Once upon a time there lived a Great King. This king lived in a palace of gold and pearls and pure gemstones, larger and brighter than anything else the kingdom had ever seen. Light and purity and perfection surrounded the king’s throne and nothing dark or impure or imperfect could ever enter his presence or see his face. Such things or people who practiced them couldn’t even get past the gatekeeper.

The kingdom outside of the King’s home had once been as light and pure and perfect as his palace, and the people who lived there were without blemish. But an enemy came and deceived one of the subjects and led the other one into a trap that plunged every person born thereafter into a darkness that could not be erased.

The just nature of the Great King could not fellowship with the darkness and demanded the subjects be destroyed for their unfaithfulness, for embracing the pride of his enemy. But the Great King’s pure love for the fallen people insisted that he find another way.

This king had a son, a Prince, heir to his throne and to his kingdom, who cared deeply for the subjects who were now enemies of his father. He did not wish to see them destroyed by his father’s perfect wrath. So he conferred with his father to see what could be done.

“There is a way,” the Great King said, looking at his son with a mix of pain and compassion. “But the price will cost us everything.”

The Prince held his father’s gaze, the words passing unspoken between them. At last the son looked out over the kingdom, gazing on the subjects so blinded by the darkness that they could no longer see the glories of the light above them.

“I will do it,” he said, turning back to face his father. “When the time is right, I will go.”

So the Prince left the palace in disguise and sneaked into the kingdom when no one was looking. He came in a way impossible for them to recognize, took on the appearance of one of them, an ordinary man, a poor day laborer. Without wealth, position, rights, or honor, setting aside everything he deserved as the Great King’s sole heir.

His disguise hid him well until he chose to tell them who he was. But when he finally told them why he came, to change their darkness into light, they didn’t believe him. Instead they mocked him and ridiculed him, and their hate for him grew until they finally put him to death and cast him outside of their kingdom.

They didn’t know his death would satisfy the perfect justice of his father. They didn’t know he could come back from the grave and live. Most of them remained in their darkness and never saw the light he came to give them.

But some believed. Some rejoiced to see him live again, and followed him from the kingdom to the palace of the Great King. He ushered them into the presence of his father and gave them pure white robes and washed the darkness from their eyes and from their souls so they could be with him forever.

The Prince endured the world, the flesh, and the devil for us so we could come to the Father’s palace and be with Him where He is.

“Looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.” Hebrews 12:2

“Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me. In My Father’s house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also.” John 14:1-3

It’s why he came…

Merry Christmas!