Inspired by Angels We Have Heard On High by Chris Tomlin

Jesus’ entrance into this world was the most humble yet the most glorified birth in human history. Humble in the sense that He was born in a room full of farm animals. Humble in the sense that His parents were Jewish with little social status. Humble in that the city He was born in was small and unimportant to the world’s politics at the time.

Gloria in Excelsis Deo

And yet, His birth radiated glory. It was revealed to shepherds in a field by angels declaring, “Glory to God in the highest” (Luke 2:14). The glory was so bright, the shepherds went to find the source (Luke 2:15). And later, many others would do the same.

Shepherds, why this jubilee?
Why your joyous strains prolong?
What the gladsome tidings be
Which inspire your heavenly song?

It is a lesson we learn every Christmas: the God of the universe came the earth in such humility that, aside from the angels declaring His name from the heavens, He arrived almost unnoticed. We hear that and are in awe of Him even more, as the shepherds were. We acknowledge the celebration He deserved, the crown that should have been placed on His head immediately. And we are humbled by His humility. But we stop there. We forget what the details of His birth mean for us. Jesus entered the earth in the same way He enters our hearts: right in the middle of a big mess. Just like He didn’t look for a palace to be His birthplace and an earthly throne His dwelling, so does He not look for clean hearts to come into of perfect people who have it all figured out.

Paul explains in Romans: “You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous person, though for a good person someone might possibly dare to die. But God demonstrates His own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” He did this so that He could dwell in our hearts (Eph. 3:17). He doesn’t wait until they are clean. While we were still sinners, remember?

This is what He has been telling us from birth, an invitation that never expires:

Come to Bethlehem and see
Him whose birth the angels sing
Come adore on bended knee
Christ our Lord, the new born King

Based on the song Angels We Have Heard On High by Chris Tomlin. Original post by The Overflow featured on YouVersion. Hear Chris Tomlin's Angels We Have Heard On High here.

To listen to a playlist of songs from this devotional on TheOverflow please visit theoverflow.com/xmas-songs