Favorite Christmas Song

My favorite song this Christmas season is How Many Kings from DownHere. Of course I was tempted to post a YouTube video of it, but for me it's more about the lyrics than the instruments, tempo or beat.

How Many Kings

Follow the start to a place unexpected

Would you believe after all we've projected

A child in a manger

Lowly and small, the weakest of all

Unlikeliness hero, wrapped in his mothers shawl

Just a child

Is this who we've waited for?

Cause how many kings, stepped down from their thrones?

How many lords have abandoned their homes?
How many greats have become the least for me?

How many Gods have poured out their hearts

To romance a world that has torn all apart?

How many fathers gave up their sons for me?

Bringing our gifts for the newborn savior

All that we have whether costly or meek

Because we believe

Gold for his honor and frankincense for his pleasure

And myrrh for the cross he'll suffer

Do you believe, is this who we've waited for?

It's who we've waited for

How many kings, stepped down from their thrones?

How many lords have abandoned their homes?

How many greats have become the least for me?

How many Gods have poured out their hearts

To romance a world that has torn all apart?

How many fathers gave up their sons for me?

Only one did that for me

All for me

All for you

All for me

All for you....

Every time I hear that song I'm astounded, humbled and awed by the amount of love required for Christ to take human form, come to earth, be persecuted for me and then die on a cross. For me, and for you. Most of the time though, I just can't wrap my mind around that kind of love.

In the past 2,000 years have we heard of a king leaving his throne to help a peasant or a lord to forgo living in luxury to live in poverty? We haven't. Nor have we seen a great person (rich, powerful, successful or popular) give that all up. Sure, you have the celebrities that are altruistic but has anyone ever given up EVERYTHING for an orphan in Africa, a woman dying of HIV in South America?

No one has and no one ever will. But the greatest thing ever is that they don't need too because Jesus already did it for us. He gave us the ultimate gift.

So in this season of gift giving and gift receiving, I'm going to remember the ultimate gift, the ultimate sacrifice..... the birth of Jesus Christ.