“The angel said to Him, “I am Gabriel. I stand in the presence of God and I have been sent to speak to you and tell you this good news.” (Luke 1:19 NIV)
The angel that stood before Zechariah had been standing before God only a few moments prior. Let’s not rush past this truth: for Gabriel to speak with Zechariah as he did was the closest thing to direct God-contact that anyone had encountered in hundreds of years! What a miracle: an angel in heaven is suddenly an angel in the room! The glory that shone off Gabriel was merely a faint reflection of the glory of God because they had just shared the same celestial space.
This visitation was only a foretaste. God’s Son in heaven was about to quietly invade earth. Imagine; one moment He was with the Father and in the next He’s cradled in Mary’s human embrace. Immanuel: God with us. Heaven began it’s repossession of earth by sending it’s Prince in pauper disguise.
It gets even better from there. Gabriel was sent to TELL the Good News. Jesus was sent to BE the Good News. We are commanded to SHARE the Good News. Gospel, literally translated, means ‘too good to be true.’ A king willing to die for His wayward subjects is unheard of. Yet heaven has come to earth. God has made a way to live with His people. He has paid the way for us to come close.
The Son of God lived sinlessly, died blamelessly and was resurrected powerfully. In a gesture of divine generosity, He leaves His followers with an impartation of Himself. A Comforter. A Source of strength and power. Immanuel becomes incarnate again: this time He takes up residence in us.
The Christmas story is about the centerpiece of heaven coming to earth. The manger scene is a small sampling of what God longs to do with all of humanity: to come dwell with us as close as we’ll allow Him.
“The Word became flesh and made His dwelling among us. We have seen His glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.” (John 1:14 NIV)
“And with that He breathed on them and said “Receive the Holy Spirit.””
(John 20:22 NIV)
O Lord God, we are so grateful for Your incredible plan to invade earth with Your truth and grace. What a wonder; that we can be in Your presence. You made it possible. You paid the price and pulled us close. May we cooperate with Your Spirit and live out Your desires here on earth as it is in heaven. Amen.