There are few things in life less intimidating than a sleeping baby, especially a baby sleeping on its mother’s lap.
More than two thousand years ago there laid a child, Jesus, on his mother Mary’s lap asleep. I have no doubt that like many other mothers before and since she marveled at her baby boy. She marveled at the little person in her arms with fingernails a quarter the size of hers, whose fingers wrapped around and clung to her own. Mary stroked Jesus’s head and examined his tiny eyelashes and took in his sleeping sounds and wiggles. He was finally here, after nine months of waiting, she finally got to see his face. What child is this who laid to rest on Mary’s lap is sleeping? This child is Jesus-- fully human, but COMPLETELY DIFFERENT from any baby ever born before or since. Jesus is also FULLY God! It’s a mystery we cannot fully comprehend, yet, true. The baby Jesus, completely dependent on Mary's love and care for everything, who laid in Mary’s lap, had SPOKEN the universe into being at the beginning of time. The baby who laid in Mary’s lap had formed man and woman, with the Father and Holy Spirit, from the work of His hands and breathed life into them. The baby who laid in Mary’s lap, snuggled by his mother’s warmth, had parted the waters of the Red Sea and led the people of Israel from a life of slavery into one of identity, purpose, and place, foreshadowing what He would do roughly 33 years later on the cross through His death and resurrection. What child is this who laid to rest on Mary’s lap is sleeping? This child is Jesus, the second Person of God who is one God, yet three Persons. This Jesus in so many ways is incomprehensible, and yet left Heaven to dwell with ordinary people to become human so the world could know God in a different way. To look at the baby in Mary’s arms you’d think he looked like any other everyday miracle born to a mother. He didn’t appear special. He didn’t glow as we often see on the Christmas cards, his glory, while yet there was masked (Philippians 2:6-8). His ordinariness was in direct contrast to his Godhood, but that’s how He choose to come. Through Jesus, God took the world by surprise! What child is this who laid to rest on Mary’s lap is sleeping? This child is Jesus, who would change mankind’s course in history forever. He had been foretold by the prophets of the LORD to the people of Israel. They were looking for a powerful Savior who would come as king and rule forever. They were expecting God to send a man to come and save the people from their oppressors, like Moses, like King David. They looked for the king who would come and fulfill all the promises that had been spoken about Him. This child, Jesus, did come to save. Jesus, as a man, would save people through faith in Him, and the way He would do it would confuse many. Jesus came to save even more than the people of Israel. He came to save those in the world who would believe in Him in a way so incomprehensible that many would believe in awe... and yet many would deny Him. What child is this who laid to rest on Mary’s lap is sleeping? Isn’t that really the question we should be asking ourselves this Christmas season? What child IS this? What God is this who would entrust Himself into our care? Are we so trustworthy? No. Is He so faithful that He would come to save an imperfect, rebellious creation? Yes. If our answer is that this child, this Jesus, is our Lord—what then? How will our relationship with Him affect our hearts this Christmas season? Ask yourself, once again, and sit in the question and your response to it. What child is this who laid to rest on Mary’s lap is sleeping? Follow up: Read The Christmas Story in Luke Chapters 1 through 2:21 Meditate on Isaiah 9:6 For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Prayer: Dear Lord, we pray that You’d immerse us in the question “what child is this who laid to rest on Mary’s lap is sleeping?” this Christmas season. We pray you would lead us to the true answer, that Jesus is God and man, God with us, and a savior like no other. God, to You be the glory. Amen.
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Growing up and listening to Christmas hymns I never realized what an amazing combination it was for God to put angels in the presence of shepherds in the field, telling those shepherds about the birth of Jesus. Do you know why it’s so astounding?
Back in Biblical times shepherds weren't high on the social rung in society. They spent all day outside... around animals, and were thought to be a little wild. I wonder, however, if God has a special place in his heart for shepherds? Moses was a shepherd when God spoke to him in the burning bush, and David was taken from the fields to rule Israel, as a man after God's own heart. And, of course, there's Jesus, who names himself the Good Shepherd and describes his relationship with those who follow him as sheep to a shepherd, saying he would go so far as to lay down his life for his sheep. When I was trying to understand the parable Jesus teaches about a lost sheep being found by his shepherd (Luke 15: 1-7), I had to learn a little about sheep and shepherds. I found out that sheep are easily distracted animals. They wander off if they are not carefully shepherded. They don't wander off because they're trying to be bad or leave the flock... they see something interesting and go off to examine it... or aren’t paying attention and get left. It's also interesting to know that the shepherds in Biblical times often had names for their sheep. They knew each one individually and the sheep knew their shepherd’s voice. Every sheep in the flock mattered to the shepherd. The two tools, the rod and staff King David writes about in Psalm 23, are the tools that the shepherd uses to protect his sheep (rod) and bring it back to the group (staff). We created images (human beings) are a lot like sheep, if not worse. We get distracted by things that aren’t God and go and seek after the bright and shiny distractions that enter our line of sight. We’re not especially picky about the distraction— fame, power, money, happiness, success, love… many bright and shiny things can get us distracted from God if were not paying attention to the Good Shepherd. Post distraction we’re completely lost and scared... and completely unable to get back on our own. We need saving. We sheep need the Good Shepherd to come get us. Thankfully, that’s exactly what Jesus, the Good Shepherd does. He comes, picks us up, and carries us home. Why? If we’re on his shoulders we can’t go the wrong way, and we’re certain to get home. Jesus, the baby in question in this beautiful hymn, grew up to find and save the lost sheep who couldn’t save themselves. He beat off sin and death using His divine staff of His death on the cross and resurrection from the grave. Jesus then used His divine crook, the guidance of the Holy Spirit for all believers, to direct us through life and bring us back Home. As we think about the angels celebrating Jesus’ birth, it’s not surprising that the first people God the Father and the Holy Spirit told were the shepherds. The shepherds knew what sheep were like… and they were sheep themselves. The angels announced the coming of the shepherd’s Shepherd who would lead them (and us) to green pastures and still waters forever. So ask yourself this season-- what child is this-- whom angels greet with anthems sweet while shepherds watch are keeping? This child, Jesus, grew up to be the Good Shepherd, and if we let him, our Good Shepherd, to enjoy a relationship with Him, keep us from danger, and lead us safely Home. To God be the glory, Sarah Scripture to meditate on: Luke 2: 8-21 Psalm 23 Luke 15: 1-7 Prayer: Dear Lord, thank you for telling the good news about Jesus to the shepherds first. You told normal people who worked hard at getting their distracted animals to go where they should. Thank you for being our Good Shepherd, for coming to this world to be born, live, die, and rise so that we, your sheep, can know the goodness of you now and for eternity. Thank you, Jesus, for Christmas. Through Christ our Lord, amen. |
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