When Heaven Walked On Earth

My son made the decision to leave home just shy of his 18^th birthday.  I was devastated.  He wasn’t moving across town or even to the next state; he would be over 1800 miles away.  He chose to walk away from a secure financial college setting and go into a world of total unknowns.  

      There was just one thing he was absolutely certain of, he explained: “South Dakota is calling my name.”  As odd as that may seem I understood when he said those words.  They resonated with my own feelings of that area.  Understanding, however, didn’t lessen the pain of his leaving.  

Joseph’s early adult life had already been filled with surprises.  First he was told to take for his bride a woman who was already pregnant, which was unheard of in those days.  He also discovers the child she is carrying is God’s
son.   

As I consider the very idea that Jesus left his home in heaven to come to a world where many would hate and revile him, is hard to imagine. The Heavens must have grieved when Jesus left.  I picture angels and those who were already there, in awe that Jesus would willingly leave the heavenly realm.  Perhaps they wept because he stepped away; surely God must have.  He was sacrificing His only Son.

What compounds this is Jesus left fully knowing that as He removed himself from the realms of glory, the rightful place beside his Father, he would become the living sacrifice to the world’s sin. Jesus, God’s Son, would die a cruel death on the cross and his Father, even if only for a little while, would turn his back on him.  This is a love I can’t even comprehend!  Yet I know he did it….even for me!

We’re approaching Easter, one of my favorite times of the year.  I have exuberant joy as we sing ‘Up From The Grave He arose.’  Can you imagine the angels in heaven as Jesus walked out of that tomb? The angles must have leapt with excitement, singing and shouting with perfect harmony about the event. I’m not sure what angels do when they get excited, but there must have been a great deal of rejoicing!  Jesus was coming back!  That’s worth celebrating!

The other side of this picture is the loathing satan must have had when he realized that death doesn’t get the victory.  I get ‘Holy Ghost’ bumps just thinking about it!  I love the line in the same song mentioned earlier, ‘He arose the Victor of the dark domain.’  Think of it!  Satan didn’t win, because Jesus conquered death!

When I think of my son leaving home all those years ago, I can still recall my pain.  My very tall son, his hands on my shoulders, gently asked me, “Mom, what are you afraid of?”  My response, “That you’ll leave, and I’ll never see you again.”  Those words still make me cry….  Softly, he said, “Mom I would never do that to you.”  He meant it.  He’s been wonderful about staying in touch.

But sometimes we lose loved ones through death.  And our hope can only be that one day we will see them again in Heaven.  This is the promise of Jesus!  He rose again to make that possible!  But there is a condition…. We must choose to make Jesus our Savior.  If we don’t ask Him to be the Lord of our life, we’re going to miss out.

Just as satan loathed that Jesus rose again, those who choose to turn their back on Jesus and this promise, will one day loathe their decision.  It will be an eternal decision of misery and despair and all things horrible, including the separation of our loved ones. 

Jesus’ death and resurrection is such a wonderful gift, and it’s free!  Jesus paid the pice …with his life’s blood!  How can one possibly turn away from this truth?  

Photo Credit: Leaving For College

Photo Credit: When Jesus Left Heaven

Photo Credit: Jesus Arose

Photo Credit:  Empty Tomb