Illustration: Christmas, Incarnation

A couple of years ago on "America's Funniest Home Videos," a young boy was shown on Christmas morning. He came down to see a large present beside the tree and ran over to tear it open to see what was inside. The paper went flying, and suddenly he broke into a dance and jumped around the room saying, "Wow! Just what I wanted! I really love it! Wow!" After awhile he went over to look at it again and said with a puzzled look on his face, "What is it?"

On that first Christmas, the angels announced the birth of a new child. The heavens were opened, and all the company of heaven broke into praise. Shepherds went racing to Bethlehem to see what it was all about. For 2,000 years, we have been jumping up and down saying, "Just what I wanted! Exactly what I needed!" In the next breath, we look again inside the stable and ask, "What is it?" We sometimes are puzzled by God's gift. (Rodney Buchanan, Christmas Through the Eyes of God)