"Said the Shepard boy to the mighty king
Do you know what I know
In your palace warm mighty king
Do you know what I know
A child, a child
Shivers in the cold
Let us bring him silver and gold
Let us bring him silver and gold."
Do you know, mighty king, who this child is?
Why would this child lying in a manger, shivering in the cold, be worthy of silver and gold?
As He lies in that manger shivering in the cold of the night, do you know, mighty king, that someday He will rule and reign over all the kingdoms and kings of this world?
As He lies in that manger shivering in the cold of the night, do you know, mighty king, that He will grow to speak such truth that He will be crucified for His claims to connection with God?
As He lies in that manger shivering in the cold of the night while you lie calm in your palace warm, do you know, mighty king, that He will one day use the foolish things of this world to confound the wise?
"The Word became flesh and dwelt among us."
John 1:14
Emmanuel....God with us.
Do you know, mighty king, who this child is?
Why would this child lying in a manger, shivering in the cold, be worthy of silver and gold?
As He lies in that manger shivering in the cold of the night, do you know, mighty king, that someday He will rule and reign over all the kingdoms and kings of this world?
As He lies in that manger shivering in the cold of the night, do you know, mighty king, that He will grow to speak such truth that He will be crucified for His claims to connection with God?
As He lies in that manger shivering in the cold of the night while you lie calm in your palace warm, do you know, mighty king, that He will one day use the foolish things of this world to confound the wise?
"The Word became flesh and dwelt among us."
John 1:14
Emmanuel....God with us.
But lest I get feeling too high and mighty that this king would not know the babe lying in the manger, I remind myself that I probably wouldn't have either. Who was looking for the Messiah to come forth born of a virgin in a filthy stable smelling of excrement and the only witnesses all the animals there??
Who would know that the King they were looking for to save them from Roman oppression would come as a helpless babe who needed to be fed by his mother and have his diapers changed?
Still today, we look for a mighty King clothed in shining armor riding in on his white horse to save us from all that is evil in our world.
And still He comes to us softly, gently, and beckons us to humble ourselves before Him.
And still He comes to us softly, gently, and beckons us to humble ourselves before Him.
"Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus:
Who, being in the very nature God,
did not consider equality with God something to be grasped,
but made himself nothing,
taking the very nature of a servant,
being made in human likeness.
And being found in appearance as a man,
he humbled himself and became obedient to death -
even death on a cross!
Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name,
that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow,
in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord,
to the glory of God the Father."
Philippians 2:3-11
Still today, He says, "Come. Come to me...Take my yoke upon you and learn from me." (Matthew 11:28-30),
Do you know who this child is that you celebrate each Christmas?
Do you know, really know who He is?
Do you understand that knowing Him will turn your world upside down? For He is more than a helpless little baby. He is the one, the only one, who can forgive your sins, heal your heart and save your soul!
As I was walking into the local mall the other day, there were a girl and guy standing outside the door smoking cigarettes.
Both looked to be about in their mid-to-late teens. I caught a portion of their conversation. The guy was saying to the girl, "I've had a very rough and miserable life. No one knows what I've been through. My father has never been around and the only time I ever see my mother is when she comes home to cook dinner......" Worse than his words, though, was the anguish I heard in his voice. What I heard was a broken child desperately wanting the love of his parents. He wanted to know he mattered to them.
Both looked to be about in their mid-to-late teens. I caught a portion of their conversation. The guy was saying to the girl, "I've had a very rough and miserable life. No one knows what I've been through. My father has never been around and the only time I ever see my mother is when she comes home to cook dinner......" Worse than his words, though, was the anguish I heard in his voice. What I heard was a broken child desperately wanting the love of his parents. He wanted to know he mattered to them.
THIS is why we should know who this child is!
Because we matter to Him!
We have always mattered to Him.
"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have everlasting life."
John 3:16
Let us seek to know Him.
Let us seek to know that He grows as a child and becomes a man.
A man who turns water into wine.
A man who heals the leper.
A man who calms the sea.
A man who claims to be the Son of God.
A man who would hang on a cross, fully man, feeling the pain of what was done to Him, but also a man who hung on that cross as the Son of God, as substitution for me...for you...the truly guilty.
A man that hung on a cross so you and I could be restored to fellowship with God.
Jesus became that man that would make a way where there seemed to be no way.
"I am the Way, the Truth, the Life. No man comes to the Father except by me."
John 14:6
Let us receive our King!
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