"Down and Dirty"

Just how down and dirty,

Was that first Christmas time,

No Christmas shopping hurry,

Or bells that ring and chime.

No carols and no Christmas tree,

No Santa and no sleigh,

No elves, no grinch, no toys you see,

On that first Christmas day.

No lights or decorations,

Just a baby in a trough,

A disappearing celebration,

From the angels high aloft.

That were only seen by hired men,

Whom nobody would pick,

Who came and knelt and left and then,

It was all over quick.

Strange foreigners with fancy gifts,

And talk about a star,

But there the course of history shifts,

Long journey from afar.

Then packing up to fast escape,

The violence of a king,

The lives of innocents he’d take,

His power was everything.

So that the truth the Bible tells,

Of how it was back then,

To read it clear the word compels,

To consider once again,

The length to which Creator God,

Will go to rescue us,

The lowest path on which we trod,

To seek and gain our trust.

He entered first through mother’s womb,

Clothed in humanity,

All the way down to the tomb,

Raised to life eternally.

All so that the least can know,

Salvation strong and sure,

Emmanuel, with us to show,

His grace will be our cure.

“He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.” (2 Corinthians 5:21, NAS)

In all ways Jesus became human, while retaining His divinity. He then took the ultimate step of laying down His life for our sins. He took our sin, became sin, and satisfied God’s judgment on sin so that we might be pardoned and receive our new identity as God’s righteous children. The miracle of the incarnation is what the Christmas celebration is all about. It is about the ultimate exchange that makes possible eternal salvation. Hallelujah!

Lord, help us see the power of Your incarnation, in Jesus’ name.

Art by Jack Sorenson, used by permission. Thanks, Jack, and God bless you.