin separated humankind from God.
When Jesus came to live among us, His existence was arduous. He went from being a carpenter to slogging through long, hot days, coping with every kind of heartache and illness. And always, He carried the knowledge of the coming Cross.
But He was God. And He still had that dream. He remembered Eden and the sweet fellowship there. He was willing to die a torturous death in order to regain relationship with human beings.
With you.
The Gift of Joy
So this Christmas, when you see an image of the Baby in the manger, remember why He came. Remember how He left a glorious, celestial Home to come to Earth on a search and rescue mission. Remember that He walked the dusty roads of Israel and died an excruciating death because He loves you. Because He wants to win your heart. Because He wants you to be safe and happy for all eternity.
I guess you could say that for our Almighty, Majestic, Creator God, YOU are the reason for the season.
So this December 24th and 25th, please find your own way to “walk and talk” with God. Bring Him into your celebration. He has done so much for you – it’s a small thing for you to give Him the gift of joy by making His dream of a revived Eden come true.
With you.
Invitation. If you’re not already in God’s family, consider this your official invitation to become His son or daughter. My blog “Highway to Heaven” explains how to accept this invitation.
Here are links to my blog indexes, which will make it quick and easy for you to find another post to read.
Blog Index – Lists blogs 1-35
Blog Index 2 – Lists blogs 36 to the latest post