Red and Green

Why a Baby?

It seems peculiar enough that the God of the universe would humble himself to become man, but even more bizarre that He would allow all his divinity to be squeezed into 7 or so pounds of helpless humanity. Why did He come as a baby?

Did He feel frustration as He depended on a young woman to satisfy His hunger pains? Did He feel fragile as He shivered in the cold? Did He feel determination or defeat as He took His first toddling steps, then fell?

I can only guess at why He allowed Himself to go through the birth and growth process.

The Book of Hebrews says, “For we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but One who has been tempted in all things as we are, yet without sin.” Hebrews 4:15

Tempted in all things…

Tempted to kick His annoying younger brothers?

Tempted to talk back to Mary and Joseph when they told Him it was bedtime?

As He grew intellectually and sensed that His brain housed the Mind of God, it must have been frustrating to follow the commandment “Honor your father and your mother.” If middle-schoolers have trouble believing that parents know anything, imagine how hard it must have been for 12-year-old Jesus to submit to mortal parents.

But the Bible says the Boy Jesus DID submit. After spending three days conversing with the teachers in Jerusalem’s temple, Jesus returned home with His parents and did what He was told.

“And He went down with them and came to Nazareth, and He continued in subjection to them...” Luke 2:51

I’ll bet He didn’t even roll His eyes---though maybe the thought crossed His mind.

So we can’t say Jesus doesn’t know what we’re going through. He’s totally been there. He lived to set an example of submission and obedience. He died to pay the penalty for our lack of submission and obedience.

He didn’t experience biological fatherhood while on earth, but He did have twelve students who messed up on a regular basis. Peter was impulsive. He was a big talker, but became cowardly at a crucial moment. (Luke 22:33-34) James and John always wanted to be in first place (Mark 10:37). Thomas had a pessimistic attitude. (John 20:27-28). Judas betrayed Him.

Jesus knows what it’s like to disciple difficult “kids”. But He never gave up on His disciples, and all but one, Judas, went on to become great leaders in God’s kingdom. It should give us comfort to know that Jesus knows firsthand what we’re going through, and it should give us hope that our efforts will not be in vain.

Why a baby? To assure us that, from infancy to death, He’s been through it all, tempted, yet without sin.

“Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receiver mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.” Hebrews 4: 16