The Day God Became Poor
John R. Petrilli
In a September, 2007 edition of the television program 20/20, investigative reporter John Stossel did an expose on giving in America . He compared the giving of upper middle-class non-religious people in San Francisco , CA , to that of working poor religious people in rural South Dakota . The results were nothing short of startling. Surprisingly, the working poor of South Dakota out-gave their wealthier counterparts in San Francisco by a whopping 100%! S.U. professor Dr. Arthur Brooks concurred that his nationwide research yielded very similar results.
In short, America ’s working poor give far more to charity than do America ’s middle class. Another interesting finding revealed that even the wealthiest classes of America ’s rich give more to charity than the middle class. Media mogul Ted Turner has lost over 80% of his net worth by giving away record percentages of his wealth to charity. But such numbers pale in comparison to what God gave to bring salvation to earth. Nine months before the very first Christmas Eve the second person of the Trinity descended from Heaven to take on human flesh. Second Corinthians 8:9 contains four profound truths about Jesus’ first coming of to earth.
JESUS TRIP TO EARTH WAS AN ACT OF INFINITE GRACE!
“You know the GRACE of our Lord Jesus, that though He was rich, yet for your sakes, He became poor, that you, through His poverty, might become rich.”
I never realized just how breathtakingly beautiful our planet was until I saw NASA photos of Earth taken from outer space. Our earth most definitely stands out as the crowning jewel among the planets of our solar system.
What did Jesus see that night long ago as He peered over Heaven’s portals and looked down on our planet? Did He see a perfect race? NO. Did He see a world at peace? HARDLY. Did He see a people that would be receptive to His arrival? DON’T THINK SO. Did He see a palace that He’d live in? FAR FROM IT. He saw a race sick and crippled by sin. He saw a world that was ravaged by 4,000 years of wars and strife. He saw a people who had consistently rejected His Father, and would also reject Him. He saw a lowly manger in Bethlehem and a humble cottage in Nazareth .
What could possibly cause anyone in their right mind to willingly vacate a palatial home and to come to such a place? The answer is GRACE. Grace gives people what they don’t deserve. And believe you me, we surely didn’t deserve a visit from the Son of God! We deserved God’s wrath, but instead He surprised us with the love gift of His very own Son. We deserved God’s justice, but instead He extended His hand of mercy. Nothing in the entire universe more graphically displays God’s grace than the incarnation of Jesus Christ!
JESUS TRIP TO EARTH WAS AN ACT OF INCREDIBLE SELF-SACRIFICE!
“Though He was rich, yet for your sakes HE BECAME POOR.”
John Stossel’s research also revealed a dramatic spike in the number of millionaires and billionaires in America over the past two decades. A number of multibillionaires were interviewed about their charitable giving, with each one’s net worth being openly publicized. So just how wealthy was Jesus? What was His ‘net worth’ when He left Heaven to come down to Earth? Page one of His portfolio discloses that He owned all the stars and galaxies in space. Imagine what kind of profits you could haul in if you owned all the energy outputted by just one star like our own sun? Page two of Jesus’ portfolio indicates He owned all the livestock, all the aquatic life, and all the aviary life on the planet as well. I wonder what value the New York Stock Exchange would place on all that! But being rich involves more than vast holdings and possessions, it also involves the exercise of power and influence. Page three of Jesus’ portfolio shows that as King of Kings and Lord of Lords Jesus owned all the Nations of the Earth. Just owning the EOC would make you a gazillionaire! As God, Jesus had free and full exercise of all the power of divinity. He exercised power over the weather, power over the oceans, and power over the rulers and kingdoms of the entire world. The wealth of most sons is often determined by the net worth of their father. If that’s the way we determine wealth, then Jesus was THE WEALTHIEST PERSON of all time, case closed.
So what did Jesus DO with all that wealth and power? Believe it or not, He voluntarily surrendered His right to use it. That’s right. He set most of it aside! He temporarily relinquished most of His power, authority, and position when He became a man. By doing so, the richest and most powerful person ever to inhabit time or eternity instantly became the poorest, most powerless of men. Paul tells us in the book of Philippians that Jesus surrendered His exalted position of co-equality with the Father. Next, He surrendered His existence as pure spirit to take on a human body with all of its attending limitations. But He didn’t stop there. After that, He opted to settle for the lowest place on the social ladder, that of a common servant, trading divinity for servility! Then He stooped even lower and accepted a criminal’s death sentence He never deserved. And, to top it all off, Jesus surrendered Himself to the most shameful death known to man, death by public crucifixion. He was born in a stable of poverty, raised in the poor town of Nazareth, spent three years of His adult life as a homeless preacher, died with no clothes on his back, and was buried in a borrowed tomb. Was He poor? I’d say He was DIRT poor!
JESUS TRIP TO EARTH WAS AN ACT OF IMMEASURABLE GENEROSITY.
“Our Lord Jesus became poor, SO THAT YOU, through His poverty, might become RICH!”
When wealthy philanthropists give away or invest their money into charitable causes, the benefactors are many, and the effects are felt years and even decades down the road. Foundations are established in their names so that, even after they’re long dead and gone, their money will continue to support good causes. The same thing happened on a far grander scale when Jesus used His vast spiritual prosperity to enrich we who were so dirt poor spiritually.
All the proceeds of that act went, not to the physical or temporal benefit of a few hundred people, but to the spiritual and eternal benefit of the whole of mankind. By coming to earth, He positioned Himself to become the sacrifice for our sins. His death and resurrection opened up the storehouse of Heaven, allowing all the manifold blessings of salvation to come pouring down upon our race.
When we receive Jesus Christ as our personal Lord and Savior, we instantly become spiritually RICH! We trade all our spiritual poverty for all of Christ’s spiritual wealth! We immediately become Jesus’ joint heirs of God’s family inheritance, and what an inheritance it IS! According to Matthew, it’s an inheritance that will never end! According to Mark our inheritance that’s indestructible by its very nature! According to Luke, it’s an inheritance that’s shared with sanctified saints, not sometimes self-centered relatives! According to John it’s an inheritance that involves co-reigning with Jesus Himself over the nations! According to Paul our inheritance is rich and glorious! And according to Peter, it’s an inheritance that’s irrevocable and incapable of being stolen away! We’re guaranteed a future body that will never again be subject to decay or death! Until that time, God promises to provide for each of our temporal needs out of the vast storehouse of wealth we now have access to in Christ Jesus. And we receive resurrection power to live today in the here and now!
JESUS TRIP TO EARTH WAS AN ACT OF INESTIMABLE LOVE.
“FOR YOUR SAKES He became poor”.
John Stossel’s research also revealed documentable evidence that giving one’s time or treasure to someone else actually improves their emotional, psychological, and physical well-being! Researchers have found that those who participated in volunteer work for the first time saw their blood pressure go down, their energy go up, and their attitude become more cheerful. While there’s nothing wrong with reaping the benefits of serving others, that wasn’t
the driving force behind Jesus’ giving up His all. So just what WAS the bottom line for Jesus doing all this? Why DID Jesus go through all the humiliation, sacrifice, and suffering of becoming man and then dying to save us?
It was LOVE, pure and simple. Love always looks out for the best interests of the object of its affection. Jesus is God, and God, by His very nature is self-sufficient. He doesn’t need anybody or anything to validate, substantiate or complete His existence. Bank on it, Jesus didn’t come to earth and go to that Cross because it made Him feel better about Himself. Absolute perfection doesn’t require any type of affirmation. He did all this because He LOVES US … it’s just that simple! He was born, lived, died, and was raised from the grave for our benefit!
There was nothing in it for Himself. The Father asked Him to go, and He went. As Ray Boltz states in his song, “What If I Give All?”, “Long ago, a Father and a Son, saw the children lost in sin, can you see the tears in the Father’s eyes, as Jesus says to Him, ‘What If I give all I have? What will that gift do?’ My Son that gift will change the world! It will free the multitudes!” The message of Christmas is the message of Christ, and that message is that God loves you! Love drew-up salvation’s plan, love sent salvation’s man, and love still holds out
salvation’s hand. Jesus wasn’t sent to us because we were such good little creatures. He came to us because without His arrival we’d be hopelessly lost in the dark for all of time and eternity. He came to us when we were groping in the fog of sin, and showed us the way out of the dark and into His marvelous light. As we celebrate His momentous coming to earth, let’s also remember that He did it all because He loved us … period. Those who know Him as Savior are looking forward to His second visit to earth, if the signs of the times are any indicator, that may be sooner than we think! Have you crowned Jesus King of your life yet? If not, I can’t think of a more appropriate way to celebrate His first coming than to do so on the observed day of His birth?
Friday, December 4, 2009
CHRISTMAS STORY, A TALE OF GOD’S GLORY!
CHRISTMAS STORY, A TALE OF GOD’S GLORY!
John R. Petrilli
Author, artist and singer Joni Eareckson Tada captures the wonder of Christmas with these words: “Can you imagine the glory and splendor displayed in the heavens on the night our Savior was born? Close your eyes … picture the sapphire-blue night sky ablaze with a million diamonds as the angelic host gave the brilliant announcement. And then, as if that wasn’t mind-bending enough, an angel choir raised up a chorus of praise that shook the heavens and earth. When I think of the majesty of that moment my heart and voice burst into adoration right along with the heavenly praise team!” Stories we’ve rehearsed over and over again can become ‘old hat’. If the Christmas story has become that for you, try witnessing Jesus’ birth from a totally different perspective … through the lens of God’s glory.
MARY GLORIFIED GOD IN HER SINGING ! Luke 1:46-47
“My soul GLORIFIES the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior!” (NIV)
Picture yourself puttering about in the kitchen or garage when, out of nowhere, a being appears, illuminating everything around you. It tries to calm your justifiable fears, then informs you that you’ve been hand-picked by God for a unique and strategic role in His redemptive plan. The being even gives you a secondary event involving a distant relative as a reference point to serve as confirmation. Having arrived at the relative’s home, something totally out of the ordinary happens which leaves no doubt in your mind that God really has chosen you. This is the scenario Mary was in as she realized she would be birthing and parenting the very Son of God. Her beautiful song, the “Magnificat”, expresses the sheer ecstasy she felt as the recipient of such a singular honor. Her profound joy spilled over into a song of praise that directed all the glory to God. To make this year’s celebration special, determine to set aside a specific time for singing glory to God for the ‘big’ as well as the ‘small’ things He’s done and continues to do in your life.
THE ANGEL OF THE LORD GLORIFIED GOD IN HIS ANNOUNCING! Luke 2:8-12
“All at once an angel came down to them from the Lord, and the brightness of the Lord’s GLORY flashed around them.” (CEV)
They were nothing to look at. Simple, everyday, blue collar, lunch pail kind of guys. The night wasn’t any different either: routine predator there, sick sheep here, a straying sheep over there … nothing out of the ordinary. Like a nightshift over-the-road truck driver, their work went unnoticed, and for the most part, unappreciated. Yet it was to these unknowns that God sent an official birth announcement! In a split second the ground they occupied lit up with the blinding brilliance of God’s ineffable glory! Struggling to regain their senses amid the flood of light, they heard a firm yet soothing voice assuring them that all was well. It was the voice of none other than an angel of the Lord. Joseph had heard it (Matt. 1:20). Zechariah had heard it (Luke 1:11). Now these lowly shepherds heard it. That angelic voice bore the good news of the Savior, a message that would resound all across the ages. A rock concert’s light show or a spotlight beam cast on a stage performer pathetically pale in comparison to the visual display of this night. The birthday of the Savior had arrived! It was time for “Lights! Camera! Action!” It took a blinding light to shake the shepherds out of their doldrum routine. May the light of God’s Word shake us out of our sometimes jaded familiarity with this holiday.
THE ANGELIC ARMY GLORIFIED GOD IN THEIR PRAISING! Luke 2:13-14
“Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, ‘GLORY to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom His favor rests.’ ” (NIV)
It may come as a surprise to some that heaven is a very musical place. Heaven’s angels sang as they watched the Master Designer at work on the morning of creation (Job 38:7). Heaven will reverberate as vast multitudes celebrate the Lamb’s victory with a resounding version of the original Hallelujah chorus (Rev. 19). Is it any surprise that we find a contingent of celestial soldiers heralding the arrival of the Prince of Glory to earth? This angelic contingent was large, enthusiastic, offering divine peace and favor! This angelic contingent declared God’s glory as they celebrated the birth of His precious Son! So what will your voice be doing this Christmas season, singing the praises of some designer label, or the praises of God?
THE SHEPHERD’S GLORIFIED GOD IN THEIR WITNESSING ! Luke 2:15-20
“The sheepherders returned and let loose, GLORIFYING and praising God for everything they had heard and seen. It turned out exactly how they’d been told!” (Message)
The spellbound shepherds confirmed the angelic report with an eyewitness exam at the Babe’s makeshift cradle. Realizing they had witnessed the real deal, they couldn’t help but broadcast the news. It’s human nature to spread the word when you’ve found a product or service that lives up to its claims. Magnify that propensity a thousand times, and you’ll have a sense of what these animal tenders experienced that night. Unlikely heralds that they were, these under classed laborers became flaming evangelists. Given their low and disreputable rung on the social ladder, it’s equally surprising that their testimony was believed by everyone who heard it! The evangelistic zeal of these first missionaries didn’t die out, but continued to burn long after they returned to their flocks. Christmas is an ideal time for getting the good news of salvation into the hands and hearts of those around us. Why not use this Christmas as a golden opportunity to share the gospel? God has so many creative ideas waiting for you. Just give it a bit of thought and prayer.
SIMEON GLORIFIED GOD IN HIS PRAYING ! Luke 2:28-32
“With my own eyes I’ve seen Your salvation; it’s now out in the open for everyone to see: A God-revealing light to the non-Jewish nations, and of GLORY for Your people Israel .” (Message)
For some folks “Seeing is believing”. It was true of Thomas, and here we see a godly man named Simeon rejoicing as God made good on a promise He’d made to the aged saint. This wonderful gentleman walked so close to God that he heard the Spirit’s whisper in his inner ear, informing him that he’d see the Savior before he passed away. That day came as he felt prompted to visit the Temple . Having taken the Babe into his weakening arms, Simeon bursts forth with a prayer of gratitude to God for allowing him such an incredible privilege. The Temple which housed the glory of God in the earliest days of Israel’s history had once again become the chosen place for a visit, this time from God’s Son Jesus, the Lord of Glory (1 Cor. 2:8). On such a memorable occasion this thankful follower of God offers a prayer that glorifies the Lord for His wisdom and grace in providing One Who would reveal the light of salvation to both Jew and non-Jew alike. In Jesus we have the full revelation of all the glory of God, a Savior for all who will put their trust in Him! As you worship this Christmas season, take advantage of the incredible opportunity you have of coming to know the Savior. Like Simeon of old, embrace Jesus with your whole heart and life. When you do, trust me, you’ll have something to really sing about!
THE WISE MEN GLORIFIED GOD IN THEIR GIFT-GIVING ! Matt. 2:1-11
“[The same star they had seen in the eastern skies] led them on until it hovered over the place of the child. They could hardly contain themselves: they were in the right place! They had arrived at the right time! They entered the house and saw the child in the arms of Mary, his mother. Overcome, they kneeled and WORSHIPPED him.” (Message)
This time around instead of debating the number of wise men, the nature of the star, or how old Jesus was, let’s zero-in on the real significance of this account. It’s all about worship. The real story is found in the “How”. Their search for God involved great distance (1), much diligence (8) and raw determination (11). After travelling thousands of miles on camelback, how would these God-seekers respond when they reached their destination and found their King? They just quietly bowed down before Him! At Christmas time we find ourselves searching. Searching for that perfect gift. Searching our mailbox for a card in from a loved one or friend. Searching for companionship. Searching. And not suspending that search until we’ve found what we’re searching for. But all that searching will be in vain if, at the end of it all, we fail to find Jesus. And having found Him, we, like those ancient seers of the past, celebrate by presenting to Him our most precious and priceless possession, our hearts.
LIKE MARY, THE SHEPHERDS, SIMEON AND THE WISE MEN, WE CAN BE TRANSFORMED BY THE GLORY OF GOD ! 2 Cor. 3:18
“But whenever anyone turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away. Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord’s GLORY, are being TRANSFORMED into His likeness with ever-increasing GLORY.” (NIV)
Mary would never be the same. She’d heard from God, and became a key player in God’s unfolding plan of redemption. The Shepherds would never be the same. Once the butt of everyone’s jokes, they now held their heads up high. They’d met the Good Shepherd and joyfully became a part of His fold. Simeon would never be the same. The senior saint could now face his closing days in peace knowing he’d come face to face with the long-awaited Messiah. Each person in the Christmas narrative enters the story one person, and comes out someone completely new. That’s what happens when a man, a woman, or child encounters Jesus, the Lord of Glory! They are completely and permanently changed! Before we encounter the Lord we reflect lives that are natural, plain and undistinguished. But once we’ve met Jesus face to face we come away with a supernatural glow on our faces and a new brightness in our disposition. Because we’ve received the Lord of Glory into our hearts and lives, we now reflect that same heavenly glory. And as we yield more and more of our lives to Him, His glory will shine through our words and deeds with ever increasing brightness and clarity. May God give you and each of yours a wonderful, glory-filled Christmas!
John R. Petrilli
Author, artist and singer Joni Eareckson Tada captures the wonder of Christmas with these words: “Can you imagine the glory and splendor displayed in the heavens on the night our Savior was born? Close your eyes … picture the sapphire-blue night sky ablaze with a million diamonds as the angelic host gave the brilliant announcement. And then, as if that wasn’t mind-bending enough, an angel choir raised up a chorus of praise that shook the heavens and earth. When I think of the majesty of that moment my heart and voice burst into adoration right along with the heavenly praise team!” Stories we’ve rehearsed over and over again can become ‘old hat’. If the Christmas story has become that for you, try witnessing Jesus’ birth from a totally different perspective … through the lens of God’s glory.
MARY GLORIFIED GOD IN HER SINGING ! Luke 1:46-47
“My soul GLORIFIES the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior!” (NIV)
Picture yourself puttering about in the kitchen or garage when, out of nowhere, a being appears, illuminating everything around you. It tries to calm your justifiable fears, then informs you that you’ve been hand-picked by God for a unique and strategic role in His redemptive plan. The being even gives you a secondary event involving a distant relative as a reference point to serve as confirmation. Having arrived at the relative’s home, something totally out of the ordinary happens which leaves no doubt in your mind that God really has chosen you. This is the scenario Mary was in as she realized she would be birthing and parenting the very Son of God. Her beautiful song, the “Magnificat”, expresses the sheer ecstasy she felt as the recipient of such a singular honor. Her profound joy spilled over into a song of praise that directed all the glory to God. To make this year’s celebration special, determine to set aside a specific time for singing glory to God for the ‘big’ as well as the ‘small’ things He’s done and continues to do in your life.
THE ANGEL OF THE LORD GLORIFIED GOD IN HIS ANNOUNCING! Luke 2:8-12
“All at once an angel came down to them from the Lord, and the brightness of the Lord’s GLORY flashed around them.” (CEV)
They were nothing to look at. Simple, everyday, blue collar, lunch pail kind of guys. The night wasn’t any different either: routine predator there, sick sheep here, a straying sheep over there … nothing out of the ordinary. Like a nightshift over-the-road truck driver, their work went unnoticed, and for the most part, unappreciated. Yet it was to these unknowns that God sent an official birth announcement! In a split second the ground they occupied lit up with the blinding brilliance of God’s ineffable glory! Struggling to regain their senses amid the flood of light, they heard a firm yet soothing voice assuring them that all was well. It was the voice of none other than an angel of the Lord. Joseph had heard it (Matt. 1:20). Zechariah had heard it (Luke 1:11). Now these lowly shepherds heard it. That angelic voice bore the good news of the Savior, a message that would resound all across the ages. A rock concert’s light show or a spotlight beam cast on a stage performer pathetically pale in comparison to the visual display of this night. The birthday of the Savior had arrived! It was time for “Lights! Camera! Action!” It took a blinding light to shake the shepherds out of their doldrum routine. May the light of God’s Word shake us out of our sometimes jaded familiarity with this holiday.
THE ANGELIC ARMY GLORIFIED GOD IN THEIR PRAISING! Luke 2:13-14
“Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, ‘GLORY to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom His favor rests.’ ” (NIV)
It may come as a surprise to some that heaven is a very musical place. Heaven’s angels sang as they watched the Master Designer at work on the morning of creation (Job 38:7). Heaven will reverberate as vast multitudes celebrate the Lamb’s victory with a resounding version of the original Hallelujah chorus (Rev. 19). Is it any surprise that we find a contingent of celestial soldiers heralding the arrival of the Prince of Glory to earth? This angelic contingent was large, enthusiastic, offering divine peace and favor! This angelic contingent declared God’s glory as they celebrated the birth of His precious Son! So what will your voice be doing this Christmas season, singing the praises of some designer label, or the praises of God?
THE SHEPHERD’S GLORIFIED GOD IN THEIR WITNESSING ! Luke 2:15-20
“The sheepherders returned and let loose, GLORIFYING and praising God for everything they had heard and seen. It turned out exactly how they’d been told!” (Message)
The spellbound shepherds confirmed the angelic report with an eyewitness exam at the Babe’s makeshift cradle. Realizing they had witnessed the real deal, they couldn’t help but broadcast the news. It’s human nature to spread the word when you’ve found a product or service that lives up to its claims. Magnify that propensity a thousand times, and you’ll have a sense of what these animal tenders experienced that night. Unlikely heralds that they were, these under classed laborers became flaming evangelists. Given their low and disreputable rung on the social ladder, it’s equally surprising that their testimony was believed by everyone who heard it! The evangelistic zeal of these first missionaries didn’t die out, but continued to burn long after they returned to their flocks. Christmas is an ideal time for getting the good news of salvation into the hands and hearts of those around us. Why not use this Christmas as a golden opportunity to share the gospel? God has so many creative ideas waiting for you. Just give it a bit of thought and prayer.
SIMEON GLORIFIED GOD IN HIS PRAYING ! Luke 2:28-32
“With my own eyes I’ve seen Your salvation; it’s now out in the open for everyone to see: A God-revealing light to the non-Jewish nations, and of GLORY for Your people Israel .” (Message)
For some folks “Seeing is believing”. It was true of Thomas, and here we see a godly man named Simeon rejoicing as God made good on a promise He’d made to the aged saint. This wonderful gentleman walked so close to God that he heard the Spirit’s whisper in his inner ear, informing him that he’d see the Savior before he passed away. That day came as he felt prompted to visit the Temple . Having taken the Babe into his weakening arms, Simeon bursts forth with a prayer of gratitude to God for allowing him such an incredible privilege. The Temple which housed the glory of God in the earliest days of Israel’s history had once again become the chosen place for a visit, this time from God’s Son Jesus, the Lord of Glory (1 Cor. 2:8). On such a memorable occasion this thankful follower of God offers a prayer that glorifies the Lord for His wisdom and grace in providing One Who would reveal the light of salvation to both Jew and non-Jew alike. In Jesus we have the full revelation of all the glory of God, a Savior for all who will put their trust in Him! As you worship this Christmas season, take advantage of the incredible opportunity you have of coming to know the Savior. Like Simeon of old, embrace Jesus with your whole heart and life. When you do, trust me, you’ll have something to really sing about!
THE WISE MEN GLORIFIED GOD IN THEIR GIFT-GIVING ! Matt. 2:1-11
“[The same star they had seen in the eastern skies] led them on until it hovered over the place of the child. They could hardly contain themselves: they were in the right place! They had arrived at the right time! They entered the house and saw the child in the arms of Mary, his mother. Overcome, they kneeled and WORSHIPPED him.” (Message)
This time around instead of debating the number of wise men, the nature of the star, or how old Jesus was, let’s zero-in on the real significance of this account. It’s all about worship. The real story is found in the “How”. Their search for God involved great distance (1), much diligence (8) and raw determination (11). After travelling thousands of miles on camelback, how would these God-seekers respond when they reached their destination and found their King? They just quietly bowed down before Him! At Christmas time we find ourselves searching. Searching for that perfect gift. Searching our mailbox for a card in from a loved one or friend. Searching for companionship. Searching. And not suspending that search until we’ve found what we’re searching for. But all that searching will be in vain if, at the end of it all, we fail to find Jesus. And having found Him, we, like those ancient seers of the past, celebrate by presenting to Him our most precious and priceless possession, our hearts.
LIKE MARY, THE SHEPHERDS, SIMEON AND THE WISE MEN, WE CAN BE TRANSFORMED BY THE GLORY OF GOD ! 2 Cor. 3:18
“But whenever anyone turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away. Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord’s GLORY, are being TRANSFORMED into His likeness with ever-increasing GLORY.” (NIV)
Mary would never be the same. She’d heard from God, and became a key player in God’s unfolding plan of redemption. The Shepherds would never be the same. Once the butt of everyone’s jokes, they now held their heads up high. They’d met the Good Shepherd and joyfully became a part of His fold. Simeon would never be the same. The senior saint could now face his closing days in peace knowing he’d come face to face with the long-awaited Messiah. Each person in the Christmas narrative enters the story one person, and comes out someone completely new. That’s what happens when a man, a woman, or child encounters Jesus, the Lord of Glory! They are completely and permanently changed! Before we encounter the Lord we reflect lives that are natural, plain and undistinguished. But once we’ve met Jesus face to face we come away with a supernatural glow on our faces and a new brightness in our disposition. Because we’ve received the Lord of Glory into our hearts and lives, we now reflect that same heavenly glory. And as we yield more and more of our lives to Him, His glory will shine through our words and deeds with ever increasing brightness and clarity. May God give you and each of yours a wonderful, glory-filled Christmas!
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