THE HALO

For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for our sakes he became poor, so that you through his poverty might become rich.                    
2 Corinthians 8:9 (NIV)

When discussing the birth of Jesus with an un-churched friend, I was surprised by the question he asked.

“I don’t understand why everyone failed to recognize immediately who He really was,” he said. “After all, He had a halo.”

“What do you mean, He had a halo?” I asked with a frown on my face. “He wasn’t born with a halo.”

“Well, He must have gotten one right after He was born. Every picture I’ve ever seen of Him, He had a halo.”

I answered, “Yes, there are a lot of pictures of Jesus with a halo, but He never really had one. I suppose artists have portrayed Him in that manner as a way of honoring Him as God’s Son and gift to us.”

I went on to explain that Jesus existed in heaven before the formation of planet Earth—before the concept of time itself. He could have demanded anything in the universe that He desired and it would immediately be His. He had every right to come to us in glory wearing a halo. Yet because of His love for us, He came to us in poverty—born in a shelter for animals.

At Christmas, we honor Him because His sacrifice has opened the riches of heaven to those who receive Him as Savior. We will see Him with a crown that shines brighter than a halo when he comes again in glory.

Dear Jesus, as we celebrate your humble birth may we remember all that you sacrificed to give us the gift of eternal life.

© Christy 2012