the One who came.

What a feeling; I’m baffled and overjoyed all in one.  My head is cocked to the side in confusion, but my feet are doing this happy jingle dance.  Say it again?  I don’t know if I heard you correctly.   He likes me?  Are you sure?  Because I’m pretty sure he just puts up with me at arm’s length, like a stained shirt on the way to the laundry room.  I’ve heard he loves me, like all the time.  But I’ve always interpreted that to mean that he loves me because he loves everyone... and He’s God.  I mean, that’s what he does.  And that’s absolutely right, but it’s a whole lot more personal than that, this love of his.  But still, listen to this.  He likes hanging out with me… that’s what he wants to do!  You could call it “quiet time”, “devotions”, or whatever.  But don’t just put it in a box with a nice little label, whatever you do!  This is Jesus we're talking about, the One who came.  When your sin was so gross and black, Jesus came into our world introduced himself personally to you, just like the perfect gentleman. 

Recall that date that you’ve dreamed of all these years, complete with roses, a reservation to the most romantic restaurant, and all those little gestures and sweet kisses that you’ve always imagined.  Now multiply all that wonderfulness that by 10, and multiply that number by 10, and then give up and stand in awe with your jaw dropped because you can’t actually calculate or comprehend how much

Jesus

loves

you.

This is Jesus:  the One who came.  He gave up the most wonderful thing to meet you—he gave up heaven.  And during this season where the snow falls slowly and we wrestle with yards of tangled Christmas lights, we remember how he came and introduced himself to you as Emmanuel.  Much time passed since he was born in that one town called Bethlehem, but he still whispers and shouts your name, because yes, he knows your name!  He knows much more than even that, my friend.  Revel in that.  Love this truth:  that the Creator and Sustainer of the universe gave up glory to meet you.  He thinks you’re worth it because he made you.  Don’t let this Christmas pass without daydreaming about and worshipping Emmanuel, the One who came, personally and romantically, for you.  And hang out with him, because he would really enjoy it.  He loves you.  And he likes you, too.