For those of us who follow the teachings of Jesus, advent is a time set aside to help us get excited about what a big deal it is that God (who created the universe and everything in it) put himself in human form to walk in our shoes and show us another way to live.
Consider, if you will, how much more you respect a boss who is willing to step down from their higher position to meet with you where you are. It's a lot easier to accept constructive criticism and critiques from someone who takes the time to understand your perspective. Especially when you see them put effort into trying to look at things from your view. A manager who does dishes with his dishwasher will gain more respect that the manager who just tells the dishwasher they are too inefficient.
That's kind of what God did. He already knows everything, about the world and us (job 38). We humans, though, doubt his authority and like to say things like "but, God, you don't know how it feels. You've never been hungry. You've never been to jail. You've never lost a friend. You've never been tempted." God, heard us. Not only that but he knew to get through to us and save us from ourselves he would have to come down here himself and teach us. So he wrapped himself up in flesh and had the most humble beginning any human can have: He was born in the stable with the animals. The Lamb of God was swaddled in a manger where he was appropriately greeted into the world by lowly shepherds.
He was a baby. He was a refugee. He probably got splinters. He had chores. He had siblings. He was a teenager. He got frustrated with his mom. He had friends. He was tempted. He needed to be alone sometimes. He fasted. He wept. He was betrayed by his friends. He was judged. He wrongly accused. He was doubted. He was lied to. His friend died. He was blamed and punished for things he didn't do. He experienced as much brokenness as a person could experience and even asked for a way out. Then he was killed in maybe the most painful, torturous way humans have ever come up with to kill each other.
But then he overcame death and made it so we could get right with the Father. Now I know I'm leaking into Easter, but when you hear the opening lines to your favorite movie or book, you can't help but to get excited because you know that it just keeps getting better as the story unfolds.
We can no longer believe the lie that God doesn't understand. He came down and lived life with us. He struggled with us. He experienced the pain. He felt the brokenness. And he showed us how to live despite it. He showed us how he intended us to be when he first created us. To love each other and to love him.
Advent is an exciting time. We're anticipating the arrival of a savior, one who came to save us from the world and save us from ourselves. One who loves enough to pay the highest price for us. One who has already done all the work so that all we have to do is accept it.
*That's an amazing thing, guys. We are so loved.
Getting to celebrate the greatest present we could ever receive...that's huge! We should all be like kids on Christmas Eve who can't sleep because they know, they just know, that in the morning there will be something that they have been longing for, asking for, waiting for for what feels like forever. There's this hope that it's so close. They can almost feel it. They might not have any idea what it is, but as soon as they run downstairs in the morning they wonder how they ever lived life without this new awesome gift. We should be that excited. And unlike the presents that are often pushed aside or forgotten in the weeks after Christmas, the gift of a savior is one we can be thankful for every single day. It never gets old. You never outgrow it. It literally completes your life.
So, friends, I feel encouraged. I hope in this week before Christmas, if you haven't been feeling it already, you're starting to fill with the anticipation that soon the waiting will be over and we will celebrate the greatest give we've ever received!
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