Our Response to God Incarnate
Patrick Bicknell
Have you ever been star-struck before? There was one time in my life when I was particularly star-struck meeting a famous person. I was in the 9th grade traveling with my friend’s family to Florida for a cruise vacation that we were going on. Our plane landed at the airport around two in the morning and, as you would expect, I was exhausted. As we were heading to the parking garage where our rental car would be, I saw this massive human being walking in the airport. It was the Big Show from WWE. Some of you may know him, some of you may not, but to me, that was a childhood legend of mine. All I could do was walk up to him and barely mutter out the words, “Can I take a picture with you?”
This is similar to the response that the wise men had when they came to Bethlehem and found God incarnate. The response that they had is told to us in Matthew 2:11, “And they fell down and worshiped him. Then, opening their treasures, they offered him gifts, gold and frankincense and myrrh.”
Their response begs the question, how do we respond to God incarnate? I can imagine the scene in my head. As they entered the house and saw Mary holding the child, out of exceeding, uncontainable joy, they fell on their face and began to worship God incarnate. They had heard the King of the Jews had been born, but I do not think they could have imagined how magnificent seeing the Savior of the world right in front of them could have been. They had no other choice than to fall on their faces and worship Him.
Do we do the same? Every year we read this story around Christmastime because that is what we are supposed to do. I mean, how could we not read about the birth of Jesus at Christmas? However, do we take a moment to respond the way that the wise men did? Do you read the fact that God, in His great love for us, becomes incarnate to dwell with His creation, and fall on your face and worship Him? Even more than just dwelling with His creation, He goes through everything we as humans go through, remains sinless, and dies on the cross for the forgiveness of our sins so that we may have redemption through His blood. We should see that amazing grace as we read the birth of Jesus.
As we again read through the wise men coming and bringing their gifts, we should respond in the way that they responded. We should be moved with unspeakable joy reading about how God became incarnate for us so that we might have redemption of our souls through His finished work. As we read through a story we have read hundreds of times, let us take after what the wise men did, and worship our amazing God.
CityAlight wrote a song entitled, “What Love, My God.” Their lyrics put this event into perspective for me, and I hope that will lead you to worship God even more.
What king would take a low and lonely birth?
Yet to this dark and broken place you came
To sleep beneath the stars that you had made.
Patrick Bicknell
Have you ever been star-struck before? There was one time in my life when I was particularly star-struck meeting a famous person. I was in the 9th grade traveling with my friend’s family to Florida for a cruise vacation that we were going on. Our plane landed at the airport around two in the morning and, as you would expect, I was exhausted. As we were heading to the parking garage where our rental car would be, I saw this massive human being walking in the airport. It was the Big Show from WWE. Some of you may know him, some of you may not, but to me, that was a childhood legend of mine. All I could do was walk up to him and barely mutter out the words, “Can I take a picture with you?”
This is similar to the response that the wise men had when they came to Bethlehem and found God incarnate. The response that they had is told to us in Matthew 2:11, “And they fell down and worshiped him. Then, opening their treasures, they offered him gifts, gold and frankincense and myrrh.”
Their response begs the question, how do we respond to God incarnate? I can imagine the scene in my head. As they entered the house and saw Mary holding the child, out of exceeding, uncontainable joy, they fell on their face and began to worship God incarnate. They had heard the King of the Jews had been born, but I do not think they could have imagined how magnificent seeing the Savior of the world right in front of them could have been. They had no other choice than to fall on their faces and worship Him.
Do we do the same? Every year we read this story around Christmastime because that is what we are supposed to do. I mean, how could we not read about the birth of Jesus at Christmas? However, do we take a moment to respond the way that the wise men did? Do you read the fact that God, in His great love for us, becomes incarnate to dwell with His creation, and fall on your face and worship Him? Even more than just dwelling with His creation, He goes through everything we as humans go through, remains sinless, and dies on the cross for the forgiveness of our sins so that we may have redemption through His blood. We should see that amazing grace as we read the birth of Jesus.
As we again read through the wise men coming and bringing their gifts, we should respond in the way that they responded. We should be moved with unspeakable joy reading about how God became incarnate for us so that we might have redemption of our souls through His finished work. As we read through a story we have read hundreds of times, let us take after what the wise men did, and worship our amazing God.
CityAlight wrote a song entitled, “What Love, My God.” Their lyrics put this event into perspective for me, and I hope that will lead you to worship God even more.
What king would take a low and lonely birth?
Yet to this dark and broken place you came
To sleep beneath the stars that you had made.
Posted in Company at Christmas
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