It's so cute to hear the children at school sing Happy Birthday to Jesus. I'm baffled by the fact Jesus came to earth as an infant, a completely dependent baby with no defenses. He was human. HUMAN. I'm awed by this. Jesus is fully God, yet he decided to come among us and feel pain, hunger, fatigue, anxiety, happiness, sorrow and temptation. He suffered a human existence to understand us and emphasize with our pain, hunger, anxiety, happiness, sorrow and temptation.
Hebrews 2:14-18 states, "Since the children have flesh and blood, he too shared in their humanity so that by his death he might break the power of him who holds the power of death—that is, the devil— and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by their fear of death. For surely it is not angels he helps, but Abraham’s descendants. For this reason he had to be made like them, fully human in every way, in order that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in service to God, and that he might make atonement for the sins of the people. Because he himself suffered when he was tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted."
It means so much that he chose this path. We have no choice but to feel pain, hunger, etc. But Jesus was fully divine as well. He was all-knowing and all-powerful. He was perfect. He limited himself on purpose, so that he could understand us. Us mortals who disobey him daily. He suffered even to death for us, but it all started on his birthday: the day we celebrate on December 25th. His humble birth in a manger surrounded by shepherds and animals displays his amazing gift of weakness. He allowed himself to be weak so he could bring strength to our weakness and forgiveness to our sin. Praise God!
“Glory to God in the highest heaven,
and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.”
MERRY CHRISTMAS!
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