He did descend, undressing all the way!

 I am re-reading a favorite poet this morning -- George Herbert, well known priest and poet, who was born in 1593 and died of tuberculosis in 1633, at age 39. We have over 90 of his poems set to music and sung as hymns in any Orthodox churches today.

One of my favorites is "The Bag" from "The Temple":

     "Hast thou not heard, that my Lord Jesus died? The let me tell you a strange story.

     The God of power, as He did ride in His majestic robes of glory resolved to light, and one day He did descend, undressing all the way.

     And when they asked what He would wear, He smiled and said as He did go, He had new clothes a-making here below."

This picture brings so many tears. Our Immanuel, the King of Kings, had to take off His royal clothing as He came to that manger in Bethlehem, and then had to attire Himself with our clothes and become one of us.

He removed His royal robes and jeweled crowns and put on our humble human garb -- why would he do that? It is certainly "a strange story."

Stranger yet, He removed His spectacular royal garb so that we could remove our filthy, pitiful garb and clothe ourselves in His glorious royal clothes of righteousness and reign with Him forever! As His beloved children! When God looks at us He sees Jesus! We are "clothed in Christ" (Galatians 3:27).  He wore our clothes so we could wear His!

He wore a crown of thorns so that we could wear a crown of life!

He paid the debt we owed for our sin so that we wouldn't have to!

Who could ever imagine a God like that!

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"I will greatly rejoice in the LORD, my soul shall exult in my God, for He has clothed me with the garments of salvation. He has covered me with the robe of righteousness." (Isaiah 61:10)