Baby Jesus

I have been guilty of wishing my life away. When I was in elementary school I wished to be in Jr. High. When I was in Jr. High I wished to be in High School. When I was in High School I wished to be in college. When I was in college I wished to be graduated. When I graduated I wished to married. When I had babies I wished they would grow up. But I can't say that now that I am passing mid-life that I wish I were a baby!

Jesus Christ, the sinless Son of God willingly became a human baby in order to pay the death penalty required on our behalf. Consider the sacrifice that was required to leave the throne of Heaven to become a helpless baby! I cannot image reverting from an adult to an infant! How much more inconceivable to move from having all power and authority to having someone change your diapers!

When you think of the sweet little Holy Child in the manger, do you consider the price He paid to be in a relationship with you? We may agonize as we witness the cruel death that He suffered. But the anguish of the cross can also be observed in the Garden of Gethsemane. He took Peter and Zebedee’s two sons, James and John, and he became anguished and distressed. He told them, ‘My soul is crushed with grief to the point of death. Stay here and keep watch with me.’ (Matt. 26:37-38 NLT)

He walked away, about a stone’s throw, and knelt down and prayed, “Father, if you are willing, please take this cup of suffering away from me. Yet I want your will to be done, not mine.” Then an angel from heaven appeared and strengthened him. He prayed more fervently, and he was in such agony of spirit that his sweat fell to the ground like great drops of blood. (Luke 22:41-44 NLT)

Jesus knew that when He became sin for us, His father would not be able to be in a relationship with Him for that point in time because God can have no part with sin. The crisis of the cross was that Christ had to face the penalty of sin without God. So glibly we pummel through our day striving to be independent, inconsiderate of the consequences. But Jesus knew the horror of facing even one minute without a relationship to God. He modeled a life that was totally dependent on God. The trauma of the tragedy was that He willingly sacrificed His relationship with the Father in order to be in a relationship with you and me!

So we praise God for the glorious grace he has poured out on us who belong to his dear Son. He is so rich in kindness and grace that he purchased our freedom with the blood of his Son and forgave our sins. He has showered his kindness on us, along with all wisdom and understanding.

God has now revealed to us his mysterious plan regarding Christ, a plan to fulfill his own good pleasure. And this is the plan: At the right time he will bring everything together under the authority of Christ—everything in heaven and on earth. Furthermore, because we are united with Christ, we have received an inheritance from God, for he chose us in advance, and he makes everything work out according to his plan. (Eph. 1:6-11 NLT)

Christ’s sacrifice does not automatically bring us into a relationship with God. We are faced with a choice. Who will be God of my world? By default Satan is the god of this evil world, but by choice God can take the throne in your life. You are free to make the choice to continue in your independence or to choose to live a life that is desperately dependent on God.