The human race does it this way: We are born with an emptiness that must be filled. And we can spend our entire lives searching for fullness.
The Son of God did it this way: He was born, having emptied Himself of all fullness. He spent His entire life continuing to empty Himself so that we could find fullness.
Here is how an ancient Christian hymn puts it: “though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men (Phil. 2:6-7).
And the emptying continued to utter degradation: “And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross” (v. 8).
He came down, down, down, into the muck and mire of this world. He did it so that we could be lifted up, up, up into the glory of a new creation.
All that elicits wonder and awe in this world cannot compare with the wonder we find here: The Son of God emptied Himself and became a baby boy. In that emptying, He ennobled our physical bodies and enriched our spiritual lives. He bequeathed to us a treasure that has no limit and no end, and asks us now to fling that treasure far and wide to the ends of the earth.
It is the treasure of His fullness filling our emptiness.
This Christmas, let Him be your fullness. And love Him for emptying Himself for you.
Merry Christmas!
Bill
