LOVE came down...

Light, exceeding brightness, streams from the glorious exalted throne. Golden arches reflect the shimmering ripples of the crystal river flowing peacefully between the trunks of the tree of life. The golden glistening grass upon the surrounding hills waves slightly in the gentle breeze forming cascades of gold and green down the slopes. Sweet music floats softly through the air causing the vaults of heaven to ring with glorious strains. And suddenly, thousands and thousands of voices lifted triumphantly in praise and worship join in, joyfully proclaiming blessing and honor and glory and power to Him that sits upon the throne. There your honored commander, the one whom it is your greatest delight to serve, the one who is the reason for your joy and rejoicing sits with His father. You love to wait before Him and hearken to His bidding. Service in His courts is bliss and altogether beautiful and fulfilling. You can’t imagine life without Him. 

And yet one day He calls all heaven together for a special meeting. As the angels of light join you in rapt attention the Prince of Paradise explains that because one little planet that He created has rebelled against Him, He must leave the glory of heaven, the adoration of the angels, the love of His Father, and the peace of the surrounding courts, that He might save fallen man. Startled you look up with questioning eyes. How could your LORD leave this beauty and humble himself to live on a degraded planet. At least the people there should be impressed by His greatness and majesty. But your Master continues to explain that He will not go to earth as He is or they could not endure His brightness. So instead, He will humble himself and become one of them. One of the sinful mortals. He will be born as a baby, and when He is grown will be killed at the hands of those whom He created. You try to grapple with all that has been said. Why would He leave? Why would he subject Himself to such a humiliation? 

Finally you feel a gentle hand upon your shoulder. Looking up you see the face of infinite LOVE. His words bring understanding to your troubled mind. 

“I know you don’t want me to leave. But don’t you agree that we must save the lost? I love them with an unconditional love, I created them, and cannot stand that any should perish, but that all should have life. I am LOVE, and LOVE will sacrifice life itself to save those whom it loves…even though they be undeserving.”

Your Prince turns away and as you watch Him climb the steps back up the throne you are filled with awe. You have seen a new side of GOD, of LOVE. 

When He reaches His Father you see them embrace, the last embrace for 34 years. And then He is gone. Heaven is strangely silent. Everyone’s focus is on a simple country girl, betrothed to a humble carpenter. She is pregnant…with LOVE himself. For 9 long months your Sovereign is carried in a small, fragile human. No one on earth knows that the greatest gift that could be given to the world is about to be born. No one is waiting to welcome their Creator. 

Finally the long awaited day arrives! The Prince of Paradise is born. The long months without Him have ended. Finally you can praise Him and adore Him once again. Your heart longs to shake the world up, to tell them the glad tidings. You look expectantly toward the throne. The Father is watching, eyes fixed upon His only begotten son. Suddenly He looks up and gives the excited command. “Go, go and tell them!” 

Smiles break out and wings take flight. You are soon hovering over the planes of Bethlehem waiting for the signal to break forth your light and song. Soon it is given and you watch the faces of the astonished shepherds as you bring to the world the glad tidings that LOVE is born. 

He has come.

 “Glory to God in the highest and on earth peace, goodwill toward men.” 

Friend…This Christmas are you as in love with your Savior as the angels who stand around the throne? Are you as willing as they to spread the news that He is not only born, but is coming again? If not, I encourage you to spend this day in mediation of the sacrifice that LOVE made for you. For when you come to grasp a little of the sacrifice and love of heaven in our behalf our songs of gratefulness and praise cannot be quenched. Heaven has touched earth. 

Sing oh heavens and rejoice oh earth for…LOVE came down…for you.