 Baby Jesus
Christmas is such a sweet season. I think this comes from so many factors contributing to this most wonderful season of feasting and fellowship. Most of us probably associate this celebration with the positive association of gifts, games, food, and family. Cozy clothes, comfort foods, and cute decorations set the scene for the holiday season. The sweetness of the season may also be that the whole celebration is centered around the birth of a baby. The infant Lord Jesus is an adorable concept to think about. But we must be careful that we do not accidentally separate the babe in the manger from the crucified Christ. The baby Jesus is the sovereign Lord. The little Lord Jesus who must learn to speak is still the one who upholds the universe by the word of His power (Hebrews 1:1-4). We could easily walk through many of these paradoxes of power and humility brought about through the greatness of Jesus’ incarnation. Humility We must remember that while Jesus was born in the humble circumstances of Bethlehem, it was His condescension to be born in human form at all that is most astounding (Philippians 2:5-8). The eternal God stepping into the temporal realm to save mortal men is an amazing act of humble love. Jesus was not ashamed to join us in our frailty. He was willing to suffer with us in our weakness. He was willing to identify with us as our atoning sacrifice. Our divine King was willing to share in our humanity. What is most astounding to think about is that Jesus volunteered to come and save us. This was Yahweh’s sovereign plan from all eternity. This means that this was Christ’s plan eternally. He was painted into a compromised position with no other options but rather was acting decisively and definitively to rescue His people from their sins (Matthew 1:21). Honor This means that Jesus is worthy of honor and glory just because of who He is. He is Yahweh! Jesus is the I am that I am. So He rightly should be worshiped. Notice that even in His infancy the angels, shepherds, wise men, and people in the temple are worshiping Him. They did not wait for Him to complete His mission but rather they worshiped Him for who He is. But Jesus is also worthy of worship because of what He has accomplished (Revelation 5:11-14). Have you ever noticed how so many of our Christmas songs are about glory? This is not a coincidence but rather our proper imitation of what is expressed in the scripture. Over and over from Mary, to the angels, to the shepherds, we see that news of the birth of the Messiah was a catalyst for God glorifying praise. Hope The other thing that we must not forget about the baby Jesus is that He was fulfilling numerous prophecies. God had made many promises concerning the context and circumstances of the Messiah’s birth and these were given so that it would be unmistakable that Jesus was the long awaited King. The leaders knew who Jesus was and they rejected Him. But the promises were still proved true and God was vindicated in His faithfulness. Today, we know that our hope is well founded in the future and eternal promises of God because of His faithfulness in every past promise. So let me encourage you to enjoy these days of celebration with awe and wonder, with faith and hope because God has and will keep all His promises. I wish all of you a blessed and merry Christmas!
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