Behold!

Christmas is a time of imagination. So, put your mind into creative mode and think about something from God’s perspective. God is omniscient. He knows everything, right? So, imagine Him kneeling at the manger and looking at the Christ Child, His Son.

God the Father looked into the face of Jesus, as a newborn babe and saw EVERYTHING THAT WOULD EVER HAPPEN in the life of His Son.  He saw the Shepherds coming to see this miracle.  The gifts that the Wisemen would bring to honor the newborn King warmed His heart.  God saw the panic and heartbreak that would come out of Herod’s actions in an attempt to kill His Son.  He saw His son growing up in a carpenter’s home.  The image of Jesus going into the temple as a 12 year old, the relationships that would develop between the twelve disciples and His Son, the miracles that he would perform, the rejection he would face, the injustices, the betrayal, the death on a cross.  God sees all of that and steps back and hears the angels proclaim “Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.” 

God sees it all.  From what is recorded of Jesus’ life in Matthew and the Gospels to John’s vision in Revelation 5 where John writes,

“Then I looked and heard the voice of many angels, numbering thousands upon thousands, and ten thousand times ten thousand. They encircled the throne and  In a loud voice they were saying:

“Worthy is the Lamb, who was slain,
    to receive power and wealth and wisdom and strength
    and honor and glory and praise!”

In his vision in Revelation, John sees a scroll and all of heaven is focused on this scroll with its seven seals. It represents God’s redemptive plan for mankind. But, no one is found worthy enough to open the scroll, to break the seals securing it. The Apostle John breaks down and weeps knowing that if no redeemer could be found to remove the curse of sin, it meant that God’s creation was forever consigned to remain in the hands of Satan.

 Then one of the elders said to me, “Do not weep! Behold! The Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has triumphed. He is able to open the scroll and its seven seals.”

And, John writes, ⁶ Then I saw a Lamb, looking as if it had been slain, standing at the center of the throne, encircled by the four living creatures and the elders… He went and took the scroll from the right hand of him who sat on the throne. ⁸ And when he had taken it, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb.  And they sang a new song, saying:

“You are worthy to take the scroll
    and to open its seals,
because you were slain,
    and with your blood you purchased for God
    persons from every tribe and language and people and nation.
¹⁰ You have made them to be a kingdom and priests to serve our God,
    and they will reign on the earth.”

¹¹ Then I looked and heard the voice of many angels, numbering thousands upon thousands, and ten thousand times ten thousand. They encircled the throne and the living creatures and the elders. ¹² In a loud voice they were saying:

“Worthy is the Lamb, who was slain,
    to receive power and wealth and wisdom and strength
    and honor and glory and praise!”

As the Shepherds and the Wisemen beheld the newborn, Jesus, the angels rejoiced in Heaven. And God, the Father knew, as He looked at his precious Son, that He was Worthy.

Merry Christmas!

Larry