oh, what love is this?

I've been listening to a lot of Christmas music.  One of my favorite seasonal CDs is Selah's Rose of Bethlehem.  If you haven't heard them, look them up!  Anyways, it wasn't until recently that I really listened to their song, Mystery.  I have since fallen in love with it.  Not only is the musicianship amazing but more importantly the words are phenomenal.  Here are the lyrics so you can see what I mean:

Mystery- Selah

A child was born on Christmas Day
Born to save the world
But long before the world began
He knew His death was sure
The pain and strife secured

Mystery, how He came
To be a man
But greater still
How His death was in His plan
God predestined that His Son would die
And He still created man
Oh, what love is this
That His death was in His hands

The Christmas trees
They glow so bright
With presents all around
But Christmas brought
A tree of life
With blood that sacrificed
The greatest gift in life

I am just a man and
Can’t begin to comprehend
When You look into this traitor’s eyes
What do You see that justifies the Lamb

God predestined that His
Son would die
And He still created man
Oh, what love is this
That His death was in His plan
Mystery, mystery

I think my favorite lines in this song are, firstly, "God predestined that His Son would die and He STILL created man", and then the next line that is really perfectly coupled with the first is, "When You look into this traitor's eyes, what do You see that justifies the Lamb?"

This whole situation baffles me.  Christ, himself part of God, came to earth to save us, sinners, worthless beings, the scum of the earth.  God, the creator of EVERYTHING loved us, those sinners, so much that He sent his Son, perfect and divine to save us.  Why?  WHY?  When I think about this, it is a shock to my system with how much God loves us.  In Jeremiah 31:3 it says, "Long ago the Lord said to Israel: 'I have loved you, my people, with an everlasting love.  With unfailing love I have drawn you to myself.' (NLT)  Two different words in that verse are used to show God's persistent and unrelenting love for us.  And the funny thing is we don't always love Him.  God knew when He created us that we would be screw-ups, and were undeserving of His love and grace, but "He still created man".

I am amazed that the God of the universe desires a relationship with me.  I am amazed that He wants to be a part of my valueless life.  His grace is so overwhelming to me.  This is the gift that I should be focused on during Christmas.  Honestly, what else do I need when I've been given grace?