For God so Loved . . .

Check this story out. It sounds incredible.

The powerful benevolent ruler of a vast kingdom was so grieved over the thought that he had to banish his disobedient subjects from his face forever, that he transformed himself, left the splendor of his mountain top palace and came to dwell in the crime ridden valley of those very subjects.  For years he walked among them, teaching them how to live, showing by example the meaning of love.  But most of his subjects never believed he was the great king everyone talked about.  Many made fun of him, others spoke evil against him, still others proclaimed him a fraud.  But he patiently endured it all because he had a plan, a plan so incredible that even his enemies were stunned.

The king’s domain was enormous, and included other subjects that dwelled in his mountain top kingdom, subjects far superior to those living in the crime riddled valley.  A king over such a kingdom could never rescind his decree or be perceived to show favoritism.  No.  Once he proclaimed something into law, it was cut in stone, and had to be satisfied.  The penalty for treason was death; a death so terrible it meant banishment forever into a realm of darkness far from his kingdom of light. And there was only one thing that could satisfy the great king’s justice—an innocent life had to be give up for the guilty. And so, he decided to pay the penalty himself.  In fact, that was his plan all along.  From the foundation of his kingdom, he had planned to lay down his life for the very ones who mocked him, called him names, considered him a fraud. That was the only reason he had transformed himself into a little baby, born in a manager, in an insignificant village, to a humble virgin. Who can explain a love so great?  Or a plan so wonderful and shocking all at the same time?

But it’s true. It happened when Jesus, the King of Kings, the Ruler of the Universe, the Creator of all things came to the crime filled streets of earth with the sole purpose of saving us from banishment to hell.  And it’s up to us what we do with it.  Will we ridicule Him? Speak evil against Him? Proclaim Him a fraud? Or accept what He has done and acknowledge he has paid for our crimes? Acknowledge that because He has, we have a place with Him forever in His great kingdom?

Wishing you the peace, and joy, and hope and promise of Christmas.

Until next week,

Sylvia