The Hope Collective Advent Guide
Love | Week 3 | Day 18

Then the Lord God said, “Look, the human beings have become like us, knowing both good and evil. What if they reach out, take fruit from the tree of life, and eat it? Then they will live forever!” So the Lord God banished them from the Garden of Eden, and he sent Adam out to cultivate the ground from which he had been made.

Genesis 3:22-23

Christmas: The Divine Invasion

I don’t understand why people get so perturbed at the miraculous nature of Jesus’ birth. If the zeal of the Lord of Hosts will accomplish it, then nothing is impossible. The Virgin Mary giving birth to Jesus by the power of the Holy Spirit is nothing less than the divine invasion of God into this world. This is a source of great joy. The fact that God brought His Son into the world in this way once again demonstrates His unlimited power and wisdom.

But if you think the virgin birth itself was a miracle, how about the eternal Son of God, the second person of the Trinity, coming to earth as a human being? Perhaps the great miracle is not so much a baby born of a virgin, but the awesome identity of the baby. This babe born of Mary was the one who created and still sustains the universe, holds all authority and power in heaven and on earth, and is the ultimate source of meaning and purpose for all creation.

The Son of God vacated His heavenly throne for a lowly stable. This miraculous birth was nothing less than a divine invasion, where the almighty Word of God became a fragile human baby, unable to speak.

But we have allowed the divine invasion of that initial Christmas to degenerate into something sentimental. We have lots of clean straw and colored lights and beautiful oxen and well-behaved donkeys. A lovely girl with a halo around her head sits among shepherds kneeling and regal wise men adoring. There they gather, beautifully and sentimentally, around the manger in which the most magnificent child you ever did see slumbers silently.

Yet the Son of God was born to demonstrate His power and dominion:

For unto us a Child is born,
    unto us a son is given;
And the government will be upon His shoulder….

Of the increase of His government and peace
    there will be no end. 
(Isaiah 9:6-7 NKJV)

There was something majestic and eternal about this invasion. God came to earth as a human being in order to secure the redemption of His creation. What a divine idea!

– Stuart and Jill Briscoe, Meet Him at the Manger, org. Used with permission.

Pray

Lord, I pray that you continue to reveal to me the real reason you sent your Son through your “divine invasion.” Thank you for coming to save our broken world and secure the redemption of your creation. Amen.

Act

Volunteer to sort through toys at Hope Co Kids to clean, replace batteries and remove any broken ones. Contact Kate at kate@thehopeco.com.

Hold open the door for someone, greet them with a smile and wish them a “Merry Christmas!”

Donate any of the following NEW items by December 20 to the Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA), a national association that supports and promotes court-appointed advocates for abused or neglected children. Donated items can be dropped off at the State of Illinois office (Representative Chris Bos) at 92 E. Main St., Lake Zurich, Monday-Friday 9:00 am-4:00 pm. Donated items needed: winter coats for teens (size adult medium and up), pajamas, undergarments, diapers, hats, gloves, socks, gift cards (Walmart, Target, Kohl’s, Walgreens).

Family Application

What’s the biggest thing you want to thank God for right now (in addition to Jesus!)? Share with each other and give God a giant round of applause.