“Then suddenly there appeared with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host (angelic army) praising God and saying, “Glory to God in the highest [heaven] and on earth peace among men with whom He is well-pleased.” Luke 2:13-15 (AMP)
Have you ever thought about the depth of love God demonstrated to us when Jesus left heaven to put on flesh and have a body? The incarnation of Christ transformed all of creation. History has forever been altered by the God-Man Jesus! Heaven had come to earth and all the angels rejoiced in God’s plan on that very first Christmas.
Jesus’ incarnation was necessary for our transformation. He had to have a body in order to make us a part of His body. And He made us part of His body so we could participate in His death, bringing death and burial to our old nature. He died for us, not just to forgive our sins, but to bring to death our old nature.
His resurrection not only proved His victory over our sin, but it became our victory over our old nature! (Romans 6) He shared His victory with us because we could not have accomplished this victory on our own! We were wounded on the battlefield of sin and shame, and the Hero Rescuer of humanity rode in on His white horse! He gave us His righteousness and dignity! He transformed us from victims to victors by sharing His victory with us!
All of Heaven Rejoices! Angels marveled as they considered Emmanuel’s redemption of humanity because they wonder why He considered us so valuable that He was willing to die for us. But all of heaven has joined in the celebration! Angels rejoiced, and all of heaven rejoices to this day when a lost son comes home! All of heaven couldn't contain their joy when over one Shepherd's field at the birth of Jesus they dramatically announced the Savior of mankind. Now all redeemed humanity cannot contain our joy as we continually express our adoration towards the One who redeemed us!
This is the good news! Jesus loves you so much that He would rather die than live without you. God, in the form of a man, rescued you from everything that might hinder a relationship between you and Him! This rescue is a free gift to you, but it cost Him everything because the eternal God had to take on a human body and then sacrifice it on our behalf!
Paul tells us, “Our faith in Jesus transfers God’s righteousness to us and He now declares us flawless in his eyes. This means we can now enjoy true and lasting peace with God, all because of what our Lord Jesus, the Anointed One, has done for us,” Romans 5:1.
You have always been a part of God’s plan. Before you were in your mother's womb you were in His heart! He wants you to discover how much He truly enjoys you. For this reason, Father God sent His Son Jesus to remove every barrier to have a relationship with you. Ephesians 1:5-6 tells us, “For it was always in his perfect plan to adopt us as his delightful children, through our union with Jesus, the Anointed One, so that his tremendous love that cascades over us would glorify his grace —for the same love he has for the Beloved, Jesus, he has for us. And this unfolding plan brings him great pleasure!”
God the Father loves you as much as He loves Jesus! If your heart is moved by Christ’s sacrificial love for you and His willingness to give everything to have a relationship with you, you can respond to His love by making the choice to receive him."But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name," John 1:12.
God's plan is simple, "If you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth, confession is made unto salvation," Romans 10:9-10.
Let the incarnate Jesus make His home in your heart and life today. May this Christmas be your time for a miracle. Can you hear the angels rejoicing along with all of heaven?
Comments