What a winding road our Savior took to arrive at this place in our hearts! From his reign over all heaven and earth, to arrive as a newborn baby in a humble, crude and stinky manger. Nothing much glorious in that. Miraculous? Absolutely! But glorious to have reign over all and then begin anew completely helpless and at the mercy and love of others? Not so much.
His human lineage is no less interesting. A lineage that includes rulers, prostitutes and royalty, and born to an uneducated mother and left in the paternal care of a carpenter. Not exactly Ivy League training. Humble beginnings that gave no inkling to the impact his life would have on mankind.
Yet he walked the earth for 33 years and transformed the course of history. He arrived at a crucial time when the world was ready to spread Christianity on a global scale through the universal language of the day, Greek. The Roman Empire had created an infrastructure of roads that allowed easy passage and protection.
The methods through the centuries have changed, but the story remains the same three point sermon: A King, A Baby, A Savior. He entrusts his legacy to us. He left the torch with the belief that we will continue spreading the Gospel throughout the world --to the unlovely, to the down-trodden, to the thief, to the beggar. Salvation is the same to the rich and the poor, repenting of sin and following him by faith.
Dear God,
Thank you for the gift of eternal life that has never changed. Persecution can’t eradicate it and prosperity can’t diminish the need for it. Please keep our hearts ever humble with the knowledge of how much we need you to be our Savior and King.
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