The night was cold and the moon was bright as the warriors gathered quietly to await the arrival of their King. He had told them that He would lead the fight to conquer the enemy once and for all. So they came and stood under the somber gaze of the Kings' father upon the precipice above the battlefield, anxious to serve their leader in the battle to come. It would be the greatest battle of all time and many were conscious that the ultimate sacrifice could be demanded of them in order to save their King as He led this fight. But all were willing, for their love for this King was great. He would not fail to lead them in victory and He alone had the power to lead them. So the armies amassed on the precipice in full armor and in great anticipation they looked down on the enemy below as they waited. Their swords were drawn, gleaming in the moonlight as a sign to the enemy of what was to come and the enemy glared back defiantly from the depths below.
The sound of a thousand trumpets suddenly broke their quiet contemplation to announce the arrival of the King and the armies on the precipice suddenly stood at attention and raised their swords in tribute to honor their leader. For centuries the Kings people had suffered captivity and affliction to death at the hand of the enemy. For centuries the armies now amassed had made known their willingness to fight this battle, but the King in his wisdom waited because he had a secret plan. But tonight, his people would be set free! The powerful army gathered on the precipice shouted a mixture of praises to the King and battle cries that struck fear in the enemy below. But then everything grew silent ... the King had arrived, but he wore no armor ... and he carried no sword. Instead, to their surprise, he still wore the robe of honor and majesty that spoke of his glory as King. The Kings' father moved forward to greet his son and the armies that had amassed, bowed their heads in silent reverence. Perhaps, his father would be the one to dress his son for the coming battle. Perhaps, the father had come just to honor his son in this way. But as the warriors looked up after a moment, they saw a tear in the fathers' eye and the glorious robes of the King were in his hand. For a split second they looked to realize that their King was naked and looked away quickly for they could not bear the sight of his humiliation. They were awed and confused. Their minds were racing and the fervor of their previous rally suddenly eluded them. Dumb struck, they looked again as they heard furious laughter from the enemy below. Without fanfare, without the royal herald of trumpets, their mighty and glorious King had left to engage the battle ... naked ... and alone.
He had taken the form of a baby, weak and vulnerable to meet the enemies' fury. Instead of his brilliantly gleaming armor of glory ... he wore no protection. Instead of his crown or even his shining helmet, he presented his head bare before the enemy. He presented himself in the greatest form of humility before the vicious enemy arrayed before him and the humiliating laughter of the enemy was more than the armies above could bear. They moved to charge, their swords again raised and their hearts full of indignation that their glorious King should be seen this way. But the flash of the fathers' eyes stopped them in their tracks and they fell silent in confusion and obedience. Confused and helpless to protect the honor of their revered leader, they could only watch anxiously in awed silence. They began sobbing and begged the father for permission to protect the honor of their King. But once again they fell silent as the father turned his gaze upon them and began to speak "This was his secret plan all along. He chose to fight this battle and win the freedom of our people by the sacrifice that no other could bear and his only weapon, is the power of his love for them". The angels began to object, but yet again were silenced as the father continued "By this, will our people be set free and by this will the battle be won through the humility of a God to sacrifice His life for the people He cherishes".
This, ... the arrival of the King of glory among men, is the occasion we seek to honor in Christmas ...
Of course this account may well be fiction because none of us can know what occured on that night other than what scripture tells us. But if we acknowledge the fact that our God is a person with feelings not altogether unlike our own, then perhaps we can imagine more deeply in some way, the cost and the value of what we've been blessed with. A person with feelings? Yes! The pages of the Bible assign feelings to our God repeatedly throughout scripture, but it's something we may seldom consider. We see what we are blessed with, but in order to know it's true value, we must have some understanding of what it cost. We were created in His image with feelings of our own. So if we use what we have been given, perhaps we can truly begin to recognize the overwhelming importance of what has been suffered to be given on our behalf. The angels would have gladly come in force to fight for our Lord. We can imagine the pain of separation if we know what it's like as a parent to suffer the anxiety of sending our own child to war, so perhaps we can understand a glimpse of what our God felt. Then add to this, the fact that the Father already knew what was to come at the time of the Saviors' parting. He knew of the suffering and humiliation His Son would be subjected to. But God suffered it to be so in order that we might be saved from a sentence we justly deserved.
The royalty and majesty of our Lord is unequaled in all of the universe. There is no greater King and no greater power. In all of what exists there is no one more deserving of glory and fame, no one greater. He who is greatest, chose to come - to offer Himself without shame for those least deserving. He who is greatest came to walk among those who are least and honor them even by His presence. Yet even more amazing, He came to offer us an incomparable sacrifice to save us from a fate we deserved for only one reason - because His love and desire for us is so great. Acknowledge the royalty and greatness of the one who's arrival we celebrate. Herald the season of His majestys' entrance into the world among us with joy and awe befitting His position! And wonder at the cost in His humility!
We are those counted least by our shame, now brought to the house of the King to be heirs to the same. Given this choice by He who is great, to live life eternal, rewriting our fate. Celebrate the arrival of royal glory among us, for the mercy of heaven has now come to save us! Shout from the mountains to honor His fame, for The Great One has come to save us from shame!
Glory be to our God forever for all that He is, and in reverent awe may we always be reminded of the magnitude of what He has done out of love! May God bless you this Christmas in His Spirit with understanding of what truly matters and may your heart profit in excess!
Jeff
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