Just a Baby

“But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord.” 

Luke 2:10-11 NIV 

I saw this picture on Facebook the other day and it made a mark on my mind. It seems so normal. So often when we see pictures of Christ it's as if the artist is somehow trying to make Him appear better than or more holy than all other pictures. And of course He is God and He is holy but He came to us in the most humble way. 

A baby. Tiny, wrinkled and most likely screaming into this world. The Bible indicates that He experienced all of humanity and yet never sinned. A baby - completely helpless and dependent on a mom and dad who were completely unprepared. Babies don't come with manuals and how to guides. They come each one different and unique. With personalities and quirks and issues that are individual. 

I imagine that Christ was the same way. He was a baby and a boy and a teenager and then a man. Just like every baby boy born He faced all the same things. We don't know if he was a part of the in crowd in high school or a kid on the fringe. I imagine he befriended the weird kids and the outcasts and the less than perfect teens. 

He might have even been a colicky baby or one that got His days and nights backwards for a while. I imagine that at times Mary questioned if she was doing anything right. And Joseph held the responsibility of teaching God about daily Hebrew manners and life. As a parent the feelings of parenting another life can be overwhelmingly frightening. The fear that we are going to somehow mess up our children. I can't even begin to imagine how Mary and Joseph felt parenting God. That's a whole other level of pressure. 

This morning I was working on my current memory verses Luke 2:10-11 and the thought of God coming as a baby overwhelmed me. God came completely humbled putting on flesh that bleeds and breaks all so He could suffer and die for me. WOW!  That's so amazing. Why would He do that for such a sinner as me. Because all He ever wanted was to commune with those He created. All of us. All the broken, ugly, bruised and outcast people. He loves us so much. 

This year think of the sacrifice made as you look for the perfect gift or make the perfect dish - God came imperfectly and lived perfectly so we could someday stand in His presence and be made perfect. That's the greatest gift of Christmas. Don't let it get overshadowed in the expectations of the perfect holiday.  Just focus on Him.