The Greatest Love We'll Ever Know Came from Jesus Christ

It is a peaceful scene: the gentle animals of the stable quietly resting in their stalls, the stillness of the night, the serene glow from the starlight, and perhaps a single lantern reflecting the light in the face of a tiny baby, nestled snugly in a bed of fresh hay. His mother enjoys a much-needed nap after her labor has ended, as His earthly father gazes in quiet awe at the marvelous gift with which God has blessed them.

Nothing about this moment foreshadows the turmoil which Jesus would face throughout His life here among us. There is nothing in this snapshot from the pages of history that even hints at the suffering or pain our Savior would endure for us barely three decades later... the same pain and suffering that redeemed us and stated, without contradiction, that you and I are loved and cherished above all Creation by our Heavenly Father.

As we prepare our hearts for Christmas, it is important that we take the time to reflect upon exactly what our Lord sacrificed to ensure that we would never suffer eternal separation from Him. Imagine what He gave up, in order to dwell among us for a little while.

Imagine Christ as a human child.

The nimble fingers which crafted the smallest details of Creation fumble with the laces on His small sandals. Arms which ache to hold us reach up innocently to be held. The Being whose Spirit glides over all the earth wobbles and falls as He takes His first steps. The Son of God, who knows no language barriers, struggles to say His first words. What love it must have taken for our Savior to give up His heavenly glory to live as a man here on earth. He humbly packed all that He is into the constraints of human form, just so that He could get to know us better and serve us, His beloved children.