Morning Moments

IT'S NOT OVER YET!

Today I am simply thinking about all the things regarding the birth of Jesus and the few days following, prior to the circumcision on the eighth day, that must have been going on. A thousand thoughts run through my head having had four children of our own. Someone said to me recently, "Just think, when he was in the manger, I was on his mind." I find that difficult to believe in light of many Biblical texts as well as the natural course of human development.

When Paul wrote to the Philippians, he described the "Emptying" or the fact that Jesus "set aside" the rights of deity to become a Man. What we must understand is that Jesus HAD to go through the same growth process as any other baby. In other words, He did not come talking, walking, potty trained, etc. Luke says he GREW in wisdom and knowledge. By "limiting" himself in this manner, he LEARNED and did not exercise the prerogative of Deity we know as omniscience. So, Jesus did not sit up as a baby in the manger and carry on an adult conversation with the shepherds. He wet as a baby, pooped as a baby, cried as a baby, for he was indeed a NORMAL baby. The ONE distinctive difference was that he possessed the HUMAN nature but NOT the fallen or ADAMIC nature.

Can't we see how really important this is? Jesus learned as man what He never knew as God! He LEARNED obedience by the things that he suffered, GREW in favor in statue and in favor with God and man. THIS is what SCRIPTURE tells us about him, which in NO WAY diminishes his Divine nature, but simply affirms his HUMAN nature. He became MAN!

From the day of his birth to the day of circumcision nothing is recorded. We are left to use our sanctified imaginations and can only be led to believe that life was normal for this Jewish family.

One final thought! I honestly think that one of the reasons we use the "Well, that was Jesus" excuse for our sub-standard Christian living is because we do not grasp the fact that he was as HUMAN as we are, BUT without a sinful nature. HENCE, he HAD to learn and grow.

BLESSINGS!