Why As a Child?

He could have come in any form. Transfigured as He was high on the mountain in front of His disciples, He could have come with radiant face shining like the sun and clothes as white as light. I suppose He could have come in the form of an old wise man, replete with long beard and gnarled cane. Or, perhaps He could have majestically come in a form unlike anything we had ever seen before, something like the heavenly host John saw in his revelatory vision on the isle of Patmos. Instead, Jesus came in the form of a baby. "All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: "The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel -- which means, "God with us" (Luke 1:22-23).

Amid all the hustle and bustle of the season (how many holiday events can one individual attend?), I've been giving much thought to the Christ Child. Why did the Savior of all mankind come to earth in the form of a baby? He could have come in any form. Why a baby?

Scripture never answers the question, it merely forecasts and then records that is how it happened. So, we are left to wonder...

Perhaps it was because of His innocence? Though "he was assigned a grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death, though he had done no violence, nor was any deceit in his mouth" (Is. 53:9), He never lost the innocence and purity of a child. Sinless and without fault, He lived the duration of His life to absolute perfection.

Perhaps it was because of His destiny? It was Simeon who said in blessing the Christ child, "This child is destined to cause the falling and rising of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be spoken against, so that the thoughts of many hearts will be revealed" (Lk. 2:34-35).

Perhaps it was because of His mission? In His home town of Nazareth, He would stand in the synagogue on a Sabbath day and proclaim reading Isaiah the prophet, "The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to preach the good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to release the oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor" (Lk 4:18-19; Is. 61:1,2).

Perhaps it was simply because of us? And so Jesus grew "in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men" (Lk. 2:52) and He provided an example of what it means to be a "child" of God.

Life in the "Greenhouse" is changing. The last child is no longer a child, turning 13 last week and some of the "magic" of Christmas has changed. Certainly the love still flows as deeply as ever, but we are now much more "adult" about the gifts we exchange. Presents this year will likely not appear wrapped and under the tree until late Christmas Eve -- the fear of having "no gifts for Christmas" has given way to a rational calm. The special "Santa Cookie Plate" that for years upon which has always remained half eaten cookie and a swallow of milk on Christmas morning was accidentally dashed to pieces on the stone hearth during this year's decorating. (It will likely never be replaced (until the grandchildren make their entrance into the world, no doubt when the "magic" magically reappears). "Visions of sugarplums dancing in their heads" are now displaced by visions of MP3 players and knee-high fashion boots. Life is indeed changing, but perhaps this is the point.

Arriving as a child, Christ Jesus grew. The Christ changed and He became all the Father had called Him to be. Even the Christ child grew in wisdom and stature and in favor with God and men. And so shall we.

This Christmas, I'm giving myself the gift of self-reflection and taking an account of how I've grown and how I am still growing. Far, far from the innocence of a child and sinful to the point of shame, I'm looking for how I might grow closer to His perfection. Still searching for what it is I'm destined to be, I'm looking for how I might more fully accomplish what it is God has created me to be and to do. Asking the Creator to give me keener vision for the poor, the imprisoned, the blind and oppressed, I'm evaluating my own personal mission and how I might mature into the calling I've received.

This Christmas, I'm hoping to find a deeper meaning of Christ the child, for He is called Immanuel -- which means "God with us" and with God is where I long to be.



Note: My apologies to those who have found my blog lacking in content in the past week. Neglecting to give any notice of my brief absence, I chose to be quiet for a few days so as to let some thoughts ruminate. The two weeks following Christmas and New Years will be a time of vacation for me, but I do intend to write at least some, though I will be away from my typical duties of my ministry. Look for a consistent stream of content again the second week of the new year.