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What are the chances that a member of the British royal family would show up at your front door, just for the purpose of sharing some conversation and afternoon tea?  What are the chances that your favorite rock group (or country band, for some of you) would park their tour bus in front of your house, set up in your backyard, and cater a barbecue dinner for you, your family, and a group of friends while you enjoyed an impromptu concert.  Slim?  None?  Would never happen?

Multiply those remote odds by several billion exponents and you would arrive at a fraction of the chance that the Creator of the cosmos would come to earth in the form of human flesh.  And yet, He did; not to gain anything, but to give everything. 

Following are a couple of excerpts from an excellent article by Michael Horton, “The Good God Who Came Down,” which appears in the current issue of Christianity Today.  

“We prefer to climb up to God through argument, experience, and activity.  But God has climbed down to us, meeting us not in the “high places” we erect, but in the lowest places; in a barn, in suffering our scorn, fellowshipping with sinners, and hanging on a cross.  We don’t ascend from particulars to universals.  Rather, the source of all universal truth has descended to us in the concrete particulars of human history.” 

“There is no passable route from us to God.  We cannot climb the ladder of mysticism, speculation, or merit.  In pride, we try to rise to heaven through reason, but God descends to us in humility and self-sacrificial generosity.  We seek the truth within ourselves or in universal laws derived from our moral intuition, but God surprises us – and his name is Jesus.”

“When the fullness of the time came, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman” (Galatians 4:4).

“The Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we saw His glory, glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth” (John 1:14).

“She will bear a Son; and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins” (Matthew 1:21).

“Now all this took place to fulfill what was spoken by the Lord through the prophet: ‘Behold, the virgin shall be with child and shall bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel,’ which translated means, ‘God with us'” (Matthew 1:22-23).

“Do not be afraid; for behold, I bring you good news of great joy which will be for all the people: for today in the city of David there has been born for you a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.  This will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in a cloths and lying in a manger” (Luke 2:10-12).

“For in Him all the fullness of Deity dwells in bodily form” (Colossians 2:9).

“Although He existed in form of God, He did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men.  Being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross” (Philippians 2:6-8).

“Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift” (II Corinthians 9:15).

Merry Christmas, everyone!!!