"The Lord Himself will give you a sign: the virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and will call Him Immanuel." Isaiah 7:14
And so Jesus came to earth to dwell among us. He became human and took on the appearance of man. He was the Word in flesh - the true tabernacle!
Have you ever thought about what that meant? For God to cram all His Glory into a human form? To experience all that we as humans experience - pain, joy, longing, temptation...not to mention some of the more, *ahem*, shall we say unmentionable aspects of the body He surely experienced! Maybe it's because at the moment I am joyously mired in the land of small children, but I've often wished that the bible included a book devoted to Jesus' life as a child. How was He like as a baby? Did He ever throw a tantrum? Did He go through the "terrible twos...or threes? You know, vital information! OK, probably only vital to a mother and not really that important in the scheme of things, right?
It's funny, expanding on the mother theme, I have often, actually, looked into my babies' faces and pondered what Mary must have felt watching her precious baby be crucified on the cross for the sins of the world. I thought it so appropriate that Beth Moore made that comparison. Can you even imagine? I can't - it's inconceivable! I would do anything to protect my babies from pain or suffering. What mother wouldn't? Maybe it was for that very simple reason that God protected her from the knowledge of just what was to come for the tiny, perfect son she held in her arms.
It's funny, expanding on the mother theme, I have often, actually, looked into my babies' faces and pondered what Mary must have felt watching her precious baby be crucified on the cross for the sins of the world. I thought it so appropriate that Beth Moore made that comparison. Can you even imagine? I can't - it's inconceivable! I would do anything to protect my babies from pain or suffering. What mother wouldn't? Maybe it was for that very simple reason that God protected her from the knowledge of just what was to come for the tiny, perfect son she held in her arms.
And so He came to earth. And lived. And died as the atonement for our sins. We no longer have to be slaves to the law or some sacrificial system. Jesus obliterated the old way when He came to earth as a man and died on the cross. Through His sacrifice we can now have the "true tabernacle" living in our hearts!
What does it mean to you that Jesus had the power to escape His circumstances but chose to endure suffering for our sake?
3 comments:
it means everything, really!... it is amazing to me... leaves me speechless, and yet i want to speak of it!.... Jesus' sacrifice is greater than anything else! it paid for my horrible, wretched sin! and then, He rose from the dead, conquering death, and made eternal life possible for all of us!!! and to think that He could have NOT followed through with all of this... i think we often see Jesus as this high and mighty, perfect man who didn't feel pain and temptation and didn't experience things to the extent that we do... it's simply not true! He suffered as we do, WORSE, in fact. He was tempted. He understands us in every way because He has been there!!! i'm SO thankful He chose to follow through with the plan for my sake, for all of us!!! we'd be forever lost without it!!
I have to agree with Sara upon saying that I often veiw Jesus as a High and Mighty, perfect man who never felt pain, suffering, or temptation - and boy and I'm wrong. He felt the worst kind! He could have stopped all that he was going to, but his actions showed more courage and selflessness than anyone ever before.
As for looking at it from Mary's perspective my stomach begins to turn thinking of one of my precious children going through that and I have to witness it. It's unfathomable to me. God was truly with her to give her the strength to not only watch her son suffer, but to let him go!
it's true about mary... what a woman, right? i mean, she certainly had her moments when she lost sight of trusting God completely, but the courage to stand and watch your son suffer and the only thing you can do is trust that God's sovereignty will be revealed--wow!! not sure i would have done that great of a job!! and thinking of being in her place and watching--when i think of one of my own... words can't really describe the feeling i get just thinking about it!.... i pray when a time comes where i need to trust God for my children, i will do it! it's nice to have mary as an example in this!!
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