Greek mythology is full of stories where the various gods leave Olympus and go slumming around with mere mortals. Despite their great powers, life on Mount Olympus apparently lacks fulfillment (usually sexual fulfillment), so the gods come to earth, to make and test heroes, and interfere in affairs of households and wars. One could argue that the Greek gods spend more of their time on earth than on Mount Olympus; life on earth must seem pretty good to them.

Life on earth is good, but if the Greek pantheon likes earth so much, Mount Olympus must be a ghetto compared to the throne room of God in heaven. Their gods are not like our God. The Savior comes not so much to live on the earth fulfilling his own desires, but to live for us and  in us, fulfilling the will of the Father.

The Son became flesh and made his dwelling among us (John 1:14), and spoke these words, “I am the living bread that came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever. This bread is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world” (John 6:51). “For I have come down from heaven not to do my will but to do the will of him who sent me. And this is the will of him who sent me, that I shall lose none of all that he has given me, but raise them up at the last day. For my Father’s will is that everyone who looks to the Son and believes in him shall have eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day” (John 6:38-40). We look forward not only to the Savior’s coming, but the reason for his coming.

Not that we are God, yet having become partakers of the divine nature, God with us is also God in us.