Our Savior

As we come to the holy day of Our Savior's birth, I've been pondering this:

He sacrificed Himself on the cross, shedding blood to pay for our sins. This as an amazing thing. What King leaves His throne to dwell among the poor and unwashed? Our Savior.

But also consider this: He confined Himself into a man's body for all eternity. He, who was outside of time, Who existed since the beginning, submitted to the Father's will that He should become a man forever. He poured His eternal presence, as large as the Universe, author of time and outside of it, into a man's body with  looks so unremarkable that "He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to Him, nothing in His appearance that we should desire Him." (Is 53:2b) Our Savior.

When Resurrected Jesus returned to heaven, He did not dispense with the body and return to spirit with the Father. Oh, no.  Appearing to the Disciples, He told Thomas, "Put your finger here; see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it into my side. Stop doubting and believe." (John 20:27). John the Revelator said, "And I beheld, and, lo, in the midst of the throne and of the four beasts, and in the midst of the elders, stood a Lamb as it had been slain, (Rev 5:6). Jesus has fleshly solidity and walks and eats: "They were startled and frightened, thinking they saw a ghost. He said to them, "Why are you troubled, and why do doubts rise in your minds? Look at my hands and my feet. It is I myself! Touch me and see; a ghost does not have flesh and bones, as you see I have." When he had said this, he showed them his hands and feet. And while they still did not believe it because of joy and amazement, he asked them, "Do you have anything here to eat?" They gave him a piece of broiled fish, and he took it and ate it in their presence." Luke 24:37-43). Our Savior.

Jesus had a body as He walked on earth, He has a body that appeared post-resurrection, and He has a body in heaven as seen by John. He will make our bodies like His on the Day of the Rapture: "who, by the power that enables him to bring everything under his control, will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like his glorious body." (Phil 3:21).

I can't comprehend the magnanimity of His gift to willingly confine Himself into a man's body for all eternity. I can't conceive of the love of Our Savior who said of His life, "No one has taken it away from Me, but I lay it down on My own initiative. I have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to take it up again. This commandment I received from My Father." (John 10:18). He gave His life, His eternity, His Spirit, to be contained in a vessel of glorified humanity for all eternity, so that we could live. Is there any name Higher? No. Our Savior, Jesus Christ.