“God must become the equal of the lowliest. But the lowliest is one who serves others. God therefore must appear in the form of a servant. But this servant’s form is not merely something he puts on, like the beggar’s cloak, which, because it is only a cloak, flutters loosely and betrays the king. No, it is his true form. For this is the unfathomable nature of boundless love, that it desires to be equal with the beloved; not in jest, but in truth” (Søren Kierkegaard).

God became like us so that we might one day become like Him. That’s the story of Christmas distilled down to its essence. The very Jesus who existed in the form of God took on the form of a man and humbled Himself to the point of a criminal’s death on a cross.

Yet this very same Jesus will return not as a lowly infant but as a conquering King. He who has known all our sorrows will one day wipe away all our tears and forever undo all the evil that caused those very tears. He who was tempted in all the ways we are yet was without sin will one day put an end to temptation and sin for good.

I love the quote that says because of the resurrection, the worst thing is never the last thing. Jesus’ story didn’t end with crucifixion, and neither will the story of His children end in defeat. Death will not have the final word.

Remember even in the victory, Jesus will still bear His scars. Even as reigning king, He won’t ever stop being the One who stooped to wash our feet.