God accomplishes your salvation–the salvation of the whole world–through the birth of a baby. Immanuel. God with us. It is the single most remarkable thing that’s ever happened in the history of the universe.

It’s impossible.

God is immortal. God is eternal and holy and transcendent. He is infinite. It is impossible for God to become a human. To put on our flesh and blood and skin and bones, to eat and drink, to breathe air, to sneeze and get mosquito bites and hiccups–it is impossible. God Almighty cannot make his dwelling with us. We are human and frail and fallible and sinful. We are mortal created beings. God can only be us, he can only be with us, metaphorically. This is only symbolic. The barriers of time and space and divinity are too great.

Wrong! It happened! The impossible happened!

The incarnation of God, in the flesh and blood of a helpless human baby born to peasants in a barn really did happen. It is a most astounding and literal and historical and factual event. He came. He did! It’s real! The Creator became one of the created. The immortal became mortal. The eternally righteous became sin. God is with us to save us!

When we look at the baby Jesus in the manger, we realize this is not a messenger or an ambassador sent from God to earth. This is actually God himself in physical flesh. God doesn’t just send help from heaven, he actually comes here himself and bears our burdens in himself. He doesn’t just look down on us in love, he actually joins us here in our broken spaces. He walks our streets and touches our people. He hugs our kids and eats with us and loves us. And he brings with him the eternal Kingdom of God, this kingdom of everlasting peace, of which there will be no end.

Jesus comes and hurting people are comforted. Distressed people are encouraged. Hopeless people are given hope. Prisoners are released. Captives are given their freedom. Outcasts are brought in. Cold people are made warm. Hungry people are fed. Sick people are made well. Sinful people are forgiven. The devil’s grip on you is broken forever! Sin and death and all the things that steal your peace and your joy are obliterated forever! The weak are given power and the tired are made to soar on the wings of eagles!

All your fears, all your pains, all your sins and brokenness–it’s all met head-on in Jesus Christ and dealt with forever. All your hopes and dreams, everything you know as good and right and true–it’s all found in Jesus and delivered.

God has been born to us. He has come to us. He made himself subject to pain and suffering so he can comfort and heal. He makes himself open to loss while he is mighty to save. He is vulnerable to death in order to bring eternal life. He walks through your darkness, with you in the darkness, and shines his eternal salvation light.

It’s impossible. And it happened.

Peace,
Allan