Psalm 2:4-8 — He that sitteth in the heavens shall laugh: the Lord shall have them in derision. Then shall he speak unto them in his wrath, and vex them in his sore displeasure. Yet have I set my King upon my holy hill of Zion. I will declare the decree: the Lord hath said unto me, Thou art my Son; this day have I begotten thee. Ask of me, and I shall give thee the heathen for thine inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth for thy possession.

As I have been contemplating Christmas this year some things have really struck me. One of the biggest is the unfathomable humility of God.
I love to sing. The first things I ever remember singing were Christmas carols. “O little town of Bethlehem” is a favorite. This verse, in particular, makes my point …

How silently, how silently, the wondrous gift is given; So God imparts to human hearts the blessings of His Heaven. No ear may hear His coming, but in this world of sin, where meek souls will receive Him still, the dear Christ enters in.

The King of kings entered into history with no fanfare, no desire to make a great statement …
How different from the rulers of earthly “kingdoms”. The verses of Psalm 2 that go immediately before those at the head of this devotion say:
Why do the heathen rage, and the people imagine a vain thing? The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the Lord, and against his Anointed, saying, Let us break their bands asunder, and cast away their cords from us.
Oh how I enjoy those words. … “Why do the heathens rage …” or as they are expressed in Handel’s Messiah, “Why do the nations so furiously rage together: why do the people imagine a vain thing? The kings of the earth rise up, and the rulers take counsels together against the Lord and His anointed.” Isn’t it amazing how impressed people become with themselves once they have a little power? But Jesus — God, the Son of God? The one who — on demand — could have the whole earth for a christening gift? No fanfare, no raging, just a silent entry as the son of a humble Jewish couple … And in that moment all the bliss of Heaven became available for anyone who will open their heart. God quietly, humbly, makes the offer — and anyone who will quietly, humbly, accept may join the family of the King of kings!