The Lord Jesus Christ was eternally rich, glorious, and exalted. But "though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor."

Think about it this way. A wealthy believer cannot have true fellowship with his poor brothers and sisters unless he shares what he has with them. The same principle applies between Christ our Head and we his members. Our divine Lord could never have had real fellowship with us unless he had shared his infinite wealth and become poor to make us rich.

Imagine if he had stayed on his throne of glory while we remained trapped in the ruins of our fallen state. Fellowship would have been impossible! Our fallen condition, apart from the covenant of grace, made communion between us and God as impossible as harmony between Belial and Christ.

So what had to happen? The rich kinsman had to give his estate to his bankrupt relatives. The righteous Savior had to share his perfection with his sinning brothers and sisters. We, the poor and guilty, had to receive from his fullness, grace upon grace. Only through this divine exchange could he descend from the heights and we ascend from the depths, until we could finally embrace in true fellowship.

Listen carefully. Poverty must be enriched by the One who holds infinite treasures before it can dare to commune with him. Guilt must lose itself in his imputed and imparted righteousness before a soul can walk with perfect Purity. Jesus must dress his people in his own robes, or he cannot welcome them into his palace of glory. He must wash them in his own blood, or they will be too stained for his embrace.

O believer, here is love! For your sake, the Lord Jesus became poor. Why? So he could lift you up into fellowship with himself. This is Christmas. This is the gospel. The Rich became poor so the poor could become rich. The Holy One became sin so sinners could become holy. Heaven came down so earth could rise up.

And it was all for you.