God created us to love us, but we turned our backs on Him and went our own way.  Our determination to do things our way combined with our refusal to surrender to His will destroyed our relationship with our Creator.  We could not undue what we had done.  We could not restore our relationship with Him or find our way to Him. 

 

But there was another way: God Himself could make the journey.  He could pour His Godhood into flesh and blood and visit the earth as a man Himself!  He could walk among people as a full-fledged human being in every respect yet be fully God at the same time.  He had sent prophets many times, but now He would do something far more shocking.  He would leave the throne of heaven to walk among them – a King in disguise, the Lord of the universe in human scale, the Creator among His creatures.
 

Then the nature of God would be clear to all.  People on earth could see what God was like.  They would behold His perfect love and faithfulness, His unbounded devotion even to those who were sick or small or dark hearted.  They would know the things that mattered to Him.  And in that Incarnation, they would see a perfect model of what Life could really and truly be. 

 

All of this must happen if God and humanity were ever to be reconciled.  So, the Lord of the universe invaded this world. 
 

He entered our world through a doorway called Bethlehem, and the world was changed forever. 
 

The Word became human and made His home among us.  He was full of unfailing love and faithfulness.  And we have seen His glory, the glory of the Father’s one and only Son.  John 1:14 NLT.  (From Why the Nativity? by David Jeremiah)

 

Jesus said “God loved the world so much that He gave His one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life.  God sent His Son into the world not to judge the world, but to save the world through Him,” (John 3:16-17 NLT).  He loves us so much that He chose to right the wrongs we had done by paying for them Himself. 

 

That’s what we celebrate this Christmas!