Thou Didst Leave Thy Throne

-December 23, 2021-

Good morning, happy Thursday,

“In the year King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord sitting on the throne, high and lifted up, and the train of His robe filled the temple. So I said, “Woe is me, for I am undone! Because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; For my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts.’”

(Isaiah 6:1; Isaiah 6:5).

When Jesus came down from heaven as the King, He left His throne in glory to come into a world of sin; He set aside His regal robes to wear the clothes of a servant; He put off His royal crown to exchange it for a crown of thorns; and He who was rich, became poor so that we throughHim might become rich. He came undercover to the very people He had created. When I was just a lad, I remember singing the chorus of a hymn that said, “ Out of the ivory palaces, into a world of woe, only His great eternal love, made my Savior go.”

The hymn writer Emily E. S. Elliott wrote this beautiful Christmas hymn, “Thou Didst Leave Thy Throne.” She wrote this hymn to teach children the truths of the advent and nativity seasons. It proved to be an inspiration not only to children but to adults as well, during the Christmas season and also throughout the entire year. It differs from the usual Christmas songs since it focuses not only on Jesus’ birth but also His life on earth, His suffering and death, and the ultimate triumph of His second advent.

The first two lines of this hymn say, “Thou didst leave Thy throne and Thy kingly crown when Thou camest to earth for me, but in Bethlehem’s home there was found no room for Thy holy nativity. O come to my heart, Lord Jesus, there is room in my heart for Thee! Heaven’s arches rang when the angels sang, proclaiming Thy royal decree, but in lowly birth didst Thou come to earth and in great humility. O come to my heart, Lord Jesus, there is room in my heart for Thee!”

There was no room for Jesus in the Inn at Bethlehem, and no room for Him on this earth. On earth He was the homeless Stranger who came to die for our sins. Is there room in your heart for Him? He is the King of glory who is now seated at the Father’s right hand.

Paul described how Christ humbled Himself in Philippians 2:6-8, “Who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross.” Paul goes on to tell us that God has highly exalted Him and given Him a name above every name, and that every knee will bow to Him and every tongue will confess that He is Lord to the glory of God the Father.

Heaven and earth cannot contain Him, but our hearts can. We can praise and worship Jesus as our King!

Have a blessed day and a Merry Christmas. Stay safe and healthy.

In His grace,

Dean